So heres the deal, offbeat question for you.  I usually pay for my wife to go on a solo trip retreat this time of year, to get her ready for september       .  This year she is going to a retreat in the red feather lakes area, so I will be dropping her off there then going roving/stump shooting/camping somewhere in the area for a couple days.  I'd say within an hour of there?

Could anyone give me any idea or three on where to get away from the crowds, shoot my bow, maybe fish?        We rarely to never camp in a regular campground.  I'll be in her SUV, so moderate dirt roads and two tracks are great but any real tough 4x4 will be off limits. Thanks!

Red feather this time of year it is tough to get away from the crowds buddy.  I hope you can though.

Plenty of spots in the area.  Here's a few:

Go east on hwy 14 to the Pingree Park rd. You can stay on this road and go through a bunch of country until it dead ends or take a right on Crown Point rd a little ways up.  Fishing all along hwy 14 and PP road in places.

Go West on hwy 14 to Long Draw rd. Takes you back to a reservoir but lots of country in between.

Go west on hwy 14 to Gould, hang a left.  After you go past some cabins you hit national forest. Camping and fishing all through the valley.  Less crowded if you take a side road like 792 or Silver Creek, but you start climbing away from the bigger water.

All these areas are basically the playground for folks from Ft Collins/Loveland/Greely so you will have some company about anywhere that is accessable.  Still, lots of great country and likely all yours if you take a hike off the trails.  Plenty of fishing along the Poudre but stay above the Pingree Park turn off.  Below that the water is full of soot run-off from the big fire.

Great info!  Thanks for the help.  Anything you can give me will be a benefit.  I'll have four kids with me, all small, so we can't hike too far

Heading to the front range and wanting solitude? Probably get about as much in the town square in Jackson. Good luck!

The great thing about the front range is that its a really nice place to live.  The awful thing about the front range is that its a really nice place to live.

I hope to escape to WY permanently some day and I'll lock the gate behind me.  Colorado is an amazing place but its changed a lot in the 35 years I've been here.

There are plenty of places within a short drive of red feather lakes to find solitude.  There's also a great range down in ft collins right off the highway.  We're moving to livermore (just east of red feather lakes on 74).  Beautiful area.  There are a couple of trails that head out toward some of the lakes just off 74, east of red feather a few miles.  You can't miss the turnouts.  My wife and I hiked one a few weekends ago when we were there.  If you duck off the main trails there are plenty of places to shoot and find solitude.

I just read that you have the kids - the short hikes into the lakes would be good for them and the range in Ft Collins.  Also, take them to Rocket Fizz in old town Ft Collins - best candy shop I've ever seen.  They will think they died and went to heaven.  Not a lot of solitude close to Ft Collins but you guys will have fun.

Been to Rocket Fizz.  :-)  We've always lived and hour or so from fort collins, but in wyoming.  For the weekends I can disappear and not see a soul in our mountains, then go shopping in fort collins for the wife and kids.  I really do enjoy fort collins.   Its a happy medium, though I prefer Centenntial or Laramie over Cheyenne.  

Anybody have a specific Lake name thats a short hike?  Or a specific solitary spot on a less traveled two track to put up the tipi and  let the kids run.  Anybody been to Creedmore?

This weekend is VITAL for a succesful rutting season.  :-)

THANKS a TON, my like-minded brothers.

Dan

Go a little farther up the river near Gould to Colorado State Forest State Park. Good camping facilities, not far from Red Feather Lakes, and there's lots of stumping, fishing, and wildlife viewing to be had, including moose. You need to get above the Pingree park road to avoid the burn area.

Scattershot - I like your quote in your sig about experience.  My Dad always said experience is knowledge you gain right after some point when you really, really could have used it.

Ain't it the truth!!

Head straight west of red feathers into the dead man area past crystal lakes. Lots of wildlife to see. Shouldn't be too hard to loose the crowd there

Am I reading right that all firebrand have been lifted in Colorado?

The statewide ban is lifted but you still have to check for county or specific Nat Forest status. Fires were ok in Gould last weekend.