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Colorado Vacation Destinations - Not Quite So Crowded, But Still Cool


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Posted
4 minutes ago, mchookem said:

2 over 70, me (GenX 😁)...and our young, fit French foreign exchange friend 😄

seriously... nothing crazy, but we do bike all over Denver and area parks, and dad easily rode a segway for the first time in France last month. downhill mountain biking is probably a bit much (plus we have street bikes), but flat or trail biking is fine, as is moderate river stuff, tubing, hiking, etc. 

can you ride any lifts up in summer, for scenic views, summer activities (a la Tahoe) and such?

 

You can ride the Gondola at WP.  And it's free if you have an Ikon pass.  Otherwise you need to pay for it.  The alpine slide is gone as of now.  They are putting a new one in but it's not in right now.  There's putt putt golf at the WP resort base as well, but it's not a great course since it's covered in snow half the year.

There are a ton of flat biking trails in the WP and Fraser area as well as more challenging ones if that's what you want (I can be more specific if this is what you want).  A lot of people like biking the Fraser to WP trail and stopping at breweries along the way for a beer.

Monarch Lake is a ~4 mile hike around the lake that is mostly flat. You can always go part of the way and turn around. It's a beautiful lake and you drive right up to it. There are a ton of hikes in RMNP but unless you get in early, you'll need a timed entry permit.

You can fish in the Fraser River as well as the Colorado. Not sure there is any tubing (would be really cold), but there might be some outfits that will raft you down the CO.  

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Posted
17 hours ago, mchookem said:

so i live here but now i need suggestions 😁

family coming in next month and we have an awesome cabin in Grand Lake for a few days. one day on the lake/renting a boat, one day in RMNP/Estes... but still have one day to fill with whatever. we can travel nearby easy...Fraser, WP, etc. biking or trails would be awesome, but really any summer activity in the area...any specific suggestions? @Chewbacca @6th Street or anybody else? 😊

 

15 hours ago, 6th Street said:

I hear good things about Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park. Mainly from my enthusiast neighbors who won't shut the f about it lol. But supposedly good for all skill levels 

Several in our group did white water rafting and it was good water flow. That was a few weeks ago. A few also did Trestle and raved about it, including my daredevil son who mountain biked for only the second time and went down the black routes like he typically does on anything the first time. Crashed hard and walked with a limp and claw fingers for a few days. 

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Posted
31 minutes ago, mchookem said:

2 over 70, me (GenX 😁)...and our young, fit French foreign exchange friend 😄

seriously... nothing crazy, but we do bike all over Denver and area parks, and dad easily rode a segway for the first time in France last month. downhill mountain biking is probably a bit much (plus we have street bikes), but flat or trail biking is fine, as is moderate river stuff, tubing, hiking, etc. 

can you ride any lifts up in summer, for scenic views, summer activities (a la Tahoe) and such?

 

Forgot that you can also raft Clear Creek (starting from Empire area - there are a few outfits that do it) as well, but that's a good hour from Grand Lake so might be too far.

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Posted
4 hours ago, mchookem said:

2 over 70, me (GenX 😁)...and our young, fit French foreign exchange friend 😄

French foreign exchange friend? Gondolas and downhills, you say?

Better Off Dead (1985) 

Just don't try to put your testicles all over them...

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Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, mchookem said:

2 over 70, me (GenX 😁)...and our young, fit French foreign exchange friend 😄

seriously... nothing crazy, but we do bike all over Denver and area parks, and dad easily rode a segway for the first time in France last month. downhill mountain biking is probably a bit much (plus we have street bikes), but flat or trail biking is fine, as is moderate river stuff, tubing, hiking, etc. 

can you ride any lifts up in summer, for scenic views, summer activities (a la Tahoe) and such?

 

There's a tram in Estes that takes you to the top of a mountain. Almost 9000 feet. There's trails from there. Winter Park's gondola has summer hours as well and you can hike from there. It's at least 1000 feet higher than Estes' tram. Colorado Whitewater Rafting does half or full day raft trips out of Glenwood Springs. Also worth a mention is Indian Springs hot springs in Idaho Springs.

We drove up to Estes today (Monday) from Fort Collins, and it was crowded but manageable. 

Edited by Chopper
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Posted
14 minutes ago, Chopper said:

There's a tram in Estes that takes you to the top of a mountain. Almost 9000 feet. There's trails from there. Winter Park's gondola has summer hours as well and you can hike from there. It's at least 1000 feet higher than Estes' tram. Colorado Whitewater Rafting does half or full day raft trips out of Glenwood Springs. Also worth a mention is Indian Springs hot springs in Idaho Springs.

We drove up to Estes today (Monday) from Fort Collins, and it was crowded but manageable. 

Glenwood is not close to Grand Lake.

Posted
2 hours ago, NWBuck said:

French foreign exchange friend? Gondolas and downhills, you say?

Better Off Dead (1985) 

Just don't try to put your testicles all over them...

 

 

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Posted

Highlights of my stay so far. Got to the AirBnB (9000 feet) in between Arvada and Nederland on July 6th.

- It was 40 degrees Sun night, July 7th. That was amazeballs coming from Austin.

- Then the heat wave moved through. The temp difference from Golden/Denver to my AirBnB at 9000 ft is about 15-20 degrees difference. It takes 30 mins to get anywhere but not worrying about AC is a wonderful thing.

- Chief Mountain is a wonderful short hike and reasonable vert to see amazing views. 1.5 miles up, and then 1.5 miles straight down. Views at 11,800 feet were amazing to see all the surrounding 13k and 14k peaks.

- We are staying right next to Golden Gate State Park. Over a few days, we've seen 4-5 different moose including a mom and her born this season baby. Saw 2 or 3 different bull moose. One was hella big and pissed as hell. The other 2 were docile and cool as can be. 

- Tubed Clear Creek in Golden and got my ass beat. Flipped over head first on my back, feet over my head going down a rapids. Scraped up my back pretty good. That's no Guadalupe River float. It'll kick your ass if you hit a rapids the wrong way.

- Played golf at Fossil Trace was an amazing golf course with fun views and incredible views.

- Looking to hiking Quandary again this weekend. We could climb other 14ers but love that Breck is just up the road. Great place to chill and eat after conquering Quandary.

- Will be playing Arrowhead and Bear Dance golf courses this and next weeks.

- Continuing to do awesome hikes every day after "work".

 

Here's one of the chill bull moose. He was chomping on Aspen leaves not caring that we were 15 yards from him.

 

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Posted (edited)

15 yards is too close to a bull moose -- even one that seems docile at the time.  Those critters are unpredictable and can turn nasty in an instant.  Nice pic, though.

Edited by Carl Spackler
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Posted
8 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

15 yards is too close to a bull moose -- even one that seems docile at the time.  Those critters are unpredictable and can turn nasty in an instant.  Nice pic, though.

Yep.  15 yards is asking for something bad to happen.

Posted

I've been less than 15 yards from a moose (not on purpose) and I never want that to happen again.  I was mountain biking and surprised a mama and a calf.  I consider myself lucky that I didn't get hurt.  

Now, I may or may not have shit myself but wounded pride is acceptable compared to getting my ass kicked by a moose.

Posted
On 7/14/2024 at 7:17 PM, mchookem said:

so i live here but now i need suggestions 😁

family coming in next month and we have an awesome cabin in Grand Lake for a few days. one day on the lake/renting a boat, one day in RMNP/Estes... but still have one day to fill with whatever. we can travel nearby easy...Fraser, WP, etc. biking or trails would be awesome, but really any summer activity in the area...any specific suggestions? @Chewbacca @6th Street or anybody else? 😊

Monarch lake/cascade falls trail between Granby and Grand Lake. Was there a couple days ago and one of my favorite hikes in the area.  

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Posted
11 hours ago, Macanudo said:

I've been less than 15 yards from a moose (not on purpose) and I never want that to happen again.  I was mountain biking and surprised a mama and a calf.  I consider myself lucky that I didn't get hurt.  

Now, I may or may not have shit myself but wounded pride is acceptable compared to getting my ass kicked by a moose.

A Møøse once bit my sister ...

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
Posted (edited)

Sometimes you find some of the most interesting things on the local subreddit. This is the glory hole store in Fort Collins.

This guy did a similar thread near the beginning of the pandemic but quickly deleted it so I'm sharing with you all, for the hell of it, and in case any of you boys need to get away from the family while you're in town. 

image.thumb.png.e344928ca1810a6fea343df02481f5a0.png

link in case it's still up and spoilered due to length

www.reddit.com/r/FortCollins/comments/1gvgfyr/i_havent_worked_at_the_book_ranch_in_4_years_but/?sort=old

Spoiler

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Edited by Chopper
  • 4 months later...
Posted

So, who's going where this year?

I'm spending Aug and Sep in Pagosa Springs. Wife and I really liked Golden/Boulder last year but I have a soft place in my heart for PS. The San Juan mountains views simply cannot beat. Looking to play a lot of golf, do a ton of hiking, maybe climb another 14'er or 2 or 3, chilling on the river, eating a few meals at Meander Eatery (incredible restaurant), driving/exploring Colorado for the views, enjoying the cool mountain air at 7200 feet, and most importantly, getting the fuck out of Texas and the oppressive heat.

 

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Revisiting this thread...

 

We're headed to Breckenridge this summer with another family.  We both have young children (around 3 and 8 ) and will be staying in an airbnb.  Any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, etc?

Posted
On 8/12/2024 at 10:44 PM, mchookem said:

first time in Grand Lake. average.

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It sucks. Tell everyone not to go. In fact, tell everyone not to get within 300 miles. 

Posted
On 3/25/2025 at 1:43 PM, crash_davis said:

So, who's going where this year?

I'm spending Aug and Sep in Pagosa Springs. Wife and I really liked Golden/Boulder last year but I have a soft place in my heart for PS. The San Juan mountains views simply cannot beat. Looking to play a lot of golf, do a ton of hiking, maybe climb another 14'er or 2 or 3, chilling on the river, eating a few meals at Meander Eatery (incredible restaurant), driving/exploring Colorado for the views, enjoying the cool mountain air at 7200 feet, and most importantly, getting the fuck out of Texas and the oppressive heat.

 

I’m not going to the Book Ranch in Fort Collins…

Posted
1 hour ago, Spur08 said:

Revisiting this thread...

 

We're headed to Breckenridge this summer with another family.  We both have young children (around 3 and 8 ) and will be staying in an airbnb.  Any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, etc?

 

Just found out we're staying just south of Breck around Blue River/ Pennsylvania Creek if that matters and will be there from Tuesday to Saturday

Posted
1 hour ago, Spur08 said:

Revisiting this thread...

 

We're headed to Breckenridge this summer with another family.  We both have young children (around 3 and 8 ) and will be staying in an airbnb.  Any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, etc?

The mountain resort has things to do for kids. Kinda expensive but anything on a ski resort is going to be expensive. Hike/walk to the troll. There are tons of hikes in the area.

https://www.breckenridge.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/summer-activities.aspx

If you are thinking a nice restaurant, you need to make reservations. 

La Francaise has REALLY good pastries. The crepes place is a good treat for the kids. Aurum is our spot for a nice meal. Robbie's Tavern is a good place to sit outside with a view of the mountain and have a burger and beer. Blue Fish sushi sucks. For the most part, Google maps reviews and ratings of the restaurants are pretty spot on.

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Posted

I’m doing a few days in Estes to do some RMNP hikes, a few days at the Grand Mesa to do some fishing and hiking and the rest I’m still trying to plan out.  I need to finish planning because my room in Estes is booked for the second week in July.  So do I need to schedule a park pass or can I show up early and get in like I’ve read on some sites online? 

Posted
1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

The mountain resort has things to do for kids. Kinda expensive but anything on a ski resort is going to be expensive. Hike/walk to the troll. There are tons of hikes in the area.

https://www.breckenridge.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/summer-activities.aspx

If you are thinking a nice restaurant, you need to make reservations. 

La Francaise has REALLY good pastries. The crepes place is a good treat for the kids. Aurum is our spot for a nice meal. Robbie's Tavern is a good place to sit outside with a view of the mountain and have a burger and beer. Blue Fish sushi sucks. For the most part, Google maps reviews and ratings of the restaurants are pretty spot on.

Can also take quick drive into Dillon. Good park adjacent to the Dillon Amphitheater and can walk down to the lakeshore from there.  
 

Also I can attest this is fun if you’re toting little kids around. In Frisco which is between Dillon and Breck:

https://dinnersleighrides.com/chuckwagon-barbecue/

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Posted
12 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

So do I need to schedule a park pass

We just booked/bought ours for our trip in late July and were told they sell out.

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Posted

Pretty sure you need to book a pass. Especially during the Summer. We had to have one in 2023 Summer. But did not need one during springbreak.

Posted

Going to ski A Basin this weekend to break up drive to Whitefish for the summer.  On way back in August, we are going to spend a week in Aspen to scratch that itch.  I love Aspen and always will.  But it has gotten too expensive to spend a month there like we used to.  I was looking at my old email confirmations, the in town condo we always rent is literally triple what it was in 2019.

Posted

You have to book it

if you missed it, you have to be quick the night before

When Can I Make a Timed Entry Reservation? 

Timed entry reservations are released on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov based on the following schedule:

  • On May 1 at 8 a.m. MDT reservations will be released for the following dates: May 23 - June 30

  • On June 1 at 8 a.m. MDT reservations will be released for the following dates: July 1 - July 31, plus any remaining days that have not been booked for June

  • On July 1 at 8 a.m. MDT reservations will be released for the following dates: August 1 - August 31, plus any remaining days that have not been booked for July

  • On August 1 at 8 a.m. MDT reservations will be released for the following dates: September 1 - September 30, plus any remaining days that have not been booked for August

  • On September 1 at 8 a.m. MDT reservations will be released for the following dates: October 1 - October 19, plus any remaining days that have not been booked for September

Additional timed entry reservations will be released on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov at 7 p.m. MDT on the night before a desired arrival date. These will sell out quickly, it is best to plan ahead!  

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Posted
2 minutes ago, mbtex said:

Pretty sure you need to book a pass. Especially during the Summer. We had to have one in 2023 Summer. But did not need one during springbreak.

Can you get one night before?  I know Glacier sells out of advance tickets months before.  But each night around 7 they release quite a few for next day.  As long as you log in by 9 or 10, you pretty much can always get a pass.  Does RMNP do the same?

I rarely bother with passes at Glacier.  In NW Montana it does not get dark until 10:30.  And you do not need a pass after 3.  We go at 3.  Park is emptying out, there is almost no traffic going eastbound from West entrance of park as everyone is leaving, and you can actually find a place to park near popular trails.  It is cooler in evening and the animals are moving.  Less people on trails.  And there is plenty of time before it gets dark to do a substantial hike.

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Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

I’m doing a few days in Estes to do some RMNP hikes, a few days at the Grand Mesa to do some fishing and hiking and the rest I’m still trying to plan out.  I need to finish planning because my room in Estes is booked for the second week in July.  So do I need to schedule a park pass or can I show up early and get in like I’ve read on some sites online? 

You can get into the park without  a timed entry pass before 9am, but you will not be allowed to access Bear Lake Road.  To access Bear Lake Road, you need a timed entry pass + Bear Lake Road access.  A regular timed entry pass is not enough.

Edited by Chewbacca
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Posted

Solo keystone trip late June. Never been. Been all over Colorado many times but will be first time there.

Hiking, lake kayaking etc but Where am I drinking and eating ? Thanks

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Posted
21 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

Can you get one night before?  I know Glacier sells out of advance tickets months before.  But each night around 7 they release quite a few for next day.  As long as you log in by 9 or 10, you pretty much can always get a pass.  Does RMNP do the same?

RMNP holds back 40% of tickets for the day before. For reference, when I got tickets last year, there were 180 passes available right at 7PM.

Posted
19 hours ago, txduck87 said:

Solo keystone trip late June. Never been. Been all over Colorado many times but will be first time there.

Hiking, lake kayaking etc but Where am I drinking and eating ? Thanks

Not in Keystone.  There's not a whole lot there.

Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon.  

Sauce on the Blue in Silverthorne - They have an incredible bourbon selection if you're into bourbon.

Carboy Winery in Breckenridge

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

Not in Keystone.  There's not a whole lot there.

Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon.  

Sauce on the Blue in Silverthorne - They have an incredible bourbon selection if you're into bourbon.

Carboy Winery in Breckenridge

 

IIRC, and it's been a bit, but that brewery on lake Dillon actually has pretty decent food.

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Posted

there's a little tiki bar in the dillon marina as well that is a good hang.  i'm positive i heard about Sauce on the Blue in this thread but it was great when we went last summer. Angry James Brewery across the street was cool too.

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Posted
Not in Keystone.  There's not a whole lot there.
Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon.  
Sauce on the Blue in Silverthorne - They have an incredible bourbon selection if you're into bourbon.
Carboy Winery in Breckenridge
 

Thanks. I’m going for the solo low key unplug type thing so decided on keystone knowing there wasn’t much in the way of restaurants and bars. (Or as many people)! Do it once a year in a different place and it’s always awesome.
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 1:17 PM, txduck87 said:

Solo keystone trip late June. Never been. Been all over Colorado many times but will be first time there.

Hiking, lake kayaking etc but Where am I drinking and eating ? Thanks

I ski 5-7 days a year at Keystone and agree that food options are quite limited. I've eaten at that Mexican place Dos Locos and it was decent but nothing special. The stuff in the village is not great and I'm not even sure how much is open right now. Goat Tavern is a cool dive across the street that usually has a band. 

There's place in Dillon called Vue that overlooks the lake and is on the rooftop of one of the hotels that's worth hitting up. Sauce on the Blue across I70 in Silverthorne is also a good option. Also there's a new-ish food hall there called Bluebird but I've never been.

I'd recommend eating least one night in Breck since you have much better options 

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Posted
I ski 5-7 days a year at Keystone and agree that food options are quite limited. I've eaten at that Mexican place Dos Locos and it was decent but nothing special. The stuff in the village is not great and I'm not even sure how much is open right now. Goat Tavern is a cool dive across the street that usually has a band. 
There's place in Dillon called Vue that overlooks the lake and is on the rooftop of one of the hotels that's worth hitting up. Sauce on the Blue across I70 in Silverthorne is also a good option. Also there's a new-ish food hall there called Bluebird but I've never been.
I'd recommend eating least one night in Breck since you have much better options 

Thanks. Been to breck probably 20 times so skipping it this time. Love it but too darn crowded. Sounds like Dillon will be best for this trip. Appreciate it.

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