Help moving to Colorado....maybe

[stick_string]

Hey all,
Need some advice and help from you fellow tradgangers. I have always wanted to live in CO and raise my boys in the mountains fishing and hunting.

My wife and kids are here in Durango for a week and my wife turned to me yesterday and says...."I want to live here".

Soooo, my question to you all is where? Where you recommend to move to in CO...I want to hunt Mulies,Elk and Grouse!! And finally start Fly fishing!!

We are planning in our minds so I figured I would get some wisdom from you...

HELP!!!

[Kapellmeister]

I'm watching this, too!  I hope you get some replies.  (Looks like I may have the opportunity to relocate (to follow my job) to Colorado Springs sometime in the next 6-8 months.)

[centaur]

PM'd you

[old_goat2]

There are no elk, mulies, grouse, or fish that take flies in Colorado!  

[old_goat2]

There are no elk, mulies, grouse, or fish that take flies in Colorado!  

[stick_string]

Thank you for the replies...I think.

[jhg]

Well, given you have a job, you must decide whether to live on the Front range or on the Western slope. The Front range wil offer more cultural perks and Denver has great sports teams and lots of cool events and festivals. But there is more congestion, a wider range of political views, which is good in my opinion. The I70 corridor over the mtns is a mother for traffic jams on most weekends, especially coming back.

The Western slope is pretty nice. Can't be beat for vistas, but a lot of it is private lower down.  Don't expect to just jump in the car and take in the latest movies or see the latest music.

I live on the front range and don't very often wish I should be on the other side- but then if I lived over there I would be out of work.

Ft Collins is about as good as it gets and offers a small town feel, college town energy and is not too far to go either to Denver or over the top to the other side.

Joshua

[Montanawidower]

I lived down there for ten years back in the nineties.  The Durango area is hard to beat for all of what you mentioned.  I also liked the Gunnison/Montrose area.   I lived on the front range and got very sick of the traffic and pollution.  I'd probably stick to the Western slope if you can pick your ideal location.


Jeff

[Glunt]

For what you are after you can access what you want about anywhere in the western 2/3 of the State.

JHG explained the Front Range vs Western Slope pretty well, although the wider range of political views isn't in my plus column anymore.

If jobs weren't an issue, I would pick the Western side of the mountains in a heart beat. My wifes job has us tied to where we are at the moment but I grew up here and enjoy it. The Front range away from Denver is a decent compromise between access to stuff the wife thinks is important and access to the things I think are important :^)  One advantage of the Front Range is a 4-5 hour drive to Nebraska and Kansas which opens up some different hunting opportunities.

[JJB2]

I'm moving to Ft. Collins next June and can't wait!  Like jhg said, for me it's the right balance of culture, small town american and access to the outdoors.  We're planning to move 30-45 mins outside of town so we can have some space and peace and quiet.

Best of luck to you.

[huntnmuleys]

i cant say where in colorado ya oughta go, but a move from texas to colorado, as a bowhunter, would be like winning the lottery.  my bet is, as long as the job situation works out, any decision you make in regards as to where ya move to will be a good one.

[donalcorn]

I live in the Denver motor area because my wife is a city girl. I would live in the Durango area in a hart beat if it. Were only up to me. The fly fishing is great the hunting is very good the weather for the most part is mild. I can't think of very much wrong with it. And if work is not there work is over rated any how.    

[Geezer]

I'm seventh generation Coloradoan...and I'm thinking of moving out of state when I retire.  I remember old Colorado when it was much more like Montana and Wyoming...sorry, but things have changed too much since I was a kid.  Traffic is terrible, a lot of the water from the West Slope has been diverted to the Front Range cities (Denver, C. Springs, Pueblo, etc.) that fly fishing is hit/miss, and when you have to compete with a hundred or more climbers each weekend on local trails...then its become just  too much for me.  Sorry to be such a downer about this but for those who've been here when it was a nice, quiet place to live, its too much like the west coast now.   As was said before, the hunting is still great, but I can find that in other places without having to see a lot of cars at trailheads.  Okay, got that off my chest - Durango is a great 'small' town with a lot to offer.  I think if everyone in Colorado could live there, they would. Housing will not be cheap in Durango.  Ft. Collins is still a great place but traffic there is absolutely horrible.  Its a college town but a favored community to live in.  Housing is above average in cost.  Denver is Denver...some parts are a lot nicer than others.  Lots of things to offer here, but at the cost of traffic, etc.  Grand Junction is a favored place - one of my favorites and someplace I'd really consider living in if I was moving to Colorado.  Housing is relatively reasonable in Fruita, Clifton or down in Delta.  Montrose is another great 'small' town that offers some great hunting and super fly fishing in the Gunnison.  Housing is reasonable.  Alamosa is much smaller and not as popular a spot as the other I've mentioned but has some great hunting, waterfowl, small game and fishing in the San Juans.  Housing will be cheaper here but there is a small university there.  Pueblo has been rated as one of the most affordable places to live in the U.S.  It gets hot in Pueblo but no more so than Grand Junction (what really is the difference in 7-10 degrees between Denver/Pueblo?).  Housing is going to comparably cheaper in Pueblo than other towns I've mentioned (besides Alamosa).  Keep in mind, the closer to the mountains the higher real estate is going to cost.  Some parts of CO have excellent weather - that means you can walk in the park and ride a motorcycle on certain days during the winter without feeling like you're in Iowa or Michigan.  Want good weather?  Pueblo, Trinidad, Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins and Grand Junction.  Want snow? Breckenridge, Durango, Montrose.  Good hunting?  All these places are within 1-3 hours from some great hunting.  Great fishing?  Pueblo, Montrose, Delta, Breckenridge, Canon City, Salida, Buena Vista, Gunnison.

[pumatrax]

don't know what you do for a living but that would definitely be taken in to consideration...if you don't need a j.o.b. there are some great mountain towns here....I've lived in CO. my entire 58 years...check out Salida...Buena Vista....or where I live in Westcliffe CO.

[SCATTERSHOT]

Durango is not a bad choice, by any stretch. Check out Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison, too

[bucksakemmer]

The first two guestions you will be asked,,,,,
Where did you come from and where did you get your masters...

[stick_string]

Originally posted by bucksakemmer:
The first two guestions you will be asked,,,,,
Where did you come from and where did you get your masters...

Why is that?

[joe ashton]

Jobs are your main issue.  you  need to go where you'll find meaningful work. Durango is booming the front range has work but lots of people, the eastern plains suck(imo).  C springs is great. Ft Collins, loveland, greely, all terrific towns.  Lots of choices. Hit the road and see them all.  Good luck.

[gjarcher]

I live in Grand Junction ... in the Redlands.

I can sit at my breakfast nook and see the ridge where I shot a cow elk several years back.

I can fill my limit of trout within a 45 mile drive ... all day, any day.

It is 7 miles drive to my archery club's range, and 11 miles to my rifle range.

Elk hunting is under a 100 mile drive. I've killed 7 elk in 9 years ... so the freezer stays full.

Otherwise, Colorado West Slope sucks and you should be looking for some other state to settle in.

[critter69]

You may want to wait until this summer is over and see wich ones have not burned up. Lot of fires going on right now.