Viewpoints of the Colorado River: Lake Granby, Arapaho National Recreation Area

Lake Granby is the largest of the five lakes in Arapaho National Recreation Area, and was formed in 1950 by construction of a dam across the Colorado River. The west shore is quite developed, lined by private residences, piers and marinas, but the other shores are much more peaceful, such as the peninsula of Sunset Point, reached by the side road to the dam, a road which continues to even more remote areas on the east side of the lake, where two trails lead into Rocky Mountain National Park.

After leaving Lake Granby, the Colorado River is not damned again until Glen Canyon at the west end of Lake Powell. The remainder of its journey across the state of Colorado is quite varied; the river next flows through some narrow valleys, separated by open sections, then becomes more generally enclosed as it bends to the south, winding through the middle of the Rocky Mountains. The river enters Glenwood Canyon where it is joined by I-25; the interstate then follows the river all the way across the remainder of the Rockies and out into the flat land around Grand Junction.

Arapaho National Recreation Area - full description