Get Your Road Trip Itinerary Here!

The mountains are calling and you must go! Spring is in full force and along with it is the desire to get out of the city and travel to new, beautiful places in Colorado. North Park is just a few hours drive away in some of the most  picturesque scenic landscapes you can see in the Rocky Mountains. Getting here is half the fun!

This summer, plan your itinerary to include Walden, Gould, Rand, and the rest of North Park when it comes to outdoor recreation, stunning mountain views, and small town entertainment. We know how to live it up in the mountains! So grab your car keys, road trip snacks, and check out from all the congested traffic, problems, and pollution and leave it all behind! 

Scenic Byways and Highways

One of the best drives in Colorado is along CO HWY 14 along the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. Among a handful of scenic byways in Colorado, this road follows the Cache la Poudre River from Ted’s Place north of Ft. Collins all the way west into North Park, where it ends just a few miles past Walden, CO.

Muddy Pass and Willow Creek Pass are equally stunning, with mountaintops, meandering creeks, and beautiful forests to keep you company along the way. The added benefit is how remote these drives are. You won’t even have to mute your phone to avoid those annoying message notifications or the temptation to get on social media. Put on your favorite playlist, or roll down the windows and listen to the sounds of the mountains as you take the turns and enjoy the views.

After the mountains, the intermountain basin of North Park will open up to you, and with it the views of the Never Summer Mountains, Park Range, and Medicine Bow Mountains. With it you’ll discover a whole other world with dynamic skies, wildlife, and blissful solitude.

Wildlife and Nature

Jackson County is next door neighbor to Rocky Mountain National Park, with much the same sort of terrain. Rolling hills, sagebrush covered plains, grassy wetlands, alpine forests, and miles of tundra give our little corner of the planet so many biomes for wildlife diversity, it is ridiculous.

Among our biggest crowd-pleasers are the moose that inhabit North Park. Around 1,000 of these large browsing herbivores are roaming around Jackson County at any given time. During spring and early summer, moose often walk right through Walden. Elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope are also common sights, along with a whole menagerie of North American wildlife. 

Badgers, coyotes, mountain lions, and even wolves call North Park home. You might see raptors such as eagles and falcons circling the skies on the hunt for marmots and prairie dogs, or even the snowshoe hare in its summer camouflage. Migratory birds and many species of songbirds come to the high country during the summer to hatch the next generation. If you are a birder, you won’t want to miss the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge near Walden, CO.

Roads Less Traveled By

Hwy 125/127 from Wyoming will take you from Laramie or Saratoga, traversing North Park towards Granby, CO and Grand Lake beyond Willow Creek Pass. Hwy 14 ends where it meets US 40 in the shadow of Rabbit Ears Pass, which is also a section of the Continental Divide Trail. Even if you aren’t doing a big thru-hike this summer, the CDT is one of many trails you can tackle on a day hike or a weekend expedition.

Spicer and Coalmont are gateways to other hikes, beautiful views, and even scenic Buffalo Pass where summer wildflowers are worthy of any photographer’s portfolio. Just make sure your vehicle can handle the rugged off-road terrain before attempting. (Your GPS navigation is wrong when it says Buff Pass is a good shortcut to Steamboat).

Motorcycle riders won’t find better twists and turns to lean into than North Park. The best part is you’ll have much of the road to yourself. Kick back and enjoy what you always thought riding a bike was supposed to be. Just watch for moose!

Interior Roads and Faraway Escapes

The Rand-Gould cutoff just south of Gould, CO will take you from the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Highway across the countryside, skirting Owl Mountain and several working ranches that have been around for generations. Walden wasn’t always the biggest town in Jackson County. In the late 1800s, Teller City was a booming silver mining town, boasting several hotels, saloons, and thousands of inhabitants. Not much else remains of this ghost town, other than cabins that are gradually being reclaimed by the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. 

The Rand-Gould cutoff and Owl Mountain are great places to see wildlife, enjoy clear skies, and take plenty of photographs. But there’s more to do in North Park during the summer than sightseeing.

Things to Do in Walden this Summer

Summertime is one of our most active times of year, with so much going on in Walden, CO. Plan a weekend trip, browse the shops on Main Street for unique gifts and local charm, and sit down to enjoy a delicious meal at one of our restaurants in our historic downtown.

Here’s some of the things happening in Walden and North Park this summer!

• Free fishing weekend: June 7-8, 2025. Starting off strong for the outdoors, or new to the outdoors, you won’t want to miss a chance to fish gold medal waters  in Jackson County. 
• CDT Town Hall Event: June 9th, from 4pm-7pm, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition is hosting a Town Hall to meet with the local community and other supporters of the CDT. Drop in at the River Rock on Main Street in Walden, CO for refreshments and information about the CDT.
• Never Summer Jam!: June 20-22, the Stockman Bar and Grill in Walden, CO is hosting a weekend of live music, outdoor games, and rodeo weekend fun! Check out the Stockman Bar and Grill Facebook for the schedule of events.
• Never Summer Rodeo: June 20-22. Rodeo Weekend is Walden’s biggest draw of the year. It’s a long weekend of riding, roping, and finishes big with a parade down Main Street in Walden. This year’s theme is Pioneer Women.
• High Altitude Car Show and Burnout Contest: July 12th. Classic cars, pinups, and rubber-burning maniacs take over Main Street of Walden, CO. Supercar ride-alongs will also give you a chance to see what it’s like to ride in a Lambo or McLaren.
• NP Pioneer Players: July 18. So much melodrama in the NP with the North Park Pioneer Players. This summer, check out The Treasure of Shiver River. Follow them on Facebook for details.
• North Park Days: July 19th locals and visitors alike can get together to celebrate North Park history and pride! Local artisans will be out in force with street vendors, activities, and live music for your enjoyment. Hosted by the North Park Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Never Summer 100k: This ultramarathon trail running race is coming back for its eleventh year to Gould, CO. Hundreds of runners from around the world test their limits at high altitude, crushing trails for two days in the Colorado high country. Brought to you by Gnar Runners.
• More to Come!: Follow the Visit North Park Newsletter on Substack for even more events as they become known.

Follow Us on Social Media

Now that you have some ideas for what to do this summer in Colorado, you can avoid the summertime heat and take a weekend to enjoy the simple things in life in North Park.

A drive through North Park is a great way to beat your social media addiction, or maybe just give you ideas for things to post! You can follow us on the Visit North Park Newsletter where you’ll receive posts directly to your inbox or via Substack to stay on top of what is happening in Walden and all of Jackson County! It’s free and you won’t be spammed. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram too, for regular updates of events, stunning photos, and historical tidbits. 

We’ll see you soon!