Colorado Web sites offer more than just ski slopes

Ski season is here and you might be thinking about Aspen or Breckenridge or one of the other resorts in northwest Colorado. But that's not the only thing to do in the region.

Link up to the Internet to see how much else there is to do in Colorado's northwest corner, where depending on the season you can go whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking and camping, visit a dude ranch or chase dinosaurs.

Haven't decided where you want to ski? Consult Colorado Ski Resort Guide -- www.coloradoskicountry.com -- for details on the major slopes, including lift ticket prices, trail maps and lists of places that will rent you a room, a suite, a cottage or a lodge. For some resorts, there are even links to companies for extracurricular activities such as paragliding.

Get a quick look at the layout of the land from the regional map at the Colorado Directory -- www.coloradodirectory.com/maps -- where you'll also find short profiles of the towns and links to lodgings.

One of the sights to take in is the Colorado National Monument -- www.nps.gov/colm -- an area of canyons, sandstone towers, wildlife and hiking trails that sits near the town of Fruita.

Next, explore Dinosaur National Monument -- www.nps.gov/dino -- a land of more canyons and rivers, and home of peregrine falcons and bald eagles.

If that doesn't satisfy your kids' hunger for dinosaurs, head for Grand Junction and the Dinosaur Valley Museum -- www.mwc.mus.co.us/ dinosaurs/index.htm -- part of the Museum of Western Colorado. Before you go, read a Guide to the Dinosaurs of Colorado -- http://town.morrison.co.us/dinosaur/colodino.html -- at the Morris Natural History Museum.

In case old bones don't turn you on, go for living wildlife. Consult Colorado Wilderness -- www.coloradowilderness. com -- for a map that shows which official wilderness areas are located in the Northwest, including Flat Tops near Steamboat Springs. They also have details on each one.

If your travels take you to the area around Grand Junction, take a look at the Colorado West Tourism Council -- www.coloradowest.org -- for local businesses and a list of activities that include road trips, white water rafting and winery tours. Wineries? Yes, but some of their Web links are dead ends.

On the northern side of the region is the huge expanse of Moffat County -- www.colorado-go-west.com/index.html -- which advertises itself as the Real West. They've got big game hunting, scenery, dude ranches, wildlife watching and ... a town named Dinosaur.

Straight south is the town of Meeker -- www.meekercolorado.com -- in the White River Valley, which has a short slide show of the scenery. There's more at the Chamber of Commerce -- www.meekerchamber.com -- and both highlight the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway.

There's another slide show at Glenwood Springs -- www.glenscape.com -- and information on the outdoors.