Established in 1874, Grand County lies in the north-central Rocky Mountains. It is named after the Grand River, an early name for the Colorado River. Encompassing 1,868 square miles, the County’s major geographic feature is Middle Park, a large mountain basin that includes the headwaters of the Colorado River. It also features Grand Lake, the deepest natural lake in Colorado. The majority of the county’s land—about 75%—is administered by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners, and Rocky Mountain National Park.