Local Info

Fort Collins Rafting & Local Information

Located just 50 miles north of Denver off of Interstate 25, Fort Collins is very easy to find and very difficult to leave.

Nestled beneath the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is perfect for your next adventure. Fort Collins, also known as “Fort Fun,” and “The Choice City,” is a wonderful, but still somewhat hidden gem of Colorado. From shopping, dining, arts, and entertainment to outdoor recreation, Fort Collins is the home to the best northern Colorado has to offer. In fact, Fort Collins has won many recent awards for being an outstanding community in which to live.

Things to Do

Fort Collins has access to a multitude of activities. The area boasts vast recreation opportunities including the best whitewater rafting in the State. The Poudre River offers fantastic half-day and full-day fort collins rafting opportunities.

There are also 40 parks within the city of Fort Collins, as well as three city golf courses, and over 23 miles of paved and unpaved walking and biking trails. Fort Fun is home Horsetooth Reservoir and Lory State Park. With over 300 sunny days a year, these and other open spaces in Fort Collins allow locals the opportunities to partake in any recreation activity Colorado has to offer.

Take a stroll through the city’s Historic Old Town district to find a multitude of shopping boutiques, theaters, and bars. With an almost overwhelming amount of things to do, you are bound to find something to suit your fancy. The city offers a multitude of other activities for all ages. You can find educational and cultural experiences while you discover new things at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Visit the animals at Lee Martinez Farm or catch the Old Town Trolley ride. Enjoy the Fort Collins Museum of Art or take walk through The Gardens on Spring Creek.

Music in Fort Collins

There is a very diverse and robust music scene in Fort Fun. The city offers a free outdoor concert series each week in the summertime in Old Town Square. FoCoMX music festival happens in April and usually boasts 200+ bands at 20+ venues. Bohemian Nights at New West Fest is one of the best festivals in Colorado with multiple stages hosting day-long music for three straight days. Four small and mid-sized theaters, plus multiple bars will host live music year round. You can always find live music to add to your experience in Fort Collins.

Food & Drink

Paddler’s Pub at Mountain Whitewater is proud to serve local craft beer and wine. The pub is open to the public and is available for rafting guests of Mountian Whitewater after their trip.

The Choice City is also home to one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per capita in the United States. It offers every kind of dining experience from fast casual to five-star. Enjoy fine restaurants such as Elevated Sandwiches, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, Charco Broiler, Coopersmith’s Pub, Laporte Pizza, Mugs Coffee Lounge or Serious Texas BBQ.

Fort Collins produces some of the most unique and delicious beers in the country. In fact, it is the second largest producer of beer in the State of Colorado, which ranks third nationally. Some of the breweries in Fort Collins include: Odell Brewing Company, Equinox Brewing, Anheuser-Busch, New Belgium Brewing Company, Funkwerks, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company, Guilded Goat Brewing Company, Stodgy Brewing, and Black Bottle Brewery.

On the last weekend every June, Old Town Fort Collins plays host to The Colorado Brewers Festival. The festival is one of the most well-known beer festivals in the country. 40+ brewers from around the state participate annually at Brew Fest.

Colorado State University

Fort Collins is home to the Colorado State University Rams. CSU is one of Colorado’s top academic institutions and offers a variety of athletic, educational and cultural experiences. Internationally recognized for its green initiatives, sustainability efforts on campus, and clean-energy research, Colorado State University is also known as the “green” university. Curious about the University? Just ask your raft guide or the office staff about Colorado State, after all, most are current students or alumni!

Fort Collins Lodging

There are many places and unique experiences for your overnight stay in Fort Collins.  If you are going to experience the best place in the world, you may as well sleep well while you are here.  From tiny boutique hotels to hostels, world class chains, you are sure to feel well rested for your adventure.  Here are some of our favorites:  The Armstrong Hotel,  The Elizabeth Hotel, The Solarium Colorado Hotel, and Fenweh Inn & Hostel,

Estes Park Lodging

For your stay in beautiful Estes Park you have every option imaginable.  All lodging operators are passionate about their town and their craft; bringing you the best “home base” you have ever experienced.  Here are a few of our favorites in Estes Park:  Swiftcurrent Lodge, Murphy’s River Resort, Mary’s Lake Lodge, Della Terra Mountain Chateau, Macgregor Mountain Lodge

Camping

Maybe you desire to travel away from the concrete and find some dirt to cleanse your soul.  There is an abundance of camping to soothe your soul and restore you spirit.  To reserve your spot in the National Forest: USDA

Maybe “clamping” is more your style, check out these RV resorts in Estes Park: Jellystone Park, Mary’s Lake Campground, Elk River Campground, Elk Meadow Lodge and RV park. And Fort Collins: Lakeside RV park, Estes Park KOA Holiday.

With so many fun, exciting and education experiences available in Fort Collins and Estes Park, it is a must visit on your next Colorado Rocky Mountain Vacation. Whether you are riding the rapids of the Cache la Poudre River, having dinner in historic Old Town or visiting Colorado State University, we hope to see you here as often as possible.