Celebrate Colorado Gives Day by Giving Back to the Parks That Give Us So Much
Robert DeckerColorado isn’t just a place you live or visit—it’s a place you feel.
From powder days in the Rockies to golden aspen hikes in the fall, from desert canyons on the Western Slope to star-filled skies over the dunes, Colorado is an endless playground for hikers, bikers, skiers, snowboarders, anglers, climbers, and road-trippers.
And once a year, Colorado comes together to give something back.
Colorado Gives Day is our statewide day of philanthropy—a chance for Coloradans (and park lovers everywhere) to support the nonprofits, conservation groups, and community organizations that keep this state wild, vibrant, and accessible for all.
For those of us who love Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado Gives Day is also a powerful reminder: these places don’t take care of themselves. It takes people, organizations, and everyday supporters who care deeply about the landscapes we love.
Why Colorado Gives Day Matters
Colorado Gives Day started as a simple idea: make it easy and impactful for Coloradans to support local nonprofits. Today, it has grown into a massive day of giving that raises millions of dollars each year for thousands of organizations across the state—from food banks and animal shelters to trail associations and national park partners.
Supporting Colorado Gives Day helps:
- Protect Colorado’s lands and waters – funding conservation projects, trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and education programs.
- Support outdoor access for everyone – so more kids and families can discover the magic of Colorado’s national parks and public lands.
- Strengthen communities statewide – from the Front Range to the Western Slope, the San Luis Valley to the Four Corners.
When you give, you’re not just making a donation—you’re investing in the future of Colorado and all the wild places that make life here so special.
Colorado’s Four National Parks: Icons Worth Protecting
Colorado is home to four incredible national parks, each with its own character, story, and landscape. They’re more than just destinations—they’re part of what makes Colorado Colorado.
At National Park Posters, I’ve created WPA-style posters for all four of these parks—each one inspired by time spent exploring, photographing, and soaking in the beauty of these places. Hanging one on your wall is a daily reminder of why they’re worth protecting.
Let’s take a quick tour.
Rocky Mountain National Park: Alpine Peaks & Endless Trails
With soaring peaks, alpine lakes, wildlife-filled valleys, and miles of hiking trails, Rocky Mountain National Park is Colorado’s crown jewel.
Summer brings wildflower meadows, high-elevation hikes, and evenings by the campfire. Fall means golden aspens and the haunting sound of elk bugling across Moraine Park. Winter transforms the park into a quiet, snow-covered wonderland perfect for snowshoeing and backcountry adventures.
Our Rocky Mountain National Park poster captures that classic, high-country drama—the jagged peaks, deep blue sky, and sense of pure alpine adventure. It’s a tribute to every sunrise hike, every scenic drive on Trail Ridge Road, and every moment you’ve stopped just to stare at the mountains and say, “Wow.”
On Colorado Gives Day, consider supporting organizations that help maintain trails, protect wildlife habitat, and ensure Rocky remains wild and accessible for generations.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison: Sheer Walls & Deep Silence
If Rocky is dramatic and expansive, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is steep, shadowy, and humbling.
Carved over millions of years by the Gunnison River, the canyon’s sheer black walls plunge more than 2,000 feet, creating one of the most dramatic landscapes in the country. This is a place of:
- Quiet overlooks and jaw-dropping viewpoints
- Star-filled skies that feel impossibly close
- Rugged, less-traveled experiences on Colorado’s Western Slope
Our Black Canyon of the Gunnison poster celebrates that raw verticality—the dramatic cliffs, the river far below, and the feeling of standing on the edge of something truly ancient and powerful.
Supporting Western Slope nonprofits and conservation groups on Colorado Gives Day helps protect not just the park itself, but the communities, rivers, and open spaces that surround it.
Mesa Verde National Park: Ancient History on the Mesa Tops
In Mesa Verde National Park, the story of Colorado isn’t just written in the mountains—it’s carved into the cliffs.
This World Heritage Site protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in North America. Walking through places like Cliff Palace and Balcony House, you feel connected to centuries of human history and ingenuity.
Our Mesa Verde National Park poster highlights the magic of these cliff dwellings—sunlit stone walls tucked into the canyon, telling a story that stretches back more than 700 years.
On Colorado Gives Day, supporting cultural and historical nonprofits—including those that protect Indigenous histories and interpretive programs—helps ensure this history is honored, preserved, and shared.
Great Sand Dunes National Park: Mountains of Sand & Dark Skies
Where else can you:
- Hike towering dunes
- Splash in a seasonal creek
- Stargaze under some of the darkest skies in the country
- See 14,000-foot peaks rising above it all?
Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of Colorado’s most surprising landscapes—an ocean of sand pressed up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, shaped by wind, water, and time.
Our Great Sand Dunes National Park poster captures that surreal moment when late light slides across the dunes, carving them into waves of shadow and gold.
On Colorado Gives Day, supporting nonprofits that protect dark skies, water resources, wildlife, and the surrounding San Luis Valley helps keep this place as magical as your first barefoot climb up the dunes.
From the Front Range to the Western Slope: Why Colorado Inspires Giving
Colorado is a state built for adventure:
- Hiking & backpacking in every season
- Mountain biking on desert singletrack and alpine loops
- Fishing cold, clear rivers and high-mountain lakes
- Skiing & snowboarding world-class resorts and hidden-gem hills
- Horseback riding through open meadows and mountain trails
- Road trips over high passes, along the Western Slope, and through small towns that still feel like the old West
We ask a lot of this landscape. We use the trails, drive the passes, float the rivers, and build our lives around these mountains, canyons, forests, and parks.
Colorado Gives Day is our chance to say “thank you.”
How National Park Posters Fits In
At National Park Posters, my mission has always been simple:
- Celebrate America’s national parks through vintage-inspired art
- Inspire people to explore and protect these incredible places
- Give back a portion of every purchase to organizations that support our parks
By collecting posters of Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes, you’re doing more than decorating your walls:
- You’re honoring the places that shaped your favorite memories.
- You’re sparking conversations about travel, history, and conservation.
- You’re helping support ongoing efforts to protect these landscapes.
Pair your Colorado Gives Day donations with art that keeps the spirit of Colorado’s parks alive in your home, office, cabin, or studio.
Ways to Give Back This Colorado Gives Day
Here are a few ideas to make this Colorado Gives Day meaningful:
- Donate to Colorado nonprofits that focus on conservation, outdoor access, youth programs, and park stewardship.
- Support friends of the parks and local trail organizations that maintain the places you love to explore.
- Shop with purpose by choosing Colorado- and park-focused businesses (like National Park Posters) that give back throughout the year.
- Share your story on social media: your favorite Colorado park, trail, or memory—and why you chose to give.
Bring Colorado Home—and Help Protect It
Whether your heart belongs to the alpine lakes of Rocky, the shadowed walls of Black Canyon, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, or the windswept ridges of Great Sand Dunes, Colorado’s four national parks are part of what makes this state unforgettable.
This Colorado Gives Day, let’s give back to the lands that give us so much. Hang a Colorado national park poster on your wall, make a donation to a nonprofit you believe in, and help ensure that future generations can hike, ski, explore, and fall in love with Colorado—just like we did.
Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist with a single passion for our national parks. He’s exploring and photographing all 63 parks and creating WPA-inspired national park posters—timeless designs that celebrate America’s landscapes, rich history, and adventure culture.
Click here to learn more about Rob and the National Park Poster Project
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