Life in the Fort

There’s plenty to do up in Fort Collins. In 2006, the city was named the number one place to live by Money Magazine. There's something for everyone – shopping malls, hundreds of restaurants, six movie complexes, natural areas and miles of bike trails – right here in town.

For outdoor enthusiasts, camping, hiking, snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing to rafting, fishing, or water skiing, are all within a short drive. And with the region’s agreeable climate of 300 days of sunshine a year, we’re able to enjoy our spectacular surroundings year-'round.

Horsetooth and Poudre Canyon

Only 15 minutes from campus, students travel to Horsetooth Reservoir. The 6.5 mile long body of water is popular for boating, swimming, fishing, water-skiing, camping, climbing, bouldering, mountain biking, road biking and hiking. The park is open year round with several trails surrounding the reservoir.

The Poudre Canyon, just outside of Fort Collins to the north, is still a just a short drive away with hiking fishing and white-water rafting. The trails serve double seasonal duty, as hiking trails in the summer and as cross-country skiing trails in the winter.

Located 15 miles into the canyon is the Mishawaka Amphitheater where shows are played almost every night. Check out http://www.mishawakaconcerts.com/ for performers and show times.

 Front Range Village

On target to be completed in the spring of 2009, the Front Range Village has a number of new stores, restaurants and entertainment to interest anyone and everyone. The city’s first Super Target, a college student staple, is one of the larger stores in the Village and is already open for business.

Other big names include Sports Authority, Ultimate Electronics, Staples and Dave’s Barbeque.

Old Town

All though the year, live music and entertainment, as well as great local dining, can be found throughout the historic downtown area.

There are more restaurants per capita than any other equal-sized city in the state of Colorado, meaning that Fort Collins is one of the best places to dine around. There are also plenty of concert venues where both local and big-name-bands perform.

NewWestFest and the Taste of Fort Collins are two of the largest festivals in Fort Collins. Families and students enjoy the free concerts and crowds on the blocked off streets in Old Town.

Movies & More

There are six movie venues in the city of Fort Collins, offering everything from new releases to independent documentaries.

Count on the Cinemark 16, the Carmike 10, the Metrolux 14 or the drive-in for the new releases. The Holiday Twin Drive-in has two screens, both showing two movies every night during the warm weather months for only $6.

The Cinema Saver six is the place to go to catch a movie before it hits the shelves on DVD.

The Lyric Cinema café, located in Old Town offers movies that may not make it to the big screen.  There you can sit on a couch, enjoy some good finger foods and relax.

ASAP & the Movies are movies shown on campus in the Lory Student Center for $2. There are old classics and new releases throughout the school year. The theater also plays sneak peeks sometimes two weeks before it’s released in theaters.

Another activity college students enjoy is bowling. Fort Collins has two bowling alleys that offer a fun night for the student on a budget. Check out Chipper’s Lanes for special deals and live events.