COLORADO RIVER

The mighty Colorado River that carved the Grand Canyon has its headwaters on the west side of the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The route begins at Grand Lake, western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.  It ends on a gravel road through spectacular Gore Canyon.

This scenic byway follows the magnificent Colorado River through Colorado as it begins its journey west through the Grand Canyon and flows to the Pacific.  The byway passes mountain valleys, canyons, lakes, historical ranch lands and high-country communities.

In the Park about 9.5 miles north of Grand Lake, you can get closer to the source by hiking from the Colorado River Headwaters trailhead.  Lulu City, an 1880’s gold mining camp sited along the banks of the Colorado, is now just a green meadow next to a stream in the Park. You can hike or backpack to the site of Lulu City.

We did not make the hike to Lulu City on this trip.  It is definitely on the to do list for a return trip.  The trail is a little over 7 miles round trip with very little elevation gain (350 ft.).  I really enjoy the meadows on the western side of the park.  I have read that there is a good chance of seeing moose in this particular area.

On this particular trip, we used a pull-off alongside the road, and stretched our legs a bit.  An unnamed trail along the Colorado yielded some amazing views.  The bright blue skies and crystal clear water went on endlessly.  The smell of fragrant pines surrounded you.  I could have sat by the river for hours.