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Fort Collins - Colorado
Founded in 1864, as a post to protect travelers
using the Overland Trail and as a trading center for
northern Colorado settlers, Fort Collins is a scenic city
of more than 100,000 people who live in the shadow of the
Front Range of the Rockies. Situated midway between
Denver and Cheyenne, this town is a relaxed place, and
home to Colorado State University.
The University provides a base for an
outstanding cultural cultural scene, with more than the
usual number of bookstores, small shops, art galleries,
historic sites, good restaurants, coffee houses, and
several micro brewpubs.
Within an hour of the city, you'll find the
natural beauty and rugged scenery of Rocky Mountain
National Park, the Red Feather Lakes region,
and the canyon of the wild and scenic Cache La Poudre
River. This is an ideal place from which to explore
the Northern Colorado Rockies, with guest ranches, state
and county parks, and forest recreation areas just a few
minutes away.
What to See and Do
The best place to begin a visit here is to go to
the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 3545
East Prospect Road, at the southwest corner of Prospect
& I-25. (970) 491-3388 or 800-274-3678.
Cultural Scene
The city is well endowed with performance venues,
including the 1180-seat Lincoln Center performance
hall, and the much smaller Bas Bleu Theatre in
downtown Fort Collins. Performing groups include the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, Opera Fort
Collins, OpenStage Theatre, and the Carousel Dinner Theatre. During the year, you'll
find an ongoing series of art and music festivals.
The Historic Old Town District is centered on
College Street (State Route 287), which was the original
main driving route north from Denver, before Interstate
25 was built. Many original buildings from the early
1900s have been preserved and are home to offices,
stores, and restaurants.
History buffs will enjoy visiting Avery House,
328 West Mountain Avenue, a home built in 1879 by
Franklin Avery, who was instrumental in bringing the
railroad to this part of Colorado. It was Avery who
surveyed the town, designed the wide streets, and then
established the first water projects which brought
farming to the plains just east of the Rockies. The home
is open on Sundays and Wednesdays, from 1 to 3 p.m. For
information, call (970) 221-0533.
For a good overview of local history, go to the Fort Collins Museum, at 200 Mathews Street,
downtown. The museum emphasizes the natural environment
and the lives of early residents. Collections include
mammoth fossils, as well as Indian and settler artifacts,
and a look into the city's future. Three early buildings
in the Pioneer Courtyard include an old log cabin which
was the home of one of the first area settlers. The
Auntie Stone Cabin is the only remaining building from
the original army fort. The Boxelder Schoolhouse was
brought to the museum from Upper Boxelder Canyon, where
it was used as a school from 1884 to 1951.
Outdoors
With the Rockies at their doorstep, Fort Collins
residents have a wealth of outdoor experiences to enjoy,
and the region is fast becoming a popular recreation area
for visitors. The Cache La Poudre River tumbles
down the slopes of the Front Range, and flows through
Fort Collins before emptying into the South Platte River
east of Greeley.
Over its run, the river drops more than 7,000 feet.
The magnificent canyon was a home for early Natives, and
then a place where gold was sought and timber was cut for
railroad ties. Now, 75 miles of the river are protected
with the "wild & scenic" designation. Several trails
begin in the canyon, and are traveled by foot, horse, and
bicycle. Snowy winter trails offer fine cross-country
skiing and snowmobiling. Hunting is permitted in season.
The Cache La Poudre offers some of the best
fishing in the state. 50 miles of the river are stocked
with rainbow and brown trout, while the area near the
town of Rustic has wild trout waters, perfect for fly and
lure anglers. Fishing licenses may be purchased at local
sporting goods stores, and at the state Division of
Wildlife offices. White water boating is popular from
April through August. Commercial outfitters provide
guided raft and kayak trips.
Red Feather Lakes is located northwest of Fort
Collins, surrounded by the Roosevelt National
Forest. This is a prime recreation area with great
mountain meadows, streams, and high peaks. The National
Forest contains four wilderness areas, plus the Arapahoe Wildlife Refuge. A little known route,
along Long Draw Road, leads to the remote northwest area
of Rocky Mountain National Park. Rustic and
not-so-rustic resorts in the area offer ranch activities,
river front access to the Cache La Poudre, rafting, and
riding.
Riverbend Ponds Natural Area is an outstanding
family learning and recreation area -- accessed from
three entrances: off Mulberry Street (north entrance),
from Cherly Street (east entrance), and from the south on
Prospect Street. The Habitat Walk is a nature study trail
with 12 interpretation stations. The preserve contains
small ponds which host wildlife, and part of the trail
leads along the Cache La Poudre River.
Trails and Open Spaces: Fort Collins has been
well planned, with open spaces and parks set aside over
the past 25 years, with an emphasis on preserving the
foothills areas west of town. 20 miles of recreational
trails lead beside Horsetooth Reservoir, and to
the open spaces: Campeau/Reservoir Ridge, Cathy Fromme
Prairie, Maxwell, and Pineridge. A handy brochure on the
trail system is available from the Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
The Farm at Lee Martinez Park opened in 1985
and has become a very popular place for families to
observe farm animals. Self-guided tours lead visitors
around the farm, but guided tours are also available. The
Farm Museum offers displays of antique farm implements.
Pony rides are available. This was a real farm, operated
by the George Wilcox family from 1912. In 1920, the farm
was sold to J.A. Nelson, and Nelson's Dairy was
established. After 1945, the property changed hands many
times, before it was purchased by the city. For more
information, call The Farm at (970) 221-6665.
Scenic Drives
There are three great scenic drives from the Fort
Collins area, all leading into the Rockies. To drive
through the foothills to Rocky Mountain National
Park, drive south of town along either State Route
287 (College Street) until you arrive in the small town
of Loveland. Turn west onto Route 34 for the
40-minute drive to the resort town of Estes Park, where you''ll find the east entrance to
the national park. This road continues through the park
as Trail Ridge Drive -- a route that takes you
high above the tree line to tundra country, and then down
beside the Colorado River.
Highway 14 offers a thrilling drive through the Front Range, between Fort Collins and the town of
Walden, in the beautiful valley known as North Park. The
route follows the path of the Cache La Poudre River,
leading to many recreational areas, with the high point
at Cameron Pass. Facilities for travelers are
found at Ted's Place (at the junction of Highways 287 and
14), and at Poudre Park, Poudre City, and Walden.
County Road 74 E, the route to Red Feather
Lakes, is found north of Fort Collins via State Route 287
(at the community of Forks). The Red Feather area offers
more rustic resorts and fishing. The town is very small,
with a dozen or so quaint shops and cafes.
Guest Ranches
Sylvan Dale and other guest ranches are famous for
their hospitality, and for the mountain and foothills
recreation. Here are two of the favorites.
Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
2939 N. County Road 31D, Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 667-3915
Near Fort Collins, Sylvan Dale offers a unique
opportunity to stay at a guest ranch in the foothills of
the Rockies. It's located southwest of Fort Collins, and
ten minutes west of Loveland, just off Highway 34. The
ranch has cabin units which are well furnished and
decorated. Set beside the Big Thompson River, the ranch
offers fine fishing, horse riding, swimming, tennis,
cookouts, western dancing, and tours to Rocky Mountain
National Park. Most visitors take the 6-night package
from Sunday to Saturday. The ranch is noted for its great
meals, and unrelenting hospitality.
Glen Echo Resort
31503 Poudre Canyon Road, Bellevue, CO 80512
(970) 881-2208 or 800-348-2208
This rustic cabin resort is set on the Cache La Poudre
River, 41 miles west of Fort Collins, on State Route 14
-- the scenic drive to Walden and North Park. Furnished
housekeeping cabins are available, as are private
family-sized homes. The resort also has a restaurant, and
a grocery store with ice, propane, gasoline, fishing
licenses, plus a laundry and RV spaces with hookups and
concrete patios,.
Fort Collins Camping
Mile Hi KOA Kampground
P.O. Box 600, Laporte, CO 80535
(970) 493-9758
This KOA is located at State Highway 287 and Poudre
Canyon, and offers all the standard KOA features.
KOA Fort Collins North
P.O. Box 130, Wellington, CO 80549
(970) 568-7486
This campground is slightly closer to Fort Collins, and
is located at Interstate 25 and Owl Canyon Road (Exit
281.
Glen Echo Resort (see above) has RV spaces with
hookups and concrete patios, a restaurant, and a grocery
store with ice, propane, gasoline, fishing licenses, plus
a laundry.
Lory State Park offers backcountry camping but
does not have developed camp sites. To get there, drive
north from Fort Collins on Highway 287. Turn left onto
Road 52-E and turn left onto Road 25-G, and then turn
right onto Road 23-N. To reach the park office, travel
north from the entrance for 3200 yards, turn right and
follow the park road.
Forest Service Campgrounds are located along
the Cache La Poudre River, northwest of Fort Collins, via
State Route 14. This route also offers private
campgrounds, plus primitive and backcountry sites which
can be reached by car on back roads, and others by
hiking. For information on Roosevelt and Arapahoe
National Forest facilities, visit the U.S. Forest Service
office in Fort Collins (1311 S. College Avenue), or (in
summer) at the Arrowhead Lodge Visitor Center on Highway
14, milepost 88. The lodge is 32 miles up the Poudre
Canyon from the U.S. 287/State Route 14 junction at Ted's
Place.
For details on nearby towns and
attractions,
Go to Denver, Aspen, Breckenridge,
Rocky Mountain National Park.
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