Colorado's Unknown Paradise
by Gary Gray
North of Denver, south of Laramie, along the border between Wyoming and Colorado, where the pavement ends and the dirt begins. Red Feather Lakes, the land that time forgot.
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado is a small village, about 40 miles west of Fort Collins and about 40 miles south of Laramie, Wyoming. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains at about 8500 feet altitude, it is a hunting and fishing village that has a charm all to itself. I spend my summer months living in this small town. Mostly to get away from the trappings of big city life and to get in touch with the nature and beauty Colorado & Wyoming have to offer.
Over the years I have taken about 5,000 photographs in and around this part of the country. While bigger names in photography work the more common parts of the Rocky Mountains, I find this to be a secluded and unknown treasure, and a perfect place to practice my craft of Landscape Photography. Many of my best selling fine art photographic prints are scenes from here.
I'd like to give you a photographic tour of my summer home.
Main street in the center of town. An unassuming place, the road is still dirt and you won't find a Walmarts or McDonalds nearby.
The Red Feathers Trading post is one of only two places nearby where one can buy groceries. They also make a great milkshake.
The Panhandle Creek hardware store has most of the tools and supplies the locals need to keep their modest homes maintained. It is also a local gathering place for gossip. Something no small town should be without.
During the summer, the tourists come to get away from the crowds. With a number of lodges on the town's lake-fronts, Red Feather Lakes offers people a tranquil place to get away from it all. A little fishing, mountain hiking and beautiful scenery are just waiting.
Two young ladies relax in the morning sun at Lake Ramona during the annual July fourth fishing derby.
Another young angler with pole in hand.
The July 4th fireworks are funded totally by donations from the town locals and visitors. Each year seems to get better and watching this pyrotechnic display from the shores of Lake Hiawatha is a special thrill.
In the heart of "Cowboy" country. Horseback riding is a way of life here. The trails are endless.
Each lake has it's own unique and tranquil setting.
A young buck strolls the shore of Lake Apache.
Red Feather Lakes sports several public and private lakes for fishing and camping.
Wild deer are abundant in the area and pay little attention to the people.
The lakes are full of Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat Trout. I spend many an hour relaxing on the shore, waiting for my fishing pole to wiggle as I watch hawks and eagles fly overhead.
West of the village you will find the Medicine Bow Mountains. As the early morning sun rises above the long sprawling hills, the colors are mesmerizing. I often drive up Deadman road into the mountains, where wildlife is abundant and often waiting in the road for you.
In the spring, herds of wild elk roam the mountains near Red Feather Lakes. There is rarely a day goes by that one can't find a wildlife photographic opportunity, such as this young buck grazing in a high mountain meadow.
The area is also a sanctuary for wild moose.
Deadman road continues westward into the Laramie River Valley. To the west lies the Laramie mountain range, to the north the Snowy Mountain Range of Wyoming. Herds of Antelope roam the valley below
Looking north into Wyoming. This is the road to Laramie.
A peaceful sunset on Parvin Lake.
The night stars reflect on Lake Nikomas. Night photography is fantastic here. With no city lights for miles, the skys literally reveal the wonders of the universe.
Summers come and go quickly in this part of the country.
Autumn color begins in late September and by the end of October, winter has established its grip.
Though winters can be brutal, even in January one can find their way into the more remote lakes and areas.
The frozen Creedmore Lake, 11 miles north of Red Feather Lakes glistens with the long winter shadows across the ice.
The Village as viewed from Lake Ramona at sundown. If you listen, you can almost hear the fish jumping from across the lake.
So there you have it. My little piece of heaven, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, where the pavement turns to dirt at the end of the road to nowhere. Come visit us sometime.