Fort Collins

Old Town puts you on foot near nearly everything, from The Elizabeth to the 1923 Armstrong and the 1904 Edwards House. South College suits anyone here for campus. Horsetooth Reservoir and the Poudre Canyon trade the city for campsites, cabins and a longer drive.

See every option, checked against official sources, in our guide to where to stay in Fort Collins.

The breweries and Old Town fill the evenings, and Horsetooth, Lory State Park and the Poudre River fill the days. The museum, the gardens and the farm cover families and bad weather. Several places run on seasonal schedules, so check dates before you go.

See the full list of things to do in Fort Collins.

Summer is prime time for the outdoors. The tourism office lists average highs of 80 in June, 85 in July and 83 in August, with lows in the 50s. Rafting on the Poudre runs from May through August, and the historic trolley ran May 2 to September 27 in 2026.

Fall is the sweet spot if you want to walk and hike in comfort. September averages 75 and 45, and October averages 64 and 34. The CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden keeps its annuals on display through October.

Winter is colder than the sunshine suggests, with January averaging 40 and 13, but the town does not shut down. Trails at Lory State Park stay open for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Garden of Lights runs December 11 to 27 in 2026 at The Gardens on Spring Creek, from 5 to 8 PM, and closes on December 24 and 25.

Spring is changeable. April averages 60 and 32 and May averages 69 and 42. Horsetooth's swim beaches open around Memorial Day weekend, and the exact dates vary each year.

Two monthly events are worth planning around. The First Friday Art Walk is free and takes in downtown businesses and museums on the first Friday of each month. The Foodie Walk is free and self-guided, from 5 to 8 PM on the third Friday. New Belgium's Tour de Fat, a bike parade that ends at the brewery, ran August 29 in 2026.

The tourism office places Fort Collins 60 miles north of Denver International Airport and puts both the airport and downtown Denver about 60 minutes away. It also lists Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder and Cheyenne at less than an hour. The city is reached by car via I-25.

You can do this without a rental car. Landline runs shuttles from the airport to the CSU Transit Center and the Harmony Transfer Center, and Groome Transportation runs hourly service to and from the airport. Greyhound stops at 4300 E Harmony Road.

Once here, Transfort buses are currently fare-free, and its MAX bus rapid transit line connects downtown, midtown and CSU. Bikes are the classic way around, with rentals from local shops and pay-by-app kiosks. Uber and Lyft also operate here.

On-street parking in the core generally has a 2-hour limit, and the streets around the edge of downtown have free all-day parking. Garages are pay in advance by the hour, using a pay station or the ParkMobile app.

For the Poudre Canyon, head north on College Avenue (US 287), then turn left onto Highway 14. Poudre River Resort, 33 miles up the canyon, puts its own trip from town at 46 miles.

Take the free tour at New Belgium if you can get a ticket. The 45-minute tour is open to all ages, includes samples, ends with a ride down the slide, and tickets are claimed in person on the day only, with 20 available per tour. The 90-minute Production Tour is $15, for ages 12 and up, and requires closed shoes.

Odell is the other essential taproom, known for its patio and mountain views, with daily food trucks and a dog-friendly patio. Tours run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1 PM and 3 PM. The OBC Wine Project is next door if someone in your group would rather have wine.

The cheapest good outing in town is the CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden, which is free and open daily during daylight hours. The Fort Collins Municipal Railway's trolley, restored to its 1919 style, is close behind, at $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and children. It runs along Mountain Avenue from City Park to Old Town on summer weekends and holidays. Pay cash if you board anywhere but the City Park depot.

Soapstone Prairie Natural Area is the big surprise, north of town, with more than 28 square miles of grassland. The tourism office says the Laramie Foothills bison herd can be spotted there from March through November. The area is open only March through November, and dogs are not allowed, even in cars. Bring water, and be ready for wind.

The Mishawaka Amphitheatre, founded in 1919 up the Poudre Canyon, has hosted The Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateliff. Planetary Transportation runs a bus to shows there, so you do not have to drive the canyon at night.

For an Old Town night out, go underground. Ace Gillett's, below the Armstrong Hotel, has live music and vinyl, open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 to 11 PM and Friday and Saturday from 5 PM to midnight. Magic Rat, the live music room at The Elizabeth, is the other option.

Fort Collins sits at about 5,000 feet, well below the 7,500 feet at which the tourism office warns that visitors may need several days to acclimate. Altitude is more of an issue if you head up the canyon or into Rocky Mountain National Park. Drink plenty of water, limit alcohol and take it easy on your first day, especially if you plan to hike hard.

The Fort Collins Welcome Center is at 7 Old Town Square, Suite 100, open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM. It carries brochures and walking maps. Check adjusted brewery hours before planning around them: New Belgium's site lists closures on November 10, 11 and 26 and December 24 and 25 in 2026.

Horsetooth Reservoir and Horsetooth Mountain Open Space require entrance permits from Larimer County. Lory State Park lists a daily vehicle pass at $10 to $12 for Colorado plates and $15 to $17 for out-of-state plates, or $4 per person on foot or bike.

The tourism office claims 300 days of sunshine a year. Pack a layer anyway, since the average lows it lists are only in the 50s even in midsummer.