Front Range

Asked once to describe Colorado, Teddy Roosevelt demurred, saying, "The scenery bankrupts the English language." He was probably thinking of the Front Range region. Postcards come to life here; landscapes overpower the senses and register somewhere deeper. This is the type of beauty that can't be perceived, only felt.

Nowhere is that feeling stronger than in Rocky Mountain National Park, a 400-square-mile preserve of forests, meadows, tundra, and opaline ponds. You can stay above timberline for days on end, enjoying views normally reserved for an eagle; picnic by a meandering creek; or tug at a taught line with a native greenback cutthroat at the other end. Here and elsewhere in the region - at Red Feather Lakes, deep in granite-walled Poudre Canyon, high along the Peak-to-Peak Highway - light, color and shape achieve a kind of perfection.

Nature frames the mountain towns of the Front Range. Estes Park serves as the national park's lobby, Grand Lake its breezy back porch. Idaho Springs, Georgetown and other lofty hamlets tuck themselves inconspicuously between ridges. Only in the gambling meccas of Central City and Black Hawk do man-made attractions presume to supersede the breathtaking wilderness, but at least they do it with some flair. And besides, jackpot-spouting slot machines are beautiful in their own way.

Boulder, home of the University of Colorado, captures the essence of the region. Framed by foothills, the city boasts 33,000 acres of parks and trails, as well as a philosophy of spiritual and environmental health. There's plenty to do and see in town, including the always-lively Pearl Street Mall and the summer-long Colorado Music Festival. Additional dining and entertainment can be found in Fort Collins, the site of Colorado State University, and Greeley, home of the University of Northern Colorado.

LARGEST CITY: Fort Collins, population 98,954

FAMOUS RESIDENTS: Author James Michener attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; poet Allen Ginsberg lived in Boulder.

HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS: Traveling throughout the Front Range region, you’ll see evidence of Colorado’s gold and silver rushes. It was here — where the plains meet the mountains — that many prospectors got their first taste of the Rockies. However, while mining may seem like the main heritage tourism draw of the area, there’s more to this region’s history than just precious minerals and dreams of fortune. Fur trapping, American Indians and a strong desire for cultural experiences “on the frontier” have left us with a multitude of historical jewels to explore.

FUN FACT: As a point of reference for anyone traveling the Poudre Canyon, the first digit of a four-digit address (or the first two digits of a five-digit address) tells you the distance from the mouth of the canyon. For example, Glen Echo Resort, at 31503 Poudre Canyon Drive, is located 31 miles up the canyon.

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES:
Central City Opera House
Colorado Chautauqua
Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District