Arapaho National Recreation Area is a protected recreation area in north-central Colorado near the headwaters of the Colorado River, beside Rocky Mountain National Park. Managed as part of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, it centers on a chain of lakes in the upper Colorado River valley: Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir, Monarch Lake, and Meadow Creek Reservoir. Grand Lake borders it to the north, and together these waters are known as the Great Lakes of Colorado; Grand Lake is the state's largest natural lake. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail crosses the area, which is valued for its high-country water, forests, and access to nearby mountain scenery.