Fort Collins, Colorado, is a popular destination for tourists that features two RV parks within its limits and a seasonal RV park just out of town. Visitors are within easy travel distance to hiking, biking, fishing and exploring in the Cache la Poudre wilderness area, whitewater rafting, bird watching and, of course, touring beautiful Poudre Canyon or spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park.
RV Parks
There three RV parks in or nearby Fort Collins including Heron Lake RV Park, Fort Collins Lakeside KOA and Fort Collins/Poudre Canyon KOA. Heron Lake boasts 168 RV and tent sites, 69 of which are pull-through sites, and all of which have full hookups. There is a fishing lake, swimming pool, miniature golf as well as planned recreational activities for both adults and children. The Fort Collins Lakeside KOA has a 10-acre catch-and-release lake, a fitness trail and paddle boats. Between May and Labor Day, Lakeside's swimming pool is open, along with miniature golf, a video arcade, bumper boats and other amenities. The Fort Collins/Poudre Canyon KOA, about seven miles outside Fort Collins, is open May 1 through September 30. A small campground with spectacular mountain views, it offers a swimming pool, a pavilion and children's playground as well as full hookups, wireless Internet, telephone and other amenities.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Only about an hour's drive from Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the iconic American parks, showcasing towering peaks, such as Longs Peak that thrusts 14,259 feet into the azure sky, and lush wet valleys filled with wildflowers and wildlife. The park sports drive-in campgrounds, reservation-only camping sites and more than 200 back-country campsites for backpackers. There are 359 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding and backpacking. Winter months see opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. And always, there is protected wildlife ranging from deer and elk to big horn sheep, cougars and black bears, along with a plethora of birds.
Cache la Poudre
The Cache la Poudre River Canyon, Colorado's first National Wild and Scenic River, is a fisherman's paradise where rainbow and brown trout are abundant. The river's rapids attract thousands of kayakers and whitewater rafters. A 45-mile stretch of the river was designated a National Heritage Area. Nearby the Cache la Poudre are plentiful opportunities for hiking in Roosevelt National Forest, the Neota Flat Tops Wilderness, the Rawah Wilderness and Comanche Peak Wilderness.
Wilderness
Easily accessed from Fort Collins, the Rawah Wilderness Area features a U-shaped valley sculpted by glaciers and soaring mountain peaks. Covering 73,068 acres, the wilderness area sports 26 lakes filled with trout and more than 75 miles of trails excellent for biking, hiking and horseback riding. In the winter, forest service roads are available for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
Scenic Byway
Visitors who prefer to drive, the 101-mile Cache la Poudre byway from Fort Collins to Walden retraces trails broken by American Indians and white surveyors centuries ago. The area is rich with wildlife and breathtaking scenery. The highway runs though Roosevelt National Forest, along the Cache la Poudre and then over Cameron Pass.
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