Campround Review:
Springer Gulch in Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area is absolutely beautiful. About 40min from Colorado Springs, its an easy to access escape west of Pikes Peak. When you drive into the Recreation Area, the road continues into a canyon and follows along the creek. You wont get any road noise here or cell reception. There are many picnic areas and campsites along the way.
We stayed at Springer Gulch campsite a few miles in. The road is a little rough so it can be slow going. Each of the established campgrounds have restroom facilities and water pumps. Sites are clean and each campground has a camp host. If you forget to bring your firewood, most of the hosts should have some to sell. All of the sites have a fire pit/grill and picnic table. Sites go fast so make sure you reserve yours plenty ahead of time.
There are a lot of activities in the area to enjoy including hiking and fishing. Overall we loved our little weekend getaway. Would recommend any day.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time. At Springer Gulch in Eleven mile Canyon Recreation Area I tested the aramba Waterproof Hard Shell Jacket by Mishmi Takin. The jacket was an upgrade for me from my old waterproof jacket and I'm much happier with it. There were a lot of things I loved about the Garamba.
- Fit & Function: It fits excellent without being too tight or too large. It leaves enough room for proper layering in colder weather.
- Adjustability: It has many double zippers, velcro straps, draw strings, etc. to change the jacket to your current needs. All are easy to reach and function easily.
- Abrasion Resistance: The material feels more durable to the touch compared to many lightweight hard shell jackets. I'm not afraid to wear it on trails with dense growth.
Shaffer Bend Rec. Area has a beautiful setting in the Texas Hill Country right off of Lake Travis. At the gate entrance you have wonderful landscape views. All of the camp sites are situated next to or a short walk to the water.
The camps are clean. Most are equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. In the large camp area, some have BBQ pits with a couple big communal grill/smoker. The same area has a horse pen as well if you're an equestrian enthusiast on top of a camper. It is a primitive campground. The large camp area has a couple port-a-poties. At the gate entrance there are men's and women's rooms with running water. That's about 3 miles from the camp sites. So, be prepared to dig holes, bring your own portable toilets, or hold it.
Considering you're on the lake, the water access is surprisingly limited. There are a few areas along the water you can walk in, but there's not a dock or boat access. I recommend sandals or water shoes since there's a fair amount of plant life along the shore. The same areas you can walk in would be good for kayaks though. The camp sites are situated along a narrow section of the lake. So, there would be plenty to explore.
My fiance and I went to Charlton Rec. Area to get away for labor day weekend. Overall the camp was nice. A creek ran through the camp with plenty of tree cover. Near the camp entrance the creek was dammed to create a swimming hole. Many visitors came during the day for the swimming.
Most of the sites were for trailers and RVs, with only a few tent campsites. The camp was clean and had bathrooms with running water. They were in good condition, but pretty far from the tent camping. Surprisingly there weren't any mosquitos, but plenty of Daddy Long Legs. Each site has a pad for parking, BBQ pit, picnic bench (bring a tablecloth), and fire ring with grittle/grill. Camp was lacking trailheads with just one starting in camp. The trail itself was much longer than anticipated; distance wasn't marked and it needed some maintaining. It took you up along the mountain ridge with wonderful views in the areas with less brush.
I'd go back and explore some more. If you're in the area check out Lake Ouachita, Crooked Creek Falls (45 min), or the Vista off Hickory Nut Mountain Rd (20 min).