#2: Horsetooth Reservoir and Arthur’s Rock

I’ve been delaying posting about these two activities for a while because of the uncertainty surrounding the High Park Fire.  Their status is still unknown, but if we find out that they’re open to the public during Nationals, I highly recommend taking a day trip just west of Fort Collins for some fun in the sun!

The trail to Arthur’s Rock is one of my favorites in Lory State Park.  It is 1.7 miles unpaved and of modern difficulty.  The trail winds through beautiful meadows and forested areas and ends at the top of Arthur’s Rock, which overlooks Fort Collins and Horsetooth Reservoir.  I’ve taken many out-of-town friends to the top and they’ve loved it!  That is crew member Trevor Taylor pictured above on a trip to Colorado last summer.  Below is Angelo Cella, my best friend from Boston.

Don’t worry, he’s just posing for the picture.  There is no bouldering required on this hike.  Here is the view from the top:

You can see Horsetooth Reservoir in the foreground and Fort Collins and beyond in the background.  Horsetooth is a 6.5 mile long reservoir surrounded by 1,900 acres of public land.  FUN FACT: There is a ghost town at the bottom of Horsetooth Reservoir!  To build the Reservoir in 1949, they flooded the town of Stout, Colorado.  When I was young, I was terrified that bodies would float up from Stout while I was in the reservoir.  Clearly, though, they didn’t drown all the people during construction.

Horsetooth has it all – hiking, boating, grilling (gas only no charcoal), swimming, biking, rock climbing, camping – you name it!  You can find more information about activities at Horsetooth here: http://www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/horsetooth.htm