Best Dog-Friendly Camping near La Veta, CO

This campsite run by the National Forest Service is about two hours drive west of Trinidad Colorado and about 45 minutes from the small town of La Veta. The site is accessed off of scenic highway 12. You drive about 5 miles up a step dirt and gravel road with multiple switchback to reach near lake. This is the sister camp to blue lake campground about 1 mile down the mountain road. Bear lake is a beautiful mountain fishing lake at about 11,000 feet altitude. The site is very popular for families in the summer looking for great camping and even better fishing. The lake is full of trout and many campers were hitting their 4 fish limit. The site has better views of the mountain peaks than blue lake. The campsites have some privacy depending on the site. This place is very popular and reservations are a must in the summer months. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and ample parking for two cars or a van. They have great trails for hiking and ATVs here and campers frequently run into bears. So you need to prepare and take the necessary precautions. The site is also popular for ATVs. So would will need to prepare for vehicles running through the camp.

As I start this, the manager Crystal is a very polite and wanting to make your stay is comfortable. The high point of my stay.

If I was told sooner that my service dog was just considered a pet to the owners, I would have canceled my trip to here. It was three days when one of the owners made what I consider as a put down of me as well as my service dog. If I was told sooner than the three days, I would have canceled my trip all together and gladly lose only $20, instead if I canceled on that day I would have lost nearly $450.

Ask any veteran if their service dog is only a pet. For those who do not realize this, but a veteran and their service dog is just one entity. The service dog being considered a pet is like telling someone with an artificial limb if that part of the vet is a"pet". The service dog is a part of the veteran and has specific duties to that veteran and is trained to do those duties to assist the veteran.

My service dog has 8 specific jobs to help me live my life, he is never to be considered just a"pet" as I had been told. This is sent out to my brothers and sisters on just how unwanted we are going here, as well as The Lodge@ San Isabel Lake and Aspen Acres.

Realistically, all I wanted was some sort of acknowledgement that it was an honest mistake in saying that, but when there is silence that screams louder than what words could ever say.

We stayed here for two weeks and every day there were new breathtaking views all around. You feel as if you are walking the top of the world when exploring the area, the entire San Luis Valley gives this feeling. The lake is beautiful and has a beautiful view of the Great Sand Dunes National Park to the north and Mt. Blanca to the east. Camping is by permit, so stop anywhere you can get a Colorado hunting or fishing license and get a State wildlife area permit, they're $43 per person, but if you're age 18-64 you're required to have an SWA permit to camp in Colorado State wildlife areas. The permit is good from April 1st through March 31st of each year, and yes they are yearly permits, so try to get them in April. The campground has electric hookups, but no water. So pack in your water, vault toilets on loops B and C, RV dump station, and dumpster at exit of campground areas. You can stay 14 days every 45 days. Zapata falls nearby is a MUST visit and there is a pay to camp campground there. Cell service is spotty for Verizon, not sure about other carriers.

We should have arrived and checked in by 3:30pm. But had a lack of gas issue. Passed up $5.90 stop. Has the range to go the 19 mile to next station for $4.78. But did not figure in the Frigging HEAD WIND, Went from 11 mpg to 3 and 4 mpg. Was 1.5 miles short. OnStar dispatch with in 5 minutes of our stop. 2.5 hr later back on Road. During down time call Cool Sunshine RV park to tell them we were still coming. Said sorry for our delay but gave us our spot no# C15, gate code to open gate. Had our welcome packet taped to office door with all others info about park. They said they were going to run my card for rest of our stay. Green Grass between and around park. Flat gravel roads and deep camp sites there are pull through down center of park. No pool. But two horse shoes puts, corn holes boards, some game called GA-GA pit. Like Dodge ball, but all in circle. Small finced dog park. Nice gate coded bathroom and showers. And Laundry room!