Ft. Collins...how nice is west up hwy 14? (Fort Collins, Boulder: camping, living in)

[ctr88]

I've never been to Ft. Collins. I'm considering living there in the summers (also considering Boulder, Bend, Durango, Missoula, Taos, Eugene, Bozeman, Whitefish, Maine, Vermont). Curious to how scenic it is up Hwy 14 West of Ft. Collins. That looks like one of the closest getaways to get up to the moutains and the wilderness. I plan to do a lot of hiking and biking in the summers.

Thanks!

[bluescreen73]

Highway 14 up through the Poudre Canyon is absolutely gorgeous but the traffic can be a nightmare in the spring and summer. The lower canyon is filled to the brim with rafting expeditions in the spring and during the summer the canyon is bustling with tourists. The farther you go up the canyon the sparser the traffic gets. Start with the Kinikinik area and move your way down toward Fort Collins.

[ctr88]

How about the Snowy Mountains West of Laramie? Is that scenic and enjoyable area for outdoor area for hiking, camping and mountain biking in the summers? It seems to be not that far from Ft. Collins. Just trying to picture where the mountain getaways would be if I lived in FC. How far is Steamboat Springs from Ft. Collins in summer driving?

[bluescreen73]

I haven't been into the Snowies other than cutting through them via Highway 230 from Laramie down to Walden. That area is primarily a dense lodgepole pine forest and is popular snowmobiling country in the winter. You might want to consult the Wyoming board and find out what the Saratoga area is like.

Steamboat is about 3 hours from Fort Collins in decent weather. The eastern edge of the Yampa Valley is very lush and Steamboat Springs is filled with outdoor activities during the summer. The western side of the valley through Craig and west to Browns Park is more desert-like and the last 30 miles or so of the Yampa River are prime for rafting and fly fishing.

[Tom Emmerling]

Poudre is nice, you may also want to consider the Big Thompson between Loveland and Estes Park.

[StealthRabbit]

I'd go for Whitefish, Missoula, Durango, Taos, Bozeman.... in that order (Based on your criteria) I would want to live in the MIDDLE of the recreation, not have to drive to it and fight crowds.

Ft C recreation areas are pretty crowded for your desires, (everyone tries to escape to the 'close-by' recreation, and with the potential for fuel costs and economy changes this will get worse) FtC probably a bit hot and dry for full summer enjoyment, but NoCO is a pretty nice year round destination

Snowy Range is very nice and not crowded. about 2 hrs from Ft C to the 'heart' of it. (You could just live there...) Saratoga, Encampment...

What else do you want to do? (Arts, drama, Music?) Then Estes Park may work, but it is crowded. Whitefish and surrounding area (especially to the NW is very nice), of course having Glacier Park to the east is handy too. Benefit is having both BC and Alberta nearby, they have 'pristine' recreation, with very few people. There is much less "impact" (people) in Glacier than in RMNP, and soon to be even less (economy / $$) tho RMNP will increase, as MANY folks are close enough to get there on 1 tank.

[ctr88]

Thanks Janb you make a very good point of living in the "middle" of the recreation vs. driving to it. Whitefish & Bend OR are better on those counts than Boulder or Ft. Collins. The nice thing about Western Montana is there are a lot of nice lakes, particularly around Whitefish.

The part of the rockies in Colorado does not have as many pretty natural lakes. I enjoy swimming, boating and canoeing.