New to Colorado

EMD360 wrote:
LOTS of private residences in what is labeled national forest? Disappointing.

Try getting the national forest maps for those places you want to visit. Most (but not all) of the private inholdings are shown in white on those maps.

I take it you must live north of Denver. Otherwise, I can't see the trip to BV taking four hours. When we lived in Lakewood, we figured 2 1/2 hours. If indeed you are up north, get the NFS maps and check out the areas around the Poudre Canyon, not in the canyon itself but on either side of it.

If you haven't yet selected a place to live, do like us natives and get as close to the mountains as possible (or live in them). When we'd hit the road from Lakewood to go camping, skiing, etc. we joined the parade of cars heading up the hills, but some had already driven an hour or more from places like Centennial and Aurora just to get to where we started!

If you're retired, head up on Sunday -- everyone is heading home and it's easy to find the right spot. If you have to go on weekends, be prepared, most of the best spots are filled by Thursday afternoon. Many of the people who live in this state live here because they enjoy the outdoors. Living along the Front Range, you're competing for campsites with part of the 3+ million people who live there. Thirty years ago, when one travelled to Salida to escape the crowds, one could arrive on a Friday evening and still find a boondcoking spot. There must be twice as many people up there now, so early arrival is a necessity. Even though it's another 1 1/2 hour drive, Taylor Park has gotten so popular that we avoid that gorgeous area most of the time. So unless you can travel on weekdays, either plan on a longer drive or a lot more company.