Mountain Meccas and Adventure Escapes

Grand Lake: Mecca

Grand Lake, perched on the Western edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park, has an “Old West” feel, with a wooden boardwalk connecting more than 60 restaurants, shops, and galleries. It’s also named after the largest natural lake in the state, so it’s the perfect place to relax on a pontoon boat with the family, pack a picnic and spend Grand Lake is currently fourth in the running for the Ultimate Fishing Town by the World Fishing Network. So check out the World Fishing Arts and Crafts fair on Aug. 3 – 4 and Sept. 7 – 8. Try the gourmet food while you peruse jewelry and art, photographs and woodwork.

Not far from Grand Lake is Lake Granby with 40 miles of shoreline and regularly stocked with trout and salmon. Surrounded by national forest and state park land, Lake Granby offers a host of choices for wildlife viewing—bald eagles, ospreys and elk. Couple your experience with the magnificent views and convenient location of the Grand Lake Lodge, which is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The heated outdoor pool and hot tub are perfect places to watch an alpenglow sunset over the Colorado Rockies. And with options like a recreation room with arcade and board games, ping pong and a pool table, the kids can play while you relax.

Grand Lake: Adventure

Rough and ready: two words you could use to describe this adventure. Rough being the 16-mile hike, beginning in Estes Park and ending in Grand Lake through Flattop Mountain’s 12,324 foot summit along the Continental Divide. Ready: the cabin waiting for you at the North Inlet trailhead where you’ll come out in Grand Lake, bordered along the Tonahutu River.

Get a free parking pass from Backcountry Office in Estes Park, leave your car at the Flattop Mountain Trail (where it’s safe to leave overnight) and get hiking. The strenuous climb on well-kept trails leads through diverse forests and open tundra to the summit with magnificent views and wildlife throughout. The spruce-fir forest on the Flattop Mountain Trail takes you over the valley carved by Tyndall Glacier, one of five active glaciers in the park. Once finished and famished, satisfy the appetite at the Rapids Lodge in Grand Lake, where you can dine on a meal of regional cuisine (try the elk medalion) at Rapids Restaurant. You don’t need your car at the Rapids Lodge, as it’s just one block from downtown.

This is an adult trip. But you can bring your dog on the hike and into the lodge, which offers pet-friendly options. Plan to go after snow melt in July then spend the rest of your stay enjoying all that Grand Lake has to offer. Rent mountain bikes and explore the more than 100 miles of groomed trails that twist through the forest with short and steep inclines. Or hike 5 miles to the old fire lookout on Shadow Mountain for a 360-degree view of the Continental Divide and the three lakes: Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Granby Lake. Then hike, or hitchhike, back to Estes Park.