Grand Lake

It's not too presumptuous to call it Grand Lake - in Colorado anyway, where the lake the town is named after is the largest natural lake in the state. The adjacent town provides a grand getaway for families.

Perched on the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, many visitors stay here and drive Trail Ridge Road through the park to the town of Estes Park on the other side. The park provides endless entertainment from hiking and wildlife watching in summer to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing - and more wildlife watching - in winter.

The lake is popular with boaters, water-skiers and anglers. It even has a marina and yacht club. Each summer, the town hosts the Grand Lake Regatta and Lipton Cup Races.

In winter, local sports aficionados put away their boats and crank up their snowmobiles. Streets are left packed with snow to accommodate the hundreds of snowmobilers who converge on the town during the winter months. A vast system of snowmobile trails keeps them coming back.

There's always something happening at the Grand Lake Community Center, too - from a summer repertory theater festival to old-fashioned Christmas doings. And, as elsewhere in town, visitors are given a grand welcome.

Community Resources:
Grand County Colorado Tourism Board
P.O. Box 131
Granby, CO 80446
800-247-2636

Grand Lake Chamber Of Commerce
P.O. Box 57
Grand Lake, CO 80447
970-627-3372 or 800-531-1019