Activities: Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Pets, Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 10
in Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument is a 210,000-acre classroom on the history of the earth. There are 23 exposed rock formations in the monument. The most notable, the Morrison Formation, is a treasure trove of plant and animal fossils. In 1909, paleontologist Earl Douglass discovered the dinosaur quarry which most park visitors come to see, but if you leave after just visiting the quarry, you have missed the best of the park. The auto tour from the visitors center to Harpers Corner features colorful canyons and stunning views. The tour takes four hours round-trip, but campers at Echo Park can turn it into a two-day (or more) adventure. Echo Park is located at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers, in the shadow of the impressive Steamboat Rock. In the 1950s, conservation groups defeated a dam proposal at this location. Today, the Yampa is Colorado’s most naturally flowing river, with only a few small reservoirs near its headwaters. While enjoying the beautiful scenery at this campground, you can also expect to see (and camp with) kayakers and rafting groups traveling downriver toward Class IV rapids.
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Activities: Hiking, Fishing, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 7
north of Steamboat Springs
Located in the Elk River valley on the west side of the Park Range, the Seedhouse campground is popular because of its proximity to the Slavonia trailhead, the most heavily used trailhead in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Seedhouse is also adjacent to the Wyoming Trail, a 48-mile route from the Summit Lake campground (near Steamboat Springs) into the Medicine Bow Mountains in Wyoming. Anglers can attempt fly-fishing on the productive Elk River. The campground is a sprawling loop in a spruce-fir forest scattered with rocks and boulders left behind by the same glacial activity that carved this valley and the high cirques that are the main attraction of the Park Range. The sites are about 30 feet apart. Sites14 and 15 overlook the Middle Fork of the Elk River.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 8
Hinman Park is a little valley hemmed in by the Elk River on one side and rocky outcroppings on the other. The vegetation is mostly sagebrush with evergreens along the river and some small aspen groves near the outcroppings. The north end of this valley has tantalizing views of the Park Range in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. There are two pull offs that lead to campsites in the trees near the river. Hikers and bikers can explore he Hinman Creek Trail. Hikers who wish to explore the wilderness area can take teh South Fork Trail (near the Hinman Park campground) to the Elk Park Trail, or drive up the road to the Slavonia trailhead. The Elk River has good but challenging fly-fishing.
Activities: Hiking, Fishing, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 6
From Hinman Park, hikers can explore the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, an area of rugged granite peaks and glacial lakes. These mountains were carved by glaciers that left U-shaped valleys and high cirques. The South Fork Trail begins near the campground and connects with the Elk Park Trail. This trail crosses three drainages and is the best way to explore the lower elevation of the wilderness. Anglers will enjoy fishing on the Elk River, which the Orest SErvice has proposed for Wild and Scenic designation. The campground is in a pine forest beside a meadow. Sites 1, 3, and 5 border that meadow. Sites 9,10 and 12 are on a steep hill that is not ideal for tent camping.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Boating, Pets, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 10
Pearl Lake is a gem in the state park system. Tucked into a narrow north-south valley at the base of Farwell Mountain, this campground offers scenery, seclusion, and first-rate fishing. On an early summer morning, you might wake up to tendrils of mist curling over the lake, a dusting of snow on the ridgelines, and the sounds of 18-inch trout leaping out of the water.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Fishing, Boating, Pets, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 9
in Steamboat Lake State Park
Steamboat Lake attracts hikers, mountain bikers, anglers, water sport enthusiasts, wildlife lovers, and travelers who are ready to put up their feet and enjoy the view. A normal day at Steamboat Lake includes a hike up Hahn’s Peak, a dip in the lake, and fishing for rainbow trout. Parents and kids will enjoy the interpretive programs at the visitors center and the five miles of easy trails surrounding the lake. Dutch Hill is the smaller of the two campgrounds at Steamboat Lake and the most attractive for tent campers. The Bridge Island loop (sites 166 – 200) is surrounded by water and offers breathtaking views of Hahn Peak and the Park Range. Sites 181 – 200 are walk-in sites. The Wheeler loop (sites 116 – 155 is very popular with RVers because of the electrical hookups and the mature trees. Sites 116 – 122 offer less privacy than any of the other sites in this loop.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Fishing, Boating, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 8
Steamboat Lake is a 1,055-acre reservoir at the base of Hahn’s Peak in the heart of Routt National Forest. The surrounding mountains were the traditional hunting grounds of the Utes until 1881, when growing pressure from white settlers secured the long-sought exile of the Utes from Colorado to a reservation in eastern Utah. With the original residents gone, this area opened up to a flood of mining and ranching, and it still retains much of that early flavor. The Elk River valley to the south remains ranching land and will stay that way thanks to progressive landholders and conservation easements.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Boating, Pets, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 7
The Hahns Peak Lake Campground is a smaller, quieter destination than the busy campgrounds at Steamboat Lake State Park. The narrow lake sits between Nipple Peak to the north and Hahns Peak to the east. Mountain bikers enjoy the Nipple Peak Loop, a combination of forest service roads and trails. Hikers can climb Nipple Peak or stick to the West Side Trail along the lake. The campground contains two large loops in a lodgepole pine forest at the north end of the lake. The sites are about 100 feet apart and have ample room for big families to spread out. The first loop (sites 1 – 11) is closer to the lake, but the second loop seems to be more popular.
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 10
The Gates of Lodore sounds and looks like a place out of “Lord of the Rings”. At this campground, the Green River leaves the high desert and enters the red rock Canyon of Lodore, named by a member of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition. the gates are at the north end of Dinosaur National Monument, in the remote valley of Browns Park where it is easy to feel like you’re camping at the end of the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Activities: Hiking, Biking, Pets, RV and Tent Camping Scenic Rating: 7
in Browns Park
Located in Browns Park, a remote valley with a Wild West history, Irish Canyon is a unique geological feature. Cold Spring Mountain just 2,500 feet above the valley floor. The entrance to Irish Canyon is at the east end of the mountain, and approaching it feels like stepping back in time. The sensation is fitting – the colorful canyon consists of remnants of the ancient Uinta Mountains, including Red Creek Quartzite, which is the oldest rock in Colorado at 2.3 billion years.
