I moved to Fort Collins in 2013 right after graduating from my high school class of 40 in Maui, Hawaii. My priorities in life were riding horses, and skiing. Colorado immediately caught my attention boasting all of its skiing in the great Rocky Mountains and endless horseback riding opportunities on the front range. I moved into my dorm room in August 2013 just before historic flooding would hit Colorado. I would live through many more ‘historic’ weather events in Fort Collins from wildfires, flooding, blizzards, and freezes the next 4 years.

Fort Collins was a beautiful place to go to college and helped me grow into the woman I am today. I discovered my passion for hiking on the hills west of Horsetooth Reservoir and the mountains near Estes Park, my love for spring and fall and epic blizzards, and the ability to drive over 45 mph (max speed on Maui was 45). I put together a guide of my favorite food spots, hikes, views, chill spots, and adventures to have in Foco.

Best Chill Hang Outs in Fort Collins

With tons of micro-breweries and a plentiful outdoor community and lifestyle, Fort Collins attracts outdoor lovers who also love the culture, food, and art close to town. If you don’t identify as a hipster, like small tapas, american tacos, and espresso sipping at cafes, you probably will want the chillest of hangouts. I’ve got you.

1. Alley Cat Cafe: A great coffee shop with treats, board games, and hang out spots open all in the weird hours of the night. Located on the second story above….(see below)
2. Dam Good Tacos: Healthy, vegan, tasty, flavorful, and unique tacos. Really really really Dam Good Tacos.
3. Algiers Hookah Lounge: Hookah lounge hangout, right next to Alley Cat Cafe and Dam Good Tacos. Basically this building is awesome and has the best hangouts.
4. Old town: Most definitely lots of exploring to do around town. From the bars tucked away down brick street alley ways to the second floor martini bars. Fort Collins is made for bar hopping, live music, exploring, and adventures down unlikely paths. Put your phone away and let yourself explore.
5. City Park: Hang out with the geese, watch the Larping battles, and play some frisbee in the park. Located in the historic neighborhoods west of old town off of the scenic tree lined Mountain Avenue.

Best Viewpoints in Fort Collins

If you are like me and love watching sunset and sunrise (I actually only watch sunrise maybe once or twice a year), then you probably want to know where the best spots are to watch.

1. Horsetooth Reservoir: The foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin at Horsetooth Reservoir. Face west, you see nothing but endless mountains. Face east, and you might see Wyoming and the Dakotas. Stand on the dam where you will be on the line between mountains and the high plains. The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west.
2. City Park Hillside: Not only great for geese watching, but also for sunset or sunrise walks. The hill sits you high above to see the mountains.
3. Old Town Parking Garage Roof Top: I know this seems like a weird one (be aware of your surroundings this is a public parking lot in a city), but it has an awesome view. It’s the Civic Center Parking Garage off Mason Street. 

Best Walking Spots in Fort Collins

Walking is good for you, so do it. Here is where to do it in Fort Collins:

1. Old Town: You can walk east and west blocks off of College, finding new shops, restaurants, breweries, and cute old neighborhoods for a few miles. Great exercise and window shopping.
2. Poudre River Trail: Take a stroll off the main bike path (disclaimer if you get hurt or lost in the woods) next to the river and dip your toes in during the warm days. Remember, always yield to horses on the trail! I rode horses on these trails all through college and had a terrible experience with a women on drugs trying to fight us (my horse won).
3. Rolland Moore Park: Lots of dirt path trails lead off the main bike path to explore.

Best Street Biking in Fort Collins

Fort Collins is a town made for biking, all interconnected by all its trails. See this very important and useful map.

It’s mostly flat with a very, very gradual incline to the west as you near the foothills. Biking around town ends up being much easier than driving around town, unless theres a blizzard. If thats the case, DO NOT BIKE if you have other options. It sucks in a blizzard. 

1. Poudre River Trail: About 5 miles of the trail travels through Fort Collins and is beautiful ,scenic, and super fun to bike. It gets really busy on the weekends. Use a bell or signal and be careful on the sharp corners. People crash all the time here.
2. Spring Creek Trail: Scenic, and mostly other bikers. Goes through two big parks in Fort Collins and connects to the greater bike trail.
3. South Fort Collins Fossil Creek Trail. See map, kinda confusing, but goes through beautiful open land on a bike trail. 
4. Just about everywhere else in town: all great biking, lots of paths everywhere.

Best Food in Fort Collins

You have to dig deep to find REALLY good food in Fort Collins. Take this from someone who drove for door dash in Fort Collins during covid. I know the good food.There are so many options that it is overwhelming and unfortunately the majority are not that great. Finding good food takes time to weed through all the other places. After making this list, I realized most of these are college food oriented, and that’s truly because college food is the best food in a college town.

Here are my favorites…In no particular order or type of food.

1. Foco Doco: Best donuts I’ve ever had in my life. Made fresh right in front of you. Get at least 6, they are small. Check out their instagram for the secret menu.
2. La Creperie and French Bakery: French breakfast and lunch and awesome cafe with baked goods. Pasties….. so good.
3. Cancun: Formerly Chicken Coop, on Shields right smack dab in the middle of Fort Collins and conveniently down the road from my apartment is a really good Mexican restaurant. Margs, tacos, burritos, chimichangas, taquitos, and seafood. Really good.
4. Chick’n Cone: Chicken nuggets smothered with amazing sauces in a waffle cone. It’s heaven. And it’s right next to Foco Doco.
5. Blue Agave: Great atmosphere and nice margaritas and Mexican food right in the heart of old town.
6. Big City Burrito: Potato burritos. Get one.
7. Avogadros Number: Jazz music, a crowd over 60, salads and gyros, and a huge outdoor patio with a treehouse. Oh and a bar. Also near one of my old apartments! I love Fort Collins.
8. Jaws Sushi: Yes, their is great sushi in Fort Collins.
9. Young’s Cafe Vietnamese Cuisine: Really good Vietnamese cuisine, as the name suggests. Don’t confuse this place with yung’s Chinese food (worst Chinese I’ve ever had)
10. The Waffle Lab: They figured out how to make waffles even better.

The MUST DO ACTIVITIES in Fort Collins

Just some last minute adventures I think are very important to have a wholesome time in Fort Collins.

1. Walk around The Oval at Colorado State’ University on the massive oak tree lined path.
2. Hike to Horsetooth Rock: Best overlook and hike in Fort Collins by far. Views of Pikes Peak on a clear day, longs peak, all of Fort Collins, Wyoming to the north, and the foothills to the west.
3. Swim, tube, walk, or fish the Poudre River: Depends on the weather and season, but definitely enjoy the river no matter what.
4. Eat a Foco Doco: Yeah I’m mentioning this again. They are so good.
5. Bar hop around old town: It’s what old town was designed for and made for.
6. Go to breweries: It just feels like you have to because there are so many on every corner you can’t avoid them.
7. Drive into the Poudre Canyon: There is even a bar with a patio over the river called The Mishawaka. Stop there, for sure. The Poudre Canyon is BEAUTIFUL and the most scenic drive in Fort Collins.
8. Bike the Poudre River Trail: You have to, it’s fun, and healthy and you have been drinking too much and eating too much in town.