How We Started
When I moved up here in 2021, I immediately noticed a massive gap. The Front Range weekend traffic was coming up the canyon, but the digital infrastructure to actually help our local merchants capture those tourism dollars was basically non-existent.
So, I started building. What began as a grassroots project to help our community thrive eventually grew into a massive digital undertaking. I officially formalized the business structure for Rural Mountain Media in late 2025, and have recently launched the fully realized version of RedFeatherLakes.us.
Today, this site is far more than just a visitor’s guide. It is a localized digital operating system designed specifically for the community of Red Feather Lakes.
Our Mission: Plugging the “Economic Leak”
Living in a remote mountain town means we have to rely on each other to get things done. But right now, when visitors use massive, third-party travel and booking apps, a huge chunk of their spending leaves the mountain in the form of corporate transaction fees.
We call that “economic leakage,” and we are putting a stop to it.
Our mission is to keep tourism dollars right here in Larimer County. By providing a highly visible, low-cost digital platform that is open to all local businesses, we ensure that the money spent in Red Feather Lakes directly supports the families, artisans, and merchants who actually chop the wood and keep the lights on in this town. We have a strict rule here: Zero corporate banner ads. Ever. ### The Proof is in the Data, We don’t just talk about supporting local business; we have the data to prove it works. In just the last 30 days of SEO marketing for our platform (Feb 19 – Mar 21), the market response has been explosive:
- State-Level Recognition: We are incredibly proud to currently hold the #1 ranking for external sites on the official Colorado Tourism Office website (Colorado.com) for the Red Feather Lakes region.
- Massive Search Growth: Our organic search impressions surged by 270%, reaching over 10,700 views in a single month.
- Driving Real Traffic: Direct clicks to the platform grew by 146%, and we saw a 51.3% increase in new user sessions without spending a single dime on paid ads.
- Capturing the Market: We are now very close to dominating the top search queries for our area, including “Red Feather Lakes,” “Red Feather Lakes Colorado,” and “Things to do in Red Feather Lakes.” jumping from positions in the second page ranks to positions 1-4 in just 30 days.
What We Are Building for the Community
We are continuously scaling this platform to solve real problems for our mountain community.
What’s Live Right Now:
- The Local Job Board: Finding seasonal staff up here is tough. We built an integrated, free-to-access job board to connect local businesses with residents.
- The Local Business Directory: A comprehensive digital map providing equal-opportunity visibility to all local merchants—basic listings are 100% free.
- The Digital Coupon Book: Direct-to-consumer deals that drive actual foot traffic to local storefronts.
What We Are Building Next:
- Direct-Booking Engine: A proprietary system designed to completely bypass massive third-party apps like Airbnb, keeping all booking and transaction fees right here in town.
- The Artisan Marketplace: An “online farmer’s market” providing our local crafters, makers, and artisans a dedicated digital space to sell their goods.
We are fiercely protective of this tiny mountain town, and we are just getting started.