Poudre River, CO

The Cache la Poudre River Canyon is truly a hidden treasure, with majestic cliffs and intriguing rock formations enveloped in ponderosa and lodgepole pines, sage brush, mountain mahogany and aspen. The Cache la Poudre River–the place where French-Canadian trappers hid their gunpowder during a raging blizzard in the early 1800s, hence the name – begins high in the peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, along the Continental Divide. Flowing north and east through Roosevelt National Forest, it tumbles down the slopes of the Front Range and meanders through the city of Fort Collins. From its headwaters to the confluence with the South Platte River east of Greeley, the Cache la Poudre River drops 7,000 feet. The Poudre (pronounced pooh-der) is Colorado’s only nationally designated “Wild & Scenic” River. The Poudre has gained recognition of late because 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Systems. The National Heritage Areas is also celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2018. There are three national Heritage Areas in Colorado, including the Cache La Poudre River Natural Heritage Area. There are a number of ways to explore the area, including walking and biking tours near parks, lakes, the Poudre River Trail and numerous historical sites.


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