COME TO LIFE / A Grand Time in Grand County T WINTER FUN Winter Park Resort’s diverse terrain, a new adventure concierge service and the Winter Park Express Amtrak route from Denver right to the slopes make it a top ski, snowboard and fat-bike destination with beginners and experts alike. Nearby, the smaller Ski Granby Ranch is known as a long-time family favorite. All the Grand County towns pack in plenty of fun beyond the slopes, with groomed trails for snow-shoers and cross-country skiers, six area snow-tubing hills, sleigh and dogsled rides, as well as snowmo-biling routes with epic Continental Divide views. In Grand Lake you can even ride your snowmobile through town and right up to your favorite Grand Avenue lunch spot. In the afternoon, go north to the laid-back county seat of Grand Lake (2) , where hints of the vill-age’s Western character are revealed in its historic boardwalks and hitching posts alongside parking spots. As Colorado’s deepest and largest natural lake, Grand Lake attracts summer fun-seekers looking to water ski, fish, sail or relax on the beach. Rent a boat and watch for eagles. This area is the western entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park and one of the state’s most popular for viewing moose and other wildlife. Pedal along a new 2-mile stretch of the East Shore Trail , the first-ever route in the national park open to mountain bikers. Links lovers can tee off amid inspiring scenery (and watch their balls fly farther through our thin air) at four mountain golf courses. The Grand Lake Metropolitan Recreation District also has miles of dog-friendly hiking trails that weave through wetlands, pine forests and aspen groves. Cap your evening in one of the state’s newest Certified Creative Districts with a Broadway musical at Grand Lake’s Rocky Mountain Repertory The-atre (3) and brick-oven pizzas at Stillwater Grill . With cabin rentals and campsites and activities like horseback riding and Colorado River fishing, Winding River Resort is a great place to stay. @Eli Duke DAY 2 As the Colorado River carves its way from the Continental Divide on its journey to the Pacific Ocean, it treats Grand County visitors to some of the best rafting and Gold Medal fishing around. Jagged red canyons and green valleys provide stunning backdrops for mellow floats; outfitters can be found throughout the county. The sleepy town of Granby offers Western hospitality, an idyllic main street of restaurants and antique shops, and easy access to outdoor pursuits, including boating and fishing on Lake Granby (1) . Expect nothing but the best at Grand County’s many dude ranches, including Colorado’s oldest continuously operating ranch: Bar Lazy J in Parshall . Proprietors roll out the country hospitality to those seeking an authentic Old West experience, offering activities like horseback riding, hiking and square dancing, and not-so-cowboy tennis, yoga and volleyball. Some even have luxurious spas, miles of trails and fishing. 4 5 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, FLICKR/ELI DUKE; COLORADO RIVER NEAR KREMMLING, ETHAN WELTY; ROCKY MOUNTAIN REPERTORY THEATRE, MILES/ANDREA BUROLLA; WINTER PARK EXPRESS, MARC GLUCKSMAN/RIVER RAIL PHOTO. SIDETRIPS Retreat to Hot Sulphur Springs (4) to do what visitors have done since the time of the Ute Indians: Soak in the area’s min-eral-rich pools. Volcanic rock 35,000 feet below the earth’s surface heats the water that fills the pools at the town’s namesake resort and spa. Fraser is another ideally situated homebase for exploring the area’s outdoors (and is perhaps best known for its convenient lift-served snowtubing hill in winter). A sportsman’s paradise, Kremmling (5) has some of the state’s finest fishing waters and elk-hunting grounds, as well as miles of ATV and OHV trails. Head to Rusty Spurr Ranch for trail rides and cattle drives; hike to Radium Hot Springs on the Colorado River; and stay at the Hotel Eastin, which once housed Kremmling Bottling Works and has welcomed guests since 1906. 3 STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Fraser (page 197), Granby (page 199), Grand Lake (page 199) Hot Sulphur Springs , Kremmling (page 200), Tabernash , Winter Park (page 206) 146 / 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2019: Page 146
