The Arapaho National Recreation Area (ANRA) is a United States

national recreation area A national recreation area (NRA) is a protected area in the United States established by an Act of Congress to preserve enhanced recreational opportunities in places with significant natural and scenic resources. There are 40 NRAs, which emphasiz ...

located near the

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

of the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

in north central

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. ANRA is under the jurisdiction of the

Arapaho The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho ba ...

Roosevelt National Forest The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest and the Routt National Forest. The forest is administered jointly wit ...

. ANRA contains five lakes in the upper

Valley: *

Lake Granby Lake Granby is the third largest body of water in Colorado. It was created by the erection of Granby Dam, completed in 1950, as part of the Bureau of Reclamation's Colorado-Big Thompson Project. Water from Lake Granby is pumped via the Farr Pump ...

* Shadow Mountain Lake * Willow Creek Reservoir *

Monarch Lake Monarch Lake is a reservoir in Grand County, Colorado located within the Arapaho National Recreation Area. The reservoir is adjacent to the Indian Peaks Wilderness on its north and east sides. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail The C ...

* Meadow Creek Reservoir A sixth lake, Grand Lake, borders the recreation area on the north. Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado. Collectively, these six lakes are known as "The Great Lakes of Colorado." The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail passes through the recreation area.

References

Protected areas of Grand County, Colorado National Recreation Areas of the United States Protected areas of Colorado Protected areas established in 1978 Arapaho National Forest 1978 establishments in Colorado {{Colorado-protected-area-stub