Loveland, Colorado is a beautiful town nestled in a valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains, making it truly the “Gateway to the Rockies”. Loveland offers something for everyone, from the avid golfer to the art aficionado to the outdoorsman. While the town is renowned for it magnificent outdoor art collection, it also boasts 27 public parks, three excellent golf courses, extensive biking and hiking trails, camping, boating, fishing, horseback riding and numerous tennis courts that offer recreation choices aplenty.

Founded in the 1800’s, the historic downtown area continues to thrive with many antique stores, boutiques, fabulous restaurants, art galleries and coffee shops. Dubbed “The Sweetheart City” because of the hundreds of thousands of valentines that are postmarked LOVELAND, and sent throughout the world, Loveland is a vibrant, active community located in one of the loveliest places in the country.

Art and Culture

Loveland is renowned for it’s magnificent bronze sculpture collection located in city parks and buildings throughout the town. The city’s art collection is currently valued at more than five million dollars with around 83% being donated by organizations and individuals. This is one of the largest collections of publicly owned sculpture in the country. The Loveland High Plains Arts Council hosts the prestigious Sculpture in the Park each year, the largest outdoor-juried sculpture show in the country. Two bronze foundries can also be found in the town, providing casting for local, national and international artists.

In addition to the art collection, the city is home to the Loveland Museum/Gallery that is the center for local history, art events, educational programs and exhibitions featuring regional, national and internationally recognized artists. The local history displayed at the museum includes “Life of Main Street”, “The Big Thompson Water Project” and “ Sweetheart Town, USA” among others. Peter’s Park located at the Museum is the site for free “Tunes at Noon” concerts during the summer. The Rialto Theater is a premier venue for concerts, plays and movies. The city is also privileged to have many active performing arts organization including, a choral society, symphonic band, orchestras, theater groups, concert band, and a chamber singing group, along with a music guild and a civic music association. An exciting addition to the area is the Budweiser Events Center, a state-of the art multi-use arena and events center, greatly expanding the type of shows and events that are now available to the community.

Parks and Recreation 

Bikers, hikers, joggers, in-line skaters and cyclists enjoy the 15.5 miles of recreational trails that run from Boyd Lake State Park through the rolling terrain of the area. The city maintains 27 parks on over 700 acres of developed and undeveloped land. Just a few miles west of the city, travelers can marvel at the breathtaking scenery of Big Thompson Canyon on the drive from Loveland to Estes Park. Visitors enjoy the dramatic rock formations as well as the numerous Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep that live in the canyon.

Loveland derives the name “Gateway to the Rockies” due to its proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park, the number one vacation destination in the state of Colorado. Attracting over 4 million visitors a year, this beautiful destination is located only 30 miles west of Loveland. Visitors to the park are enthralled with the hundreds of miles of trails, 178 mountain peaks, herds of elk, 600 campsites and 140 lakes. Winding through the park is the famous Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the United States. As the road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet, the trip is a must for both tourist and locals. The amazing vistas capture the glory of untouched beauty as far as the eye can see.

County Park Space

Closer to home, Loveland’s county park space includes Carter Lake, Pinewood Reservoir, the Devil’s Backbone, Ramsay-Shockey Open Space and Flatiron Reservoir. Nearby Horsetooth Reservoir offers boating, camping and fishing, while Horsetooth Mountain park is perfect for horseback riding, biking, hiking and camping.

Devil’s Backbone is a geological landmark offering a 3.5-mile trail for hiking, featuring towering rock formations and an abundance of wildlife. Carter Lake, located in the foothills, is three miles long and 180 feet deep at the deepest point. Sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing, boating, swimming, fishing and water skiing are all available at this local favorite. Flatiron Reservoir and Pinewood Reservoir are located northwest of Carter Lake and are both surrounded by hundreds of acres of public land. These are popular fishing and camping destinations, as the reservoirs are stocked with Rainbow Trout several times a year. Ramsay-Shockey Open Space, across from Pinewood Reservoir, was purchased in 1997 to protect important wildlife habitat and to provide a buffer to Pinewood Reservoir. A four-mile trail allows hikers and mountain bikers to enjoy the surrounding valley. Boyd Lake State Park is located in Loveland, attracts visitors who enjoy water-skiing, swimming, fishing, boating, walking, hiking, and wildlife viewing. The park also offers campsites, playgrounds, volleyball court and picnic areas.

Major Employers

Industries such as publishing, the arts, manufacturing government and trade make up the bulk of the cities economy. Large companies such as Hach Company, Woodward Governor, Hewlett Packard and Colorado Memory Systems employ thousands from the community. Manufacturing, publishing, government, trade and the arts comprise the base of Loveland's economy.

Real Estate

The Real Estate market in Loveland and the rest of Northern Colorado is booming, as land values have skyrocketed over the last 5-7 years. Rapid growth in both the residential and commercial markets have caused open land values to increase many times over. With the average selling price of a home in Loveland having increased an average of 8 percent each year for the past five years, the purchase of real estate in the area is a solid investment.  Call your Northern Colorado expert in Real Estate Mitch Weiner for a complete relocation package @ 970.218.8300  or e-mail  at mweiner@thegroupinc.com