Crook Campground - FWS - Browns Park NWR

We have camped here multiple times. Read the whole review. The pictures attached are from our first trip. The second trip was packed with people so we didn't want to take pictures with them in them. 

The first time we were here we were one of 3 campers and the trees were amazing shade. This spot is beautiful. It is coated with cottonwood trees and has great water access to be able to wander up and down the river bed. The spots are well maintained and spaced apart. They are perfect for RV’s or tents.

The bathroom is set up in the middle of the 8 sites on the road. It is clean and well maintained. There is no trash service so pack out what you brought in. It was a really clean campground and seemed to be barely used. 

After the first night we figured out why we were basically solo the entire time...the mosquitos. Being a riparian zone and in a wildlife refuge, there are TONS of mosquitos at the campground. 

We typically use the natural stuff but this time we brought out the big guns of deet and picaridin. I would suggest citronella candles or some sort of perimeter repellant. Even with all the bug spray we brought, we were eaten alive. The only time we felt pretty safe was when we were on the water. Even then, try not to stay on or too close to the shore. The water was absolutely stunning and crystal clear. 

Our dogs were insanely happy to play in the water being that it was shallow enough for them to swim and still safely get to shore. I set up a chair in the middle of the river and lounged with my dogs swimming next to me. We did a paddleboard float trip from Swinging Bridge to Crook campground and it took about 3 hours for us to go from one campground to the other.

The second time we came here was Easter weekend and it was PACKED! There were way less mosquitos but there were insanely loud and obnoxious ATV groups rolled in and blasted music past midnight. Since it is a free campground we couldn't go to a ranger or anything. This trip we only stayed one night and moved on to a different spot instead of staying the full long weekend in this space.

My husband and I didn’t like our campsite at the Gorge because it was too windy that day. With our destination being Rocky Mountain National Park, we decided to head out on the unbeaten path. We used the app to locates a few options but once we got out of service we lost track on the app. Maybe we should have gone pro. But we passed the sign and tuned around because we felt like we were not having much luck if campsites. We pulled in after a short drive down the road and found our spot near the bathroom. It serves it’s purpose for the night. We wish it wasn’t as windy and would have started a campfire if it wasn’t. Nice place.