Best Movies Set in Colorado

Every state is known for something. As you work your way through the list, don’t miss the best movies set in Colorado. While you’re at it, check out the best books set in Colorado, too.

Colorado, a western U.S. state, has a diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons, and the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, which are partly protected by Rocky Mountain National Park.

Elsewhere, Mesa Verde National Park features Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Perched a mile above sea level, Denver, Colorado’s capital and largest city, features a vibrant downtown area.

Best Movies Set in Colorado

Cliffhanger

Year: 1993

Outdoor thriller in which a former mountain rescuer is pitted against a group of criminals who have lost their $100 million stash during a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. After being persuaded to help rescue a group of stranded hikers, he discovers that they are in fact a gang of violent robbers who need help to locate their missing loot.

The Shining

Year: 1980

All work and no play makes Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson, the caretaker of an isolated resort, go way off the deep end, terrorizing his young son and wife Shelley Duvall.

Vanishing Point

Year: 1971

Vietnam War hero Kowalski (Barry Newman) has become a pill-addicted driver for hire. Transporting a car from Colorado to California, he enlivens the journey by making a wager with his drug dealer: If the trip takes under 15 hours, Kowalski’s latest amphetamine purchase is free.

But Kowalski’s recklessness on the road results in a much-publicized police chase. Radio jock Super Soul (Cleavon Little) covers the pursuit and turns Kowalski, who refuses to pull over, into a martyr for freedom.

Jack Frost

Year: 1998

As a touring musician clinging to dreams of stardom, aging rocker Jack Frost never had much time for his wife, Gabby, and young son, Charlie. A year after Jack’s tragic death in a car accident on Christmas Day, Charlie plays a mournful tune on his father’s harmonica. 

Much to his surprise, the elder Frost is magically brought to life as a snowman on the family lawn. Given a second chance, Charlie and Jack struggle to make up for a lost time.

National Lampoon’s Vacation

Year: 1983

Accompanied by their children (Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall), Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), and his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), are driving from Illinois to a California amusement park.

As Clark increasingly fixates on a beautiful woman driving a sports car, the Griswolds deal with car problems and the death of a family member. They reach Los Angeles, but, when Clark worries that the trip is being derailed again, he acts impulsively to get his family to the park.

Now that you’ve completed the list of best books set in this state, why not check out some others? Here are the Best Movies Set in All 50 States.

To continue learning, check out the Colorado State History Project.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT MOVIES SET IN ALL 50 STATES

Click here to download this printable. It has a list of movies in all 50 states including the Best Movies Set in Colorado.

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• 20 Books to Read Aloud and Watch the Movie

Further Reading About the State:

• Colorado: A Historical Atlas
• Colorado Bucket List Adventure Guide: Explore 100 Offbeat Destinations You Must Visit!
• Arizona Bucket List Adventure Guide & Journal: Explore The Natural Wonders & Log Your Experience!
• What's Great about Colorado? (Our Great States)
• Colorado Wild and Beautiful