Colorado Gators Reptile Park

* Wheeler Geologic Area is a spectacular and highly photographic formation.  Turn off SH 149 onto Pool Table Road.  From Hansen's Mill, hike a well-maintained 7-mile trail or take a 14-mile true 4x4, high-clearance, rock-climber road.  Either way takes 3 to 4 hours.  Motorized vehicles are prohibited inside the Wheeler boundaries.

* The nationally acclaimed Creede Repertory Theatre (CRT)presents evening and matinee performances from June through September. The theatre's broad repertoire of musicals, comedies, contemporary and classic dramas makes it possible to see several plays in a few days. In addition to plays, there is a special concert series presented each season in the theatre. Reservations are recommended as sell-out performances are common. Call (719) 658-2540 for reservations or a season schedule.

* Another of Creede's popular attractions is the Underground Mining Museum and Mining Tour. When the Homestake Mine closed in 1985, a handful of out-of-work miners set to the task of blasting a series of tunnels into Bulldog Mountain. A U-shaped tunnel with front and back entrances houses displays with historic re-creations of an operating hardrock mine and all the equipment needed to recover silver-bearing ore. Tours are educational and the museum houses a large collection of mineral specimens. Additional underground caverns house a firehouse, community center, and recreation area. The museum is located on the north end of Creede and is open all year. Call (719) 658-0811 for more information.

* The Creede Fossil Formation, which borders the Silver Thread Scenic Byway (SH 149) at Creede, is remnant sedimentary material deposited within the moat that once filled the Creede caldera. Rio Grande National Forest provides a free brochure about the formation which yields plants and insects captured in ancient sands and silt.

* The Creede Historical Society Museum is located in the historic Denver and Rio Grande train depot built in 1891 during Creede's tumultuous heyday. The history museum contains numerous artifacts, displays, and photographs documenting life in Colorado's last silver boomtown. Open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The Creede Historical Society also maintains a Research Library, open year-round, 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday and Wednesday.

* Wolf Creek Ski Area has the most snow in Colorado with average snowfalls of 400 inches per year creating a base of 12 feet or more. Wolf Creek has 750 acres of well-maintained slopes with 20% beginner, 35% intermediate, 25% advanced, and 20% expert. Base altitude starts at 10,350 feet. Modern lifts carry skiers to the Continental Divide at 11,775 feet. 800-SKI-WOLF, www.wolfcreekski.com