Fort Collins / Poudre Canyon KOA

Denver Mint

Tours are conducted on a first come first served basis. They are available Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Colorado Environmental Learning Center

The environmental learning Center a 212 acre nature preserve just minutes form the heart of Fort Collins, includes nearly three mites of trails, four distinct habitats, several ponds, varied plant and animal life and a wealth of experiences, self-study opportunities, and educational programs.

Grasslands and Pawnee Buttes

East of Fort Colins is vast open prairie. You can just imagine camps of nomadic Indian tribes that lived throughout these grass(ands until the 19th century The Pawnee National Grassland includes 193,000 acres of public land in two areas located 30 miles east of Fort Collins. Crow Valley recreation Area provides opportunities for bird watching and picnics. Pick your Auto Bird Tour map at the Crow Valley and learn why this is an internationally known area for viewing birds of prey and other unique high plains species don's forget you binoculars! At the eastern section of the Grasslands, the Pawnee Buttes sedimentary rock formations stand one half mile apart and rise 350 feet above the plains. An easy one and a half mite trail provides an opportunity to view the Buttes up close and personal. Please remember to keep your distance from nesting birds and wildlife. On your return to Fort Collins, circle back through Raymer, Fort Morgan, Kersey, and Greeley. These towns are part of a thriving agricultural community and rich with history of the Old West.

Colorado's Trout Route

Colorado Highway 14 along the Cache La Poudre river is one of Colorado's premier scenic highways. Enjoy spectacular scenery as you drive west into the Poudre Canyon. There are plenty of places to stop for a picnic or simply enjoy watching the river tumble past. This area is especially popular with rafters and kayakers. If you like to fish, this is one of the West's finest trout streams. Hiking and mountain biking trails along the way, including Grey Rock and Young Gulch, off pleasant trips into the distinctive ecosystems of the foothills. Stop for lunch at any of the designated areas along the river . Continue up the canyon to Stove Prairie and on the Buckhorn Mountain, where a sweeping panorama of the high plains to the east and Rocky Mountains to the west captivates locals and visitors.

Rocky Mountain National Park

The number one tourist attraction in Colorado, we can show you the way to go in the back way thru the Poudre Canyon and the back of Rocky Mountain National Park and out thru Thompson Canyon.

Cache La Pouder -North Park Scenic Byway

Only the most beautiful road are selected as Scenic Byways, and Colorado highway 14 from Fort Collins the town of Walden in North Park is truly deserving. The beautiful Pouder Canyon, the Pouder River, vast forests and high peaks mark this route. Stop at the Home Moraine Geological site, and area carved be glaciers, and keep on eye out for Bighorn sheep. About SO miles up the canyon, the road drops over 10,000 feet Cameron Pass into the vast North Park Valley-you will want to stop a moment and admire Ankh Crags. This beautiful high ranch country is filled with cattle, wildlife, rivers, lakes and wilderness. Check the area's moose viewing at the State's Moose Visitor Center, just 4 miles west of Cameron Pass on your left.

Into the High Country

As you head up the canyon, you leave behind the short grass prairie and enter the mountain scrubland. In the winter, bighorn sheep live on the shrubby northern side of the canyon from below the Narrows to Rustic. Pingree Hill rd. takes you from Rustic to Red Feather Lakes, an area settled in 1871 as a mining camp. No minerals were found, but people became attached to the scenic beauty and the small mountain lakes. Today, Red Feather attracts angles, mountain bikers, hikers and four wheel drive enthusiasts. Stop at anyone of the many lakes in the area, such as Bellaire Lake. The Deadman Fire Lookout, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In the early 1930's ;5 now a favorite climb for tourists. From the lookout you can see the Mummy Range to the south, Rawah Wilderness and Medicine Bow Range to west and the snowy Range to the north .