When you're ready to play, the world's most beautiful resort towns are close to Montrose. The spectacular San Juan Mountains, reputed to be the most beautiful in Colorado, are just a few miles from downtown Montrose. The newest National Park–the dramatic Black Canyon of the Gunnison–is East of town. Telluride is just over an hour away. Vail, Aspen and Crested Butte are all accessible for a day of skiing, golfing or a spa visit. Or drive the Million Dollar Highway–aptly named for the million-dollar views of mountains, wildflowers and deep blue Colorado skies. Surrounded by alpine country, including three National Forests–the Gunnison, Uncompahgre and Grand Mesa, Montrose offers easy access to the most magnificent playground in the world: the State of Colorado. Within a few hours are the Colorado National Monument, Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Curecanti Recreation Area. In the summer, you can hike or bike among wildflowers and watch for wildlife such as deer, elk, big-horn sheep, eagles and pheasants. In the winter, snowshoe, cross-country ski or snowmobile on pristine trails. Golfers enjoy their choice of first-class courses in the mountains, on mesas, or in the beautiful desert landscape, including Telluride Ski and Golf Company's Championship course, Crested Butte's Robert Trent Jones II-designed links, Ridgway's Fairway Pines course atop Log Hill and Mesa County's Redlands Mesa, which Golf Digest magazine calls "a fantasy golf calendar come to life."

Anglers can try their luck on a multitude of rivers and creeks, including the Gunnison River, one of Colorado's elite Gold Medal Trout Streams.

You can bike miles of trails in Western Colorado–from alpine trails through National Forests to desert trails with views of dramatic canyons and the Colorado and Uncompahgre Rivers. Well-known trails include the Uncompahgre Trail, Kokopelli Trail, Tabeguache Trail and the Fruita trails. The biking you'll enjoy on a regular day is the biking people travel from all over the country to enjoy.

The Montrose Pavilion, our performing arts center, features a 600 seat theater and 4,000 square foot reception hall. The Pavilion regularly hosts many well-known national artists including George Winston, Michael Martin Murphy, R. Carlos Nakai and principal dancers from the Joffrey Ballet, the American Ballet Theater and the New York City Ballet, as well as local productions, with over 40 events a year for local schoolchildren. Montrose also boasts the Magic Circle Theater, a community theatre now in its 42nd season and winner of the Governors Award for Excellence in the Arts. Magic Circle mounts 5 major productions each year, as well as Theatre for Children and a youth theatre program in conjunction with Colorado State University. Magic Circle has an exchange performance program with the Arena Theatre in Christ Church, England, and hosts annual productions of the nationally renowned Missoula Children's Theatre. Montrose is the home of The Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, as well as the Ute Indian Museum, the Montrose Children's Museum and the Montrose Historical Society and Museum.