Against the stunning backdrop of Shadow Mountain Lake, Grand Lake and the Rocky Mountains is the town of Grand Lake, a tiny community of about 500 people.

Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain, Lake Granby, Willow Creek, Windy Gap, Williams Fork, Wolford, and Green Mountain are all on the Colorado River mainstem, or close to it on tributaries.

As the west gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park (nps.gov/romo), Grand Lake seems to have more than its fair share of outdoor fun on tap. But if you have driven past the largest natural body of ...