Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2008 - (Page 14) Front Range Regional Overview Red Feather Lakes Bellvue 287 Wellington Fort Collins Rocky Mountain National Park Estes Park 85 Loveland 287 Greeley 25 Platteville Lyons Allenspark Ward Nederland Black Hawk Central City Empire Idaho Springs Silver Georgetown Plume 36 Longmont 76 Boulder 70 Deer Trail Central City Front Range the ©Paul Tessier/istockphoto.com ©Richard Cummins TheLand The Front Range rips upward in a commanding procession of snow-crowned peaks, saw-toothed canyons, glass-top lakes and a continuous tryst of tumbling rivers. Hardy alpine plants and wildlife thrive in the 400-square-mile Rocky Mountain National Park in the region’s western stretches. Growing cities, college towns and family-friendly communities flourish between the first steps of the Front Range mountains to the west and the sprawling Great Plains to the east. Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival in Estes Park Backcountry skiing near Guanella Pass Mountain goat near the summit of Mount Evans Tasting at New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins ©Tom Bol/Aurora Photos ©New Belgium Brewery ©Matt Inden/Weaver ©Eric Wunrow The Cache la Poudre River TheCulture From cowboy to campus culture, the region carries a harmonious to-each-their-own vibe. Top universities in Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley draw progressive thinkers, and the Old West echoes in slower-paced canyon hamlets. Meanwhile, natural beauty inspires a widespread dedication to the environment. Locals enjoy tucked-away exploration such as farm stands in Lyons, films at Chautauqua in Boulder and mining heritage in Nederland. However, the region’s laidback attitude should not be confused with idleness. Active residents are always spurring greener innovation, preserving open space and hosting sustainable living fairs. New horizons of fun are always on the agenda, with locals seeking out the next wave in adventure sports and creating colorful festivals to celebrate Front Range living. TheDraw The Front Range’s untamed landscape is riddled with cherished open space and accessible mountain parks, dotted with wild corners and completed by the energetic and increasingly cultural towns of Boulder and Fort Collins. It also shines with such gems as the state’s only federally designated Wild and Scenic River (the Cache la Poudre) and Colorado’s largest national park (Rocky Mountain National Park). Three million visitors arrive at the park each year for an iconic slice of the Rocky Mountains. Magnetic mountain-town charm thrives in Black Hawk, Central City, Georgetown and Nederland and is both contrasted and complemented by the hometown hospitality of Loveland, Longmont and Greeley. 14 1-800-Colorado | www.colorado.com http://www.colorado.com
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