Welcome to Moffat County, Colorado’s Great Northwest. This corner of the state is where the crowds thin out, the pavement gives way to dirt roads, and the landscapes open up into vast canyons, wild rivers, and rolling sagebrush steppes.

Here is your guide to the communities of Moffat County and the incredible outdoor adventures that surround them.

Craig: The Hub of the Northwest

As the county seat and the largest city in the region, Craig is the ultimate basecamp for Northwest Colorado. It offers the most lodging, dining, and outfitter services, and is actively transforming itself into a premier outdoor recreation destination.

• The New Craig River Park: Officially opened in the spring of 2026, this multi-phase revitalization of the Yampa River corridor is a game-changer for the city. It features two engineered whitewater drop features (perfect for tubing, kayaking, and rafting), bankside terracing, nature-based play areas, and connecting trails. Combined with a brand-new boat ramp downriver at Loudy-Simpson Park, the park makes the Yampa River more accessible than ever.

• Loudy-Simpson Park: Just south of town, this massive park offers hiking trails, a 9-hole disc golf course, an ice arena, and fantastic river access.

• Elkhead Reservoir: Located northeast of town, this state park is a local favorite for boating, swimming, water skiing, and fishing for smallmouth bass and northern pike.

• Heritage and History: Don’t miss the Museum of Northwest Colorado in downtown Craig (famous for its cowboy and gunfighter collection) or the Wyman Museum, which brings pioneer and frontier history to life.

Dinosaur: The Prehistoric Gateway

Situated right on the Colorado-Utah border, the town of Dinosaur is your launching pad into deep time and massive canyons.

Dinosaur National Monument: The town’s namesake is a sprawling preserve of soaring canyon walls carved by the Green and Yampa Rivers. While the famous Quarry Exhibit Hall (where you can touch real dinosaur bones embedded in a cliff face) is just over the border in Utah, the Colorado side offers the spectacular Harpers Corner Road. This scenic drive provides panoramic rim-top overlooks of the river canyons.

• Dark Skies & Stargazing: Because of its remote location, the area around Dinosaur boasts incredibly low light pollution, making it a spectacular spot for stargazing.

• River Rafting: This is the jumping-off point for some of the West’s most legendary whitewater, including multi-day trips down the Yampa and Green rivers.

Maybell: Where the West is Still Wild

Maybell is a small, unincorporated community on US Highway 40, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in unparalleled access to some of Colorado’s most rugged and untouched public lands.

• Sand Wash Basin: Head north from Maybell to find this expansive high-desert basin, home to one of Colorado’s largest remaining herds of free-roaming wild mustangs.

• Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge: Nestled in a remote valley along the Green River, this is a vital sanctuary for migratory birds, bald eagles, and river otters, as well as a great spot for peaceful fishing and historic exploration (like the John Jarvie Historic Ranch).

• Yampa River Access: Maybell offers quiet access points to the Yampa River for those looking to float or fish away from the crowds.

Hamilton: The Sportsman’s Paradise

Located south of Craig along State Highway 13, Hamilton is a rural ranching community that serves as the epicenter for some of the best big-game hunting in the United States.

• World-Class Hunting: Hamilton is surrounded by the migration routes and habitats of the nation’s largest elk herd, as well as abundant mule deer and pronghorn. During the fall, this area becomes a bustling hub for hunters from all over the world.

• Scenic Drives: The rolling hills and aspen groves around Hamilton offer beautiful, quiet drives, especially during the fall color change.

Lay & Massadona: Historic Highway Blips

If you blink while driving down US-40, you might miss them, but both Lay and Massadona hold a special place in the fabric of Moffat County.

• Lay: Located between Craig and Maybell, Lay is a tiny agricultural community. It serves as a quiet reminder of the homesteaders who tamed this harsh, beautiful landscape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

• Massadona: Situated just east of Dinosaur, Massadona is best known for the historic Massadona Tavern. While it is mostly a landmark these days, it sits at the doorstep of the rugged Blue Mountain area and serves as a waypoint for travelers heading into the deep canyons of the National Monument