As you drive through the heavens, you absolutely must stop at Rainbow Curve, Many Parks Curve, and at Forest Canyon Overlook. Try this drive on a weekend in August and you'll be breathing more exhaust than crisp, clean mountain air. A natural mineral lick near Sheep Lake lures bighorn sheep to Horseshoe Park where you can observe them from the parking lot. Black bear, moose, bobcat, coyote, deer, weasel, and muskrat also frequent the wet meadows around Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park. The Colorado River Trail allows Nordic skiers to explore the region's stunning winter landscape while catching a glimpse of the state's mining history.
Skiers can slide onto the trail at Timber Lake trailhead at the end of the plowed road.
Markers will guide you north along the river for about two miles before you pass the ruins of abandoned miner cabins. After another two miles, you will find yourself in the former mining boomtown of Lulu City. Share it in GORP's Rocky Mountain forum . Fly anglers will have to do some hiking to reach the Roaring River the requisite 1.5-mile hike starts at an elevation of 8,500 feet at the Lawn Lake Trailhead. A steep 800-foot climb gets you to 9,300 feet and a chance to drop some flies on the Roaring River for greenback cutthroat trout.