This was the first place my husband and I (and our dog!) went camping in our adult lives. We decided to try a site that we could reserve first before diving into dispersed camping, and since we'd been hiking here the week prior, we thought we'd give it a shot. Reserving our spot online was super easy, and I REALLY liked the little map that allowed you to see which campsites were already taken - we were able to choose one that was relatively secluded. You do need to reserve ahead of time, but there was a number you could call on our campsite post in the event that you drove up to one at the last minute in order to make your reservation. We did see a park ranger drive by at one point just to check on things.

Getting there was incredibly easy (note that if you don't have an annual CO state parks pass, you'll need to pay a fee for that at the gate in addition to reserving your spot). Lake Pueblo State Park in general is not well-shaded, and the campsites were no exception, but we knew that going in. Each site at Juniper Breaks has a fire ring, tent spot, and a picnic table-with shade over the table. The sites aren't super close together, you can see each other but I felt like we had privacy and everyone was polite and doing their own thing. It was a quick walk to the bathrooms, which were clean and stocked with toilet paper. There was also a water pump outside. The campsite is sort of close to a road so we could hear the cars going by at night occasionally (but as this was our first time camping, we didn't mind!!)

Juniper Breaks isn't right next to any trails, so you'll have to drive to access them if you hike or bike. Definitely worth it, there are some FANTASTIC and really cool trails here! There was a little parking lot in the campground that people with kayaks kept pulling up to, so I think there's a spot to launch your boat (but don't know any details about this).

All in all, we had a really nice, quiet time. A great first camping experience in a great park!