From the Rocky Mountain National Park to Colorado’s largest natural lake, there is more than enough to see and do!

To request a Scenic Byways brochure or for more information on scenic Colorado wildlife viewing in Grand County, please contact the Chambers directly.

Natural Attractions

Rocky Mountain National Park. Grand Lake, Colorado.
Established by Enos Mills and proclaimed the tenth national park by President Woodrow Wilson January 26, 1915. The park represents 415 square miles full of natural, pre-historic and native American history. The mountain peaks, ranging as high as 14,000 feet above sea level, are home to an abundant variety of wildlife including the majestic Big Horn Sheep. Activities in the park include bicycling, camping, technical rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, scenic drives, snowmobiling and hiking. The park also provides wheel chair accessible trails.

Grand Lake. Grand Lake, Colorado.
Grand Lake is the largest natural body of water in Colorado. With nearby man-made Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby, the three recreational lakes offer more than 150 miles of scenic shoreline for camping, fishing or hiking. Because Grand Lake is a natural lake, the lake levels of both Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake remain constantly full. Enjoy summer boating, swimming or sailing in pristine waters framed by a panorama of a quaint mountain town.

Fossil Ridge - Cretaceous Ammonite Locality. Kremmling, Colorado.
Did you know that the entire state of Colorado was once at the bottom of a vast, life-supporting sea? Take a trip back in time to Kremmling’s Fossil Ridge and discover the remains of the aquatic creatures who once inhabited this ancient ocean.

What will you see? Exceptionally large and well-preserved fossils of giant ammonites and many other groups of marine invertebrate fossils including nautiloids, bivalves and gastropods which lived about 70 million years ago. The fossils found here are the largest specimens of this Cretaceous group known in North America. Exceptionally diverse fossil biota, including rare tropical and subtropical forms represent an unusual fossil assemblage in size.

Colorado State Forest State Park. Granby, Colorado.
Discover the ultimate in rugged, Colorado wilderness in Colorado State Forest’s 71,000 acres of unaltered forest, jagged peaks and alpine lakes.

Just north of Granby, visitors and natives alike enjoy 50 miles of marked hiking trails, 112 miles of mountain bike and horse back trails, and 75 miles of four-wheel driving trails. During the winter months, snowmobilers can enjoy numerous established groomed trails. Telemark, snowshoe and ski-board enthusiasts will also find trails for beginners as well as the most experienced adventurers. Campers may enjoy 158 developed campsites as well as various back-country camping locations.

Wildlife is abundant in the park. Anglers may catch brook, brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout as well as mackinaw and kokanee salmon in the secluded serenity of the clear mountain lakes and streams. Hunters may bag elk, deer, bears, moose, pronghorn antelope, and grouse.

Arapaho National Forest. Granby, Colorado.
On July 1, 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt established the Arapaho National Forest for the enjoyment of all. Almost totally encompassing the Granby area, the forest provides many activities for the outdoorsman including hunting, fishing, off-roading, camping, hiking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Fraser Experimental Forest. Winter Park / Fraser Valley, Colorado.
Great for mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing.

Wilderness Areas

The natural beauty of Grand County, Colorado has prompted the establishment of several wilderness areas with the intention of preserving its valuable ecosystem. These areas are open to all for hiking, biking, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing.

• Byers Peak Wilderness
• Indian Peaks Wilderness
• Never Summer Wilderness
• Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
• Vasquez Peak Wilderness

Scenic Drives

Colorado River Scenic Byways
This 2-hour scenic drive to State Bridge leads you past stunning mountain ranges, through rock-walled canyons and along the upper reaches of the Colorado River.  Follow the mighty Colorado River from its birthplace in Rocky Mountain National Park into Kremmling and over the scenic Trough Road to State Bridge.  Don’t forget to stop at Inspiration Point to see the spectacular views of Gore Canyon.  The scenic byway is also handicap accessible.

Skyline Scenic Drive
Travel 2.3 miles west of Kremmling on Hwy 40 to Skyline Drive on the right.  Take this dirt road to public fishing access on Muddy Creek and the road that goes along the top of the Kremmling Cliffs that are the dramatic backdrop to the town of Kremmling.

Moffat Road/Corona Pass
Drive along the old railroad route to the 'Top of the World.' You'll pass an historic trestle and the abandoned town of Arrow, once a thriving railroad town. This self-guided auto tour takes you along one of the highest and most tortuous railroad routes ever conceived. Railroad men had to deal with huge snow drifts, arctic climates, and steep grades. The route was used until 1927, when the nearby Moffat Tunnel was completed.

Church Park Road
This 50-mile, round trip scenic tour takes you through spectacular canyons, aspen groves and sprawling ranches with sweeping views of several mountain ranges.

Trail Ridge Road / Rocky Mountain National Park
This 1.5 to 2-hour drive from Winter Park to Estes Park features the magnificent scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park and great viewing areas for elk and other wildlife.

Daylong auto trips take you through Rocky Mountain National Park over the Continental Divide into Estes Park or Grand Lake.  Maps and Descriptive tapes available at the The Kawuneeche Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park on Highway 34 just north of Grand Lake.  Stop at the Visitor Center for maps, books, and camping and hiking information.  Contact the Kawuneeche Visitors Center at 970-627-3471. Open daily 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.