Colorado Trip in July

evanrem wrote:
First off thanks for those who replied to my previous post about my trip. I have since did further research and still am just as unsure where to go. We enjoy national forest or state campgrounds and relaxing in the campsite when there and not crammed into a private RV park. Quiter places with less crowds is ideal. We have about 9 days in Colorado and tow a 34 foot TT and these are the places I'm thinking of:

Ouray\Durango- hear a lot about this place more campgrounds on the Durango side

Colorado Springs- Pikes Peak and Garden of Gods

Maybe RMNP

Aspen seems to have a lot of camping located all around and maroon bells

If you locals have some secret spots that i'm unaware of let me know or thoughts on places above.

Thanks

If you are definitely considering RMNP, you'll need to make your reservations NOW for the CG inside the park. Moraine Park and Glacier Basin may be completely booked by now, particularly for weekends. If you'll only be staying during the week, you'll have a better chance. There are also USFS CG south of Estes Park along CO7/CO72 - Olive Ridge, Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick. Of the 3, I prefer Camp Dick. No hookups at any of them, but spacious sites available at Camp Dick. Again, get reservations in ASAP.

There are plenty of RV campgrounds also in Ouray as well as the Ridgeway State Park, which would fit your preference. It is not far out of Ouray.

In Colorado Springs, if you are lucky you might still be able to get a site at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, more likely for week days. It would be worth it even for a couple of days--one of the best.

As for Aspen, just be aware that you can only come in (and go out) from Glenwood Springs, you cannot go over Independence Pass over to Highway 24. We have never stayed with an RV in Aspen, but many times at Buena Vista in the Arkansas Valley. You could stay in Buena Vista and drive over to Aspen for a day with your tow vehicle.

We have gone back and forth from Buena Vista to Estes Park a good many times and for that I always recommend the route known as the "Peak to Peak" highway. I won't go into that detail here except to recommend it rather than the freeway through Denver.

Just some comments that come to mind.

Also in Colorado Springs area is Mueller State Park, beautiful wooded park at around 9500' elevation, about 45 minutes from Colorado Springs on the other side of Pikes Peak. We used it as a base for exploring the area, loved it. For a lesser known gem in the south part of the state, the Great Sand Dunes N.P. is amazing. We camped next to it in San Luis S.P. - upside of the state vs. national is you can get electric sites & shower facilities.

Hi , we are planning on trip to RMNP at Glacier Basin in late July from what I see now all booked up. also looked into Cheyenne Mountain SP it is also booked that week.
From reviews I seen Pike Peak is tight to get in??
I stayed at Mountain Dale resort very nice, no cell service that we got, nice clean CG. I also heard good things about Diamond Campground in Woodland Park that is near Colorado Springs.
hope this helps,
have a good trip

South Mineral Campground is Federal and is three miles west of Silverton. There is a four mile dirt road into the campground but it is well maintained. They do not have hook ups but there is drinking water. There are only 26 sites. They also have toilet facilities but they have no running water. We like staying at Alpen Rose in Durango which is a 35 mile drive to Silverton. We were there last year for the month of May. It is a gorgeous area.

agb2529 wrote:
Also in Colorado Springs area is Mueller State Park, beautiful wooded park at around 9500' elevation, about 45 minutes from Colorado Springs on the other side of Pikes Peak. We used it as a base for exploring the area, loved it. For a lesser known gem in the south part of the state, the Great Sand Dunes N.P. is amazing. We camped next to it in San Luis S.P. - upside of the state vs. national is you can get electric sites & shower facilities.

^^^^^ This. For both recommendations.

There's also Cheyenne Mountain SP, but it's extremely difficult to get reservations there and is likely already booked completely for July. Mueller is a great alternative and gaining in popularity.

As for Great Sand Dunes, there's a lot more than just climbing up/down dunes. There's some great hikes NOT in the sand, but trails in the mountains to which the dunes abutt. There's also 4x4 trails to explore if you're so inclined.

All good recommendations, but it is going to be next to impossible to get weekend reservations at any of the state or national campgrounds during the weekends. Maybe you can get something at Ridgway, but I would bet dollars to doughnuts that all the others mentioned are going to be booked out.

Junction Creek Campground. A forest service campground with 50A service with water available. We filled up coming in and dumped on the way out. 4 miles up from Durango. Very treed with tall Ponderosa Pines. It is a great place to visit the area from that is not a parking lot.

You haven't given us a specfic time and that can affect our responses, as most places don't open up until Memorial Day, and even then, snow can block access at higher elevations. Likewise, the week of July 4th is already mostly booked.

JMHO, but I find nothing enticing about Colorado Springs. Better places to spend your nine days to get a better feel of the mountains of Colorado.

You may see lots of NFS CG's up Maroon Creek, but very, very few will fit your rig and those are probably booked solid by now. If you want to be in this area, your best bets would be Difficult NFS CG east of Aspen, and the NFS CG's up the Crystal River on CO 133 above Carbondale.

The SW part of the state could take your entire nine days and you'll still just be able to see the highlights. One of the most scenic areas in the lower 48. Base out of Durango and you'll be able to visit Mesa Verde, day trip to Ouray and Telluride, and ride the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (not to be missed!!!). As noted, if you're going in the summer, it might be challenging to get reservations at this point. Try Haviland Lake NFS CG north of Durango, you might luck out with your dates. Nice CG away from the highway on the shores of a lake. Very relaxing. The CG at Mesa Verde is huge, although getting on and off the mesa to explore other areas is time consuming. Higher up so cooler than around Durango. If everything else is full, you might also try the NFS CG at McPhee Reservoir near Dolores. Near the Anasazi Heritage Center, a very worthwhile stop.

If you want quiet, check out areas along CO 149 between Lake City and Creede. Pretty far out there and away from the crowds. Make sure you are well provisioned as you aren't near much if you camp somewhere near the upper reaches of the Rio Grande. Lots of boondocking in this area also.

If it's after mid-July, you might consider a day or two on Grand Mesa east of Grand Junction. The flowers on the west end of the mesa are worth the drive. Around 10,000' so cool, even on the hottest days of the year. Lots of lakes and gorgeous views of the San Juans. Not very bust most of the time. Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP is also quite scenic and interesting. Very dark at night for good stargazing. Nice CG.

I think 4runnerguy is giving good advice. We lived in Estes Park 1995-2003 and now down here near Tucson. But we go back to CO in the summer a lot. We spend our time in the southwest part of the state. Went back to Estes twice a couple of times but now do not go back - people and the pine beetle in RMNP has taken away the beauty that loved loved, hiked in and photographed. A couple of things in CO Springs but if you want Nature and it's beauty I highly recommend the southwest part of the state. We will be there for nearly two months this summer.