Info about Grand Lake, Co area

Busskipper is right. Much quieter on the west side and far fewer people. There is a reason. Hardly anything to do there except to fish some and some very limited hiking and, like Thom said, longer hikes.

The reason all the crowds are on the east side is that is where all the places to view are and nearly all the activities - both inside and outside the Park - are located.

bodacious wrote:
First leg of our upcoming truck camper trip is to Winding River Resort in Grand Lake, Co. Would appreciate any info about the area such as interesting things to do & see. Am particularly interested in fishing around the area. Also continuing on to Crater Lake NP and on to Seattle, Washington. Would appreciate any info regarding guided tours in/around Seattle. Am particularly interested in touring the waterfront and Pikes Fish Market. Thanks in advance for your replies.

Grand Lake Colorado - The most interesting and rewarding thing I enjoy in the area Is the Area - just love it with the rockies the Lakes and the friendly people. If you need Peace and Quiet just take a hike to a quiet and Private spot. Unlike Estes this side of RMNP get fewer people and less of everything but the Views.

Lot's of fishing this is the headwaters of the Colorado so just find a good guide and fish away or hike back into the woods and Fish away.

Portland and Seattle are two very enjoyable towns to visit. Lot's to see and do.

While the Northwest is beautiful Just something about Colorado that makes it hard to Leave.

BOL,

Crater Lake is not to be missed. Collier SP is one of the best you will find and the logging museum cannot be duplicated anyplace. Guess what, we will be back to all those places again this year!

Thanks to all who replied. Crater lake NP is one of the very few parks in the Lower 48 and Alaska that we haven't been to. We're in the area a few years ago but it was in late May and most roads in and near the park were closed.

Crater Lake is a 'must see' if you'll be in the area. It's probably not a place folks would return to time after time but it's definitely worth a first-time.

The park has a dry campground.
Other places to stay: Collier Memorial State Park at Chiloquin; Joseph H. Stewart State Rec. Area on Hwy 62 south of Prospect; Diamond Lake area on the north side of Crater Lake - mosquitoes very possible.

We like the Grand Lake area and Thom sums it up pretty well. I like to eat lunch at the Grand Lake Lodge just north of town. Every couple times in G Lake I go over to E Park to remind me why I stay in G Lake.
There are a lot of things to do between G Lake and OR so a little more info on how much time you have would help.
My kids would say "skip Crater Lake" and spend the time on the OR coast.

bodacious wrote:
First leg of our upcoming truck camper trip is to Winding River Resort in Grand Lake, Co. Would appreciate any info about the area such as interesting things to do & see.

Winding River is a very nice place to set up camp; rustic but with amenities.

The town of Grand Lake is a funky little town, with boardwalk sidewalks in the downtown area and some pretty decent restaurants. Like any tourist town, there's lots of gift and craft shops, some overpriced, but good for a fun day of exploring the town. There's a swim beach as well as paddle boat rentals, if that also interests you, and it's right in town.

You'll be on the "quiet" side of RMNP. You could take a day trip and head over to Estes Park, the "rowdy" side of Rocky. You'll go up and over Trail Ridge Rd, which tops out at over 12000 feet and with plenty of photo ops along the way, and frequent pull over places to get them. At the very least, take a drive up to the Alpine Visitors Center at Fall River Pass. Again, wonderful vistas for photo ops, including a short but somewhat strenuous hike to an overlook point, a gift shop and a display inside the visitors center.

There's also good hiking on that west side of the park, with information at the Kawuneeche Visitors Center at the west gate. Hikes on the west side are sometimes longer, and sometimes not as scenic as on the east side, but still worth it if you're into hiking.

You will also be near the headwaters of the Colorado River, and in the valley, there's lots of opportunities to see wildlife. I've also seen folks fly fishing in the river, so if you're interested, that could also be an opportunity, with more information at the visitors center.

If you want to expand your plans in the area, there's also Winter Park with the ski resorts and all sorts of summer activities. There's also Hot Sulphur Springs, the county seat for Grand County and another funky little town, with a hot springs resort.

Those are the locales and things to see/do that come to mind in the immediate area. There's also the ski towns in Summit County (Breckenridge/Frisco/Silverthorne/Dillon) that could be a fun tour for you as well, since they all have a lot of summer activities. Another good day trip.

For Grand Lake, there are 3 lakes right in the area. Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain, and Granby. All have boat rentals.

If it were me, I would try to book a trip with Bernie. One of the best guides in the state. If you want to learn, he will teach you. And if the fishing is slow, he will keep you entertained.

You might be able to catch some fish on your own, but a guide will shorten your learning curve - and get you the potential to catch some very large Lake Trout.

For the easiest way to tour Seattle stay west of it on the Olympic Peninsula - Port Townsend is a great place. Then drive south a short distance to take the Bainbridge Island Ferry (parking for your truck right at the ferry dock) for a quick ferry trip across Puget Sound. Walk-on is very cheap. It will disembark you at the Aquarium/Pikes Market area. (Save Pikes Market last before boarding for your return trip because you'll probably buy things.)

Take a tour of the Aquarium. Nearby you can get on the monorail whisking you above the city which lets you off at the Space Needle. Return to Pikes Market area the same way. Do your shopping, dining and get back on the ferry for a pleasant ride back to your truck. It makes for a very nice day that will easily fit any budget with no big city traffic congestion.

There are quite a few RV parks all along that area and excellent state parks. Search parks under Gig Harbor, Poulsbo and our favorite, Port Townsend. Fort Worden and Fort Flagler State Parks are very nice on the water. Port Townsend is a quaint small town, Victorian homes, with lots of activities and free concerts. Sequim is another place to stay. There's also Olympic National Park nearby and the main road up to Hurricane Ridge goes out of Port Angeles - an easy drive from Port Townsend. From Port Angeles you could also take a ferry to Vancouver Island which has a neat area around the ferry dock and you can pick up the city bus to take you to Burchart Gardens. You can do all this in a day.

I'd recommend staying on the Olympic Peninsula over staying in the Seattle area.