roadtripper4033701

Arrived at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14th. The campground was full. A staff member told us the city is putting in eight more sites, but that this year has been the busiest he's seen.

Needed an overnight stay and saw this campground just off Hwy 50. It used to be a first come, first served site for just $7. The campground was completely empty except for two state employees who were putting up new instructions at the fee station - reservation only $28 per night. The instructions gave a phone number to call to get a reservation from the campground, except that there is no cell phone service available in that part of the canyon (or any where else farther up the canyon). The employees told us to drive to Salida to the AHRA HQ (Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Colorado Parks and Wildlife) to get a reservation in person. Salida is thirty miles from Five Points! So, to camp there would require a sixty mile round trip! Very unfortunate since this is an attractive just off the highway campground. However, being just off the highway, it isn't a destination campground. Its primary attraction is a boat launch on the other side of the highway. CPW's reservation system requires a phone or computer connection and a credit card. Cash only works if you can get to the park's visitor center. Even the employees agreed the system is nonsense.

Stayed at West Chicago Creek campground (National Forest) for three nights. It's only about an hour and a half west from Denver. Great campground host, Mike was very knowledgeable about the area. Flowers blooming in wild profusion. Had a really tasty lunch at Echo Lake Lodge. I can recommend the mushroom swiss cheese burger. Deer wandered through the campsite every day and everyone was startled at about 5 a.m. when a bear tipped over a large dumpster trying to get into it. The next day the state wildlife employees set a trap for it (second time offense) but it hasn't yet returned. There's only fifteen sites and it is a bit popular so recommend reservations. Most all sites are level from side to side and maybe a slight incline or decline from front to back. Some sites are close together but not badly so and #1 and #2 have good separation. Last 1/8 mile getting to campground go slow due to rough road and very steep grade. However, while there I saw a 45' fifth-wheel pull in, but I can't recommend anything larger than 25' for most sites. About 150' west of the campground is a trailhead that is popular and did create considerable traffic and dust from the dirt road. But, it is very quiet once the sun sets.

Lower Ansel Watrous campground in Poudre Canyon, 22 miles or so west of Fort Collins, CO. It is a very popular campground. The confirmation email stated that the lower loop "is not accessible to trailers longer than 20 feet, due to a hairpin switchback near the campground entrance." This is not true. I had no issue at all getting my 25' trailer into the campground and parked. Cleanest vault toilet bathroom I've ever been in. It even smelled good. Kinda creepy saying that, but it was. The campground looks good and it is pretty but we left early, didn't even spend one night there (we had a two night reservation). It's right off Highway 14, so there is motor traffic noise, but that wasn't what made us leave. It was buggy, but that wasn't what made us leave. There was no potable water available simply because the authorities have not monitored or filled out the proper paper work (the violation was in 2018 and the posted letter states they might fix the issue by 2023) but that wasn't why we left. It was the numerous non-campers driving through the campground scoping it out and a drugged out zombie couple from California "camping" out of their compact car next to us. When they asked for change I decided it was just a bit too much. I knew I wouldn't sleep well and home was only three hours away. With no cell service my gut feelings told me to leave, so we did. How this happens is that some of the camping sites were first come first serve and not reservable. So, it attracts vagrants. This might only be a problem for the lower campground which is smaller, isolated from the main or upper Watrous and more directly off the highway and has no host site to monitor things.

Wolford campground was a disappointment. The site I reserved #62 is not really setup for RV's. The Wolford map only shows three sites in loop D as being "tent" only and so the rest are supposedly accessible to RV's. But #62, which from Google satellite appears to be a great back in site, has a large block of stone blocking entry and an RV can only be parked near the entrance to the site. What's more it isn't clear just where that would be. The result was that the picnic table and fire ring were about 100' away and inaccessible to my disabled wife. This non-electric basic site is the same price as a sheltered electric site! Also, when I went to get water, available only at the dump station, it was padlocked. I had to go to the front gate to ask for it to be unlocked. I was told one of the campground hosts was supposed to have done that. The price I paid was not a nightly price but the minimum stay price "1 Two Night Stay." So, $74.20 (after taxes, etc.)

We were here in late May of 2021. This park should be and can be a star. But like some other Colorado State Parks that are in more remote locations it gets neglected. We needed to do laundry and fully expected to use this park to do that, but it was closed. Judging from the number of dead bugs it had been unused for quite some time. Even the sink was shut down. There was no notice of this when we made reservations. If there had been we would have utilized other state park laundries prior to our arrival. This park is a bear active area according to the signs, but the trash dumpsters are not bear proofed. The dumpsters have plastic lids and no latches. Worse, the dumpster was positioned in a way that one of the lids couldn't be closed. This is all very unfortunate as all it takes is some attention and the park would otherwise be 5 stars. There are only a few trails but they are nice, wild roses blooming along some sections. Cell phone service was surprisingly very good. Sites themselves were nicely kept. Late May is a good time to visit. Few bugs, decent temperature. The park does seem focused on boating with camping being secondary. Don't know that we'll be back as Navajo Lake State Park - Pine Campground at the southern end of the reservoir in New Mexico is nicer.

Recreation.gov doesn't accurately describe the sites. Some, such as 9 and 10, are together, as in shared. The photo on Recreation.gov shows a level tent area, but the parking for the RV was sloped uphill and difficult with just a 20 ft. trailer to get over to one side (blind side backing) from a narrow road. The next day a camper parked his pop up camper about 6 ft. away. He too had trouble and was not pleased about the shared site. Of course, this was not the fault of the campground. It's the fault of Recreation.gov. The host was friendly and helpful and kept to his duties admirably. Like the other review, the nicest thing is that the campground is well situated to Mt Evans, Squaw Pass Road, Echo Lake Lodge (great hamburgers though pricey), Echo Lake and hiking trails. It is an old campground though and most sites will only accommodate small trailers under 20'. Site # 14 looked like it would be okay for a larger trailer, but only if you're good at backing because it is still narrow. Site #5 the host thought best, but it is directly across from a group tent site with noisy teenagers. There is no cell phone, internet or TV reception. AM radio stations were non-existent, but some FM was pretty good.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife's reservation system is miserable. The fee station provides the number to call to reserve a site from the campground (800-244-5613), but there is no cell phone service and you will have to go into Salida to the park HQ. Difficult getting a trailer into HQ as there is no parking for anything other than cars and the streets are narrow. As for Salida East Recreation Site, it used to be free when it was operated by the BLM, but in 2017 BLM started renting it to the AHRA, thus the high fees. If you are a rafter or kayaker the campground might appeal to you, but for peace and quiet forget it. There was a nearly constant flow of buses with utility trailers, trucks with utility trailers and cars raising dust all going to the boat launch on the west end. Don't camp on the west end! Use only sites 1 thru 14. For the money you will not get a dump station, or trash dumpster (carry in and carry out policy) or any other service. The basic sites ($28/night) are by reservation only and the primitive campsites are $18/night, walk-in only. However, most of the primitive sites are too small for an RV and are rocky and not level.

Yampa River State Park is nice. It's only drawback is it is close to Hwy. 40 and the traffic noise is pretty continuous. So, I can only recommend it as a good place for a single overnight stay. Otherwise it's a pretty park and is a good base since it is close to the towns of Hayden and Craig. We were here mid-August and as others report, there are mosquitoes and flies, but it wasn't unbearable. The flies were actually more of a nuisance. Good cell phone reception, better than expected. Water is good tasting. Staff is friendly.