Red rock and running water define Lyons. The small town sits where the North and South St. Vrain creeks meet and run out of the foothills onto the plains north of Boulder, and it is ringed by cliffs of pinkish-red sandstone. That stone, quarried here since the nineteenth century, built much of the University of Colorado campus in Boulder and countless houses and walls across the region. The town itself is built of it too, giving the main street a warm, solid look.
Lyons has seen hard times. In September 2013, days of extraordinary rain sent floods roaring down the St. Vrain canyons, cutting the town off, destroying homes and tearing away highways. The roads into the mountains were closed for months and rebuilt, and the town recovered with remarkable community spirit. Today it is lively again, known for music, especially the bluegrass and folk festivals at a venue beside the river, and for outdoor sports: climbing, fishing, tubing and cycling.
For riders, Lyons is the gateway to some excellent mountain roads. US 36 climbs northwest up the North St. Vrain to Estes Park and the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, a lovely road of long, flowing curves between cliffs and meadows. Colorado 7 follows the South St. Vrain canyon up to the Peak to Peak Highway, twisting through a narrow, rocky gorge with the creek alongside. Both are popular with motorcycles on weekends, and both get busy with cars heading for the national park, especially in summer and autumn.
On the way back, this stretch near Lyons is where the mountains open onto the plains, and the change is sudden: one moment you are in a canyon of red rock and pine, the next you are rolling out onto flat farmland with Longmont and the urban corridor spread out ahead. The descent is a good time to cool off and enjoy the light as the sun drops behind the peaks. Watch for cyclists on the canyon roads, deer at dusk, and loose gravel on the shoulders.
Lyons has cafes, restaurants and a brewery or two, and fuel is available in town or in Longmont, a large city about fifteen kilometres east. Summer afternoons often bring thunderstorms over the foothills, so plan the climb in the morning and the return before the clouds build.