At the Rangely Outdoor Museum, exhibits range from archaeology, zoology, and ethnology to the history of Rangely and the surrounding region. Highlights include Indigenous peoples and prehistory, pioneers and ranching, and the development of energy resources. The collections include fossils, dinosaur bones, old drilling rigs, and other artifacts from the coal and oil industries. In this way, the museum takes you from the earliest history to traces of the later resource economy.
History on Multiple Scales
The White River Museum in Meeker offers a different perspective: housed in roughly hewn log cabins, it presents the history and treasures of the White River Valley. You’ll find it at 565 Park Street, behind the red flagstone Rio Blanco County Courthouse building and one block from downtown Meeker. The museum is open daily year-round. From mid-April through the end of November, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; in winter, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As hours change seasonally, check them before your visit.
The scale of the architectural history varies too. St. James Episcopal Church in Meeker was built in 1890 and was the town’s first church. The 1906 Yellow Creek Schoolhouse is an example of rural schools in Rio Blanco County in the first half of the 20th century. In Meeker’s historic downtown, the Historic District includes all or parts of eleven blocks; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. The church, rural schoolhouse, and historic downtown district offer very different insights into the region’s history.
At Meeker’s Town Park, you can access the White River and walk along the water on the river trail. Since 1938, the Range Call Festival in Meeker has celebrated Western heritage. The program includes a parade, rodeos, fireworks, food, music, and dancing.
High Desert, Forests, and Trails
In Rio Blanco County, the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area features a high-desert landscape of rolling hills, pinyon-juniper forests, sagebrush communities, and rugged terrain. The Piceance SWA is home to deer, grouse, mountain lions, elk, and cottontail rabbits, among other wildlife. The Oak Ridge SWA offers a different mix of vegetation: its slopes feature sagebrush, oak brush, aspens, pines, and junipers.
The Flat Tops Wilderness Area lies near Meeker. Its 230,830 acres encompass landscapes, wildlife, lakes, rivers, trails, and campgrounds. More than 160 miles of trails in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area are used for hiking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing. In the White River National Forest, the Blanco Ranger District maintains about 350 miles of trails through aspen groves, forested areas, and wildflower meadows. Together, these landscapes range from high-desert slopes to wooded trails and wildflower meadows.
Unique Experiences Around Rangely
In Rangely, the Rock Crawling Park is a distinctive recreational attraction: it covers more than 560 acres of natural terrain and is designated by the Bureau of Land Management as a four-wheel-drive park. It is also Colorado’s only designated natural rock crawling park. The TANK offers another unusual combination: the 60-foot-tall water tank has been converted into a recording studio and concert venue and is open to the public and guest artists.
The Rangely Auto Museum features, among other things, a Pierce motorcycle dating from 1909 to 1912. Only twelve of these motorcycles are believed to remain worldwide. Golf enthusiasts can also visit the Cedar Ridges Golf Course in Rangely, a public 9-hole, par-36 course. Rangely brings together a wide variety of interests: technology and industrial history, a concert venue, and a golf course.
Winter Travel Tips
In winter, the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway is accessible to snowmobilers and cross-country skiers from the Lost Creek Trailhead via groomed trails and snowfields. Beyond Lost Creek, the route is not maintained and is accessible only when snow-covered. This limitation is important when choosing a winter activity: conditions vary by section.
Discover more destinations: Rangely, Meeker, Sedgwick County, Costilla County, Summit, Montrose County, Huerfano County, Saguache County.
For the main travel overview: Colorado.
