Mesa Verde National Park and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve made the list!

TIME for Kids recently released its 2019 list of the World’s Coolest Places and two Colorado locations made the list.

TIME for Kids received suggestions for places from its readers and kid reporters, then picked the top 50. Each location was critiqued on originality, sustainability, quality, and accessibility. From there, the final rankings were divided into four categories: Play, Learn, Explore, and Eat.

Colorado had two locations fall under the listed in the Explore category—Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Wildlife Preserve.

According to the TIME list, a visit to Mesa Verde takes kids back in time, showing them a way of life long passed as they explore the ancient home built high in the cliffs. The Cliff Place is the largest dwelling of its kind in North America, and it is a trip kids will remember for a lifetime, often bringing their own children back to share and pass on the experience.

Courtesy of Mesa Verde National Park (Facebook)

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Wildlife Preserve is truly like visiting another world. Sky-high dunes of sand offer year-round sand boarding and sledding, and the opportunity to visit one of the most amazing land-locked beaches one will find. If one can catch Medano Creek at the base of the dunes during a year when the rare natural phenomenon of surge flow, it's a one-of-a-kind Colorado experience. Nighttime offers a whole new way to see the dunes and to view the stars, with clear views of the Milky Way through the crisp air.  

In the TIME description of the Great Sand Dunes, ranger Patrick Myers said, "This place is tailor-made for kids. There really is a unique sense of uninhibited freedom here."

We love hearing that kids love to visit Colorado and appreciate the natural wonders of our great state. You can check out the full list right here and read why kids chose each location as a favorite.

Have you visited either of these amazing Colorado locations? We want to know what you think! What is your top spot to visit with kids in Colorado?  Do you know of any hidden gems that didn’t make the list?  Give us the scoop in the comments.