20 Attractions to Explore Near Columbine 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.

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.

The Kawuneeche Valley is one of the must-see areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. The fertile valley on the west side of the park is rife with flora and fauna, mountain scenery, park history, and lots of great hikes to boot. Here’s a quick overview of just a few of the activities in the Kawuneeche Valley. Kawuneeche means "valley of the coyote" in Arapaho language and there is a Coyote Valley Trail head by US Route 34 in the western half of the park.

The Tonahutu Creek Trail, in the general area of Grand Lake, Colorado, in both Grand and Larimer counties, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The general route was established in 1880; the trail was improved in 1924. Its main trail is about 13 miles long. Its significant built features include dry rock walls, log footbridge/ford combinations, bogwalks, log and rock water bars and drains, the Harbison Ditch, and abandoned cabins in Big Meadows.

A beautiful mountain trail which gives you a best opportunity to explore the nature and also there are so many things to see and do. It offers vast wildlife habitats and also the climate and nature here is so astonishing.

North Inlet Trailhead is located on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, just off West Portal Road on the north side of Grand Lake. While Cascade Falls is the main attraction, the creek itself and large meadows along its path are equally compelling. Fishing is notably good on the North Inlet, and moose and elk sightings are fairly common.

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.

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.

Big Meadows is located in the San Juan Mountains in south-central Colorado. The campground is lightly wooded with spruce trees, creating a beautiful meadow atmosphere. As a sub-alpine region, the campground gets more snow melt and rainfall than the opposite side of the lake, resulting in plentiful wildflowers and aspens surrounding the campsites.

The East Inlet Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, was established in 1913 to provide access from Grand Lake to a series of lakes 6 miles to the east of Grand Lake. The trail originates at the east stream inlet to Grand lake: confusingly, it is close to the west portal of the Alva B. Adams Tunnel which conveys water from the west side of the Continental Divide under the park to the east slope of the Rocky Mountains.

Arapaho National Recreation Area is comprised of five lakes and 36,000 alpine acres north of Granby.The recreation area includes five major reservoirs: Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir, Monarch Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir, and Meadow Creek Reservoir.

Coyote Valley Trail is a peaceful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is a wide, wheelchair and stroller accessible trail. It offers hikers of all abilities the opportunity to explore the beautiful Kawuneeche Valley, as well as the chance for spotting a variety of wildlife.

Lone Pine Lake is not very scenic by Sierra standards, but it's still a nice place to cool your feet off or take a swim. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and is a beautiful camping location and trekking is possible in the surroundings.

Snowdrift Peak is the beautifully snow-bound peak straddling the west side of the Continental Divide to the northwest of Flattop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is most easily accessed via the Flattop Mountain Trail, but it is still a very remote peak. This is certainly one of the most popular trails in the park, and it will be very crowded. Reach the summit of Flattop Mountain.

Mount Craig is a peak in Colorado and has an elevation of 12011 feet. It is situated south of Lone Pine Lake, and southwest of Lake Verna. This much adored landscape graces many photographs and has been recognized as a Grand Lake symbol since the Ute Natives set up their summer camps hundreds of years ago.

Lake Nanita is located 10.8 miles from North Inlet Trailhead on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It lies at the head of an isolated valley framed by Ptarmigan Mountain and Andrews Peak. A good camping location and also there are so many other peisure activities possible here.

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.

Lake Verna is located 6.9 miles from East Inlet Trailhead on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. This large subalpine lake fills a slender, steep-walled basin midway up the East Inlet valley. The hike to Lake Verna begins from the East Inlet Trailhead near the town of Grand Lake on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Holzwarth Historic Site is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park near the west entrance. It comprises a series of cabins built by the Holzwarth family as a guest ranch inholding within the boundaries Rocky Mountain National Park, at Grand Lake, Colorado.The district comprises a number of rustic cabins on the Colorado River. Operations existed on both sides of the river, first known as the Holzwarth Trout Ranch and later as the Never Summer Ranch.