Plein Air Day Trip Idea #1

Plein Air Day Trip Idea #1

West Fort Collins, LaPorte, & Bellvue

Sometimes all you need to get out to paint is for somebody else to suggest a location or provide you with some inspiration. We've put together the first of what we hope will be many plein air painting day trip maps for our Colorado and Wyoming readers. The interactive map below shows a few locations around our area (just outside of Fort Collins) where we've been known to paint. In addition, we've marked a few restaurants and bathroom facilities. Each marker has a picture when you click on it to give you an idea of what the scene is, and you can enjoy the "street view" by Google to get another idea of what you're in for. So if you haven't been out in this area to paint, grab your easel/pochade box and paints and make a weekend of it! Please feel free to contact us with any questions about these locations. ~Alicia

View Pleasant Valley Plein Air Day Trip in a larger map

"Pleasant Valley" is a still relatively untouched foothills nook just outside of Fort Collins which offers lots of plein air opportunities. Pleasant Valley is the site of the French trapper's powder cache that gave the Cache La Poudre River its name. A great spot to paint is from the top of Bingham Hill, from which you can survey the whole of the valley. The little village of Bellvue has several subjects including the Grange, General Store and the historic Flowers House. To the west is a beautiful old log house farmstead, to the east is Watson Lake and the Poudre River, and to the south is Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservoir. Throughout the valley are lots of little roads leading to bucholic, derelict, historic and scenic jewels. On the east side of Bingham Hill, located on the original Overland Trail, is the old Fort Collins Waterworks. Of course, with the growth pressures along the Front Range, Pleasant Valley won’t survive intact forever, so paint it while you can! - Carl

Do you have an idea for a plein air painting map? Email us and we'll work with you to make it a Google map available to your fellow plein air painters.