Let North Park Be Your Romantic Weekend Retreat

February is the season for Valentine’s Day! For couples, it comes with all that pressure of creating the perfect date. For the single, it becomes Singles Awareness Day, when you are left wondering what you might have done for your significant other for a romantic weekend. Skip the $80 bouquets of hot house flowers and level up in your romantic weekend plans with a drive to North Park!

You won’t find a better place for an off the beaten path romantic holiday weekend than Jackson County, CO. The Walden, CO area isn’t for everyone, but for a select few who can appreciate Colorado scenery, small town life, and not need an apres ski or a lift ticket pass to enjoy time out in the Colorado mountains, it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for.

So this year, skip the boring restaurants and getting gouged by the florist and trade up for a truly unique experience that will take your breath away!

Set the Tone for Love

Instead of fighting for reservations at a crowded restaurant, think on a grand scale. Enjoy the winding mountain roads and vistas on a quiet drive from the slushy and congested city streets to shining snow-capped mountain peaks and shimmering lakes, and fields of nodding winter grasses. Every turn is a painting and every stop on the road is poetry waiting to be discovered. 

Adventurous couples can bring their skis or snowshoes and trek through mountain trails at Colorado State Forest State Park, or bring their binoculars to watch birds at the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. There’s still plenty of ice on the lakes for anglers and quiet cabin destinations for that romantic weekend away from the city.

North Park has a lot more to offer than busy lift lines and crowded resort town sidewalks. We have a slower pace and friendly people willing to visit for a while as you peruse the shops in downtown Walden, CO. Our public lands are unmatched when it comes to exploring wide open spaces. If pretentious restaurants and rubbing shoulders with B-list celebrities is your thing, you won’t like it here. But if experiencing small town mountain life is your calling, you’ll keep coming back again and again. Who knows? You might even be telling your grandkids about this hidden gem of the Rocky Mountains on your Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. 

Miles Away from all Your Troubles

Valentines Day is a holiday lots of romantics look forward to, but many of us find it comes at an inconvenient time of year. Just on the heels of the big holidays, Valentines seems to come out of nowhere. Not quite winter and not yet spring, it’s a time of year when the weather can be unpredictable and everything seems to be running behind or hectic. 

When everything feels like it is crazy, there’s no better time than a change of pace to reset and enjoy time with the one you love. Take a drive and hold hands as you wind your way through the canyons and passes. Check into a vacation rental or one of our hotels before you enjoy a night out on the town. Or better yet, pick out a romantic mountain cabin (or yurt!) for a rustic and romantic experience.

It's a cozy destination, out of the way, and lets you just enjoy a weekend together with that special person in your life. Ditch the distractions of your phone, apps, and reconnect on a deeper level with a weekend away!

Stargazing

This time of year, the stars come out to shine with some of the clearest views of the night sky in Colorado. Bring your telescope or binoculars to zoom in on beautiful celestial bodies from planets and satellites to distant galaxies! North Park skies are just ripe for stargazing, either alone or with that special someone.

List of Places to Stay Near Walden, CO

Plan ahead and book your lodging in a hotel, VRBO, or AirBnB vacation rental property in Walden, CO. Choose from a wide selection of vacation rentals, ranging from quaint to unique. Check out this article on rental cabins, or these articles on the Old Homestead and Powderhorn Cabins.

 Reserve your rooms today as rooms tend to fill up quickly. Nearly everything is within walking distance of lodging in Walden, but if you don’t want to brave the weather, there are plenty of places to park—for free! 

Check out these places to stay in Jackson County, CO

• Antlers Inn Call: (970) 723-8690
• Caribou Crossing Motel: 970-501-6076
• Sleepy Moose Inn: (970) 440-1614
• North Park Inn and Suites Call: (970) 723-4271
• Chedsey Motel Call: (970) 723-8201
• Lake John Resort (970) 723-8201

Places to Eat for Romantic Dining

After a long day out of seeing the sights, you aren’t going to want to cook. Let one of our local restaurants do the heavy lifting for your couple’s retreat! Check out these places to eat in Walden and Gould, CO for the best dining experience in North Park.

• Mis Tres Reyes: Mexican food, burgers, wings, and seafood in the heart of Walden, CO. Find them on the corner of 5th and Main Street. Find them on Facebook for more information.
• River Rock Inn: An old local favorite, the River Rock is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week long. It cannot be beat for atmosphere and ambience with its callback to alpine lodges and rustic charm. See what they have waiting for you here. 
• Howling Coyote Mexican Restaurant: Gould’s finest Mexican dining experience, the Howling Coyote Mexican Restaurant has a vast menu with Chihuahuan inspired entrees, and featuring a full bar. A perfect spot to visit during a stay at the Powderhorn Cabins or stopping over on the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway of HWY 14.
• Rita’s Cafe: One of the best places around for breakfast and lunch, For the top rated breakfast and lunch place in Walden, stop by Rita’s Cafe on the north end of Walden, CO. Check out their Facebook for menu and hours on your visit.
• Stockman Bar and Grill: The Stockman has just celebrated 40 years of ownership by the same family, but its history goes back even further, from the memories locals share about the place to its historical mahogany bar. Friend the Stockman on Facebook and don’t forget to stop by for some libations, karaoke, or live music to warm your bones on a chilly winter night.
• Zirkel Mountain Pies: Our newest local eatery is located in the historic Mossman Store on the corner of 5th and Main Street in downtown Walden. Zirkel Mountain Pies is perfect for date night with a large selection of pizzas, gyros, sandwiches, and beverages. Test your skill with axe throwing for a truly memorable experience! Check them out on Facebook for menus, hours of operation, and special announcements!

Fall in Love All Over Again in North Park!

Nothing brings couples together quite like a true adventure experience. With out of the way places to explore and picturesque views of scenery that has to be seen to believe, North Park is exactly what the doctor ordered. What we lack in slushy ski runs and overpriced dining, we make up for in hometown charm, hospitality, and enjoy a weekend away in rural northern Colorado.

So if you are looking for the best place to visit when it comes to romantic weekend getaways, we hope you’ve got some plans in mind for a trip to North Park. Step out of the rut with mundane flowers and candies or dinner at the same old spots. Give the gift of a unique experience! 

And if Valentine’s Day weekend doesn’t work for your schedule, there’s so much more happening in North Park throughout the year. Plan a trip for spring, make a whole itinerary for summer, or settle in for a colorful fall. North Park is a four season destination with a little bit of something for everyone! And if you find yourself single this February, take some time to enjoy some quiet solitude on your own. It’s a great place to decompress and fight that Fear of Missing Out that creeps in during the holidays.

Let’s Get Social!

Be sure to check out the Visit North Park Blog to plan your next visit to Jackson County, CO. If there has been a favorite article that caught your attention, or if you would like to know more about something in North Park we haven’t covered, please let us know on our Instagram, Facebook, or Substack in the comments! Subscribe to the newsletter and receive regular posts, contests, and important announcements through email or your Substack app. It costs nothing to sign up!