A permit to camp is required for each campsite for each night (in addition to Park Entrance Permits).

Six and one-half miles of water beckon visitors to come out and play! Surrounded by 1,900 acres of public lands, this reservoir has it all: fishing, boating, camping, picnicking, swimming, scuba diving, rock climbing, and water skiing.

As part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project to divert water from the west slope to the east slope for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower generation, the reservoir is jointly operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District who manage water levels for irrigation, municipal, and industry use. Larimer County manages recreation.

Horsetooth Reservoir requires entrance and camping permits, and is open year round. It's located west of Fort Collins, Colorado, at an elevation of 5,420 feet.

Horsetooth Reservoir

**Campground Review**

My friends and I live in Boulder and this spot is a nice retreat about 90 minutes away near Fort Collins and is a good place to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities.

The campground is quite spacious and offers a lot of staying options. RV, car, cabins, tent – all of those kinds of sites are available. They opened a newly renovated information center about a year ago, and it’s a great place to stop in to plan out your activities in the area and make sure you have any questions answered by park ranger staff. You could very well just show up here to camp without much of a plan and after a visit to the center have more than a few ideas. They have maps.

This area has boat ramps, rock climbing nearby, and even some caves to explore. You could find some bike and hike trails too without much effort. We were there as part of a large group, so we rented three cabins near the water. Each cabin comes with a bunk bed and a double. A basic, summer camp-like mattress for each. They also have combined A/C Heater unit. I didn’t see showers here, but there were primitive toilets with TP. I noticed even the basic tent campsites came with a fire pit and picnic table.

We opted for some hikes near the campsite while some others went climbing.

**Ranger Review**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am given product to test from time to time. For the last 2 months I've been testing out the [Renogy Multi-Functional Solar Backpack](https://www.renogy.com/renogy-solar-backpack/). You can watch the video review [here](https://youtu.be/zWrLBY0ZLLY).

This is a 20L backpack with a lot of compartments best suited for those needing a daily activity/commuter bag. If you're looking for a true hiking/backpacking pack with solar panels, I recommend checking out [Renogy's stand-alone panels](https://www.renogy.com/renogy-e-flex5-portable-solar-panel-with-usb-port/).

**_How does it work?_**

The solar panel is slightly larger than a regular piece of paper (11.3" x 9.7") and can be configured to face inward when not in use for protection from abrasions. When in use, it provides a USB port to charge from (max output 1.2A and can charge a phone in 2.5 hrs.

Here's the thing: Renogy recommends you use the set up to charge to a power-bank, rather than directly to devices and I completely agree. This is because even in the best light, directly connected to my phone I was only able to maintain my power level, not improve it. I found out the panel is pretty sensitive because in partially cloudy conditions I could hear my phone beep when it would go on/off charge. Sometimes it would beep at me a few times a minute. With a power bank, you can still charge devices but also build up reserve power so at night you can recharge your electronics.

**_Who should buy this bag?_**

Anyone who wants a comfortable day pack with lots of storage options and loves the idea you can grab free energy to recharge your devices. I use it for all my media projects as it carries all my cameras, cables, and tripods plus in compartments so they aren't knocking into each other and the weight stays distributed evenly. Just check out the amount of stuff I put in this thing! It has pockets everywhere, and includes an option to slide this through larger luggage's extendable handles, making it a great carry on bag if you need to travel by a plane. You will need a different bag for long expeditions because you need more than a 20L pack for that, plus this bag lacks chest and hip straps.

**_Verdict?_**

If you're in the market for a 15-20L day pack and want something that provides power, buy this. Especially if you're outside a lot. The bag is lasting very well, the panel is going strong even after I spilled beer on it (it's waterproof and obviously it was an accident as I would never waste beer), it's comfortable, and I like how versatile I can configure it for all my stuff. In some social or business settings the solar panel isn't the greatest thing to be showing off, so it's great you can hide that away. Last I checked electricity isn't coming from a magic bean field, and I love how I'm able to go greener now by getting energy for my devices from the sun.

Ranger Review: Renogy Multi-Functional Solar Backpack at Horsetooth Resevoir

This backcountry site is a hidden gem just off of the commonly used Horsetooth Rock trail. Awesome panoramic views and plenty of wildlife.

Horsetooth Backcountry Site 

if you are okay for a little bit of a hike up the mountain I grantee you will not regret the views you get of the beautiful town of fort Collins. Great sunrises and away from traffic noise tho you may have to deal with a little bit of noise from the hiking trail but other than that horse tooth has 3 back country sites that are perfect. highly recommend spending a night up there to watch the sun light up the town of Foco!

Backcountry-ish

We visited in the fall. It was a quiet, nicely spaced campground. We had a spot right by the water. The water was really low, so we didn’t actually have water right in front of us. They offer all the amenities, electric, dump station, showers. Bring quarters for the shower! We stayed 2 nights. We drove into Estes Park, which wasn’t that far. The kids tried their luck at fishing, but didnt catch anything.

Clean, quiet campground 

I've been taking my high school Cross Country Team here for summer camp for the past 12 years. It's the most ideal spot for running, biking, swimming, hiking, and playing.

Cross Country Team Camp

We do the boat-in camping 2-3 times a season for the past 7 years or so. The coves are great but it's a bit of a gamble as sound travels so well and yahoos are prevalent. If you get one party boat who plays music medium-loud until 1am you are going to be grumpy and your kids will be super fun the following day.

  

The water also will go from so far above the trees that there is no shade to so far below that you're hoofing your gear 100 yards from the boat in the mud up to your campsite. Just be flexible and you'll have fun.

  

Kids have a blast swimming, kayaking and just goofing off. Adults chill and drink and fish. Most spots do not have bathrooms (bring a shovel, bag/remove your solid waste and keep it clean) or any other facilities except a fire ring.