Rifle is located along the I-70 corridor and the Colorado River.  The Roan Cliffs dominate the western skyline of the town.  The town was founded in 1882 by Abram Maxfield, and was incorporated in 1905 along Rifle Creek, near its mouth on the Colorado. The creek is named for an incident involving white trappers in the late 19th century. According to local lore, one of the trappers accidentally left his rifle along the creek, giving it its name and the town's name.  The town has a population of over 8,800 and sits at the edge of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,345 feet. 

Rifle and the surrounding area is one of the leading regions in the State of Colorado where the oil and gas industries is very activty.  

Rifle is also where ranchers gather, deer and elk hunters talk guns, and campers stock up for adventures in the surrounding White River National Forest. About 15 miles north of town, you'll come across the Rifle Gap State Park. Camping, fishing and boating on the reservoir are popular here, as is spelunking next door at Rifle Mountain Park's limestone caves formed by a 50-foot waterfall. This area is also known world wide for its rocking climbing.