USDA Forest Service · Colorado
AA Bar Ranch (AA Barn) Group Picnic Site
USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States · in Arapaho National Recreation Area
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 electric
- Season
- June 1 to September 30
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 8,330 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · Verizon weak · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
- Nearest town
- Granby
- Address
- PO Box 10, Granby, CO, 80446
- Phone
- 970-887-4100
- Activities
- Day Use Area
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Reservable, day-use site for group picnics and other gatherings next to the Colorado River, Rocky Mountain National Park, and a historic barn that is available for indoor activities. Site not shaded. Motorized access to site and use of barn facilities are by reservation only. Visitors may access on foot the river, Forest Service trails, and Rocky Mountain National Park trails located adjacent to the AA Barn Site. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times at the AA Barn Site and adjacent Forest Service area, but dogs are prohibited in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Maximum number of people is 100 per day. The suggested vehicle limit is 20. Vehicles cannot be driven off the gravel areas. Do Not alter any features of the site, leave it as you find it. And, please pick up all trash and take it with you! Enjoy Your Stay.
Recreation
This barn is adjacent to a hiking entry point to Rocky Mountain National Park and has great fishing opportunities.
Facilities
The AA Barn is an enclosed space and has two floors. The upper floor is not available for use. The lower floor has electricity. The barn can be very cold late into the summer season due to the lack of sunlight and lack of heater. The barn can also get very hot during warm summer afternoons. The outside corrals are not suitable for livestock but do make beautiful photography backgrounds. Outside of the barn, there are handicap accessible vault toilets. The barn is at the end of a gated, drivable road. The public has access to walk on the road but does not have access to drive down the driveway. Some tables and chairs are provided. This includes approximately 5 banquet style tables and 80 folding chairs, and 13 picnic tables. Please note; you cannot operate any device that produces amplified sound at the barn site.
Watch a video tour of the barn: https://vimeo.com/816328996
Natural Features
The mountains in this area of Colorado are beautiful but the lodgepole pine beetle killed trees can be a challenge when it comes to photographs. The AA Barn used to be a working ranch and old corrals can be found on site. The Colorado River headwaters are adjacent to this barn and it is just below the Shadow Mountain Reservoir dam.
Contact Info
This location has limited staffing. Please call (970) 295-6600 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Green Ridge Campground
Arapaho National Recreation Area
Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Lake, Colorado
Shadow Mountain Reservoir
Lake Granby
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 11° | -13° | 41° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 32° | 14° | -8° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 38° | 20° | 0° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 46° | 26° | 5° | 59° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 54° | 34° | 23° | 66° | 9 of 11 |
| June | 72° | 45° | 29° | 83° | 2 of 11 |
| July | 77° | 53° | 44° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 75° | 51° | 44° | 81° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 69° | 46° | 22° | 80° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 55° | 34° | -2° | 65° | 8 of 10 |
| November | 42° | 20° | -6° | 56° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 31° | 12° | -10° | 44° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Green Ridge · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 76 sites
- Cutthroat Bay Group · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 2 sites
- Stillwater (Colorado) · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 109 sites
- Bull Mountain Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Sunset Point Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.