Over Trail Ridge Road

Stillwater Campground near Grand Lake, CO, was our destination once again. I love coming back to this area because there are so many things to do including hiking, boating, fishing, shopping, and even bowling when the weather turns rainy, and it is all set in a quaint little mountain town on the side of a picturesque lake.

One afternoon I hiked to the crest of a mountain where a Forest Service watchtower stands for spotting forest fires in the area. This vantage point offered sweeping views of Grand Valley, a birds eye view of Grand Lake, and a panoramic perspective of the the Rocky Mountains.

These camping weekends always go by too fast. So, I decided to extend it slightly and take the long, scenic way home. I towed the camper through Rocky Mountain National Park and over Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest (12,183 ft.) continuously paved highway in the United States. I was really pleased at how easily I was able to tow the T@B up this relatively steep and winding highway. The T@B has turned out to be a great little camper that is easy to tow and maneuver even up and over high mountain passes - all without sacrificing camping luxuries like a large bed, kitchen, heater, and A/C.

Brainard Lake Recreational Area - Nederland, CO

The Brainard Lake Recreational Area, is a short trip from my home base in Boulder, CO, but there is a fair amount of elevation gain. I started at 5400', drove up scenic Boulder Canyon, and arrived at the Pawnee Campground (10,345') in the Roosevelt National Forest about an hour later. I recently purchased a new tow vehicle, a 2006 Nissan Xterra, and had no trouble pulling the T@B up the almost 5000' in elevation gain. It handled very well around several tight, hairpin corners, and seems like good fit for the T@B. I retired my Jeep Wrangler, which worked well towing a light trailer, but it wasn't an ideal tow vehicle for long trips.

I stayed at Pawnee Campground, which has 55, well-spaced sites, and most are in densely wooded forest that provides privacy between campers. The few sites without many trees offer spectacular views of Brainard lake and the Rocky Mountains. Most sites are very level with packed gravel, which made it easy for me to back the T@B in, uncouple the hitch, and then turn it around by hand. It is really nice to be able to reposition the microlite camper manually without having to use the tow vehicle. The campground had pit toilets, several shared water spigots, fire rings, grills, but no electricity or showers. Temperatures got down to around 40 degrees one night, but the T@B's LP gas furnace kept things nice and toasty inside.

The Brainard Lake Recreational Area is popular with hikers because it offers a large number of trails at a variety of difficulty levels. One afternoon I took a moderate, 3-mile hike up to Lake Isabelle at the base of Shoshoni Peak. It was a little over an hour, one way, along a well marked trail, and it was the highlight of the weekend for me with spectacular views of mountain lakes, flowers, and wildlife. At the end of the day, it was nice having the T@B to come back to, where I had a warm, comfortable place to stretch my legs, make a hot meal, and rest up for the next day's adventure.

If you go: All even-numbered sites at Pawnee Campground can be reserved and the odd-numbered sites are first come, first served. There is an $8 entrance fee for a 5-day pass to the Recreation Area, and the camping fee is $16/night at Pawnee Campground. Unfortunately, the campground closed for the season this weekend, but it generally reopens in mid-to-late June. Otherwise, the area is open for hiking, snowshoeing, or back country skiing year round, and the entrance fee is only assessed during summer operation. Nederland (about 17 miles from the campground) is the nearest town where you can pick up groceries and other supplies.

Palisade Peach Festival - Island Acres State Park

We attended Palisade, Colorado's annual Peach Festival and enjoyed peach daiquiris, peach pie, and peach ice cream (yum). Palisade is a quiet little town (except during the Peach Festival) in the heart of Colorado's fruit and wine country. Mid-August is a great time of year to visit and to enjoy the fruits of late summer, literally.

We camped at Island Acres State Park, just a few miles east of town. This is an excellent campground for folks that are traveling the Interstate. It is easy to get to and has large sites with full hook ups, clean bathrooms, and pay showers. Although it is close to the highway and a railroad track, don't let that discourage you from camping here. Trains are rare and the distant motor traffic quickly becomes an almost unnoticeable background hum. The campground sits next to the Colorado River, offers nice views of the canyon walls, and provides sites that are well spaced, roomy, and carefully groomed. This is one of the nicer campgrounds we have stayed at, and I would not hesitate to return.

The only problem we encountered occurred during arrival. Our reserved site had been given to someone else. The issue was quickly resolved, and the misplaced campers kindly agreed to move to a different spot. Lesson learned: even when you do your best to reserve in advance, sometimes things still get messed up. With a little patience and friendly attitude though, things usually work out just fine.

Medicine Bow National Forest - S. Wyoming

We drew a lot of attention with our little retro style trailer at this camping rally. We parked our rig next to some pretty large and swanky trailers, but we had folks lining up for 'tours' even before the T@B's stabilizers were down.

It was a very diverse weekend including musical entertainment, games, and a comedy routines. We hiked the hills and rocks in the Medicine Bow Forest and in the evening, we were treated to unhindered views of the stars in the Wyoming night sky. Astronomy buffs in the group pointed out constellations and the space station as it moved overhead.

It was a great time camping and meeting new friends.

Leadville, Colorado - Halfmoon Campground

I learned my lesson on this trip about how important it is to reserve your campsite in advance. We naively assumed we would be able to find a place to camp on the way to Leadville. Unfortunately, every campground we came to, off the main highway, was full. In retrospect, this should not have been a big surprise for the middle of summer. By the time we found a site, it was well past dark, and we had to travel on some rough gravel roads to get there. The campground we found, called Halfmoon, was fairly remote, and had no amenities except an outhouse, but to our relief, there were many empty sites.

Leadville, North America's highest incorporated city, is a great destination and offers many activities for all ages. The scenery alone is enough to make you keep coming back. We enjoyed a relaxing drive around beautiful Turquoise Lake, just minutes from town. During the summer, Leadville operates an open air tourist train that runs along the top of the valley. The trip lasts about 2 1/2 hours and provides endless photo opportunities.

Downtown Leadville offers many options for antique shopping, visits to old fashion ice cream and fudge shops, and dining at a variety of restaurants and cafes. If you are interested in more athletic activities, Leadville also has sports and bike rentals. Also, hot showers can be found at the local laundromat on the main road into town.

Grand Lake, Colorado

This was the first of many camping trips to the Grand Lake area of Colorado, and getting there was half the fun. We crossed the Continental Divide and saw some of the most spectacular scenery in Colorado, including a moose that was just hanging out alongside the highway. The drive took us up and over Berthoud Pass and through the ski village of Winter Park.

Grand Lake is an ideal summer destination and offers a wide range of activities including hiking, camping, and boating. At the end of the day, relax along the waters edge and enjoy watching the sail boats drift by and the sunlight sparkle off the pristine mountain water. Grand Lake marks the western entrance to beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park, making this area the perfect destination for summer outdoor activities, as well as a base for day trips into the Park to view wildlife such as moose, elk, deer, and big horn sheep.

There are several RV campgrounds in the area, both private and State run. One of our favorites is Stillwater campground which sits directly on scenic Lake Grandby, just 7 miles south of the village of Grand Lake. This campground offers hot showers and many sites with both water and electrical hookups. There are no sewer hookups at the sites, but there is a dumpstation conveniently located at the campground. Camping amenities and groceries are just a short 10 minute drive into Grand Lake.

The views at Stillwater Campground are unbeatable as many sites are close to the water's edge or up on a hill that overlooks the campground and lake surrounded by the colorful Rocky Mountains. Visitors should be aware, though, that this area of Colorado has been one of the hardest hit by the devastating effects of the bark pine beetle. Vast areas of the surrounding forest are dead and dieing, leaving the hillsides covered with rusty colored pine trees. Many campgrounds, including Stillwater, have had to cut down most of their pine trees. Perhaps the only benefit this has provided is that there are more unhindered views of Lake Grandby, but at the same time, shaded camp sites can be hard to come by.

The town of Grand Lake still retains the charm of the Old West with its boardwalks and friendly atmosphere. Curio shops, restaurants, and ice cream parlors line both sides of the main street. Visitors have many entertainment options for the whole family including a community theater, boat rentals, swimming, putt-putt golf, bike and canoe rentals, and horseback riding.

If You Go:

Stillwater campground is approximately 100 miles Northwest from Denver, which is a scenic drive over the Continental Divide that will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Roads are paved and well maintained and will accommodate even the largest RVs. Note, however, there are steep grades and hairpin switchbacks that require extra driving care.

Reservations are recommended, and they can be made through the recreation.gov website which also features an interactive campground map. Camping fees include: $19 (basic campsite), $22 (campsite near lakeshore), $24 (campsites with water and electrical hookups), $36 (double site). This campground is within a National Recreation Area, which has an entry fee in addition to the camping fees. Passes can be purchased on site and are one day ($5), three day ($10), week ($15) or annual ($30).

Kelly Dahl Campground

We camped at the Kelly Dahl Campground just south of Nederland, Colorado, for two nights. It is conveniently located close to Nederland for groceries and a few restaurants, and also close to Central City for gambling and dining buffets.

There is no electricity or water/sewer hook-ups at this campground, but the sites are surrounded by trees and well spaced. All-in-all, it is a great location that is easy to get to and that has convenient access to outdoor adventure like hiking, fishing, and 4-wheeling. If you are looking for something a little different from what an ordinary camping trip might offer, the diversion of the Central City slot machines and more dining options are just a short distance away too.