Boulder and North Central Colorado: Places to Explore

No place in Colorado better epitomizes the state's outdoor mania than Boulder, where sunny weather keeps locals busy through all seasons. There are nearly as many bicycles as cars in this uncommonly beautiful... Read more

The scenery on the U.S. 36 approach to Estes Park gives little hint of the grandeur to come, but if ever there was a classic picture-postcard Rockies view, Estes Park has it. The town sits at an altitude... Read more

The city sits on the cusp of the high plains of eastern Colorado, but is sheltered on the west by the lower foothills of the Rockies, giving residents plenty of nearby hiking and mountain-biking opportunities... Read more

The small, utilitarian town of Granby (elevation 7,935 feet) serves the working ranches in Grand County, and you'll see plenty of cowboys, especially if you go to one of the weekly rodeos in summer. What... Read more

The tiny town of Grand Lake, known to locals as Grand Lake Village, is doubly blessed by its surroundings. It's the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and also sits on the shores of its namesake... Read more

The county seat, Hot Sulphur Springs (population 512), is a faded resort town whose hot springs were once the destination for trains packed with people, including plenty of Hollywood types in the 1950s... Read more

Lyons is a peaceful, down-to-earth community just inside the red-sandstone foothills at the confluence of the North St. Vrain and South St. Vrain creeks. Founded in 1881, it's crammed with historic buildings—there... Read more

A former mining and mill town at the top of Boulder Canyon and on the scenic Peak-to-Peak Highway, "Ned" embodies that small, mountain-town spirit in look and attitude: laid-back, independent, and friendly... Read more

Niwot is the Arapaho Indian word for "left hand," and this is where Chief Niwot (born circa 1820) and his tribe lived along the banks of Left Hand Creek until the early 1860s. European settlers arrived... Read more