Nederland

Where have all the hippies gone? To "Ned," this tiny ex-mining town at the intersection of Highways 72 and 119 in the Colorado Foothills, surrounded by placid hills and valleys. The people who live here have been taking a break from civilization since at least the '60s, and they have excellent taste in mountain scenery. Just five miles from town is Eldora, a ski area with a reputation as a beginner's stop en route to Winter Park, Vail, or Aspen. But it's fun and relaxed, with plenty of powder, a summit 10,800 feet above sea level and a vertical drop as sharp as 1,400 feet. Also nearby is Indian Peaks Wilderness, almost 77,000 acres in total, ...

Where have all the hippies gone? To "Ned," this tiny ex-mining town at the intersection of Highways 72 and 119 in the Colorado Foothills, surrounded by placid hills and valleys. The people who live here have been taking a break from civilization since at least the '60s, and they have excellent taste in mountain scenery. Just five miles from town is Eldora, a ski area with a reputation as a beginner's stop en route to Winter Park, Vail, or Aspen. But it's fun and relaxed, with plenty of powder, a summit 10,800 feet above sea level and a vertical drop as sharp as 1,400 feet. Also nearby is Indian Peaks Wilderness, almost 77,000 acres in total, with a range of triangular, 13,000-foot granite peaks for a backdrop. The park is filled with hiking trails, although the parking areas are small and it's a little hard to get to some of them. Nederland is also the annual scene of Frozen Dead Guy Days, on a weekend in early March, a surreal but festive event in which townspeople and travelers celebrate the exploits of Norwegian citizen Trygve Bauge, who attempted to freeze his late Grandfather Bredo in the early '90s to town officials' chagrin. It's a long story.

About the Expert

Steve Knopper is the Denver-based author of Moon Handbooks Colorado as well as a contributor to numerous Fodor's city guides.