Colorado State Park Close to the RMNP

caysea7254 wrote:
Ok Back to original vacation choice. Cheyenne Mountain State Park and RMNP. Glacier we decided to do in a couple years when we are full timing. That way no hurry!!! Just incase we don't get a site at Moraine campground in the RMNP we need a back up plan. We were looking at St. Vrain State Park. Looks to be about 44 miles but says takes close to an hour. Driving doesn't bother us. We stayed in Gros Ventre campground in Grand Teton National Park for 10 days and drove to Yellowstone to visit. just need alternative place to camp if needed. Thanks Tara:)

Tara,

Again not always easy to get in, Lyons, CO has a town CG right on the River.

http://www.townoflyons.com/351/Camping

We have stayed and enjoyed it - little tight if full but the Town is neat/fun.

Would be a good back-up.

Best of Luck,

caysea7254 wrote:
Thank you everyone! We are not interested in private owned campgrounds. We like National , State and Forest. So does Camp Dick, Peaceful Valley, Olive Ridge take reservations or first come first serve? We are even considering Stillwater on the west side in Granby Lake. All of this is just in case we cant get into Moraine. We didn't realize we could fit in any site in Glacier, will have to check that one out. Thanks again! Tara

Regarding reservations vs first come/first served...both. There are sites at all 3 locations that are first come/first served. They go fast. Reservations are recommended. If you can get a site along the creek, you'll have more room, as they are better spaced, at least at Camp Dick and Peaceful Valley. There's also a cul-de-sac loop in the trees, and I've seen a variety of rigs in there. Very peaceful there.

Glacier Basin can accommodate all different size rigs, particularly D Loop and some sites in C Loop. Both of these loops are somewhat open, with interspersed trees in C Loop. More trees in A and B loops, which makes it a bit tighter for bigger rigs. I've seen motor homes in those two loops, but the sites are mainly aimed at smaller rigs, with a lot of popups there. In D Loop, sites 142 through about 152 or so are good for bigger rigs. I usually go in "backwards" (against traffic), so I can get a better view of the mountains, and staff there are fine with that -- others also do it as well.

Stillwater. A great campground! So is Green Ridge, Sunset Point, and Arapaho Bay. Reservations and first come/first served. If you're considering that side, seriously consider Timber Creek inside Rocky. The only CG on the west side in the park, it's all first come/first served. It used to be in a stand of trees, but the beetle kill got them, and they are all cut down. However, it's still a nice place. Paved roads and nice even pads. Not too far from Grand Lake, and a good base for hiking the west side, which should not be overlooked.

Thank you everyone! We are not interested in private owned campgrounds. We like National , State and Forest. So does Camp Dick, Peaceful Valley, Olive Ridge take reservations or first come first serve? We are even considering Stillwater on the west side in Granby Lake. All of this is just in case we cant get into Moraine. We didn't realize we could fit in any site in Glacier, will have to check that one out. Thanks again! Tara

Old Days wrote:
We go to RMNP every year and if you plan 6 months ahead you should get a site at Moraine campgrounds. We have also stayed in peace full valley at camp Dick, that is just down the road on highway 72. The closest state park I know about is Boyd lake in Loveland it is a really nice park by the lake.

^^^^^ This.

Moraine Park and Glacier Basin are the CG within the park to consider, if you don't need hookups. I prefer Loops B and C in Moraine, and Loop D in Glacier Basin. And as noted, you WILL need reservations and get them as soon as the window opens for the dates you want -- sites go fast.

Camp Dick and the adjacent Peaceful Valley USFS CG are also nice, and also very popular, and fill up quickly as well. There's also Olive Ridge USFS CG near Allenspark.

St Vrain SP is outside Longmont, right along I-25, so there will be some highway noise depending on which side of the park you're on. Boyd Lake SP is in Loveland (and practically at my back door!) and is much quieter as far as road noise. Both are very popular, and will need reservations. St Vrain to RMNP is via CO 66/US 36 through Lyons, and will indeed take about an hour. Boyd Lake to RMNP, after Memorial Day, will be via US 34 and depending on traffic, takes about 45 minutes to an hour. US 34 is currently closed and under construction and is expected to reopen Memorial Day weekend.

IMHO, the commercial RV Parks/CG in Estes are way over priced. Yes, there are some convenient to Rocky, and have FHU, but value is missing. If you must stay in Estes, consider Estes Park CG at Mary's Lake, which is run by the town of Estes Park Recreation and Parks Department. There are FHU and W/E sites available - FHU go for $47/night, the cheapest in town (East Portal is the "sister site" and same rates, but it's not actually in town).

We go to RMNP every year and if you plan 6 months ahead you should get a site at Moraine campgrounds. We have also stayed in peace full valley at camp Dick, that is just down the road on highway 72. The closest state park I know about is Boyd lake in Loveland it is a really nice park by the lake.

I stayed in a private Rv park in Estes. Little over 1 mile to the park enterance.