Things to Do in Edwards

For more than 25 years, Lakota Guides has escorted its clientele to Edwards' and Vail's most scenic spots on river rafting, off-road, and group trips. Team Lakota, led by Karl Borski and John Mark Seelig, has hundreds of years of combined experience in outdoor activities ranging from rafting and rescue operations to tree massage and bark exfoliation. The guides demonstrate their mastery when leading visitors on Class V water-rafting trips along the Colorado and Arkansas Rivers. They also romp through the mountainous terrain aboard rugged off-road vehicles during daylong treks.

The experts who lead Aspen Walking Tours blend history, research, and cultural anthropology in a trio of informative strolls, nourishing the minds of tour-takers with local factoids. These guides quarterback small groups during each trek through time, imparting stories and tidbits that they've researched themselves. The Aspen's DarkSide tour unearths the area's ghastly past, rife with ghosts, murder, and mayhem, and the Aspen's Past to Present tour details Aspen's evolution from a modest mining camp to world-famous resort. In the fall, rather than wearing shoes whittled from dry ice, visitors can experience real chills with a spooky saunter through the Ute Cemetery—Aspen's first burial ground—during the Walking with the Dead tour.

Breckenridge Stables' herd of more than 100 steeds trots along for scenic trail rides, Western-style lessons, and historical tours of the town. As horses deftly navigate the Tenmile Range, guides point out local wildlife along the continental divide, the imaginary line drawn when Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox broke up. During colder months, Breckenridge Stables' custom-built mountain sleighs keep passengers snuggly during sleigh rides as a team of belgian, clydesdale, or percheron horses canters through the Colorado air.

Setting out from its base camp at Shadow Mountain Guest Ranch, the staff at High Country-Trails leads horseback riders through the mountain wilderness on excursions that range from trail rides of up to six hours to hunting trips of up to five days. On each trip, the crew leads riders to views of majestic peaks jutting high into the clouds and of crystal-clear streams rushing along forest paths. Trail rides depart the ranch and hoof it up to the top of the mountain for vistas of Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, and the clouds' Oreo cookie tops. On overnight pack trips, guides keep guests entertained by hauling camping gear through the Colorado backcountry and organizing activities for up to five days.