Arapaho National Recreation Area - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

A beautiful lake, which encompasses 7,256 surface acres, and is the third largest body of water in Colorado. The lake offers 40 miles of shoreline and along with its two sister lakes, Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake, offers more than 150 miles of scenic shoreline for camping, fishing or hiking.The lake is popular with anglers and is continually stocked with rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. The Lake is also home to the Lake Granby Yacht Club.

Shadow Mountain Damis a zoned earth-fill dam on the Colorado River, which is located approximately .8 miles upstream from the alpine glacial limit. It is a holding reservoir for water pumped up from Lake Granby just to the south through the Granby Pumping Plant and Canal. Shadow Mountain Lake is connected by a short channel to the natural Grand Lake.

Shadow Mountain Lake is a high-elevation reservoir offering breathtaking views. The lake forms a continuous body of water with Grand Lake, the largest natural lake in Colorado; they are separated by gates. It offers plenty of outdoor activities, including boating, jet skiing and kayaking.

Adams Falls is a beautiful waterfall, named after Jay E. Adams who was an earlier settler of the town of Grand Lake, that feeds into Grand Lake. Adams Falls is one of the most popular attractions to take in in Grand County.It was essentially a tumbling cascade with a cumulative drop of around 50-60ft on the East Inlet, which was one of the major streams feeding the namesake Grand Lake.

Grand Lake is situated on the serene shores of the largest natural lake in Colorado, beneath a crown of majestic, snow-capped mountain peaks.Grand Lake Yacht Club is a private club that hosts sailing races on the lake, and there are also publicly and privately operated marinas, a public boat ramp, and public boat docks on the lake.

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Known appropriately as the “Highway to the Sky,” it crosses the Continental Divide at a whopping 12,183 feet. Colorado has also designated Trail Ridge Road as a scenic and historic byway. The higher portion of Trail Ridge Road is closed from October to May.