Author: Justin Patnode

The bustling resort village of MT. CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO home to world-renowned Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), is the launching point for incredible outdoor adventure, recreation and entertainment. The base area features premier lodging, meeting and event venues, dining, shopping and activities. Over the past decade, Mt. Crested Butte has been transformed with more than $300 million invested in ski area improvements, new lodging properties and state-of-the-art conference center, hotel and ski lodge renovations and the introduction of zip lining, an Adventure Park, and the Evolution Bike Park. Plans for a new 500-seat performing arts center are currently underway.

Sitting at the top of the Rockies, Leadville’s majestic beauty and outdoor experience are truly on another level. Surrounded by Colorado’s two highest peaks and vast forests, Leadville has long yielded treasures for miners and today yields a very different kind of treasure for outdoor adventurers of all interests who are willing to push their physical limits. Historic Leadville, once one of Colorado’s biggest and heartiest mining towns, is rich with panoramic mountain views and blue glacial waters. Summers are refreshingly cool, fall colors come early, and winter sees abundant snow. Leadville can still bring out the toughest in its visitors whether on foot, on wheels, in waders or on skis, boards, boats, or skates. In Leadville, everyone gets a little more altitude but a lot more perspective.

The City of Gunnison is truly the Base Camp of the Rocky Mountains. As evidenced by the Tenderfoot Archaeological Site overlooking the city, ancient hunters used the area 12,000 years ago as their base camp to hunt the valley’s abundant game. The City was established in 1874, again as a Base Camp. This time it was as the supply center for the surrounding gold and silver mining camps. Ranching followed the mines and the City was incorporated in 1880. Today, Gunnison is used as a base camp by the locals and visitors alike to enjoy the abundant indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities. There is no better place to live, visit, or conduct business than the beautiful Gunnison Valley!

Located at the headwaters of the Colorado River and situated on the shores of Grand Lake, Colorado’s largest natural body of water, the Town of Grand Lake is the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Home of the world’s highest registered yacht club, the nation’s highest altitude golf course with grass greens, and Colorado’s premiere summer musical company, Grand Lake offers a unique getaway for all. Also adjacent to Arapaho National Recreation Area, Grand Lake has been dubbed the ‘Snowmobile Capital of Colorado’ due to its access from Town to Colorado’s largest network of groomed snowmobile trails. A year-round vacationer’s paradise for over one-hundred years, Grand Lake welcomes you.

Granby is located in Grand County in Middle Park and is at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the town was incorporated in 1905. The town is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and is a recreation paradise.

Glenwood Springs sits at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers, 180 miles west of Denver. Throughout our history and continuing today, Glenwood Springs is known for its medicinal hot sulfur springs, rich natural history and scenic beauty that draw tourists from around the world.

Frisco, Colorado sits right in the heart of Summit County, and, while it may look and feel charming, inside this town beats the heart of adventure! That heart keeps a wholesome rhythm, and pushes pure Colorado Rocky Mountain lifestyle that includes the whole family through our streets and sidewalks. A weekend in Frisco holds many choices: from fishing or white water rafting, to hiking, biking, or camping! In the winter, Frisco is the place to launch family adventures in all sorts of winter activities. Our Main Street is within just a few miles of some of Colorado’s best winter resorts!

This town is at an elevation of 8550 feet (2601 m) and was established in 1904 in anticipation of the arrival of the Moffat Railroad. It was laid out on the western high bank of the Fraser River by George Eastom and originally named for him, but this name did not stick, for the town soon resorted to the name given the original rural post office: Fraser. The origin of the name Fraser cannot be confirmed. Rueben Frazier, an early settler in the area, was well known by most of the locals and it wasn’t long before people started calling the town Frazier. When the US Postal Authority granted a post office they wanted an easier spelling so took the name of the nearby Fraser River. It was the center of the timber industry until the Forest Service headquarters was moved to Hot Sulphur Springs in 1915, and the Ranger Station to Idlewild. The town was incorporated in 1953.

Estes Park, Colorado is the base camp for amazing adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park and your favorite mountain getaway destination. Whether you are planning a romantic weekend getaway or the family vacation of a lifetime, Estes Park has the events, lodging and activities to create the perfect escape from the everyday. So, go ahead. Start planning today to experience Estes Park tomorrow.

Durango is the kind of town you daydream about. It’s an authentic Colorado town, with endless opportunities for recreation, a rich history, an exciting future, and countless true stories to tell. Durango is a 21st century Old West town, where people are friendly and real, where they work hard and play hard. With more than 16,000 residents, Durango is the largest town in southwest Colorado. It’s also certainly one of the happiest. Locals are fond of saying that those who choose to live in Durango do so not for fame and fortune, but for the superb quality of life. Durango is known for endless outdoor recreation, as well as world-class attractions like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Mesa Verde National Park, and historic Downtown Durango Downtown Durango.