Lory State Park is now open for back country camping. Please visit the parks camping page for additional information regarding the back county sites. Campsites are popular during weekends and may be booked. Please make reservations at cpwshop.com or 1-800-244-5613. Please observe social distance guidelines during your stay at campsites. Park visitor centers, picnic sites, playgrounds, and CPW Area Offices remain closed to the public at this time. All Colorado State Parks non-campground outdoor areas of parks, including trails, boat ramps, marinas and shorelines remain open. Please use cpwshop.com... Read More

OnFortCollins.com proudly presents a brand-new new feature, FUN10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Fort Collins this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we’ll drop a new FUN10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out FUN10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. Due to the cancellation of so many regularly scheduled events in Fort Collins – with more coming in every hour – we’re focusing... Read More

You know what I love? Camping. You know what I don’t love as much? Paying as much as I would for a hotel room for a night! Luckily, there are plenty of free campsites in and around the front range, and we’ve compiled some for you to get you started!   West Magnolia Ridge 602-610 County Highway 132-W Nederland, Colorado GPS: 39.946961, -105.517587 Elevation: 8711′ If you can brave rough camping accessed by a currently washed-out road, you’re in for a treat. This site is near Nederland and many hiking trails with sweeping views of the forests and mountains. Pets are allowed, and... Read More

It’s almost summer, a time for outdoor activities including sleeping in the great outdoors.  Camping helps us refresh our mind and soul. There’s nothing better than seeing the wilderness wake up as the sun lights up the sky! Camping requires some preparation to keep you warm, safe, and healthy. If you are planning a camping trip this year, keep in mind these essential health and safety tips.   Assess your fitness level.  If you are planning a particularly strenuous trip, make sure you are fit enough to withstand the strain of the journey. You may want to consider working with a fitness... Read More

I am often asked if I miss having a house. My gut response is rather defensive. I have a house. It just happens to be silver, sits on wheels, and can be transported to any desired location via my car. So, the simple answer is no, I do not miss having a house. I have one. If only life were as easy as the simple answers. The more complicated (and therefore, more realistic) answer is yes, I miss having a house. And I still don’t mean the thing with four walls and windows and a door. Don’t let me fool you—I am most definitely plotting my dream homes over here (yes, plural). One is a black A-frame... Read More

Whether you are planning on sleeping in your truck to catch that first chairlift, doing some late fall or winter camping, ski touring, mountaineering, or even snow caving, picking a good winter sleeping bag can be tough. There are a ton of options, and prices, and shapes, and features. Just going to REI can be overwhelming, to say the least.  So, I am going to break down what you need to look for exactly in order of importance. 1 – Price This gets listed first because everyone has a budget when it comes to buying gear.  You should know, however, that when looking at real winter sleeping... Read More

This summer I had the opportunity to rent a 1989 FJ62 Toyota Land Cruiser from @blueoxoverland here in Denver.  Not just any Land Cruiser either as it was outfitted with everything I needed to make camp just about anywhere I wanted.  We are talking about everything from roof top tent to a cooler to 4×4 lockers on the wheels. Blue Ox Overland specializes in these rigs and has a fleet of 4 in varying colors and years but they are all FJ62s, one of the most iconic series of Land Cruisers Toyota ever made. Of all the outdoor experiences I had this year in Colorado this was by far the coolest... Read More

One minute you’re riding a motorized bike along the Newport Pier. The sun is kissing your skin and the wind is whipping past your smiling face. The salty air is filling your nostrils and you can feel your entire body let out a sigh of pure unencumbered bliss. The next minute you’re sitting in an autobody shop listening to a mechanic tell you that you’re going to need a new car engine. Your palms get sweaty, and your eyelids flutter subconsciously. A wave of nausea passes over you as you enter into that slightly out-of-body state of being. Okay, this is not a normal day by anyone’s standards.... Read More