Grand Between Water, Trails, and History

At Lake Granby, you can go boating with or without a motor. The 40 miles of shoreline also offer opportunities to fish for kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, brook trout, and lake trout. Mountains and dense forests define the area around the lake. US 34 and County Highway 6 provide access to the trails and boat launches at Lake Granby. If you plan to get out on the water, check the current boating regulations before you go.

Trails and Seasonal Roads

The Colorado River Trailhead provides access to numerous trails in the northwestern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. Two hikes lead to different destinations: a 0.5-mile trail leads to the Colorado River, while a 3.7-mile trail ends at the site of Lulu City, a mining settlement from the 1880s. You may encounter moose, elk, coyotes, and foxes on the trails. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed; keep the required distance from wildlife.

Trail Ridge Road connects the east and west sides of Rocky Mountain National Park and reaches an elevation of more than 12,000 feet. The road is seasonal: from mid-October through the end of May, it is closed to through traffic when weather and road conditions warrant. Dates may vary depending on the weather and road conditions. If your trip includes driving on the road, check current conditions in advance.

Another activity in the area is snowshoeing on trails in Rocky Mountain National Park above 9,000 feet, provided there is enough snow. Park rangers are available to visitors at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Grand County also offers rafting and kayaking trips on the Colorado River, including guided trips through Gore Canyon near Kremmling. Granby Ranch offers downhill and cross-country skiing.

History and Museums

The Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum is located in a room in the former Rocky Mountain Airways terminal at Granby/Grand County Airport. Its exhibits, photographs, and artifacts tell the story of aviation in Grand County. The Kauffman House Museum offers another perspective on regional history: it is housed in a former rustic log cabin in downtown Grand Lake. The Kauffman House is the only surviving log hotel in Grand Lake built before 1900. Its log-cabin architecture and its first owner's connection to westward settlement are reasons for its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pioneer Village Museum's historical collection includes the former Hot Sulphur Schoolhouse, the county courthouse and jail, a blacksmith shop, the Horseshoe Ranger Station, and the 8 Mile School. It also features 8,500-year-old artifacts from Windy Gap. The original Cozens Ranch house dates to 1876 and has been restored. Headwaters River Journey is an interactive museum dedicated to the waterways and ecology of Grand County.

The Moffat Road Railroad Museum combines railroad history with exhibits: the centerpiece of an exhibit on the logging and sawmill industry of the 1920s and 1930s is the 1922 Shay No. 8 locomotive. The museum also features model train layouts and real trains, as well as a visitor center. The Interpretive Center includes a 1905 passenger car, a railroad handcar shed from around 1915 from Hot Sulphur Springs, and a red UP caboose from 1923 made entirely of wood.

Scenery and Regional Orientation

Grand County is home to the headwaters of the Colorado River and encompasses more than 800,000 acres of accessible public land. This includes the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and large portions of the Arapaho and Routt National Forests. Arapaho National Forest covers 723,744 acres and lies mostly in Grand and Clear Creek Counties. These regional features complement the specific destinations at the lake, along the trails, and in the museums. When choosing a hotel, you can first consider which of these experiences are a priority for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Winter Park, Grand Lake, Granby, Tabernash, Montrose County, Routt.

For the main travel overview: Colorado.