We love to visit Golden Gate Canyon State Park early in the season because it is very busy all summer.  This is our second stay at the park in March, and we have had wonderful snow both times.  

The Reverends Ridge campground has limited sites available this time of year but is still well maintained.  The campground office restrooms were open, heated and clean.  Trash dumpsters were available as were recycling cans. The electric hookups were on. There is no water available except in the restrooms. 

The campsite (C-35) parking area was plowed open to exactly the width of our trailer, so with more than three feet of snow on the ground we needed to get some exercise and do a bit of shoveling so we could back in and be able to walk along side the trailer and open the door! .More snow was falling as we set up but the scenery was absolutely magical.  About 25 yards of more shovel work made it so we could find and dig out both the table and fire pit provided.  We had a warming fire going in no time.  

Golden Gate is a wildlife paradise and as we worked we could hear Turkeys calling form the trees.  We were also graced with the presence of four huge Moose who had taken up residency and were lounging in the snow.  In the distance we could hear the yips and howls of coyotes.  

Snow graced us for the first of our Friday to Sunday stay, but warmer temperatures  arrived Saturday afternoon and the great daytime thaw and evening freeze common to Colorado mountains in springtime began in earnest.  This made for some cautious walking around the snow piled nearly everywhere. 

One of the great things about this park is the winter activities available on the many trails, and the added benefit of Nederland, Black Hawk, and Central City Colorado being within easy driving distance for some small town amenities if desired.  This is a great park, and my wife is wishing to visit when there is no snow!   😎

Late season camping in wonderful Wyoming is always a risk worth taking and the wife and I were treated to a great final outing for 2020 with our first visit to Curt Gowdy State Park.  We knew we were in for a good weekend during the second weekend of October when we met the staff at the visitor center.  She was helpful, knowledgeable, and even recommended her favorite spot on the water in the Tumbleweeds Campground, one of several great places to camp in the park. 

We were pleasantly surprised to find the favored spot open since it is walk up only in the park this late in the season.  The campground had a fair amount of people at the sites, which are remarkably well spaced and spotlessly clean.  We found the bathrooms that were open in the same condition, and trash receptacles were still available and being emptied. 

Our spot was perfect in every way, with easy access to the water, and a great view of the entire lake.  We set up camp in a brisk Wyoming "breeze" of about 20mph, but the weather was warm.  By nightfall the breeze was a 40mph "blow" but the sunset was a warm orange and gold tinged with smoke from wildfires in both Wyoming and Colorado. 

The next day we spent hiking the area trails and bike paths and recommend the jaunt along Crow Creek to Hidden Falls.  By Friday night into early Sunday morning the blow had turned into a full fledged gale of about 70mph and inside our camper was akin to being in the space shuttle on re-entry!  The wife was planning escape routes should we trade wheels down to wheels on the side.  But by Saturday afternoon the wind was gone and a perfect fall afternoon and evening was served up.  Sunday Morning greeted us with freezing drizzle and a skiff of snow making our Wyoming weather experience completely enjoyable.  This place is a great visit.

This was our second visit to Pinewood Lake and while some things stayed the same others were much the same.  Our first visit last fall was during the final stages of a blizzard.  Not to be outdone this visit we arrived last week on the tail of an early September snowstorm!  But the weather cleared quickly and all was well with great weather the rest of the weekend. This was our first visit with an on duty camp host  and I must say that they were wonderful.  The campgrounds were spotless, as were the restrooms.  Camping during wildfire season in Colorado means fire bans but we found a way around that small obstacle.   This lake is a great getaway and offers a ton of things to do.  Hiking, fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding to name a few.  The views of the lake and surrounding valley are the Colorado foothills at their finest.

I had read some reviews that weren’t thrilled with Eleven Mile State Park and I was interested to see what it was like. Our visit this weekend was amazing, even with some much needed rainstorms during a crazy Colorado fire season. We stayed in the D loop at Rocky Ridge campground and had great view of the lake and surrounding mountains. All of the campgrounds were fairly full but the place was clean and folks were friendly! There were plenty of laughing and playing kids and that made the Mrs. and I smile.

Several big thunderstorms reeked some havoc on some trailer canopies and tent campers but the rain was so badly needed it was actually enjoyable. The Midland Loop hike was great and perfect for kids and dogs. The views of the park from the hiking trail were great. It was a great place to visit.

We travelled to Vedauwoo on a suggestion from friends and were tremendously surprised by the beauty of the area nestled between Cheyenne and Laramie.

We camped on the dispersed area just to the east of the campground in a pleasant spot in the trees and boulders a good distance from the dust of the road. One of the great things about dispersed camping in this area is it affords some distance between campers and gives you a sense of your own space.

August weather in Wyoming is plenty warm during the day and cool in the night and it met our expectations. The fabled Wyoming breeze was actually less than expected. The only drawback was the fire ban in effect due to the wildfires in both Wyoming and nearby Colorado.

We would encourage visitors to explore the various trails as each one we set out on rewarded us with magnificent views and the surprise of a swift creek feeding a number of picture perfect beaver ponds.

This is a great camping area and is close enough to Laramie for any needs. Vedauwoo is well worth a visit. Thank Wyoming!

Stayed in the North Michigan Reservoir loop for three wonderful days after the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Perfect weather and beautiful scenery. The campground was well maintained, even after the busy weekend. We hiked, biked and just enjoyed the view. Fishing was slow but in such a pretty place we didn’t care. It was not crowded during the week but was full for the weekend. Great place to camp and relax. Highly recommended!

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!

My wife and I took our inaugural trip in our small camper to Pinewood Reservoir last weekend during the front range's first snowfall for 2019.  We had just bought our camper and weren't about to let a little snow stop us from trying things out.  We drove up on Thursday and the roads, despite some steep climbs and winding curves, was in great shape.  

We found the campground empty, and already white with the snowfall.  We had a reserved a spot and claimed it.  Several other sites appeared to be reserved, but with the weather, we had the place all to ourselves.  Heaven, with just a taste of lonely.  Even with the snow and us being novices we set up without a hitch and were soon enjoying the magical panorama of the lake below us and the hills and mountain tops around us.

By Friday the weather had cleared and the Colorado blue skies had returned.  While it was still chilly a few other campers arrived, including a number of Boy Scouts trying to hone their cold weather tenting skills.  By our Saturday departure, the camp ground was filling up and we enjoyed meeting some nice neighbors.  

All in all the place was perfect.  the water access was off due to the seasons cold, but the place was clean, the restrooms were open, and the electricity was on.  A great place for late season, and I am sure it is busy but spectacular during the summer.