The Towns of Winter Park and Fraser, located in Grand County, Colorado, are situated in a high mountain park at elevations of 9,000 ft. and 8,800 ft. respectively. The valley is surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest and three Wildnerness areas: Indian Peaks, Byers Peak and Vasquez. Approximately 75% of the land in Grand County is publicly owned. 17,000 acres of public land is owned by the City of Denver Water Board. Nearby Rocky Mountain National Park sets aside 265,727 acres of natural land and wildlife habitat for the public to enjoy.

Tourism in the main source of industry in eastern Grand County (referred to as the Fraser Valley), while ranching and agriculture are the primary industry in western Grand County. The population of Grand County is approximately 12,000 in the whole county, and is dispersed through the rural areas and its six incorporated towns. Primary access to the Fraser Valley is via Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass, which reaches an elevation of 11,315 ft.

The Town of Winter Park (pop. 720) is 7.5 square miles, including the base village of Winter Park Resort. The town and ski area have long been popular with Denver Metro residents, though the region is quickly becoming a four-season vacation destination. Fraser (pop. 732) is 6 square miles and is the more service-oriented of the two towns, with a grocery store, elementary school, library, town hall and drug store. Both towns are characteristic of season resort towns. The Fraser Valley is only 90 minutes northwest of Denver, 90 minutes from Summit County and two hours from the Vail Valley.