Fort Collins

Old Town is the downtown area of the city, centered around the cross-streets of College Avenue and Mountain Avenue. It is the historical beginnings of the town. It is because of this that the downtown area has a vast variety of older buildings, and historical monuments. Those seeking to visit architecture from the early twentieth century should come to Fort Collins for the prime examples located there.
The Colorado State University campus is right in the middle of the city, extending from Prospect Road on the South to Laurel Street on the north, and from Shields street on the west to College Avenue on the East. The university also has several other smaller campuses throughout the city. The big white "A" on the mountain west of town stands for Aggies, a relic from when CSU was Colorado Agricultural College.

By plane

• Denver International Airport is the closest major commercial airport; a shuttle service to Fort Collins is available from Super Shuttle.

• Northern Colorado Regional Airportserves the Fort Collins/Loveland area, and is between the two towns.

By bus

• Flex has connections with Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont, and Boulder.
• Greyhound Lines has connections with Denver and toward Salt Lake City,
• You might also have success getting to and from Greeley.

Public transit

Public Transit is provided by Transfort. Most routes have service every half hour, with service ending about 7PM. "FoxTrot" service between Fort Collins and Loveland is offered every hour before 7PM.

Bicycle

Fort Collins is known as a bicycle friendly city and is crisscrossed with paved trails and designated bike routes. In many cases, bike travel can be faster than driving, especially during rush hour, because bike trails do not necessarily follow roads and are often given the right of way in street crossings. A bicycle map can be found here: Fort Collins Bicycle Map. Also, a Bike library is run by the city of Fort Collins, providing free rentals for up to 5 days.

• Historic Old Town Fort CollinsIncludes many shops and restaurants and an outdoor mall among historic buildings. Old Town is centered just east of College Avenue and between Mountain Avenue and Walnut Street. Parking on the street in Old Town can be difficult, but there are two city parking structures which offer parking for a quarter an hour. Enjoy a locally brewed beer or lager at a restaurant in Old Town Square, and enjoy local music at The Aggie.

• Budweiser Events CenterAt The Ranch features national acts and sports events. Several semi-professional sports teams call this center home including the Colorado Eagles (hockey), Colorado Chill (basketball), and the Colorado Ice (arena football).

• BreweriesFort Collins features 5 local award-winning breweries plus an Anheuser Busch outpost (complete with Clydesdales). Visit New Belgium Brewing, Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins Brewery, CooperSmith's Pub and Brewery, Big Horn Brewing, or Anheuser Busch any day of the week but Sunday.

• Colorado State University

  phone: +1 970 491-6444
  Internationally recognized faculty and a top-ranked University with a freshman to sophomore retention rate of 82%. Offers over 150 degree programs of study in 8 Colleges: College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Applied Human Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Warner College of Natural Resources, College of Natural Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Ranked in the Top Tier of public and private doctoral universities in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of America's Best Colleges and Universities.

• Colorado State Rams

  address: 102 McGraw Athletic Center (ticket office)
  Colorado State sports, competing in 16 NCAA Division I sports (6 men's, 10 women's) in the Mountain West Conference. As with most major schools, the hot-button sports are football and men's basketball, with women's basketball and women's volleyball also notably competitive. The main sports venues are on campus, most notably the fairly new football venue of and , home to basketball and volleyball.

• Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

  phone: +1 970 221-6738
  address: 408 Mason Ct

• The Farm at Lee Martinez Park

  phone: +1 970 221-6665
  address: 600 N Sherwood St

• Fort Collins Municipal Railway

  phone: +1 970 224-5372
  address: 1801 W Mountain Ave

• Center for Fine Art Photography

  phone: +1 970 224-1010
  address: 400 N College Ave

• Pool and Ice CenterThe Edora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC) includes a large public pool and ice rink.

• Horsetooth Reservoir

  phone: +1 970 498-5610
  Climb, boat, hike, boulder, and mountain bike here. (season or day pass required)

• New Belgium BreweryBrewers of the popular Fat Tire, and less well known Abby, 1554, Blue Paddle, Sunshine Wheat, as well as several seasonal beers and small-batch productions. The brewery has guided and self-guided tours. Get there early for the guided tours as space is limited. You'll hear the history of the brewery, how they're powered completely by wind energy and methane recycled from the brewing process, and how they truly are a shining example of a socially responsible company that takes care of its employees and the community. Free tasting is available for those age 21 and older.

• Rocky Mountain AdventuresRMA offers whitewater rafting trips, kayaking lessons, and fly-fishing clinics in the summer, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trips in the winter. Great for the traveler with an adventurous streak.

• Cache La PoudreThe Cache La Poudre river flows from the canyon proper, several miles north, through town and offers excellent fly fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout. In town, quick fishing access is available starting from the crossing at North Shields and continuing through town. You can tube and swim at various locations in the river in town. The canyon itself can be reached by taking College Ave./Hwy 287 north out of town and turning onto Poudre Canyon/Hwy 14. Pressed between narrow canyon walls and fed by snow-melt, the water here is wilder and colder and swimming should be done with caution. Several companies offer whitewater rafting in the canyon and kayaks are a common sight. There are several hiking trails in the canyon, including Greyrock Trail, which takes you across the river via bridge into open pine forest and meadow. Wildlife are common, including deer, fox, rabbit and black bear, as well as the occasional mountain lion and many kinds of birds. Camping and summer cabins are available throughout the canyon. The Columbine Lodge, located in the small community of Poudre Park, offers both as well as beach access (for campers and residents), a good supply of snacks, drinks and good company. Seasonally, a shuttle is available between the Lodge and nearby Mishawaka Amphitheatre, a lively local bar on the river that opened as a dance hall in 1916 and continues to attract various famous acts and music-lovers every year.

• Bike Parks and TrailsThere is an extensive set of biking/walking trails around town. An adventurous mountain biker can do a loop. There is a paved trail along the Poudre River from Bellvue through Fort Collins to CSU's Environmental Learning Center. There is another paved trail along Spring Creek that goes from the intersection with the Poudre upstream to Spring Canyon Park which also has a trials bike course. There is also a motocross bike course along the way at Epic Park. From Spring Canyon Park north back towards Bellvue is an extensive collection of mountain bike trails going up and down the hogback that forms the eastern side of Horsetooth Reservoir. The most extensive bike park is at Lory State Park on the northwest side of Horsetooth Reservoir. They have a practice course with small jumps and teeter-totter, a large pump track, four different jump runs of varying difficulty and a wooden trials track with three different paths and a double teeter-totter.

• Mountain Whitewater Descents

  address: 1329 N. Hwy. 287
  Take a whitewater rafting vacation today. We offer rafting adventures on the Cache La Poudre River near Estes Park Colorado. Come see what river rafting in Colorado is all about. We will be running trips through August 30th - so give us a call and we can book you a trip. Mountain Whitewater Descents is proud to have a special use permit from the Roosevelt National Forest. The guidelines keep river use low so that the Poudre delivers an exceptional wilderness rafting experience. Check out the Poudre page to find out how special Colorado's only "Wild and Scenic" river really is. Coloradoans consider it the best canyon and river in Colorado. Come rafting and you'll agree.

• A1 Wildwater

  address: 2801 N. Shields St
  Northern Colorado's oldest outfitter. Free wetsuit use along with paddle jackets. Mild to wild rafting trips with beginner to advanced whitewater. New store built in 2009. Lots of parking, clean new restrooms, picnic areas, game areas, food, retail store, photo area and guides available. Safety kayakers follow along on many of the high water season trips. Wild & Scenic half day trip, family half day trip and full day trip offered. There is a store at the NW corner of Shields St and Hwy 287 (College Ave).

Escape Rooms

• Somewhere Secret

  phone: +1 970 235-1199
  address: 222 Walnut St

• Enigma Escape Rooms

  phone: +1 970 568-8636
  address: 151 S. College Ave. Suite J

• Fort Collins Escape Room

  phone: +1 970 484-5433
  address: 4025 S Mason St, Unit A

Old Town / Historic District

• Children's Mercantile and Clothes Pony

• The Cupboard

  address: 152 S College Ave
  Opened in 1972, the oldest (and best known) store in Fort Collins, the store is over 6,000 square feet and offers all manner of items for your kitchen.

• Curiosities

• EsScentualsA boutique body care store, with an intimate massage and fitness facility downstairs.

• Perennial Gardener & Sense of Place

• TulaOffers contemporary women's clothing.

• Ten Thousand Villages

  address: 113 Linden St
  A beautiful shop in old town on College St. with artisan made goods by people from all over the world, it is run by volunteers.

• Kansas City Kitty

  phone: +1 970 482-5845
  address: 136 N College
  Women's clothing store and boutique. Local vendors sell jewelry, purses, and more.

Fort Collins is often said to contain more places to eat per person than anywhere else in the country.

Budget

• Big City BurritoA true Fort Collins institution with a very loyal following. It is fairly typical to see a line stretching out the door but the wait is well worth it. (Local, $6 per person, Old Town)

• The Breakfast ClubBreakfast/Lunch. A really tasty breakfast food eatery, with friendly "homey" atmosphere. Highly recommended: Breakfast burrito. ($3.89-$7.89, 223-7193).

• Cafe MexicaliGreat Mexican food for very reasonable prices, and even cheaper for students.

• Charco Broiler

  phone: +1 970 482-1472
  address: 1716 East Mulberry
  American. Another pillar of Fort Collins restaurant, a good family-style steak house. This is probably the best value for a high quality sit-down restaurant. (Local, $8 per person, North East)

• China Wok

  phone: +1 970 223-8867
  address: 1514 E Harmony Rd
  Typical fast food Chinese. Inexpensive. (Local, $5 per person, South)

• Cozzola's PizzaFantastic non-traditional pizza. (Local Chain, $7 per person, South and Old Town)

• Farmer's TableBreakfast and lunch, breakfast served all day. Great food, large portions. $6 per person.

• Little Saigon CafeVietnamese. (Local, $7 per person, mid-town located in The Square)

• Los TarascosMexican. Very good, authentic Mexican food. (Local, $7 per person, mid-town)

• Matador Mexican GrillGreat local burrito place with .41 bottles of beer everyday. Created by two CSU graduates and is a great place to get a beer and some of amazing food with the freshest local ingredients. (Local, $6 per person, south side of town)

• Pickle BarrelHigh quality subs at reasonable prices.

• Pizza CasbahA hole in the wall pizza place very popular with locals. Slices are gigantic and should be folded in half to be eaten properly. $4 per person.

• Silver Mine SubsSub sandwiches. (Local Chain, $6 per person, South, mid-town, West, and North-East locations)

• Taqueria Los ComalesAuthentic Mexican. (Local, near CSU)

• Teriyaki Wok(Local chain, $6 per person, West and mid-town)

• Walrus Ice CreamFantastic local ice cream. (Local, $3 per person, Old Town)

• Wok & RollHealthy Japanese takeout (2 locations). Mostly stir-fries over white or brown rice, or rice noodles. Chicken, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes available. Some (cooked) sushi rolls available.

• Young's Cafe

  phone: +1 970 223-8000
  address: 3307 S. College Ave
  Vietnamese. (Local, $10 per person, mid-town across from the Foothills Fashion Mall)

• Yum Yum

  address: W. Elizabeth St
  Excellent Lebanese and Mediterranean food, good vegetarian selections. Outstanding Gyros and rice. A small, family-owned restaurant, with very reasonable prices.

Mid-range

• Austin'sAmerican. A grill owned by the same owners as The Moot House (see below), American cuisine, excellent roasted chicken ($12 per person, South and Old Town)

• Avogadro's NumberAmerican. Try the tempeh burger. (Local, near CSU)

• Beau Jo's PizzaOld Town. Pizza, calzones, pasta. Daily lunch buffet.

• Bisetti'sItalian. A great local Italian place. (Local, $13 per person, Old Town)

• Cafe BluebirdLunch and breakfast, breakfast-for-lunch.

• Coopersmith'sPub food and local brewery, also has a pool hall. (Local, $9 per person, Old Town)

• Domenic'sMetro Bistro & wine bar serving Mediterranean fusion food.

• Enzio'sItalian, from the owners of Austin's and the Moot House.

• FishFreshest fish in Fort Collins with shipments flown in daily. (Local, Old Town)

• Hunan Chinese RestaurantChinese. Excellent Kung Pao Chicken, eggrolls and egg drop soup. Take out available. ($10-$15 per person, with lunch specials, south)

• Jade GardenChinese. (Local, $8 per person, mid-town)

• Jim's WingsAnother local favorite with the best hot wings in town and great sports bar atmosphere. (Campus west, $7 per person)

• Lucile'sCajun breakfast and lunch. Incredibly popular, expect to wait half an hour on the weekends. (Local, $8 per person, mid-town)

• Mancino'sGrinder sandwiches and pizza. (Local, $7 per person, East)

• Moot HouseA local English-style restaurant, English/American cuisine and salad bar. (Local, $16 per person, mid-town)

• Mount Everest CafeNepalese (Buffet) Sherpa own restaurant with Mt. Everest theme.

• Mount FujiJapanese (Local, $10 per person, $25 per person for sushi, South) Widest variety of sushi in town, often including delicious specials. Definitely eat their banana desert!

• NyalaAuthentic Ethiopian food and excellent coffee. (Local, $15 per person, mid-town)

• Panino'sSpecializes in panino sandwiches, but salads, pasta, and pizza are all available. $7-10 per person. Located at Center Ave. and W. Prospect Rd., it can be crowded at lunchtime, but it is worth the wait. $1 microbrew pints Monday and Tuesday.

• Pho DuyPho restaurant. (Local, $7 per person, mid-town)

• Positano's PizzeriaPizza and sandwiches. (Local, $8 per person, South)

• Rainbow Restaurant

  phone: +1 970 221-2664
  address: 212 W Laurel
  Breakfast and lunch. Specializes in vegetarian cuisine, but meat substitutions available.

• The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.

  address: 143 W. Mountain Ave
  Famous and wildly popular for margaritas. Get there early.

• Silver GrillA great breakfast and lunch restaurant, a pillar of Fort Collins. (Local, $10 per person, Old Town)

• South ChinaChinese Food. Particularly known for their Hot and Sour soup, Sesame Chicken and Hunan Chicken. (Local, $10 per person, South)

• SpoonsSoup and salad. (Local Chain, $7 per person, West and Old Town)

• Taj MahalIndian. A fine lunch buffet, and normal order from the menu for dinner. (Local, $8 per person, Old Town)

• Thai PepperThai. Outdoor seating in warm weather. (Local, near CSU)

• Tortilla MarissaMexican

Splurge

• Pulcinella PizzeriaPizza (multiple locations). Get a true Italian slice here. Good pizza but fairly pricey.

• Sonny Lubick SteakhouseA great restaurant owned by the iconic former CSU football coach.

As a college town, Fort Collins has a very active nightlife with everything from friendly corner pubs to hip hop dance clubs. Old Town is packed on weekends but even week nights always has something happening. Campus West is the second, smaller, cluster of bars in Fort Collins that still has much to offer.

• Surfside 7

  address: 238 Linden Street
  Great dive bar with killer jukebox and cheap drinks.

• The Forge Publick House

  address: 232 Walnut St
  Unique high-end beer bar tucked into an alley. Warm, inviting and unpretentious.

Cafes

• The Alley Cat CaféCoffee house. Excellent coffee and chai. Open 24 hours.

• Bean CycleOld Town. An excellent coffee shop and independent bookstore. They roast their own organic, fair trade coffee. Wifi.

• Mugs Coffee Lounge

  phone: +1 970-472-MUGS
  address: 261 S. College
  Local, Organic, Great Community and an awesome menu to go along with great Coffee and coffee drinks.

• MoMo LoLo CoffeehouseWonderful local coffee shop with coffee, espresso, teas, and chai. Local music on certain days each month.

Bars

• East CoastBar with the latest last call.

• Lucky Joe'sA self described cowboy / Irish bar that somehow makes it work. Free peanuts.

• Ma's Juice BarLocated at campus west, this may be the most unique bar in Fort Collins. Though it is a full service bar, spiked smoothies are the must-have specialty. Family owned and operated.

• Old ChicagoChain restaurant but the bar / pool hall section stay open til 2.

• Road 34Bike shop by day, bar by night. Pretty mellow atmosphere but a mainstay in campus west.

• Tony'sA great spot to grab a beer or hang out all evening. The bar on the main level has just been remodeled nicely. The recently opened roof top patio is great in the summer and open year-round.

• The Town PumpA hole in the wall pub that has managed to survive over 100 years, making it the oldest in Fort Collins.

• The Armstrong Hotel

  phone: +1 970-484-3883
  address: 259 S College Ave
  Located downtown, this boutique hotel was recently renovated and offers 37 eclectic rooms.

• Cambria Suites

  address: 2921 E Harmony Rd
  Only minutes away from Colorado State University.

• Comfort Inn Fort Collins North

  phone: +1 970 407-0100
  address: 601 Sw Frontage Rd.
  Free wifi, hot buffet breakfast, and heated pool and hot tub.

• Courtyard Fort Collins

  phone: +1 970 282-1700
  address: 1200 Oakridge Dr
  Indoor pool. Provides free shuttle service to nearby businesses M-F.

• Fort Collins Marriott

  phone: +1 970-226-5200
  address: 350 East Horsetooth Rd
  The Fort Collins Marriott has 229 newly renovated rooms and 16,154 sq. ft. of meeting space equipped with high speed internet access and wireless capabilities.

• Hilton Fort Collins Hotel

  address: 425 W Prospect Rd
  Near student housing and the railroad.

• Quality Inn & Suites

  phone: +1 970 282-9047
  address: 4001 South Mason St
  All suites.

Wireless Internet

Free

The local ISP Front Range Internet, Inc. (FRII) has introduced a Wireless Mesh which includes most of Old Town. Users may have an unlimited number of 30-minute sessions each day, with a few ads in between sessions.

• Mugs Coffee Lounge has two locations. The shops at College & Olive are open M-Su 6AM-1AM; wireless is also accessible from outdoor tables. Timberline between Harmony & Horsetooth (on E side of Timberline N of Caribou), M-Th 6AM-10PM, Fr-Su 6AM-6PM. The Timberline location has extremely uncomfortable seating, the others have comfy chairs.
• McDonald's Cafe on West Elizabeth west of Shields Street.

Timberline Cafe, 2908 S. Timberline Rd, between Drake and Horsetooth. The Cafe is open 7a-4p weekdays as well as weekends for church services. Open to the public and has great coffee and food.

• Everyday Joe's Coffee House, 144 S. Mason, between Oak and Mountain. M-F 7AM-10PM, Sa 6PM-10PM.
• Alley Cat Coffee House. Alley Cat is a 24-hour coffeehouse and cafe located in the alley just west of College Avenue and north of Laurel.
• Genoa's Coffee and Wine. 7AM-9PM, M-Su. Nice coffee house with some good snacks, a few beers, and a good selection of wines. At the corner of Drake and Timberline, near King Soopers.
• The Bean Cycle on College has free WiFi. They are on College in the old-town area.
• Dazbog Coffee Harmony & McMurray. Open 5:30AM to 10PM 7 days a week.
• Fedex Kinkos 130 West Olive Street.
• Fedex Kinko's Fort Collins Campus West 1113-1117 West Elizabeth.
• SportsCaster Bar & Grill, 165 E Boardwalk Dr.(behind 1st National Bank).
• The UPS Store #4655 at 1281 E Magnolia St.
• The UPS Store #2011 at 1015 S Taft Hill Rd.
• The UPS Store #2718 at 2601 S Lemay.
• Fedex Kinko's 226 East Harmony Road.
• Buffalo Wild Wings just east of College on Harmony works, but has a 12-minute session timeout before you get pushed back to a captive portal. Management is working on increasing the lease as of 2005-06-24.
• Panera Bread on College just south of Horsetooth has good wireless (though with a captive portal), and food and coffee beverages. Often crowded during lunch, especially on the weekends.
• Cafe Mexicali has free wifi.

Not Free

• McDonald's on the west side of College Ave. north of Drake offers 1 hr of free access with a purchase, or $2.95/hr otherwise.
• Barnes & Noble 4045 S College
• T-Mobile East Harmony Rd 238 East Harmony Rd

• Cheyenne, capital of Wyoming, is just across the border from Fort Collins, home of the World's largest outdoor rodeo
• The small community of Poudre Park offers some great panoramic views and mountainous quietude.