Most people do not get to live in the area where they vacation. Yet, people that live in the Colorado Springs area have lots of things they can do in their backyard. Yet, if you are willing to drive a bit, there are even more things to do. You can go on a staycation every weekend if you wanted.
For example, one of my favorites drives/staycations is to take the scenic route from Colorado Springs to the quaint town of Silverthorne via Highway 9. If you don’t stop along the way, it takes about 2:36 minutes to get there per Google Maps.
The drive through the mountains is gorgeous regardless of what time of year you go. I especially like the mountain streams and rivers. Silverthorne, has several miles of a river, called the Blue River, running through it.
The Colorado Wildlife Commission has awarded Silverthorne’s portion of the Blue River as Gold Medal waters. This is significant because Colorado has over 9,000 miles of trout streams. Yet the Colorado Wildlife Commission has awarded the “Gold Medal” waters designation to only 167 of those miles. So, for those that love to fly fish, the Blue River is described as “superlative and plentiful” place for trout.
Although anglers love Silverthorne, there is much more to do there than just fish. Silverthorne’s website explains that it is a launch pad to numerous outdoor recreation opportunities in the area. The quaint town is located minutes from five major ski resorts. In the summer, the ski slopes are turned into biking and hiking trails. The streams and lakes provide opportunities for fishing, rafting and other water sports. In the fall, there is big game hunting.
For those that don’t have time for a scenic drive, Silverthorne is situated about 67 miles west of Denver and is easily accessible from I70.
Fly Fishing the Blue River in Colorado