COME TO LIFE / Hot Springs & Western Livin' in Steamboat Springs HOT SPRINGS & WESTERN LIVIN’ IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS With vast ranches, aspen-draped mountains and oxbow rivers, this area makes for a serene escape, but there’s also plenty of adventure. to the new eight-segment Steamboat Zipline Adventures on Rabbit Ears Pass, where Lake Catamount, Flat Tops Mountains and Yampa Valley views fight for attention as you zigzag down the mountainside. A few miles away, Stage-coach State Park ’s reservoir tempts water bugs with boating, jet-skiing and hard-fighting rainbow trout. As you drive through the region, look for interpretive signs that share the rich legacy and cultural heritage of the area (go to nwcoloradoheritage travel.org for a map). COLORADO SIDETRIPS To Steamboat’s west, stop into the quiet towns of Craig and Hayden , popular with hunters and fishermen as an easy home base amid pristine lakes and wilderness areas. In Craig, find one of the nation’s best col-lections of cowboy and gunfighter memorabilia at the Museum of Northwest Colorado. Just 45 miles west of Craig, spot one of the few remaining herds of wild mustangs in the Sand Wash Basin, also prime off-roading territory. Get sidetracked south of Craig toward Meeker ’s 250-mile Wagon Wheel off-highway-vehicle trail system through the White River National Forest to explore some of Colorado’s finest wilderness. Meeker itself is OHV friendly, too, so you can ride your vehicle right through town. Meeker sits along the Flat Tops Scenic Byway , which grants access to amazing wilderness scenery, hunting, fishing and horseback riding, as well as snowmobiling and cross-country skiing from the Lost Creek trailhead. Visit in June for Meekerpalooza’s arts and culinary fun, July for Colorado’s oldest rodeo or September for the famed Meeker Sheepdog Trials. Northeast of Steamboat is an area called North Park, known as the Moose Capital of Colorado. Stop in Walden , where a Main Street welcome center can point you to year-round outdoor activities, in-cluding ghost towns, wildlife refuges, rodeos, the OHV trails in North Sand Hills’ sand dunes and the North Park– Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway. T WINTER FUN Steamboat is a prime spot for skiing and riding. Its famed Cham-pagne Powder TM is light, dry and smooth, which makes for great skiing and also snowmobil-ing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Steamboat and the pub-lic lands that surround it. MORNING Start your trip by heading to one of Steamboat Springs’ two thermal-water attractions — Old Town Hot Springs or Strawberry Park Hot Springs . Located off Lincoln Avenue, Old Town Hot Springs boasts a waterslide, soaking pools and lap lanes, while Strawberry Park offers a more rustic and secluded (but no less indulgent) experience. Follow your soak with a gondola ride to the top of Mount Werner for brunch or lunch with a splendid view or head AFTERNOON Kids could spend days explor-ing the ropes course, climbing wall and trampoline bungee jump at the Coca-Cola Adventure Zone . Head up Buffalo Pass Road, an especially picturesque scene in fall when aspens blanket the Park Mountain Range slopes. High-clearance vehicles are recommended if you want to drive far up. Anglers will delight in the Yam-pa River ’s Gold Medal fishing waters — in particular, the stretch below Stagecoach Reservoir where leviathan brown and rainbow trout lurk in swirling tail waters. Steamboat is also a big destination for biking. Rent a cruiser and ride the Yampa River Core Trail in search of adventure: fishing access, the hot springs, shopping in town, yoga, riverside parks and the rodeo, or just watch the tubers, kayakers and rafters float by. There are also new trails at the Steamboat Bike Park , more than 500 miles of scenic singletrack and four exciting new trails to explore on Emerald Mountain . End the afternoon at Butcherknife or Storm Peak brewing compa-nies , recent additions to the artisan beer scene. FROM TOP: FLAT TOPS TRAIL, JASON J. HATFIELD; STEAMBOAT SPRINGS CHAMBER; STEAMBOAT SPRINGS CHAMBER. ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ EVENING Delicious dining options abound in historic downtown Steamboat Springs. On summer weekends, cross the Yampa River to the Romick Rodeo Arena and cheer on the cowboys of the Steam-boat Springs Pro Rodeo Series . STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Clark (page 199), Craig (page 200), Hayden (page 207), Meeker (page 209), Oak Creek (page 210), Rand , Steamboat Springs (page 212), Walden (page 214) QUICK TIP 132 / Summer visitors should catch the Strings Music Festival ’s Music on the Green weekly concerts at the pastoral Yampa River Botanic Park (which also happens to host sweet yoga classes during the warm-weather months). COLORADO.COM
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 132
