Location – Estes

Welcome to Estes Park, Colorado!

Located on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is the perfect escape from big city living with your choice of beautiful wildlife refuges nearby. In addition to its proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park and other close mountain attractions, Fort Collins is known for its local craft beer scene.

This small-town nook is tucked in between Denver and Cheyenne, each one hour away by car. Additionally, it’s one hour from Estes Park, housing Rocky Mountain National Park, and about two and a half hours from beautiful mountain towns such as Breckenridge and Vail.

With bird-viewing refuges in the area and ample river access for fly fishing, Larimer County is the perfect location for a wildlife outing. Visit the gorgeous, flowing Poudre River, kayak in Horsetooth Reservoir, or delight in the red rocks of the Devil’s Backbone trail. Sip some local craft brews and ride around on the rentable scooters and bikes, or take a walk through one of the many interspersed natural areas.

Learn more about Fort Collins at Visit Fort Collins.

Getting Around

Estes Park Transit: free busses from the YMCA to Estes Park, around town, and to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Local Activities

Museums

  • The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery:
    A local science museum with exhibits for all ages. Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm, $12.50 for adults.
  • The Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures:
    The museum strives to become an internationally renowned center for the celebration and preservation of world arts and cultures. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm, $5 for adults.
  • The 1879 Avery House:
    A family home turned museum, located in downtown Fort Collins. Open Saturdays, 11 am – 2 pm, and Sundays, 1 – 4 pm, with tours on the half-hour, $6 for adults.

Natural Areas

  • Horsetooth Reservoir
    On the East side of the Horsetooth Reservoir, you can hike, picnic, swim, and climb. Daily parking passes are required and can be purchased on-site.
  • Lory State Park
    On the West side of the Horsetooth Reservoir, you can hike, picnic, swim, and climb. Daily parking passes are required and can be purchased on-site.
  • Horsetooth Rock Open Space
    With miles of trails and Fort Collins’ favorite local landscape feature, this is the perfect day hiking area Southwest of town. Daily parking passes are required and can be purchased on-site.
  • Coyote Ridge and Prairie Ridge Natural Areas
    Just a short drive south of Fort Collins, the Coyote Ridge and Prairie Ridge Natural Areas are quiet hiking areas where you can observe the local flora and fauna.
  • Colorado State University Annual Flower Trial Gardens
    Every summer, CSU tests different varietals of annuals and perennials in a sprawling garden just Southeast of the main campus.

Breweries

Fort Collins is known for it’s expansive brew scene, which all started with New Belgium. Now, even the CSU campus produces its own beer! Here are just a few of our favorites.

Downtown Locations:

  • Gilded Goat
    Gilded goat is a local family brewery, offering classic beer, sours, and some experimental brews.
  • Equinox
    Equinox has delicious staple brews and the perfect patio for summer days.

“Brewery Row” Locations:

  • Horse & Dragon
    This brewery is a family-run local establishment that is known for its stout, Sad Panda, along with other delicious beer.
  • Odell
    With a beautiful, huge outdoor patio, Odell offers a variety of classic and sour beers. Additionally, Odell now offers wine, which can be enjoyed in the outdoor patio.
  • New Belgium
    Home of “Fat Tire” and other famous brews, New Belgium promotes the love of beer and bicycles. Schedule one of its free tours or check out the calendar for events, such as bike-in cinema and evening music.
  • Funkwerks
    Funkwerks is known for its Saisons and sours, choosing “funky” flavors over classic beer.
  • Snowbank
    With a focus on the Colorado landscape, beers are named after peaks and areas and made from Colorado snowmelt.

Other Locations:

  • Zwei
    Zwei is a German-style brewery that focuses on Old World brewing. It has a large outdoor patio.
  • Stodgy
    This brewery focuses on a sense of community, giving groups the perfect indoor and outdoor spaces to spend time with friends.
  • Jessup Farm
    Jessup Farm is known for its sour beers and for blending the flavors of oak barrels with its beer. The brewery is located upstairs and has outdoor seating.
  • Maxline
    Maxline is a community hub, often featuring local bands, craft shows, and more. The space is large and comfortable, with indoor and outdoor seating.

Find more on the Visit Fort Collins website.

Restaurants

Breakfast/Lunch:

  • Rainbow Restaurant 
    A casual eatery with high-quality meals within walking distance of campus, offering many vegetarian options.
  • Silver Grill Cafe
    A Fort Collins staple for over a hundred years, offering breakfast classics, including sticky buns and cinnamon rolls. It fills up fast so get there early!
  • Lucile’s 
    A cajun-style breakfast restaurant with hearty breakfasts and sweet treats, within walking distance of downtown.
  • La Creperie
    A French bakery and breakfast spot in Midtown, with savory and sweet crepes, other French delicacies, and a take-away full bakery.

Casual Dining:

  • DGT
    An American-fusion taco restaurant within walking distance of campus, with a lot of fresh, vegetarian options.
  • Slyce Pizza Co.
    A casual by-the-slice pizza place with regular pies in addition to different toppings, such as BBQ chicken and mac-n-cheese.
  • Music City Hot Chicken
    For the perfect crispy chicken, visit Music City Hot Chicken. Music City has mastered the chicken & waffles and has tasty chicken sandwiches.
  • The Colorado Room
    The Colorado Room is a local favorite, just a quick walk from campus. It has small sandwiches and snacks plus often has live music in the summer.

Restaurants (for a nicer meal):

  • The Regional
    A modern American eatery with a farm-to-table rotating menu, located right downtown.
  • Nimo’s Sushi
    A family-run sushi restaurant with high-quality ingredients, located in Midtown.
  • RARE Italian
    Known for its high-quality steaks, RARE serves up delicious pasta, risotto, and more.

Local Discounts

A1 Wildwater Rafting:

Brought to you by:

Colorado State University Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation