Take a Load Off and Enjoy a Scenic Drive

It can be a lot of fun to load up the car and drive to a destination where you can take a scenic drive that shows you some of the beauty that exists within the world. One such place is Poudre Canyon in Colorado. You can see sights that you never thought existed in this world. Of course, it’s nowhere near as famous as the Grand Canyon, but it has its own set of beautiful features that set it apart.

The canyon is only about 40 miles long, which makes it a drive that is not too long, yet you can stop along the way to take pictures and enjoy nature as much as you want. With the increasing fuel prices, this is a good thing. You can still take the drive and not have to worry about spending a fortune in gas. Of course, when I was there the gas prices were less, but still high enough. Still, the drive was well worth it.

The route that you want to take is this: You want to start at Fort Collins and take Highway 14. The highway runs the length of the Poudre River for the most part. You definitely want to make a whole day out of it because there are some trails that you can stop and walk along. So yes, make sure you have your walking shoes on. You have trails such as Poudre River/Cameron Pass, Poudre Park, Big Narrows, Boston Peak, and a number of others with fantastic views.

For those of you who love fishing, there are both stocked and natural fisheries for you to enjoy. You can fish along the river. There are areas along the highway where you can pull over and use artificial lures to fish in the river. Because the river is a swift moving one, it is exciting to be able to fish from it. I’m not one to really like fishing, but I can handle fishing in a body of water like this, especially when surrounded by so much beauty.

But one place you do need to go while you’re at Poudre Canyon is Archer’s Poudre River Resort. I felt like I had been shot back into time suddenly because the entire place reminded me of an episode of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman because Archer’s looks like something built in the 1800s. As for the accommodations, you have studio and 1 bedroom cabins, 2 bedroom cabins, premium cabins, tent and RV sites, and great amenities. There are hot tubs and everything that you need to have a fun stay. The area is very old fashioned and that is something that is greatly appreciated when you want to get away from the speed of the rest of the world.