Things to Do in Colorado’s Northern Front Range

The north-central part of the state, termed the Front Range by Colorado’s official tourism website, Colorado.com, is an area of both mountains and plains. Landscapes vary from the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park to the plains of the Pawnee Grasslands, and includes some of Colorado’s best farmland. The region also houses three major universities (Colorado State University in Fort Collins; University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; and the University of Colorado at Boulder.)

Colorado’s Northern Front Range stretches from Boulder and Broomfield on the south, north to the Colorado-Wyoming border, west through Rocky Mountain National Park and east past Greeley. Some of the cities and towns in the region include Berthoud, Black Hawk, Boulder, Central City, Erie, Estes Park, Evans, Fort Collins, Greeley, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Loveland, Lyons, Nederland, Niwot, Red Feather Lakes, Strasburg, Superior, Windsor, and others.

Probably the biggest tourist attraction in this part of the state is Rocky Mountain National Park and the other mountainous areas northwest of Denver. In other parts of the region, Boulder is a city that is both urban and outdoors-oriented. Black Hawk and Central City offer legalized gaming. Loveland is known for its outdoor art, while Lyons is known for its chief industry, Lyons sandstone. Throughout the area, there are many places to visit for persons of all tastes and interests.

For those interested in the outdoors, there are several State Parks in addition to the National Park. State Parks in the region include Lory, Boyd Lake, St. Vrain, and Jackson Lake. Each park’s website also includes a link to other interesting things to do nearby. You can also find a great list of attractions on Colorado.com. Additionally, for some of the region’s best scenery, be sure to check out some of the area’s byways.

If you’re interested in learning more about the area, we have a number of publications here in our library. Some of these include:

• Birds of the Rocky Mountains, with Particular Reference to National Parks in the Northern Rocky Mountain Region
• This Blue Hollow: Estes Park, the Early Years, 1859-1915
• Riches and Regrets: Betting on Gambling in Two Colorado Mountain Towns
• Rocky Mountain National Park: A History
• Rocky Times in Rocky Mountain National Park: An Unnatural History
• America’s Switzerland: Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park
• Metal Mining and Tourist Era Resources of Boulder County
• Weld County, Colorado Historic Agricultural Context
• Historic Farms and Ranches of Weld County
• Your Guide to Colorado Trails: North Front Range
• Significant Plant, Animal and Wetland Resources of Larimer County

For more publications, search our web catalog. For geological information, search by county name. Other searches can be by city name, county name, or other geographical keywords.