Lodgepole - Jefferson

We loved it here. There a few things to note for campers interested in the area. The dirt road on the way in 2.5-3.5miles is BUMPY. Really not a big deal unless you have a travel trailer, which we did- it was some slowwww going for a while.

The spots are spaced well on the outside portion of the loop. On the inside of the loop they are closer together and mostly tent only spaces. Trailer sites are small for sure- I wouldn’t trust anything over 29ish feet in here.

The drive from Denver is exceptionally easy right up 285, there is water at the campground though we heard the pump was quite a workout.

Now- on to the important stuff....awesome Lake to fish in? Check. Access to the beautiful CO trail steps from the campground? Check. Quaint river full of fish and beaver pond tributaries? Check. Beautiful forest? Check. This place is one of those places you come to stay for a few days without leaving- but who would want to? Everything we love about our state is here.

We stayed in the ‘over flow’ or dispersed camp sites and not the reserved spots. It’s a little ways in, but not bad. Probably not good for a stock car but an SUV with decent clearance should do fine. The site we found was in terrible condition, which is sad that people leave the camp site that way. There was trash every where, beer cans, broken pieces glass, parts of an old tent, and toilet paper. I realize that’s not anyone’s fault but just humans who are inconsiderate. The sites, for being dispersed are pretty close to each other. But there’s some beautiful views and lots of wildlife.

We have previously stayed at Aspen and decided to try this campground since Aspen was full. Our site was very spacious and it was nice to spread out, however, the actual tent spot was really close to the vault toilets. The smell wasn't terrible, but definitely had some foot traffic during the night.

We expected plenty of people given that it was 4th of July. There were a couple very loud large groups and some RV's that ran their generators all day long. Not really the campgrounds fault however.

The water was fine but it was quite the workout to get it pumped. Bathrooms were decent. No real complaints about anything, we just missed the smaller campground at Aspen.

Dirty and over used is the shortest description. There were small bits and pieces of plastic, trash, cigarette butts almost every where I looked. The strangest part was the wire. There was so much insulated wire it almost looked like a junkyard. I guess hunters had used it to hang deer for gutting. At fist I thought it was string and I continually went to pick it up only to find more wire.

Overall we enjoyed our stay. the bathrooms were clean and our campsite was very large. Wr loved the easy access to the Colorado Trail as well. The negatives were that we were not expecting so many generators to be running while we were there. Also, the water is drinkable, but there was a sign about how they got cited for not keeping the minimum required water records in May of 2018. We were not 100% sure if the water was safe. We would return again, but will be strategic about what site we book.

The Lodgepole and all of the Jefferson campgrounds provide great access to the Colorado trail. I’ve camped here several times, but be sure to catch it in the fall! The colors are amazing. Just a short drive to Jefferson Lake, or you can hop on the Colorado trail just across the road. Not the most secluded sites, but plenty of trees and shade to feel private enough.