May in Sterling

Why Sterling, Colorado Should Be Your Next Road Trip

 

If you’re craving big skies, quiet trails, and meals that actually taste like something, Sterling, Colorado is ready when you are.

No crowds. No fuss. Just wide-open spaces, a downtown with personality, and a few surprises you didn’t know you needed.

 

First, Find Some Breathing Room

Sterling doesn’t just give you scenery — it gives you space.

 

At North Sterling State Park, you’ll find 3,000 acres of water and enough open shoreline to claim a spot of your own. Bring a fishing rod. Bring a kayak. Bring that novel you've been pretending to read for six months. Here, you’ve got time.

Prefer wheels over water? Sterling’s backroads and trails are built for bikes, picnics, and detours you’ll actually be glad you took.

 

Downtown’s Got a Little Edge

Don’t let the easygoing vibe fool you — downtown Sterling has some serious character.

Start with the murals and street sculptures (yes, those tree carvings are real, and yes, they're worth seeing). Wander through local shops that still believe in the lost art of conversation. Duck into a coffee shop where nobody’s spelling your name wrong on a paper cup.

It’s the kind of downtown you didn’t know you missed until you’re standing in it.

 

Eat Like You Mean It

Around here, food doesn’t need a soft filter to look good.

Sterling’s local restaurants serve the kind of meals that remind you why "farm-to-table" became a thing in the first place — thick-cut steaks, fresh vegetables that didn’t take a cross-country road trip to get to your plate, and pie that's exactly as homemade as it tastes.

This isn’t foodie pretension. It’s simple, it’s good, and it’s best enjoyed with a second helping.

Even the Drive is Good

Most road trips are just the price of admission to the destination. Not this one. Download the TravelStorysGPS app before you hit I-76 and turn the drive itself into part of the trip.

As you cruise through Colorado’s Northeastern Plains, you’ll hear the stories that shaped this part of the state — hands-free, hassle-free, and way more interesting than that same playlist you always mean to update.

 

Bottom Line

Sterling isn’t trying to be the next big thing. It’s comfortable being the hidden gem you’ll end up recommending to your friends — after you get back, of course.

This summer, skip the obvious. Go where there’s more sky than skyline. Where the coffee’s strong, the steaks are real, and the stories are still being written. Plan your trip, and see you in Sterling.

 

This blog was made possible through a grant from Visit Colorado.