Grand Lake
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- Grand Lake 80447
- Town Hall - 627-3435
- Police, non-emergency - 725-3343
- Fire District Office - 627-8428
- Post Office - 627-3340
- Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce -
- 627-3372 www.grandlakechamber.com
www.townofgrandlake.com
Grand Lake is the Largest Natural Body of Water in Colorado
Grand Lake’s history would make a great Western classic. It has all the characters: Indians, trappers, miners, ranchers – even a storied gunfight at the old icehouse. Today, strolling down main street, you get the feeling the frontier still exists. Western heritage has been carefully preserved through wooden boardwalks and split-pine facades on the downtown buildings.
First settled in 1876, Grand Lake became a supply center in 1879 when gold and silver were discovered nearby in the Colorado River. Prospectors came into the area from Breckenridge, the Blue River and by crossing the mountains on what is known today as Trail Ridge Road. The much-sought-after gold existed only in small amounts and the prospectors moved on. Grand Lake, however, realized that gold was not its only treasure; mountain scenery and Western history were also resources that easily lured visitors. The village of Grand Lake survived by becoming a lakeside resort. In the early 1900s, families built summer homes and braved a two-day drive from Denver to spend a peaceful vacation in the lakeside resort community. Many of these early homes along the shoreline have been in the same families for generations, giving the town a tradition that cannot be duplicated by other mountain communities.
In the summer, the lake is a favorite spot for boating. In the winter, the Grand Lake area offers numerous cross-country ski trails and boasts one of the largest snowmobile trail systems in the state. In the historic town square, the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre has been presenting live theatre since 1967. Near Grand Lake is the southern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
