Estes Park Colorado

Busskipper wrote:

Two Jayhawks wrote:
Estes is our favorite close destination as it's really only a days drive from home. Only thing missing is we have not been enjoying the RV parks we have stayed. We mostly go back to Elk Meadow as our size has put a few others out of reach. Frankly we have stayed at other parks in Estes when we were 36' & 40' but it made little difference. Sites are always close, usually difficult to level, dirt sites, dusty, staff seems like they are doing you favor, etc. Wondering if anyone has any recommendations. I can't believe someone hasn't opened up something like Grizzly in West Yellowstone in the Estes area. That would force them all to raise the bar.

Sounds like you need a second location - Maybe the Collegiates and Buena Vista/Leadville/Crested Butte or Ouray/Lake City/Telluride

These are the go to spots, as they just get you away from the crowds, but still not too far from the world.

Take a look

Busskipper has it right. Check out the Upper Arkansas River Valley (Buena Vista, Salida, Leadville). Plenty to do, whether it's hiking, biking, fishing, rafting, ghost towns, jeeping, etc. without the huge crowds of EP. The people who work there live there, unlike EP where there are a lot of seasonal workers. More friendly and authentic. Downtown Salida has amazing shops and restaurants and music in the park along the river during the summer. BV is less developed (there's only one stoplight) but still fun. Leadville is quite historic and has a great mining museum. I'm a CO native and this area is still one of our go-to areas in the state. Only an hour further from your home than EP.

Indeed the area around Durango, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride also has a lot to offer, esp. in the way of scenery. I think this area would have been a National Park or a Wilderness were it not for the mining in the late 1800's. Also close to Mesa Verde NP and other smaller, lesser known ruins. But it is more than a day drive for you to get there.