The Sundance Lodge is on the spectacular Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, extending along the flank of the Rocky Mountains between Black Hawk/Central City and Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Sundance Lodge is between the Town of Nederland and the hamlet of Rollinsville (on the Denver and Salt Lake rail line), and home to the famous Stage Stop Restaurant and Dance Hall.
The Byway is a gateway for recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, and skiing. It’s also a favorite car and motorcycle touring destination, and staging ground for off-road four wheeling and snowmobiling.
WILDLIFE VIEWING AND LEAF PEEPING
Wildlife viewing is abundant throughout all four seasons. Open year ’round, the Byway is a star attraction when the Aspen trees turn to gold in the autumn. In the fall of each year, thousands of visitors flock to the area to view the spectacular vistas of golden aspens that blanket the nearby hillsides. Fall is also an excellent time for hiking and biking with days that are usually dry and warm. Autumn is also an active season for the area’s wild animals and a magnificent time to view them, too.
It’s mating season for several animals, including bighorn sheep and elk, so if you’re lucky, you might hear elk bugling or even witness sheep butting heads. With fall also comes hunting season and big game, turkey, and even big cat-hunting makes Colorado an outdoor enthusiasts’ dream.
In the winter during a quiet cross-country skiing or snowshoeing trip, you may spot several birds settled in for the winter. Be on the lookout for Clark’s nutcrackers, gray jays, and white-tailed ptarmigans, to name a few.
The Spring and Summer is the perfect time to view the many hillsides and meadows that are literally bathed in wildflowers. From the relatively common Indian Paintbrush to the quite rare Calipso Orchid, many photo and day hike opportunities abound.
Spotting moose and deer is as easy as glancing across an alpine meadow and with a little more effort, you may also see bighorn sheep and elk. This is also an active season for birds in the area as well. A yellow-bellied sapsucker pecking away at ponderosa pine may catch your eye, as well as a mallard diving for fish or a red-tailed hawk spreading its wings.
