This Rocky Mountain Gateway Town Is the Most Overlooked Adventure Hub in the West

An hour’s drive from Denver and Boulder, Fort Collins has played third wheel in the Centennial State for far too long. The bustling college town, home to Colorado State University and New Belgium Brewing Company, can go pound for pound with its ever-popular (and pretty epic, we admit) Front Range neighbors any day of the week. Whether it's on the hiking and biking trails, down the river, and in the craft brew ring, Fort Collins is a true front runner. That’s saying a lot in a hops-crazy state like Colorado.