Our observations on NFS CG's here in Colorado:
In early June, things were unbelievably busy. At a lake near our cabin in southern CO, I've never seen it so busy as it was on Saturdays in early June. And I've been going there for nearly 60 years. It wasn't just campers, people were day tripping just to fish. Wall to wall people all along the shore. Reminded me of the "combat" fishing we'd seen up in Alaska on the Kenai.
In mid June, we took a week trip to the Upper Arkansas River Valley between Leadville and Salida. Arrived on a Sunday. Huge numbers of vehicles on the road travelling both directions. Campground hosts said it had been a madhouse all spring. The company they work for is a concessionaire for a number of NFS CG's in the area.
But when we left a week later, again on a Sunday, the traffic on the roads was maybe 25% of what it had been the previous Sunday. All but two of the campsites in the CG we had stayed in left that Sunday. Things were definitely quieter as we went through the towns.
Then last week it was back to the cabin. On Saturday, July 4th, we walked through one of the CG's. Of the 15 sites, 3 were still available. On a Saturday afternoon on the 4th of July weekend!
Again on Tuesday our travels took us back through Leadville, Salida, Buena Vista. Even fewer people than a week earlier.
So what we have seen was a real rush in early June. Things are now slowing down quite a bit. We have talked to others who have traveled elsewhere in CO and it seems to be a statewide trend.
I would also say that Colorado license plates represent a greater proportion of those out in the mountains than in years past. Yes, we still see out-of-state plates, but not as many as usual.
