Active and Outdoors: The Grand County and Steamboat Springs Lifestyle

Chris Duthie

Grand County is a vacation-rich destination renowned for adventure and authentic Americana heritage. Punctuated with historic towns like Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling and Winter Park, the region is a vast, high-country respite bejeweled with majestic treasures like Grand Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park and the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Pictured: Grand Elk Golf Club

---

> HOT LICKS: The 33rd Annual Winter Park Jazz Festival, scheduled July 18-19, features another heady lineup of celebrity performers including 11-time Grammy winner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Morris Day & The Time. Kids 12 and under will be admitted free with each ticketed adult.

> LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Near the headwaters of the Colorado River, Shadow Mountain Lake is prized for its picturesque landscapes, fishing, jet-skiing and more. “Rent a pontoon boat, ride to the middle of the lake and take in Mother Nature’s handiwork,” said 37-year Frazier resident Mary Moynihan.

> NATURE UNLEASHED: Rocky Mountain National Park boasts almost 266,000 acres, 150 lakes, more than 350 miles of hiking trails and 60 miles of road bicycling (including America’s highest continually paved byway). Indulge your inner Robert Frost and experience Timber Lake, the eight-mile trek to Haynach Lakes, or the 14,259-foot breath-stealing summit of Longs Peak.

> O₂, BRUTE: Aptly named Grand Lake is known for its challenging winds and über-scenic mountain vistas. At an elevation of 8,366 feet, Colorado’s largest natural lake is also the world’s highest registered yacht anchorage. Bonus tip: Moose are often spied amid the water’s pristine outlet.

---

Steamboat Springs might be known best as “Ski Town USA” and for its affable 1964 Winter Olympic medalist Billy Kidd, but someday soon this northwestern Colorado community might be know as “Tee Town USA.” Featuring three outstanding 18-hole golf courses— Sheraton Resort’s Rollingstone, Haymaker and Catamount Ranch— plus the always-entertaining Steamboat GC’s nine, and you have a compelling argument for making Steamboat a regular golf getaway.

Pictured: Sheraton Steamboat Springs

---

IN THE KNOW

> PLAY LIKE JAGGER: Your turnkey golf vacation awaits at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, which is made even more enticing by the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed and Troon Golf-managed Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club, recipient of a 2014 CAGGY Award (Best Mountain Course) from Colorado AvidGolfer.

> DRIVE & FLY: Call in a favor from a well-connected friend and go play private Catamount Ranch & Club, designed by Tom Weiskopf. Repay the kindness by sharing a guided float on the trout-infused Yampa River for outstanding catch-and-release fly fishing.

> LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Steamboat Springs is less than a three-hour drive from Denver, placing this remarkable summer destination well within reach. “Steamboat is a great place to golf, hike, bike and discover some really outstanding restaurants,” said 30-year Denver resident Dan James. “After a round at Haymaker or a bike ride along the river, there’s nothing better than a cold microbrew and a plate of fresh tuna ceviche at ‘The Hog,’ Mahogany Ridge Brewery.”

> MAKIN’ HAY: The ranch-like setting of Haymaker Golf Course (pictured below) offers stunning views of Mt. Werner, to say nothing of the challenging, links-style routing designed by Keith Foster. The city-owned track is a pure golf experience—no housing suffocates its fairways or greens—that’s enhanced by broad open spaces, native grasses and verdant wetlands.

---

Steamboat Springs is no one-trick pony. Besides skiing, the town offers a hip cowboy undercurrent, premium art and culture, live entertainment, events, and a boatload of recreation including golf, hiking, biking, camping, hot air ballooning, horseback riding, hot springs soaks, and Yampa River fly-fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding.

---

>SUNSET SENSATION: For breathtaking sunsets that envelop the Yampa Valley and Flat Top Mountain, ride Steamboat Ski Resort’s gondola to the outdoor deck of Thunderhead Lodge. The Sunset Happy Hour is $12 and includes drinks, live music and a $5 coupon for food and beverage.

> STREET DANCE: Steamboat’s music scene is smokin’, especially in summer when its Free Concert Series is in full swing. Every week the town hosts foot-tapping performances from premier performers like Ziggy Marley, Johnny Lang, the Jeff Austin Band, New Orleans Suspects and others.

> COWBOY COUTURE: Steamboat’s ranching heritage is complemented by its artistic one. For 41 straight years, Art in the Park (July 11-12) has displayed local talent.

> FLYIN’ HIGH: Also on July 11-12, Steamboat’s 34th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo takes flight with camera-worthy spectacles that include titillating lake-dip challenges on Bald Eagle Lake. Saturday evening, don’t miss the balloon glow on Mt. Werner.

> WILD & WET: For an exhilarating sight, head to Fish Creek Falls. Minutes from downtown. the 280-foot cascade attracts ice-climbers in winter.

---

GRAND LAKE LODGE
Grand Lake
970-627-3967
grandlakelodge.com

INN AT SILVERCREEK
Granby
970-887-2131
innatsilvercreek.com

HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS RESORT & SPA
Granby
970-725-3306
hotsulphursprings.com

MAVERICK’S GRILLE
Granby
970-887-9000
mavericksgrille.com

FONTENOT’S FRESH SEAFOOD AND GRILL
Winter Park
970-726-4021
fontenotswp.com

---

RELATED LINKS

Family Fun: Take the Kids to Keystone

Fore! in the Four Corners

Durango’s Wild Flowers and Alpine Waters

Grand Junction and Montrose: Activities, Restaurants and Wineries

Crank Up the Adventure in Grand County!

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.