Springer Gulch

Spent 9/3 - 9/6 at Springer Gulch and had a nice time. The campground is not hosted, but the park ranger passes through once or twice a day to check on things, and the Park County Sheriff came through one evening as well. With the stage 2 fire ban, we were relegated to propane use for light and cooking, but the area was still very relaxing. The sites are pretty close together, so you’ll meet your neighbors. Very quiet other than a couple of RV campers coming in and setting up late Friday night, and a few folks riding motorcycles and ATVs, which isn’t permitted in the area (where’s that sheriff again?). At nighttime it was so quiet we heard the river from our spot, and an owl hooting as well. Gorgeous views and close to the river if you’d like to fly fish or tube. General store in Lake George is about 20 minutes away if you need something. Bear country, so be prepared. Also at the base of a trail head, so you’ll likely see some folks walking through your site at random. We enjoyed the spot and will return.

An incredible location and setting! 

On arrival, the road into the gulch is a total mess. It needs grading badly, but the site is so inviting. The drive up Eleven Mile Canyon is beautiful. The gulch itself is in a cozy little canyon. At the campsite, we were super impressed by the setting. The campsites back up to edges of the gulch, so you back to back up to other campers. One downside of the campground is it was extremely dusty, just the nature of the area. The facilities could use a little updating. While the bathrooms are sanitized three times a day, they aren't cleaned. The host was friendly and welcoming. He took our wood order and brought a few bundles to our site, which was nice. Around the area, you have access to Gold Medal trout fishing.

•  A few tips for your stay: There are very few places in the river safe for kids, it can be treacherous in most places. 

• The host we had at the time doesn't stay at the site but lives in a nearby town, so he wasn't easily accessible. Best to stock up on wood. 

• The trees made this site so lovely. If you have a hammock, bring it. There will be plenty of great places to hang it. 

• Be prepared for lots of dust. Not a huge deal, but the area is just super dusty. 

• The water from the pump was great with our hand filter but a bit dirty and irony out of the pump. 

• Granite Canyon General Store is close, but the dirt road up the canyon isn't something you want to spend to much time on. Tight road, needs grading, ect. So, stop on your way in and don't plan to leave regularly. Link: http://www.granitecanyongeneralstore.com/

Springer Gulch is a beautiful primitive campground in easy driving distance from Eleven Mile state park. If you don't want to drive to the lake, there are plenty of spots along the river you can set up and tube/float along.

The campground was quite and filled with families, so no issues there. Campground host does come around with firewood if you need any. Campsites are clean and well-kept.

There were, however, a few drawbacks to this Campground if you are pulling a trailer. First off the road in is completely washboard so if you're pulling a trailer it'll take you twice as long to get to your site.

Additionally the loop in the campground is very tight so again if you are pulling a trailer you need to know which site you were in before going into the loop as to make sure you are going the correct way when you back up into your site. It not a one-way Loop, therefore pulling in with a trailer will be counterintuitive if you go the wrong way.

Much of the road was washed out with large ditches so we were having to be extremely cautious to make sure we didn't bottom out.

Once we got in to the campground with the trailer, parked and set up, we had a wonderful time. Plenty of shade and trees.

The Campground has pit toilets and pump water.

Campround Review:

Springer Gulch in Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area is absolutely beautiful. About 40min from Colorado Springs, its an easy to access escape west of Pikes Peak. When you drive into the Recreation Area, the road continues into a canyon and follows along the creek. You wont get any road noise here or cell reception. There are many picnic areas and campsites along the way.

We stayed at Springer Gulch campsite a few miles in. The road is a little rough so it can be slow going. Each of the established campgrounds have restroom facilities and water pumps. Sites are clean and each campground has a camp host. If you forget to bring your firewood, most of the hosts should have some to sell. All of the sites have a fire pit/grill and picnic table. Sites go fast so make sure you reserve yours plenty ahead of time.

There are a lot of activities in the area to enjoy including hiking and fishing. Overall we loved our little weekend getaway. Would recommend any day.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time. At Springer Gulch in Eleven mile Canyon Recreation Area I tested the aramba Waterproof Hard Shell Jacket by Mishmi Takin. The jacket was an upgrade for me from my old waterproof jacket and I'm much happier with it. There were a lot of things I loved about the Garamba.

1. Fit & Function: It fits excellent without being too tight or too large. It leaves enough room for proper layering in colder weather.
2. Adjustability: It has many double zippers, velcro straps, draw strings, etc. to change the jacket to your current needs. All are easy to reach and function easily.
3. Abrasion Resistance: The material feels more durable to the touch compared to many lightweight hard shell jackets. I'm not afraid to wear it on trails with dense growth.