Fort Collins and Loveland Colorado
Watching a colorful sunset from a hammock overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir
Horseback riding excursion at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
Biking by the historic Linden Hotel in downtown Fort Collins
Kids playing among the bronze art at Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland
Whitewater rafting trip on the Cache la Poudre River
Sunset through a red rock formation at Devil’s Backbone Open Space
Dining alfresco at dusk during a farm-to-table dinner event at Happy Heart Farms
The Loveland Visitors Center, home to the iconic Love sculpture where visitors can hang locks
Cycling snow-covered trails on fat-tire bikes at Horsetooth Reservoir
A tranquil fall day at Lake Loveland
- Major Airports:
- Denver (DEN)
- States:
- Colorado
Outstanding art, craft beer and endless events in a Rocky Mountain playground
Brews for You
Fort Collins is the backbone of Colorado’s storied craft brewery scene. At New Belgium Brewing, high at the top of many beer fans’ must-visit lists, enjoy a brewery tour and tasting, plus food trucks and special events including concerts and yoga. Head over to Odell Brewing to sample a flight of ultra-creative brews – think fruit-flavored and nitrogen-infused. Don’t overlook the “big one,” either. Budweiser, the “King of Beers,” is brewed right here at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, where you can soak in long-range mountain views and take a picture with the world-famous Clydesdale horses. Just 30 minutes south, Loveland is also home to 11 craft breweries, two distilleries and one cidery/meadery. Can’t decide where to sip? Beer & Bike tours let you visit several top spots while touring the town on two wheels.
The Great Outdoors Are Calling
Experience nature’s built-in adventures year-round – winter or summer, rain or shine (well, mostly shine, because this region of Colorado gets about 300 days of sunshine a year). Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most-visited national parks in the USA, is located less than an hour away. Set aside an entire day or longer to enjoy 482 kilometers of hiking and biking trails, rock climbing, camping, horseback riding, winter sports, wildlife watching and scenic drives including one of the most spectacular routes in the country: Trail Ridge Road, peaking at nearly 3,700 meters altitude. If you want to go full-on cowboy or cowgirl, Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch offers dude-ranch vacations complete with horseback riding, ranch chores and campfire meals in the serene Rocky Mountain foothills.
Arts, Culture and One-of-a-kind Attractions
Art enthusiast? Loveland is, too. In fact, it’s one of the major producers of bronze sculptures in the world. Stroll amid whimsical public art installations in Loveland’s three public sculpture gardens and see how real bronze statues are made at a working bronze foundry. Art Castings and Bronze Services of Loveland both offer tours by reservation on certain mornings. In August, the city hosts the largest juried sculpture show in the USA, Sculpture in the Park.
Both Loveland and Fort Collins boast ultra-charming downtowns. Loveland’s is lined with locally owned shops, boutiques and restaurants, while Fort Collins’ downtown is so pretty that even Disneyland copied its design for its Main Street USA. There’s creativity in every corner of downtown Fort Collins, from murals on electric transformer boxes to painted pianos to hidden alleyways decorated in whimsical street art. You can’t leave town without adding a lock (and throwing away the key) for someone you love to the LOVE sculpture in Loveland, one of the largest of its kind in the USA.
Fun Fact
More than 160,000 Valentine’s Day cards are hand-stamped in Loveland every year.
Photo: Beata McKee
Downtown Fort Collins was the inspiration for the design of Disneyland’s Main Street USA.
Photo: Visit Fort Collins
Loveland is one of the world’s major producers of bronze statues.
Photo: Dick Knapp