36 Hours in Grand Junction, Colo.

At the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range, spotting a small band of the 100-or-so horses that roam here is almost as exciting as seeing wildlife on a safari. The horses’ lineage traces back to ones bred by the Ute people until the group’s forced relocation in the early 1880s. The 36,113-acre range (free entry) is one of only three in the United States designated solely for wild-horse protection. Explore the range from the Coal Canyon trailhead, 18 miles east from Grand Junction. Hike a mile or two along a well-maintained trail into the main canyon. Even if you don’t come upon any horses, enjoy the rugged, open landscape dotted with fragrant sagebrush, as well as pinyon and juniper trees.

From the distillery, you need only walk two blocks to Pêche, where for almost seven years the husband-and-wife team of Matt and Ashley Fees Chasseur, both veterans of Michelin-starred dining, have overseen a tight menu that accentuates ingredients from the area’s many farms and ranches. In the small, bright dining room, savor fresh pasta with wild mushrooms ($38) or perfectly seared lamb chops accompanied by an eggplant relish, toasted focaccia and creamy ricotta ($68). That smoke occasionally wafting through the dining room? It’s not out of the open kitchen but rather from the crème brûlée ($10) finished tableside. The Chasseurs plan to open another restaurant, Tiki Bird, in downtown Grand Junction later this year.

Look for ospreys, bald eagles and Gambel’s quails — just some of the more than 200 bird species that frequent the Connected Lakes section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park ($10 entrance fee) about three miles from downtown. Level dirt paths encircle the three small lakes. Afterward, tuck into a plate of decadent French toast ($15) at the midcentury-modern-style Dream Café on Main Street; it’s made with the huge cinnamon rolls the cafe is known for. Or opt for one of seven varieties of eggs Benedict, from classic to jalapeño steak ($13 to $18.50). Don’t worry about the calories — you’ll work them off later.

Among Grand Junction’s evolving assortment of microbreweries, one of the newest is WestCo Brewing, open since October on the city’s south end. The Asian-influenced menu includes shareable plates like karaoke fries ($13), a variation on poutine with Japanese chicken curry, and three types of ramen ($18 to $21), including one with smoked brisket. Sampling just a bit of beer at lunch is easy thanks to three-ounce pours ($2 to $3) available for almost all of the dozen or so beers on tap, including an easy-drinking Japanese lager made with jasmine rice. Afterward, stroll along the paved Colorado Riverfront Trail, which runs by the brewery.

Back in the city, on Main Street, stroll by art like the life-size bronze of the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who grew up in Grand Junction, editing a script in his bathtub — it’s one of about 130 pieces around town in one of the country’s longest-running outdoor sculpture programs. Among the indie shops lining Main Street, find a selection of Colorado-crafted paintings, ceramics, furniture and other art at the new West Winds Gallery, as well as pours from the local winery Sauvage Spectrum ($6 a glass during happy hour, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Buy a bag of Swedish ginger licorice ($10) at the Hog and the Hen, a gourmet market and deli that’s well stocked with imported sweets. Riffle through stacks of new and vintage vinyl at Triple Play Records, browse volumes on Colorado history at Grand Valley Books, and sample various local wines at Carlson Vineyards’ tasting room (from $15 per flight).

Check the schedule at the Mesa Theater or the century-old Avalon Theater; these Main Street venues host touring bands like the indie favorites Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Neko Case. If sipping cocktails appeals, head to SoCo Social House, in a small 1906 brick building once used as a warehouse for Coors beer. Settle in with a Midnight Muse, a vodka-based concoction spiced with black cardamom ($13) and snack on a chocolate-toffee bar ($3) from Enstrom, a decades-old local candy company. Down the block at the jewel-box-size Melrose Spirit Co. in the historic Hotel Melrose, bartenders get creative with tropical-tinged drinks (all $13) like the Unknown Pleasure (a twist on a whiskey sour with toasted-coconut bourbon and baking spice).

Find snow and views for miles on the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, about 40 miles east of Grand Junction. Rent cross-country skis or snowshoes ($20 to $25 a day) at Odin Recreation on the way, then continue to the Skyway Trails ($20 suggested donation), part of a 19-mile network groomed for skiing by the nonprofit Grand Mesa Nordic Council. Glide across meadows and through conifer forests in this high-elevation paradise, where snow often lasts through late April. Downhill skiing more your thing? Spend the morning at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, a small ski area on the mesa’s edge that punches above its weight in terrain variety (lift ticket, $99 in advance online; gear rental, $59; open through early April).