Must see areas to explore near Ft. Collins

[Jim]

Hmmm - Must See category. You living here or just traveling in for the weekend?

The Poudre Canyon is certainly pretty (CO-14 West of the north end of town). It's ~100 miles to Walden CO [North Park], if you wish to go that far. Or, a curious loop would involve CO-14 to Stove Prairie and either back via Rist Canyon or keep moving south on Stove Prairie through Masonville and the road turns back into Harmony (or just go west on Harmony and it'll wrap north to CO-14 where you'd take a right at the T-intersection and head down the poudre and back to FC.

Up the Poudre two winters ago:
http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automob...und-the-block/

Stove Prairie is a nice road in the summertime on a motorcycle.

Google Maps
Harmony / Masonville / Bighorn / Rist / Laport: Clockwise - Harmony @ Taft Hill through Masonville then up the Bighorn Canyon and east up, over, down Rist Canyon to Laporte

Nearly the same as above, but removing Rist Canyon* and extending north onto Stove Prairie.

*The fun part of Rist is only about 2 miles east from the intersection at the "west end" of rist.Here's a map showing the deviation. On the deviation, there are two "white dot" route modifiers for Rist - the southern white dot is a side spur road (gravel) to a radio tower hillsite you can drive to. You get some views "out" to the east but not wide panoramas due to trees.

If you'd like some dirt roads tossed in. How about adding / using Pingree Park / Pingree Grove as a destination (CSU has a campus there)...

Map: Heading north from Masonville you'd jump west on 44-H. Now, I see a note that this road might be seasonal and gated so it might be best to check first. From where you jump west until you get back to CO-14 it's graded soil/dirt/gravel. Typically not much washboard on it.

Here as some photos from a few years back, doing that route in the car:
http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automob...-trip-44h-63e/

If you'd wish a full day, Road 80C is remote. Scenery - so/so. Maps & pix here:
http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automob...-chimney-rock/

http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automob...mountain-area/

There are other trip reports that might give some ideas in these two areas of my web site (each starts out with a map to help "see" where the roads are)
www.JimWilliamson.net/automobile/
www.JimWilliamson.net/motorcycle/

Holler if ya have Q's

[Java]

it's out of season now, but in the warmer weather renting waverunners on Horsetooth Res. is AWESOME!!! They have pontoon boats and such too, but Horsetooth is long, choppy and perfect for waverunners. when you leave the marina area there are almost always goats on the hills around you. Really cool drive around it too, not a 4x4 road but beautiful.

http://inletbaymarina.com/boat-rentals/

[Java]

there is some cheap ass property around the reservoir, but it is redneck central too... we unwittingly stayed one night at a place that is used mostly for fishermen within sight of the marina (booked it online, never been to the area before) and the next morning a cop car pulled into the parking lot and I was immediately "detained", asked for ID, asked what happenned with the guy in #2, I was like "WTF Officer?" until he realized he was at the wrong place, he was just so used to pulling into that one that he hadn't checked the address. that was fun for my wife.

[Jim]

Yes, Estes and RFL are both good, as is Centennial drive on the eastern side of the Res.

Another, north of the Red Feather area, would be the Halligan Reservoir. I did it in my car with only a few "select your line" spots:
http://www.JimWilliamson.net/automob...gan-reservoir/

I'd have listed it but it's off season / closed which is the Deadman Lookout Tower. It's west of Red Feather, on the gated/closed in the Winter gravel road, about 20 miles. Classic lookout tower which is staffed (volunteer) on the weekends and open to the public 10a-4p. Nice stop.

Deadman Lookout Tower links:
http://www.firelookout.org/cohost-co/deadman.html
http://www.redfeatherhistoricalsocie...rican_camp.htm
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72 BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/?ss=110210&ttype=recarea&recid=36647&actid=119&nav type=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navi d=110000000000000&pnavid=null&cid=FSE_003741&pname =Canyon+Lakes+RD+%28West+of+Fort+Collins%2C+CO%29+-+Deadman+Lookout


Ah, there's the Shambhala Mountain Center (between FoCo and Red Feather, on a dirt road)
http://www.ShambhalaMountain.org/
It seems it's a place you can go to and walk around vs. getting into more deeply. I've only driven by the entrance once while out for an afternoon drive.

Perhaps something to add to the list would be a ride down the Peak to Peak highway. Estes Park, south to I-70. If Scott's has an interest in trains... At Rollinsville one could jump west on the gravel road a few miles to the eastern portal of the Moffat Tunnel. This road's open all year.

[Jim]

Java previously posted:

[Jim]

Perhaps a few more call-outs:

1) Poudre River Valley sights
- Mishawaka Amphitheater / restaurant / bar
- Lower narrows
- Upper narrows
All of these places are near the Stove Prairie / CO-14 intersection (Google Map). From the intersection, the Upper Narrows is to the west perhaps a couple miles. The lower narrows, with its hard rock tunnel, is but a mile to the east with "The Mish" just east a tad more. Stop for a sandwich (nice place in the warm months to sit on the deck by the river).

2) Budweiser plant N/E of town
- Brewery tour
- Horse stables
Both are free (there is a gift shop $). Drop in anytime at the visitor center (northeast corner of the facility, from the frontage road along I-25) and just look at the stable (clean) with Budweiser history and wagon. Brewery tours run often enough there's not much of a wait.

3) Pawnee National Grasslands - wide open space to stretch the eyes
Northeast of town (Google Map) is a spot to go if you want wide open space. Few roads (~2 mile grid system, gravel), very few fences, rare is the ranch house or power line. Some might not call this a destination, but on the occasional warm day with the top off, windshield down, 30mph touring for a while is rather relaxing.

4) Frozen Dead Guy - Nederland CO
www.FrozenDeadGuy.com is just that. A guy died and is being "kept on ice" quite literally. Donate to the cryonic's fund. (never been, it's on the "some day" list). There are several web sites to toy with, here are two:
www.frozendeadguydays.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_Dead_Guy_Days

[Rick]

If you feel like driving to Gould , just over Cameron Pass, Turn in at the KOA campground and go straight in to Colorado State Park./ Park pass required(you can buy a daily pass at the entrance gate)/ It has roads all over, a nice lake, and lots of Moose viewing. I Elk hunt up there and see more Moose than Elk it seems. Very nice country and the Beatles havent totally killed everything yet. Its anice drive over the pass too!

[Popsgarage]

Red Feather Lakes is one of my favorites.

[Rob]

Jim Williamson previously posted:

[Java]

my favorite thing in Nederland is the Hessie Trailhead, it's a combo offroad / hike, and lost lake is especially stunning. I posted it as a trip report last summer.

[Jim]

Nice photos - good looking dog.

Were there many (any?) other cars at the trail head parking lot?

[glacierpaul]

Nice pic's Scott!!
14ers.com is a great site to gather info about hikes. Lots of killer hikes around my area too.