Hot Springs & Western Livin’ / COME TO LIFE Head up Buffalo Pass Road (4) , an especially picturesque scene in fall when glittering aspens blanket the Park Mountain Range slopes. High-clearance vehicles are recommended if you want to drive far up. Anglers will delight in the Yampa River ’s (3) 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 biking destination. Rent a cruiser and ride the Yampa River Core Trail in search of adventure: fishing access, the hot springs, shopping in town, riverside parks and the rodeo, or just watch the tubers, kayakers and rafters float by. Or hit the trails at the Steamboat Bike Park and more than 50 miles of singletrack trails on Emerald Mountain . End the afternoon at Butcherknife or Storm Peak brewing companies. to the Romick Rodeo Arena and cheer on the cowboys of the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series , preceded by barbecue and live country music. Or, since Steamboat was named a Certified Col-orado Creative District , stroll through the town’s galleries or pick up the First Friday Artwalk . For those seeking alternative entertainment, The Crooked Key recently added new escape rooms, including an outdoor option. Get a taste Colorado’s famous Rocky Mountain hos-pitality at one of the area’s dude and guest ranches — like the luxe Vista Verde Guest Ranch or the more-rustic Elk River — where you can fill your days with cattle drives, fly-fishing, horseback riding, cowboy cuisine and more. SIDETRIPS To Steamboat’s west, stop into the quiet towns of Craig and Hayden , popular with hunters and fishermen as an easy homebase amid pristine lakes and wilderness areas. In Craig, find one of the nation’s best collections of cowboy and gunfighter memorabilia at the Museum of Northwest Colorado. West of Craig, spot one of the few remaining herds of wild mustangs in the Sand Wash Basin, also prime off-roading territory. The horses are consistently seen along the Wild Horse Loop on Seven Mile Ridge just north of Maybell . The enclaves of Meeker and Rangely are jumping-off points for explor-ing some of Colorado’s finest wilderness along the 250-mile Wagon Wheel off-highway-vehicle trail system through the White River National Forest, which was recently expanded. Plus, visitors can actually ride through OHV-friendly Meeker to peek into the many shops and restaurants; or come in June for Meekerpalooza’s arts and culinary fun, July for Colorado’s oldest rodeo or September for the famed Meeker Sheepdog Trials. West of Meeker, Rangely has an automotive museum with rare cars and motorcycles from the early 1900s; The TANK Center for Sonic Arts, an acoustically perfect concert hall that lived its former life as a steel water tank; and August’s OHV Adventure Rally. South of Steamboat, stop in the tiny town of Yampa for a bite at the historic Antlers Cafe & Bar. From there, you can hop on the Flat Tops Scenic Byway, which grants access to amazing scenery, hunting, fishing and horseback riding, as well as snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. FROM TOP: FLAT TOPS WILDERNESS, NOAH WETZEL; BUFFALO PASS ROAD, NOAH WETZEL. WINTER FUN T Steamboat’s famed Champagne Powder ® is light, dry and smooth, which makes for great skiing and riding and also snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Steamboat and the public lands that surround it. EVENING Delicious dining options abound in historic downtown Steamboat Springs. One favorite: Table 79 serves shareable plates you won’t really want to share with curious cocktails with must-try ingredients (think muddled cilantro, crème de violet and demerara). On summer week-ends, cross the Yampa River Northeast of Steamboat is an area called North Park , known as the Moose Capital of Colorado. The folks at Walden ’s Main Street welcome center can point you to year-round outdoor activities, including ghost towns, wildlife refuges, rodeos, OHV trails in North Sand Hills’ sand dunes and the North Park–Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Clark (page 193), Craig (page 194), Hayden , Meeker (page 202), Oak Creek , Rand , Steamboat Springs (page 205), Walden (page 206) 4 COLORADO.COM / 133
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