03/04/2026
Meet La Colina: a Mexican restaurant inside Trailhead Lodge, a modern lodge in Estes Park, CO - and honestly one of my favorite projects lately.
The goal was to design something that felt elevated, but still really warm and welcoming. I needed it to feel rooted in its surroundings without screaming “mountain town logo.”
The custom wordmark has these subtle angular cuts in the letterforms that quietly reference the Rocky Mountain peaks. Above it sits a geometric rising sun (part horizon line, part sunburst) inspired by traditional Mexican craft patterns. Together the elements create a simple sense of place: mountains sitting under a rising sun.
The palette is warm and earthy to bridge that traditional Mexican casa feel with the modern lodge it lives in. And the whole system (wordmark, mark, icons, patterns, variations) was built to flex across signage, menus, merch, and digital.
One of the last puzzle pieces of this project was to create a system of icons that can build on the brand’s identity with personality and flavor. These custom designs include lime wedge seesaws, squirrels eating avocados, cowboys lassoing tacos, and more. A fun way to add more depth and character to the restaurant without adding complicated details to the primary logo.
Swipe to see the logo, concept breakdown, supporting icon system (one of my favorite parts of this design experience), and logo variations I built out for the brand.