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This area is owned by Clear Creek Open Space and they are currently in negotiations to gain more of the surrounding area. It is great for a hiking and picnic destination. We wanted to stay overnight so I reached out and got a permit for an overnight stay.
From the parking area you will need to head down a beautiful little columbine lined trail to the water. There are ample spaces to pitch a tent or have a picnic.
While we were there it was almost like we were far away from the city even though we were just in the foothills. I didn't hear one car or person other than our group.
There aren't bathrooms, trash, or water so you will need to be prepared for that.
We had a great time staying for free at Rollins pass. We had a large group of bikers so we all hammock camped since there isn't much space for tents (lots of trees but not enough space to set up a tent). We were there for mtn biking and a show in Winter Park and it was an easy ride to and from town from the pass. There are lots of campers along the road since the top of the pass is the start of all the single track trails heading down into the town.
I also stayed an extra night so I could leave early in the morning to hike James Peak and St. Mary's Glacier. It is easy access from here too. You will need to drive to the trailhead but it is less than a mile to the glacier and only a couple more miles to the peak.
Even in Summer it is cold so be away and prepare yourself accordingly.
This is a location that you only camp if you literally don't have any worries about being around people. It is ALWAYS packed due to the tons of hiking trails, huge dog park, and water access.
I taught kayaking to little ones here and it was always a fight to get into the park, get to the water, and not get run over by boats and unexperienced (or entitled) people.
The campground is well maintained but it sit really worth being able to be basically in a metropolitan city? For me I'll go somewhere more nature friendly and less crowded.
BUT it is excellent for dogs. We love taking out dogs here because they can play in water, run their hearts out, and hang out with other dogs. It is pricey to get into the park though. $80 for a year pass to the state parks and another $25 for the dog park fees.
We stayed here as an after party for a wedding so it was the perfect spot for us to have a large group of people and multiple tent spots. There are tent pads and groomed areas for camping. The group sites are large and there are bathrooms provided in the group camp area. They are pit toilets but they were really well taken care of and the location was gorgeous.
We didn't see another group there and we were there on a popular weekend (labor day). We were only 15 mins at most from Blackhawk so it was fun to go into town for an eventing to hang out at the casinos and get dinner.
This is a park for people who live in trailers and RV's that want to stay stationary for a while. You are not allowed to stay if you are staying for less than 5 days. It is for longer stays and is in the middle of Englewood which is busy and crowded. There isn't a nature feel at all in the area. You are right off a main road.
This is a mobile home park, which means that it is a stationary trailer park and some RV's have taken up permanent residence here and it isn't a location where you can pull into to camp for the night.
Visited the Reverend Ridge campground the weekend of March 6 for some early camping. The setting was a bit snowy but spectacular. The trailer pad was icy but cleared, and after some shoveling we were able to find the fire pit! If it is this great in the spring, imagine how great it is in the summer!
Went there in June and it was pretty hard to get up there as the road was snow packed almost at the lake so we had to hike the rest of the way. Definitely need a 4x4 as the toad can be very rocky. I was able to drive a Subaru Forester up there but some areas i wish i had driven a slightly higher clearance vehicle. Jeeps/ Toyota’s will have no problem with the road.
So, we unfortunately got off on the wrong foot with this campground. It was likely our error, but we did not see anywhere in the booking process that there would be additional fees once we arrive at the campground. This is the only campground we have had this experience with too. This made the nightly rate a lot higher than what it was worth. Yes, the lake is nice, but you are right by a busy road and there is road noise all day and night long. Also, you aren’t on the main part of the lake– more like a little inlet off the main part. The facilities were fine and our site did have a good view of the sliver of the lake. However, if we find ourselves in the area again we will find somewhere else to stay. They did have some sites that you can tie a boat up to. If we had a boat I can see where this would be super fun having it tied up right at your RV site, but without a boat I would check around.
Very few campsites at Carter Knolls Campground. A few individual sites into group sites. This Campground is perfect for viewing the entire spance of Carter Lake. No wash facilities and only dry outhouses. Easy walk to the lake but be careful as there are Cliffs on the southwest side of the campground. The sunsets are amazing! Plenty of deer and Wildlife to view from this vantage point. We even found a few skinks roaming about the rocks. Great place to kick back with a glass of wine and some music. Add a hammock and you're in heaven. The road leading up to the campsites could use some Road improvements. Many folks drove through our campsite without knowing it was a one way Road.