There are plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities in and around Glenwood Springs. Stop at the chamber office, the White River National Forest, Ninth Street and Grand Avenue (tel. 970/945-2521), or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 50629 U.S. 6 and 24 (tel. 970/947-2800), for maps, recreational suggestions, and other information.

A busy local shop where you can get information on the best spots for hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, and cross-country skiing is Summit Canyon Mountaineering, 732 Grand Ave. (tel. 800/360-6994 or 970/945-6994). In addition to selling a wide variety of outdoor-sports equipment, it also sells travel and outdoor clothing, with an especially good selection of women's travel apparel. The shop also rents cross-country ski gear, tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks.

Bicycling

A paved bike trail runs from the Yampah Vapor Caves into Glenwood Canyon, and trails and four-wheel-drive roads in the adjacent White River National Forest are ideal for mountain bikers. You'll find bike rentals ($5-$12 per hr. or $23-$36 per day) in town at Canyon Bikes, at the Hotel Colorado, 526 Pine St. (tel. 800/439-3043 or 970/945-8904), which also offers a shuttle service ($13 per person), and Sunlight Mountain Ski & Bike Shop, 309 Ninth St. (tel. 970/945-9425), which also offers repairs. Also offering bike rentals is Rock Gardens Rafting, 1308 C.R. 129 (tel. 800/958-6737 or 970/945-6737).

Fishing

Brown and rainbow trout are caught in the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, and fishing for rainbow and brook trout is often good in the Crystal River above the community of Redstone. Get licenses, equipment, and advice from Roaring Fork Anglers, 2114 B Grand Ave. (tel. 970/945-0180), who have offered guided fly-fishing trips since 1975. Rates for one or two people on a full-day float trip are $435, including lunch; a full-day wading trip, including lunch, is $295 for one and $360 for two. Half-day trips are available, and Roaring Fork also has 4 miles of private waters.

Golf

Glenwood Springs Golf Club, 193 Sunny Acres Rd. (tel. 970/945-7086), is a 9-hole course, with fees of $22 for 9 holes and $37 for 18 holes. Some 27 miles west of Glenwood Springs, near Rifle, is the championship 18-hole Rifle Creek Golf Club, at 3004 Colo. 325, off I-70 exit 90 (tel. 888/247-0370 or 970/625-1093), which charges $18 for 9 holes and $35 for 18 holes.

Fans of miniature golf will discover two beautifully landscaped 18-hole water-obstacle courses at Johnson Park Miniature Golf, 51579 U.S. 6 and 24, in West Glenwood Springs (tel. 970/945-9608). Open April through October, rates for 18 holes are $5 for adults and $4 for children under 12 and seniors over 60. The Hot Springs Pool also has a miniature golf course, with rates of $5.25 for adults and $4.25 for kids under 12.

Hiking

There are plenty of hiking opportunities in the area. Stop at the national forest office for free Recreational Opportunity Guide (ROG) sheets for many local trails. The office sells detailed forest maps and has other information, too. The BLM also has maps and information.

One convenient walk is the Doc Holliday Trail, which climbs about .5 mile from 13th Street and Bennett Street to an old cemetery that contains the grave of notorious gunslinger Doc Holliday.

Hikers will also find numerous trail heads along the Glenwood Canyon Recreation Trail in Glenwood Canyon, with some of the best scenery in the area. Among them, Hanging Lake Trail, 9 miles east of Glenwood Springs off I-70, is especially popular. The trail head is accessible from eastbound I-70; westbound travelers must make a U-turn and backtrack a few miles to reach the parking area. The trail climbs 1,000 feet in 1 mile -- allow several hours for the round-trip -- and just beyond Hanging Lake is Spouting Rock, with an underground spring shooting out of a hole in the limestone cliff. Dogs, swimming, and fishing are forbidden. The Grizzly Creek Trail is in the Grizzly Creek Rest Area, along I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, where there is also a launching area for rafts and kayaks. The trail climbs along the creek, past wildflowers and dogwood trees.

The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association offers a free map showing a variety of trails in the area with trail heads marked.

Jeep Tours

Explore the high country around Glenwood Springs in an open-air jeep. The knowledgeable and friendly guides at Rock Gardens will show you some breathtaking views -- don't forget your camera -- and share with you some of the natural history and wildlife of the area. Half-day trips cost $44 for adults, $39 for youths.

River Rafting

Bouncing down the rapids through magnificent Glenwood Canyon is, to our way of thinking, one of the best ways to see this spectacular country. Companies offering raft trips include Blue Sky Adventures, with offices in the Hotel Colorado (tel. 877/945-6605 or 970/945-6605), which offers rafting on the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers. The popular half-day Adventure Trip costs $43 for adults, $31 for youths 15 and under; the half-day Mild Trip costs $32 and $27 respectively. A popular full-day trip through the white water of Shoshone Rapids costs $69 and $53, respectively, including a hot barbecue lunch. Another good bet for a raft trip is Rock Gardens Rafting, 1308 C.R. 129, at I-70 exit 119 (tel. 800/958-6737 or 970/945-6737), which has similar rates.

Skiing & Snowboarding

Sunlight Mountain Resort, 10901 C.R. 117, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 (tel. 800/445-7931 or 970/945-7491), is located 10 miles south of Glenwood Springs in the White River National Forest. Geared toward families, Sunlight has 470 skiable acres and a 2,010-foot vertical drop from its 9,895-foot summit; it's served by one triple and two double chairlifts and a ski-school surface lift. There are 67 runs, rated 20% beginner, 55% intermediate, 20% advanced, and 5% expert. There's also a special area for snowboarders. The ski area is usually open from early December to early April, daily from 9am to 4pm. A full-day lift ticket runs $45 for adults, $35 for children 6 to 12 and seniors 60 to 69, and $5 for kids under 6 and seniors 70 and over. For equipment rentals and repairs, see the Sunlight Mountain Ski & Bike Shop, 309 Ninth St., in downtown Glenwood Springs (tel. 970/945-9425).

Sunlight's Cross-Country and Nordic Center has 10 miles of groomed Nordic trails, available free, with rentals and lessons available. Information and equipment are also available at Summit Canyon Mountaineering, 732 Grand Ave. (tel. 800/360-6994 or 970/945-6994).

Snowmobiling

The Sunlight to Powderhorn Trail, running 120 miles from Glenwood's local ski area to Grand Junction's, on the Grand Mesa, is the longest multiuse winter recreational trail in Colorado, traversing White River and Grand Mesa national forests. It is fully marked and continuously groomed. Other trails can be accessed from the end of C.R. 11, 2 miles beyond Sunlight Mountain Resort and 12 miles south of Glenwood Springs. For information and rentals, contact the resort.