tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80263998475212529612024-03-06T19:35:20.859-08:00Free RV Campsites in the Colorado Mountainsfanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-19427776762183642832017-07-10T05:00:00.043-07:002024-03-04T20:19:33.075-08:00Free RV Camping - Introduction<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite some critics who say there is no more free camping in Colorado, there are a number of FREE or inexpensive camping areas that
are conveniently located in some of the most popular tourist areas of the
state. Although most out-of-state RVers
will use I-70 to get to the Western Slope, Colorado RVers know that some of the
most scenic parts of the state are along the U.S. highways through the
state. For this reason, I will concentrate
on the mountain sections of US 285, US 24, US 40, US 50/550, and US 160. I'll let you find your own campsites along
I-70 in Clear Creek, Summit, Eagle, Garfield, and Mesa Counties. Also keep in mind that there are more
gorgeous views, quaint towns, and FREE-inexpensive campgrounds and dispersed camping areas on
State highways like CO 82-133, CO 62-145, CO 149, CO 65, CO 141, and CO 14. In most posts, I mention potential camping areas along some of these State routes where they are convenient to the U.S. highway or "not-to-miss" scenic area or activity being discussed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6kLVN4xbJ4EEslSlNXSEstA3yzq-LvMk2rHMwCWwCCvINsWG3BbQstOez2o4D76xqkuY6Lwxp_bcrzSTY_Le2PBZx6bKyQRkfeGW--m8HFy4W8k7kOZQR_dr_nvyGB0TuR2LAEyK16DNGTTye9GHwI-TZcZO9wboiZNVDYHy6w5mTAB7zCwFYpmcg/s474/OIP_1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="474" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6kLVN4xbJ4EEslSlNXSEstA3yzq-LvMk2rHMwCWwCCvINsWG3BbQstOez2o4D76xqkuY6Lwxp_bcrzSTY_Le2PBZx6bKyQRkfeGW--m8HFy4W8k7kOZQR_dr_nvyGB0TuR2LAEyK16DNGTTye9GHwI-TZcZO9wboiZNVDYHy6w5mTAB7zCwFYpmcg/w472-h315/OIP_1.jpeg" width="472" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Colorado's Banff-Jasper-Glacier NP look-alike:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> The Maroon Belles and Maroon Lake in Fall</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The scenic areas in this blog include the Upper Arkansas whitewater rafting mecca from Buena Vista to Salida; the Pikes Peak-South Park-Sawatch Range (the State's highest mountains) area; the Great Sand Dunes-Durango-Mesa Verde area; the Curecanti National Recreation Area-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park region, the San Juan Mountains 4-wheeling paradise around Silverton, Telluride, and Ouray; and the Rocky Mountain National Park-Middle Park area from Winter Park to Grand Lake and Steamboat Springs. If you want more information about each area, suggestions for activities and restaurants, and some itinerary suggestions, click on this link to the <a href="https://www.colorado.com/colorado-field-guide?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=May2018_IS">Colorado Field Guide.</a> And, if you are looking for great spots to set up your telescope or just stargaze through your camera lens, take a look at recommendations for some great dark skies areas <a href="https://www.colorado.com/articles/14-places-stargaze-colorado?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=August2018_IS">HERE.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is FREE “dispersed camping” throughout the mountains
on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and US. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land
unless it is specifically posted. Although Free, there are still Federal regulations governing campsite distance from streams and roads, location of fire rings, waste disposal, cutting of trees, etc. For more information on USFS dispersed camping, go <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5176332">HERE.</a> And ALWAYS check local (USFS, BLM, county, etc.) restrictions on campfires before deciding to grill that trout or make s'mores.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also
check for State Wildlife Management Areas (SWAs) in any part of Colorado you
are planning to visit because camping is generally FREE (with a valid SWA pass) in SWAs that allow
it (many don’t). </span>You can find state parks and SWA locations in the free booklet of Colorado State Lands available at Colorado Welcome Centers or go <a href="https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Pages/WildlifeAreaMap.aspx">HERE</a> (filter this map by clicking on "Recreation" then on "Camping").</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Colorado Parks & Wildlife</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> SWA rules for 2024</b>: Since 2021, a valid Colorado "State Wildlife Area Pass" has been required for each person age 16+ to use a State Wildlife Area for any purpose, unless they have a valid Colorado fishing or hunting license. However, unlike the licenses, the rates for the CPW State Wildlife Area Passes are the same for both Colorado residents and non-residents and you can purchase them online at <a href="http://cpwshop.com">cpwshop.com</a>. The one-day SWA pass costs $10/person over age 15</span>. If you want to spend multiple nights camping at SWAs across Colorado, the annual SWA pass is $44.83 per 18-64 year-old adult, but only $11.47 for each 16-17 year-old and each senior over 64 and not required for 1-15 year-olds. Compare those costs to a 5-day non-resident fishing license for $38.19 and the annual SWA pass is a bargain for non-resident RVers. For example, non-resident 65+ grandpa and grandma could bring two 16-17 year-old, and any number of younger, grandkids to Colorado and spend the entire summer boondocking in their RV at SWAs around the state for a total cost of $45.88. Hard to beat 50 cents a night for camping in some gorgeous mountain locations, with wildlife viewing, hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking thrown in for "Free". San Luis Lakes SWA even has fifty gravel campsites with 30/50A electric hookups (NO water!), covered picnic tables, fire rings, an RV dump, and a 15-minute drive to Great Sand Dunes NP for that price! And SWAs aren't limited to the mountains, so you can camp in one near Bent's Old Fort NHS or the new Amache NHS on US 50, near Sterling on I-76, near Springfield on US 287, etc. FYI, the SWA Pass is NOT valid for fishing. Unless you are younger than 16, you will still need a separate fishing license!</div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In some of
these Federal and State areas, you will be truly "boondocking" and
not just "dry camping," as most dispersed areas and many SWAs have no potable water, RV dumps, pit toilets, or other camping facilities. That means you must be completely self-contained and everything you bring in, you pack out. And be aware that <b>dumping</b> <b>gray</b> <b>water</b> <b>on</b> <b>the</b> <b>ground</b> in Colorado is <b>ILLEGAL </b>and<b> </b>subject<b> </b>to<b> </b>stiff<b> </b>fines<b>.</b> Why? Because the Colorado Rockies are the headwaters of nearly every major interstate river in the SW and South-Central U.S.--the Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas, Platte, San Juan, Animas, La Plata, Dolores, White, Canadian, and Republican (Kansas) rivers. And every drop of water in those rivers and their tributaries is used and reused by someone in Colorado or the surrounding states. Just imagine what miles of trout fly-fishing access to the Conejos River would look like after a thousand RVers dumped their antibacterial detergent-laden dish water on the ground because the beautiful USFS Mogote campground has no RV dump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">And always keep in mind the 7 principles of "Leave No Trace" when you disperse camp in Colorado: </span><br />
<ul>
<li>Know Before You Go</li>
<li>Stick To Trails</li>
<li>Leave It As You Find It</li>
<li>Trash the Trash </li>
<li>Be Careful with
Fire</li>
<li>Keep Wildlife Wild</li>
<li>Share Our Trails & Parks</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are hundreds of miles of abandoned railroads in the mountains of Colorado and, as a general rule, they have gentle grades and wide curves, even if they were only 3-ft narrow-gauge lines. This makes them very amenable to RVers who want to boondock on these old grades where they are on public land (generally USFS or BLM). However, you will need to watch for overhanging trees and must find a sufficiently wide, level spot to camp and turn around. That may mean taking y</span>our tow vehicle or toad along the old grade before taking your tall, wide motorhome, 5th wheel, or toy hauler into a spot from which you may not get out without damage. I discuss several old railroad grades in the "US 24", "US 50", and "US 160-west of Pagosa" sections below, but there are many others off state and county roads, especially around Poncha Springs-Sargents, Gunnison-Crested Butte, and in the San Juans.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is NO overnight camping at
Colorado Welcome Centers and CDOT rest areas a</span>nd dry camping at Walmarts in the larger cities and most popular tourist destinations has generally been banned. B<span style="font-family: inherit;">ut CDOT Welcome Center/rest areas in Fruita (I-70 near Utah border), Julesburg and Sterling (I-76 near Nebraska border), Burlington (I-70 near Kansas border), and Holly (US 50 near Kansas border) do
have FREE RV dumps and potable water. We have used all of those dumps over the years. Travel trailers and truck campers were lined up at the dump in Fruita when we were there in May 2022 because the Colorado National Monument region is very popular with boondocking mountain bikers, kayakers, and music festival-goers. And the rest areas just off I-70 in Rifle and Edwards are conveniently located for those camping in the Glenwood Springs-Aspen-Vail area. They have not only FREE dumps and potable water, but also shaded picnic tables and flush toilets that we often use when in that area. However, the Welcome Center/rest areas on I-25 between Raton Pass and Denver--located just north of Trinidad, at Colorado City, and at Pinon (between Pueblo and Colorado Springs)--have NO dumps and Pinon (now closed) had NO potable water. Finally, your best choice for a rest area on I-25 going north from Denver is the big Wyoming Welcome Center east of the highway just south of Cheyenne.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Obviously FREE RV camping in the Colorado Rockies involves a lot of boondocking and dry camping. But the only time families can camp here is during summer vacations and summer camping without hookups means no air conditioning! How can a family survive summer temps without AC, you ask? Our family didn't have AC when we tent camped in the 1980s, but we always camped at high elevations because average summer temps decrease with altitude. For example, the City of Pueblo, at an elevation of 4,686' above sea level, has average daytime highs during June, July, and August ranging from 89 to 94 degrees. However, a two-hour, 97-mile drive on US 50 up the Arkansas River canyon to Salida, at 7,083', will mean average summer daytime highs of 79-82 degrees, with humidity ranging from 15-30%. So, just open some windows and turn on the 12v vent fan to cool the RV. Plus, you shouldn't be inside the RV during the daytime anyway, you're in the Colorado Rockies! But be sure to close your windows and turn off that fan at night because average summer nighttime temps in Salida range from 47 to 53 degrees! Not going to Salida, but on US 160 to Durango? Durango, at 6,522', has nearly identical average summertime high and low temps as Salida. So, now what excuse can you have for not boondocking in a FREE Colorado Rockies campsite?<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Autumn in the San Juans--my favorite time of year and region of Colorado for RVing</span><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that
winter starts early and spring starts late in the Colorado Rockies. Autumn can present a problem for retired RVers and aspen-leaf viewers
because most USFS campgrounds, some State parks, and many boondocking areas in scenic mountain areas begin closing in mid-September. And the opposite is also true in that USFS campgrounds and some State parks in the mountains do not open until mid-May. Mid-May is also the average date of last frost in the Denver and Colorado Springs metro areas. In my 60 years in Colorado, Denver has had snow on Memorial Day weekend and on Labor Day weekend--and Denver isn't even in the mountains!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"> Spring in Colorado! Our backyard near Denver on May 21, 2019 and again on May 21, 2022!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, two comments about driving in the Colorado mountains. First, Colorado law prohibits motor vehicle </span>operators from driving at such slow speeds that they "impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic."<span style="font-family: inherit;"> In these situations, the driver must drive in the right-hand lane if one is available or pull off the roadway to allow impeded traffic to pass. On </span>the uphill sections of some two-lane mountain highways<span style="font-family: inherit;">, this policy generally means that, if a vehicle has more than 5-6 vehicles backed up, it must pull over at a safe location to let traffic pass. A major category of vehicles to which this law applies is, quite obviously, RVs on mountain roads during the peak summer tourist season! So, please obey Colorado's "rules of the road" and be a conscientious RVer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Second, on one-lane mountain roads, the vehicle traveling uphill has the right-of-way. Why? Because the vehicle traveling downhill has gravity on its side when starting from a dead stop, but the uphill vehicle must overcome that gravity. Since most one-lane roads in Colorado are gravel, rock, or just plain dirt, traction when going uphill is a problem even without considering gravity. Apparently ATV/OHV and jeep rental contracts do not explain this rule, as the drivers of those vehicles just blast around Colorado's "jeep" trails without regard for anyone else. So, please wait at the top for that 4x4 coming up the Engineer Pass road before</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> you</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> head downhill to Animas Forks!</span></div>
fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-80695729546092974912017-07-10T03:00:00.024-07:002024-03-04T20:35:01.027-08:00Free RV Camping - US 285 (south of Denver)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this post, I’ll discuss only campgrounds along US
285. If you are in Denver and heading
southwest on US 285, there is a Walmart just off that highway that formerly had
RVs camped in the parking lot. It is now posted with "No Overnight Parking" signs. However, t</span>he <span style="font-family: inherit;">Sam's Club store on Wadsworth, 3/4 mile south of that Walmart, now has campers and
truckers staying overnight in their parking lot. Most other Walmarts around Denver also have “No Overnight Parking” signs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After leaving Denver and crossing Kenosha Pass into South
Park, you can turn east on CO 77 at the tiny town of Jefferson and camp Free (with a CPW SWA Pass or valid hunting or fishing license--s</span>ee the new rule <a href="https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Pages/WildlifeAreaMap.aspx">i</a>n the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;">) at Tarryall
Reservoir SWA. It has 17 relatively short, no hookup, gravel back-in and pull-out campsites with picnic tables, fire-pits, and pit toilets in two loops directly off the highway. The boat ramp and boat inspection station are located nearer the dam. On an August 2020 weekday, all but one campsite was occupied by either a tent or RV, a dozen boats were on the lake, and fisherman lined the two peninsulas. In the past, a half dozen campsites were located south of the lake, but those sites are now posted as "no camping." That south area allows picnicking and fishing and has a boat ramp and pit toilet, but the gravel access road is fairly steep and rough. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little farther south on US 285 is a reservoir with absolutely Free camping (no permit or license required to camp). Turn east
off US 285 onto US 24, go about 9 miles and turn north into the south entrance road (CR 437) to the
Denver Water Board's Antero Reservoir.
The campground is south of the lake and has 32 back-in campsites with picnic tables, fire rings,
and pit toilets, but no hookups. If you have seen South
Park, you know it has few trees, so the Antero campground has no shade. But the solar panels worked so well when we had the motorhome and kayak there in late August 2021 that we never needed to use the generator. It has a boat ramp and very good rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout fishing (a valid CO fishing license is obviously needed to fish), which was why we were camping there! </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Years ago, on our first fall RV trip on US 285 to northern New Mexico,
we left Denver after work and spent the night at the VFW
Lodge in Johnson Village/Buena Vista (call 719-395-2929). There are only four tight back-in spaces,
but we had no problem because we were the only ones there on a September Thursday
night. The VFW is located two blocks
north of the highway, so there is some traffic noise. But the spaces are on a level, asphalt-paved parking lot, with
30A electricity and city water hookups—for $15/night. Since the VFW had no RV dump, we drove the 25 miles to the then-Free dump at the Salida Visitors Center. That dump is now closed, so you may need to dump at the Poncha
Springs V</span>isitors Center <span style="font-family: inherit;">at the intersection of US
285 and US 50</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Buena Vista and Salida are Colorado's most popular
whitewater rafting destinations.
Brown's Canyon National Monument and the Arkansas Headwaters State Park are located
between the two towns. The FIBArk Whitewater Festival--kayak, raft, and
paddleboard races, a hill climb, concerts--has been held along the river in Salida each
Father's Day weekend since 1948. Things have changed since FIBark began--the kayaks back then were made of canvas over a collapsible wooden frame!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The Buena Vista-Salida area is also well-located for aspen viewing during the fall color season. Two of the best aspen-lined routes in the state are paved Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista and narrow, gravel Marshall Pass southwest of Poncha Springs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm44znUcnTTr9RQen7Cs1X_vg8WUkdeORzM4_H8gb1WDLp628iSGZay1zkmT2cAUseDBB1QugdTozlDVIaAq7PqUrONibNGD4X4urJvqfv1KCoi2y5eMUwv91PeLH7K067HzEtrjo_08j/s1600/AHRA07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm44znUcnTTr9RQen7Cs1X_vg8WUkdeORzM4_H8gb1WDLp628iSGZay1zkmT2cAUseDBB1QugdTozlDVIaAq7PqUrONibNGD4X4urJvqfv1KCoi2y5eMUwv91PeLH7K067HzEtrjo_08j/w523-h294/AHRA07.jpg" width="523" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River in Brown's Canyon NM</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were in Salida one early October on a fall aspen-photo trip. We had to stop at Walmart (on the north
side of US 50 between Salida and Poncha Springs) to pick up a couple of items
that we forgot. There were nine RVs
camped around the edges of the Walmart parking lot. I saw everything from a 1970’s
van conversion to a 40-foot Class A. Many hunters pass through Salida in the
fall and some of these RVs were towing OHVs on trailers or Jeeps, so that may explain the numbers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If dry camping at Walmarts is not your cup of tea, there is</span> Free <span style="font-family: inherit;">public overnight parking at the Poncho Springs Visitor Center</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. There are several long, asphalt-paved, pull-thru RV parking spaces at the west end of loop road. The Visitor Center also has a $10 automated pay dump and potable water, as well as restrooms with flush toilets. I used the facilities there in both spring and fall of 2023. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is also Free dispersed
camping on BLM land northwest of Poncha Springs. Go two miles west of US 285 on US 50 to CR 250 and drive
north until the pavement ends and the gravel surface begins.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After crossing long, but very easy, Poncha Pass on US 285, you are in the high,
dry, flat San Luis Valley. If we are
going to Alamosa or New Mexico, we always turn off US 285 just south of Villa Grove and take
perfectly straight, 70 mile-long CO 17. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you need an electric campsite near Great Sand Dunes
National Park and Alamosa, the San Luis Lakes SWA, </span>located 8 miles east of CO 17 on Sand Dunes Monument Road, has Free <span style="font-family: inherit;">camping. This former State Park closed in 2017, but the now-SWA campground still has 30/50A electric hookups and sheltered concrete-pads with picnic tables at 51 gravel pull-thru and back-in sites up to 105 ft. long. The SWA has pit toilets and a dump at the entrance, but NO WATER! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> CPW rules now state that a valid SWA Pass or fishing or hunting license for EVERY PERSON over age 15 is required to camp or for any other use at <b>ALL</b> SWAs. See the new rule <a href="https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Pages/WildlifeAreaMap.aspx">i</a>n the "Introduction" section above. <i>But San Luis Lakes is still the best bargain campground in Colorado! </i> When we camped there in October 2018, it was about 1/3 full and we had a great back-in space with no neighbors and a view out our rear picture window of the newly snow-capped Sangre de Cristos. When I camped there in June 2023, following the institution of the SWA Pass requirements, it had only 14 RVs filling its 51 sites. And that 27% full was during the summer tourist season--plenty of RVs on the highway, but not in the cg!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The national park, of course, has its own Pinon Flats Campground with picnic tables, fire grates, and flush toilets, but no hookups, for $20/night ($10/night with the America the Beautiful or Interagency Senior Pass). A problem for RVers is that, like many national parks, there are relatively few long parking strips. So GSDNP is limited to a total RV length (truck and trailer or coach and toad) of 47 ft. and there are only 5 sites for RVs that total more than 35 feet. We drove through it while staying at San Luis Lakes and, although it was full even in October, we saw very few sites that would fit our fifth wheel and truck.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGrlJbKw7gKhRryev9WDvYqIZmSnCBpbJIzvyCNtNsOawJC_OMZmyBsN_GUa6ZK4kZ_RDqqpXhW8V3v4w_yj2NYnKzfLIB6LpP1UpY4JH38DZD-BDx5wFeuOPdb2iYFkn2yJYwSa491Lp/s1600/GSDNP+photo+8EADDB13-1DD8-B71B-0B43FFA9BE6A3D82.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="950" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGrlJbKw7gKhRryev9WDvYqIZmSnCBpbJIzvyCNtNsOawJC_OMZmyBsN_GUa6ZK4kZ_RDqqpXhW8V3v4w_yj2NYnKzfLIB6LpP1UpY4JH38DZD-BDx5wFeuOPdb2iYFkn2yJYwSa491Lp/w569-h319/GSDNP+photo+8EADDB13-1DD8-B71B-0B43FFA9BE6A3D82.jpg" width="569" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Great Sand Dunes NP nestled against the Sangre de Cristo Range</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A less expensive Federal campground for those with a 4x4 truck or van camper is located just south of the national park at Zapata Falls, but I wouldn't try it with any of my RVs. It is a first come-first serve, $11/night ($5.50 with Senior Pass), BLM campground with a pit toilet, but no water and no trash containers since it is bear country. Located east of CO 150 on BLM Road 5415, the waterfall and views are the only real reasons to try to get there.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have not dry camped at the Walmart in Alamosa, but have seen
other RVs camped there. It is a
SuperCenter with a gas station, located on the north side of US 160/285 on the
western edge of town (between Alamosa and Monte Vista).</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7smxD-jMGjWGsd_66e0NDKYRvI3fsxf-8Zm09dMTwPPyiNoWqEEqeNb7iIYeEvFFu3xmrBLYZZFK7YAUDuyBj7fsrnH11aWNUNoNUKcctTRmjmBa2LPTvVUHukNPRLQOuf_ysXluktB97/s1600/P1080636a.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7smxD-jMGjWGsd_66e0NDKYRvI3fsxf-8Zm09dMTwPPyiNoWqEEqeNb7iIYeEvFFu3xmrBLYZZFK7YAUDuyBj7fsrnH11aWNUNoNUKcctTRmjmBa2LPTvVUHukNPRLQOuf_ysXluktB97/w555-h416/P1080636a.jpg" width="555" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fall color along CO 17 on La Manga Pass</span><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>South of Alamosa is mostly farmland and there are no places to stop overnight.</span><span> </span><span>However, I always recommend that anyone who wants to really see Colorado, especially during the fall leaf-peeping season, should get off US 285 at Antonito and drive CO 17 to Chama, NM.</span><span> </span><span>In early October of 2016, Cumbres and La Manga Passes had the most beautiful bright blue skies and fall color I have seen in my 60 years of living in Colorado (the photo doesn't do it justice!).</span><span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
of the "100 Best Campgrounds in Colorado," according to the book of
the same name, </span>is located just off CO 17<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Take CO 17 west from Antonito for 36
miles to good gravel FR 118, 0.2 mile north of the Cumbres Pass
railroad crossing. Go north for 4 miles to</span> the Trujillo Meadows SWA and reservoir<span style="font-family: inherit;">. It has 35 designated campsites, picnic tables, fire rings, drinking water in summer, and pit toilets, but
no hookups. This</span> formerly Free <span style="font-family: inherit;">campground is now operated by the USFS, with a nightly rate of $18 ($9 with the Senior Pass). A boat ramp is located 1.5 miles farther north along the road. But for truly Free camping, there are numerous roads off FR 118 and parking lots near the railroad depot on which to disperse camp (I have done it in a tent, but not in our RV). BTW, you will be camping at 10,000 feet, so come prepared for any kind of
weather--mild, sunny days, freezing nights, and a potential for heavy snowfall at any time of year. Nearby Wolf Creek Ski Area gets the highest annual snowfall of any Colorado ski area! </span></div>fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-38158749773312436652017-07-10T02:30:00.046-07:002023-10-22T19:39:13.295-07:00Free RV Camping - US 24 (west of Colorado Springs)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">US 24 is well-known and well-used by Colorado RVers, but
much less frequented by out-of-state RVers.
This may be due to its relatively short length west of Colorado Springs or because it crosses a long stretch of relatively unattractive
South Park. But US 24 provides the only
major US highway access to the Pikes Peak Toll Road, Cripple Creek, Leadville, and World War II's Camp Hale. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Camp Hale was the training site for the 10th Mountain Infantry Division and is
considered the birthplace of nearly every current Colorado ski area. This is due to the number of 10th Mountain veterans
who returned to start ski areas and ski schools at Aspen, Vail, A-Basin,
Loveland Basin, Keystone, and many others.
So, make US 24 part of your RV vacation plans if you like the idea of
being just a little different from the majority of Colorado visitors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCimUvv-p1LeSLkzDOiitOk4QDTk9f5HBhqP-_-b6KNJbT1TaK11F33eZx4dpeCjMkLq-M-NscFoVm5Osnn28P4OHDIMeCANeyWoLhvW1MeY0FElEno98Vd-ZoW1Q0U04vb4YcrR1lYx_DmOeRLuPQbbNcAwFXzIfUsRy6nZoNqFXrXP1Vitv9BTGhTg/s1920/pikes-peak-1273566_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCimUvv-p1LeSLkzDOiitOk4QDTk9f5HBhqP-_-b6KNJbT1TaK11F33eZx4dpeCjMkLq-M-NscFoVm5Osnn28P4OHDIMeCANeyWoLhvW1MeY0FElEno98Vd-ZoW1Q0U04vb4YcrR1lYx_DmOeRLuPQbbNcAwFXzIfUsRy6nZoNqFXrXP1Vitv9BTGhTg/w504-h335/pikes-peak-1273566_1920.jpg" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have mentioned Pikes Peak because it was important in
American history for the wrong reason.
In 1858, gold was discovered near the current site of Denver, but no
towns or even the name "Colorado" existed yet. The only landmark most Easterners could identify
in western Kansas was a mountain named for the first American explorer of the
region, Lt. Zebulon Pike. So the
"59ers" painted "Pikes Peak or Bust" on their prairie
schooners as they headed to the newest gold rush 60 miles north of that peak. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, a ride up Pikes Peak was also the inspiration for
Katherine Lee Bates to write <i>America the Beautiful</i> (originally
published as a poem called "Pikes Peak"). And every July the now-paved toll road hosts the Pikes Peak
Hill Climb road race. Every visitor to
Colorado Springs should ride the cog railway (reopened on May 16, 2021 for first run in four years) or drive to the "purple mountain
majesties'" summit at least once in their lives!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a visit to Pikes Peak, the next stop along US 24 for
many visitors is Cripple Creek. At the
town of Divide, you turn south on CO 67 to get to the State's richest gold
mining district, the source of fortunes for the Penrose, Tutt, Carlin, and many
other Colorado Springs families. And Colorado's only open-pit gold mine is now located between Cripple Creek and its neighbor Victor. In addition to this gold mine, Cripple Creek mines gamblers as one of the three mountain towns that are now allowed to have "gaming."</span><br /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrNmnVccUZ84_q2KIG-R-M6dx2at1g9QkG8qjvEtt8kWPtJZ84uxofTnbUl4Wv4IG92WFeDrXGTjcaRlD7vgvFvsFFxKwxKJBxOB01OAIWiIZ7WAd8JefK1XiXEmIPaE3ydsapyAELbkq/s1600/Cripple+Creek-Victor+satellite+view.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1116" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrNmnVccUZ84_q2KIG-R-M6dx2at1g9QkG8qjvEtt8kWPtJZ84uxofTnbUl4Wv4IG92WFeDrXGTjcaRlD7vgvFvsFFxKwxKJBxOB01OAIWiIZ7WAd8JefK1XiXEmIPaE3ydsapyAELbkq/w552-h324/Cripple+Creek-Victor+satellite+view.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cripple Creek and Victor from Google Earth showing the size of the open-pit gold mine between them. Gold is extracted from ore using cyanide heap-leaching technology.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today Cripple Creek allows no overnight street parking within the city limits. CO 67
does provide several campgrounds, but neither are Free or inexpensive for what
they provide. The USFS campground
called The Crags is located 4.5 miles south of Divide on CO 67, then 3 miles
east on rough, steep, gravel CR 62, recommended only for truck campers and very
small trailers. The campground has 12
back-in and 1 pull-thru dirt and grass campsites with tables, grills, and pit
toilets for $16/night ($8/night with the Senior Pass).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next campground south on CO 67 is Mueller State Park,
one of the most popular in the State.
With 110 shaded, paved, electric-only camp sites, plus water faucets, an
RV dump, a Visitor's Center, and hiking trails, it is a great park. However, it is also one of the most
expensive public campgrounds in the State at $44/night, including the day pass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some people disperse camp along either the Phantom Canyon Road going south, or </span>the Gold Camp Road running north and east, from Victor. Phantom Canyon, a 19th century narrow-gauge railroad grade, is obviously narrow in spots, is all gravel, can be rough after heavy rains, and has some steep grades. So it may not be very conducive for longer RVs, especially Class A diesel pushers or long fifth-wheels. Gold Camp Road was the "Short Line" standard-gauge railroad grade to Cripple Creek, so its grade is wider and has broader curves. Most of Phantom Canyon is located within the BLM's Gold Belt Recreation Area, while most of the Gold Camp Road is in Pike National Forest. However, both of these areas are a considerable distance off US 24.<br /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncNcSIHWAAnaosKP7vTpX6KTVR1fM9GmzTuq5v1lCYi1P-A9DwBoaAigBYHlXIcY80eNXgKPnakKcBdgFVXkTpCMFHxxhZ8D7dL9fqV6b7eMVRrYkb_RR_FU4LIgvfArMBdO8Okana15U/s1600/Gold+Camp+road.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1024" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncNcSIHWAAnaosKP7vTpX6KTVR1fM9GmzTuq5v1lCYi1P-A9DwBoaAigBYHlXIcY80eNXgKPnakKcBdgFVXkTpCMFHxxhZ8D7dL9fqV6b7eMVRrYkb_RR_FU4LIgvfArMBdO8Okana15U/w568-h331/Gold+Camp+road.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pikes Peak Granite monoliths along Gold Camp Road, an old railroad grade between Victor and Colorado Springs<br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Free dispersed camping nearer US 24, you will need to drive farther
west on US 24 to the town of Lake George.
A resort town during the early 20th century, Lake George was a popular
picnic destination for Colorado Springs residents via the Colorado Midland
Railway, which was abandoned in 1918. Today the town is the nearest source of
supplies for boaters and fishermen from Eleven Mile Reservoir and its State park. And don't forget to visit Florissant Fossil
Beds National Monument a few miles south of the US 24 town of Florissant. You can take a walk through a
"forest" of huge redwood trees (actually stumps) that grew in the
area 40 million years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two USFS campgrounds are located on CR 96 a few miles south
of Lake George--Blue Mountain and Riverside.
However, they are $16/night plus a $6 one-time use fee for gravel
back-in and pull-thru sites with a hand pump and pit toilet, without an RV
dump. By turning east onto Blue
Mountain Drive (CR 61/244) and driving one mile past the Blue Mountain
Campground, you will reach open USFS land.
Take a left onto FR 875 or 876 and find a level spot within 300 feet of
the road for a Free night of dispersed hilltop camping in the junipers and
pines. But be very careful with
fires--find an existing fire ring if you really must have a campfire. Keep in mind that
the USFS employee who in 2002 accidentally started the nearby Hayman Fire,
Colorado's second largest ever, served 5 years in the Federal Pen and still owes $44
million in restitution! So, "know before you go" and check the Park County fire threat before roasting those marshmallows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As discussed under "US 285" above, one of the most popular places to camp Free in South Park is the
Denver Water Board's Antero Reservoir, located 5 miles west of Hartsel and
north of US 24. If you prefer solitude, a convenient dispersed area is
CR 311 that turns north off the highway near the top of Trout Creek Pass. Several dirt tracks dead-ending in groves of
trees are often used for boondocking.
And don't forget to stop for photos of the 14,000+ ft. Collegiate
Peaks--Mts. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc.--with the sun glinting off the snow
when you top the pass the following morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Buena Vista area has a number of very nice USFS
campgrounds, especially those on the west side of the highway at the foot of
the Collegiate Range. However, all are
extremely popular and priced as such. The multi-year paving project on beautiful, aspen-lined Cottonwood Pass Road is finally completed, if you want to explore this old
wagon road between the mining camps of Gunnison County and the Eastern
Slope. We drove it in our SUV in June 2020 and I would not hesitate to go back over it with our motorhome. Lots of curves, but Gunnison County widened them so longer vehicles can use it. My wife commented that she would use Cottonwood Pass instead of US 50 over Monarch Pass if she still had to make business trips to Crested Butte (she doesn't have to make any business trips because she's retired!). You will likely find a few
places for dispersed camping in both San Isabel and Gunnison National Forest along this road as
well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As mentioned in the section for "US 285" above, Buena Vista is
also the northern entrance to the State's most popular whitewater rafting river
through Brown's Canyon National Monument.
So, stop in Johnson Village and schedule a 1/2- or full-day raft trip on
the Arkansas River</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. While you wait for your raft
trip, you may want to snag one of those paved, $15/night W/E RV sites at
the VFW that was also described under "US 285." And after your raft trip, you might want a pint and dinner at the Eddyline brewpub in Buena Vista.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Going north, you will find very popular Clear
Creek Reservoir SWA, with Free camping (with CPW SWA Pass or valid hunting or fishing license--s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;">), good trout fishing, and exploring the ghost town
of Winfield as its attractions. Go north of Buena Vista on US 24 for 13 miles, then turn west onto gravel CR 390 and 1/2 mile later, you are
there. Most of the dispersed campsites
are at the west end of the reservoir along the creek and not between the
lake and road. When we were there in June 2020, every campsite was full despite the pandemic. When I went back in June 2023, the same was true and I had a hard time finding an open spot. Plenty of nearby neighbors that night!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even those opposed to paying for camping need to make an
exception for the USFS Whitestar Campground at Twin Lakes, one of Colorado's
"100 Best Campgrounds." Turn
west off US 24 onto CO 82 and go 7 miles to the campground entrance on the
south side of the highway. There are 3
loops and the best views of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, the two tallest peaks
in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, are from the Ridge Loop (Sites 30-45). However, if your RV is very long, you may
have to be satisfied with the Sage Loop, as it has been rebuilt with a few longer
sites in the center of the loop. Although none of the sites have
electric hookups, potable water and a dump are available for the nightly rate of $19
for the Ridge and Valley Loops and $20 for the Sage Loop, plus an additional fee for the
dump. Of course, Senior Pass holders pay
1/2 those rates. Due to its popularity, reservations are a must during the summer. Even in June 2020, the pandemic summer, every campsite had a Reserved tag on the post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While you are at Twin Lakes, take a drive west on CO 82
over Independence Pass to Aspen. Aspen was one of Colorado's major 19th century silver mining districts and is now one of those 10th Mountain Division veteran-designed world-class ski areas.
Independence Pass is one of Colorado's highest paved passes, is only open in
summer and early fall, and has hosted numerous bicycle races during the days of
the Red Zinger-Coors Classic series and the more recent U.S. Pro
Challenge. It is a drive you won't
forget, but leave your RV at Whitestar and drive only your toad or tow vehicle
over the narrow pass road!</span><br /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerLQjJJo77RCNaCVBng4fhlzUZG7G4rnAKmGy5WE9VY0opoBd_u5rmsBXWg8lRmwvUj_yML6Rw5TYfe3oR9omVwagXVl4iAZpkNt4SWxO8iF9BidAtfAWt6XUezPUvFkzI4wZftXQIXhP/s1600/Leadville+3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1528" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerLQjJJo77RCNaCVBng4fhlzUZG7G4rnAKmGy5WE9VY0opoBd_u5rmsBXWg8lRmwvUj_yML6Rw5TYfe3oR9omVwagXVl4iAZpkNt4SWxO8iF9BidAtfAWt6XUezPUvFkzI4wZftXQIXhP/w548-h297/Leadville+3.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, the two tallest peaks in Colorado, after the first snow of fall</span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you leave Twin Lakes on US 24 headed north, there is no
more BLM or SWA land. Due to mining
claims and private land, only USFS land is available for Free camping. There is Free, dispersed USFS camping available along the access road to Sugar Loaf Dam. Take a left off northbound US 24 on CR 4, the Turquoise Lake Road, at the USFS office building and go about 5 miles to the Sugar Loafin' RV Park. There the road has a three-way intersection, with paved CR 4 to the right, the paved golf course road to the left, and the gravel dam access road between those two. Drive until you find an existing site with a fire ring (please do not create new fire rings and be very careful with campfires). When we were there on an August 2021 weekday, there were at least 50 dispersed camping RVs, from tent campers and pickup campers to 40' motorhomes. So you had better like nearby neighbors with your boondocking! For San Isabel NF dispersed camping rules click </span><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/psicc/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=12403&actid=34" style="font-family: inherit;">HERE</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you need it, Leadville has a city-owned RV dump at 911 US 24, right across the highway from the USFS office ($10 dump fee, $5 for water in a self-pay box, with video monitoring!). Incidentally, all of the RV dumps and water faucets in the USFS Turquoise Lake Recreation Area were "closed due to the pandemic" in 2021. So, if you need water, better get it at the city dump station, even if camping in an established USFS campground.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">On your way north, pause for a walking and driving tour of Leadville, Colorado's richest (and from 1878-1882, the world's richest) silver mining town. The Silver Crash of 1893 bankrupted many of Colorado's silver millionaires, including Horace and Baby Doe
Tabor. You can visit the Tabor
Opera House, the Silver Dollar Saloon (named for the Tabor's daughter), and the
Matchless Mine--where Baby Doe died penniless in 1935. One other attraction of note is the National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame in the old high school building at 120 West 9th Street. It is definitely worth a couple of hours!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After Leadville, drive US 24 over Tennessee Pass to Eagle
Park, the site of the Army's Camp Hale.
Hard to believe that 40,000
workers built a camp to house 16,000 soldiers and 4,000 horses and mules in
only 8 months of 1942. 10th
Mountain Division regiments would go on to fight in the Aleutian Campaign in Alaska
against the Japanese and in the mountains of northern Italy against the
Germans. However, since its 1965 demolition, the only vestiges of that "city" are concrete foundations, gravel roads, and the Ski Cooper Ski Area. However, it was recently designated a National Historic Site.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48B8p0M14zLrE4KoNOg-mlk6k_b56te88VKbksb_FAdBqXknJFBWjlJvz9ZQLjmCUZqLhbVMxmiseL9NYvsvKACe9LB67shtaXxUtclUZFVyXHP_amhdn3EFPA38XwVa1B5Lo38uZO6XBo26xJoHUVYTAIlVRRkcWKCeAmnD_9M8Eq1X5AdAylW6gpQ/s525/R%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="525" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48B8p0M14zLrE4KoNOg-mlk6k_b56te88VKbksb_FAdBqXknJFBWjlJvz9ZQLjmCUZqLhbVMxmiseL9NYvsvKACe9LB67shtaXxUtclUZFVyXHP_amhdn3EFPA38XwVa1B5Lo38uZO6XBo26xJoHUVYTAIlVRRkcWKCeAmnD_9M8Eq1X5AdAylW6gpQ/w541-h423/R%20(1).jpeg" width="541" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Company L, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division training on skis at Camp Hale in 1944.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One Free dispersed camping area near Camp Hale is located on FR 726
(Jones Gulch Road), which turns east off US 24 about 3.5 miles north of the top
of Tennessee Pass and ends up at Camp Hale. The road is graded gravel and there are four or five pull-outs and one back-in space that could be used for RVs up to about 40 feet. The USFS has a designated campground right in the middle of Eagle Park named, you
guessed it, "Camp Hale." It
has 21 level RV campsites up to 68' long and pit toilets, but no electricity, water, or dump
for $18/night ($9 with the Senior Pass). But there are gravel
roads all over the Eagle Park area that may lead to a secluded, dispersed campsite in
the forested edges of the open park. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is one place you don't have to worry about train noise during the
night, despite the tracks next to the highway.
Few trains have used the Tennessee Pass line since the Union Pacific
bought the Denver & Rio Grande Western/Southern Pacific railroad company in 1996. During the war, however, the thick coal smoke from the D&RGW's huge, triple-headed steam locomotives climbing the pass on that track produced the "Pando Hack" suffered by most of the soldiers. The coal stoves that heated each Camp Hale building also added to the dense smoke of the valley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Four more USFS campgrounds are located north of Eagle Park
in the vicinity of Homestake Creek.
One, Gold Park, 7 miles west of US 24 on FR 703, is conveniently placed
at the trailhead into the Holy Cross Wilderness Area. The Mount of the Holy Cross was a famous 14'er that was a subject
of William Henry Jackson's 1873 photos and
a Thomas Moran oil painting of the snow-filled cross that led to it
becoming a National Monument from 1929 to 1950.
It was popular with many 19th and 20th century photographers until one arm of the cross was obliterated in a 1943 rockfall. Incidentally, Jackson and Moran also
provided the first public images of Yellowstone National Park, including Moran's most famous painting--"Yellowstone Falls".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another potential dispersed camping area would be on the
Shrine Pass/Turkey Creek Road (FR 709).
Drive north on US 24 to Red Cliff, a tiny, eclectic, former silver
mining town that became a hippie haven in the 1970's. Carefully drive through the narrow streets of town, staying on FR
709 for several miles until you reach a suitable pull-out in the valley. If you want to drive the entire length
of FR 709, it crosses Shrine Pass before dropping down to its northern access
point at the Vail Pass rest area on I-70.
Numerous dispersed camping sites also exist just west of the top of the pass. But they should be accessed from I-70 because heavy summer 2020 ATV/OHV traffic has made the uphill portion nearest Red Cliff extremely rocky and slow. Even with my 3/4-ton, 4WD, diesel truck, I did not take our fifth wheel up that grade. And the entire road would be off-limits for our current motorhome, with the exception of a few, always full campsites nearest I-70.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The next town north of Red Cliff is Gilman, a fenced-off,
abandoned, contaminated former New Jersey Zinc company town. The town sits on top of the Eagle Mine, once
the largest underground zinc mine in the Rocky Mountains. The mine portal is located 600 feet down the
mountain next to the railroad track and the Eagle River. And the aquaduct you will see west of the river north of Gilman
is used to transport contaminated water from the mine to a treatment facility near
Minturn.<br /><br />If you are in need of a big meal at this point in your trip, stop for dinner at the Minturn Country Club (warning: their parking lot is too small for RVs). They are a "cook-it-yourself" steakhouse which also has fish and chicken for those non-red meat eaters. There may be a line at the 5:30 pm opening time on weekends, so plan to go there mid-week! That is, unless you are tired of cooking for yourself by this time in your RV trip and want someone else to do the work. In that case, head to Vail or Avon for a "plethora" of good sit-down restaurants, many with larger parking lots. Well, that's it for Free or inexpensive camping along
US 24. </span> After Minturn, <span style="font-family: inherit;">you're now on to I-70 or
adjacent US 6.</span>fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-73099398582255134452017-07-10T01:30:00.020-07:002023-09-28T18:52:54.583-07:00Free RV Camping – US 40 (west of Berthoud Pass)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">US 40 was built through Colorado in the 1930's as the
shortest Federal highway between Denver and Salt Lake City. Therefore, Berthoud Pass became the first paved highway pass over Colorado's Continental Divide. US 6 (now I-70 between Idaho Springs, CO,
and Green River, UT) was a longer route between the same two large cities, but Loveland Pass was not paved until the early 1950's. Just a little Colorado trivia: a railroad route over Berthoud Pass was investigated in 1867 by the chief engineer of the transcontinental railroad. But, after nearly being trapped on the pass by a heavy, early fall snowstorm, he routed the Union Pacific through southern Wyoming!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijg_FF8vsy5lciVkBlJ9X2vRHtqRuDAztfGyvgq5s8Dz17_xV3_E1wC_-2Bpg2Jnw0xK2ZkGpbot8C_VOlxPa6hAmVUO86f1Oh3m-ixVLzF8l9p2xUkW0APImjY_kvsdlaJsTAS545RidoT0_lCegubUguwHEVpsmgjIOJYUpjOMseQmV4xhx1pq-Ntw/s1200/5b436ee88714b.image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijg_FF8vsy5lciVkBlJ9X2vRHtqRuDAztfGyvgq5s8Dz17_xV3_E1wC_-2Bpg2Jnw0xK2ZkGpbot8C_VOlxPa6hAmVUO86f1Oh3m-ixVLzF8l9p2xUkW0APImjY_kvsdlaJsTAS545RidoT0_lCegubUguwHEVpsmgjIOJYUpjOMseQmV4xhx1pq-Ntw/w504-h336/5b436ee88714b.image.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Steamboat Springs' city-owned hot springs pool</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the route west of Steamboat Springs sees few out-of-state visitors,
the Middle Park area from Berthoud Pass to Hot Sulphur Springs and Grand Lake
is one of the busiest tourist areas of the state. Although the big Winter Park Ski Area is not a major RV draw,
Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake, Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir, the
Fraser River, and the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area make this a summer
destination for many outdoor recreationalists, including RVers. But, when planning your trip to Middle Park, keep in mind that Trail Ridge Road (US 34) across RMNP doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend and closes after the first major snowstorm of fall. And its switchbacks and 12,000' elevation make it RV-UNfriendly unless you have a pickup camper, short Class C, or camper van. I never even attempted towing our fifth wheel over it. In addition, the East Troublesome Fire burned a wide swath of forest from CO 125 to RMNP, including buildings in both RMNP and the town of Grand Lake.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is one of my favorite areas to camp
because I spent a college summer as a USFS road surveyor in Middle Park. For most of the summer we lived in a
government trailer in Granby and surveyed the right-of-way for a forest road
west from the Willow Creek Road (CO 125).
However, we also lived and worked in Winter Park, at Monarch Lake, and
on the Williams Fork-Ute Pass Road at the Horseshoe Ranger Station. Great summer and one of my </span>fondest memories of the '60's!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIGV-cqEa2MLYcaaEcg0q7rXdeniAiGoIcGd-oeOLiUQgbB9IGiQypkbSDIJZToGMLC19-k3H-aLsNDwq-KdCFFO4zAE4VttRDPSQwp7MFayhaUPbJLIL7_7luYeX3yKBIi5EtbSEkf8x/s1600/P1080618.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIGV-cqEa2MLYcaaEcg0q7rXdeniAiGoIcGd-oeOLiUQgbB9IGiQypkbSDIJZToGMLC19-k3H-aLsNDwq-KdCFFO4zAE4VttRDPSQwp7MFayhaUPbJLIL7_7luYeX3yKBIi5EtbSEkf8x/w522-h392/P1080618.JPG" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch Lake--one of my favorite places in Colorado!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Due to this popularity, most valley areas available for
camping are filled with towns, ranches, second homes, and USFS, National Park,
and private campgrounds. Areas
conveniently located along US 40 for dispersed camping-boondocking are limited to a few gravel/dirt roads east of US 40 near the Mary Jane ski runs. But there are few other places that provide Free camping. If you can find a boondocking spot near Winter Park, Granby has a Free RV dump in Kaibab Park at 555 Park Lane.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One exception is in the town of
Hot Sulphur Springs. The Pioneer Park campground is located just north of the Colorado River at the west end
of Grand St. Not only is the campground
Free (with CPW SWA Pass or valid hunting or fishing license</span></span><span>--s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">), but it provides a Sanolet, a dumpster, and fishing
access to the adjacent Colorado River. P</span></span>otable water and a restroom with flush toilets are located at the north end of the park. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> The campground is within walking distance of most of the amenities
offered by the tiny town, which is the Grand County seat. The drawback is noise throughout the night from Union Pacific trains that rumble
through town on the nearby tracks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the other (west) end of Byers Canyon, is Hot Sulphur
Springs SWA that also has Free camping (with CPW SWA Pass or license) on the banks of the Colorado River. At the east end of the bridge over the
river, turn south on CR 50--Church Park Road, then turn right after 0.1
mile. Camping is allowed in the gravel
parking lots along the river and two restrooms are provided for fishermen and
campers. As in the city park, train
noise during the night can be a problem for some RVers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of historical interest, both Byers Canyon and Byers Avenue
(US 40) in Hot Sulphur Springs were named for William Newton Byers, the founder
of the <i>Rocky Mountain News</i>.
Along with Colorado's first newspaper, Byers owned the hot springs and
built the first resort on the site. A
little known fact is that John Wesley Powell and his boat crews gathered at the
resort in the fall of 1868 to assemble their equipment and practice river running
in the adjacent rapids of the Colorado River.
In fact, two of Powell's crew were employees of the <i>Rocky Mountain
News</i>, sent by Byers to provide news reports on the trip</span> down the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon. And, just incidentally, the famous geologist also made the first recorded ascent of nearby 14,259' Long's Peak while he was in the vicinity. Not bad for a one-armed former Civil War major!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A little farther west on US 40 is the tiny town of Parshall
and the turnoff to paved CR 3 and a connection to the Ute Pass Road (CR 15). CR 3 takes RVers to Free camping (no license requirements for camping and no reservations) around the shores of the Denver
Water Board's Williams Fork Reservoir.
Take CR 3 about 2.5 miles to paved CR 341 for the East Boat Ramp, designated campsites with picnic tables and fire rings, pit toilets, and an RV dump. Or go 3.8 miles to gravel CR 33 and then another
2.8 miles to the West Boat Ramp near a peninsula sticking out into the
lake. The west area provides more designated campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and pit toilets</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. There are about 45 designated back-in and pull-thru campsites in the two areas and plenty of space on the peninsula for dispersed camping. Don't count on having potable water, campground shade, great cell service, or OTA TV stations, but it's perfect for long RVs, solar panels, generators, satellite dishes, and rainbow trout, lake trout, and northern pike fishing (with a CO fishing license, of course). When we were there in August 2023, nearly all of the campsites were occupied on a weekend. And all of the level boondocking sites on the peninsula were filled with groups of fishermen, paddleboarders, and families with kids enjoying their final weekend before school started. The lake was still so full (in August!) that a couple of eastern campsites were partially flooded. So all the boat ramps on the west side of the lake were closed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Interestingly, the town of Parshall may be the only one in
the nation named for a 20th century civil engineering professor. In 1922, Professor Ralph Parshall of
Colorado A&M College (now Colorado State University) received a patent for
a structure that could accurately measure water flow in streams and irrigation
ditches. The first-ever river-scale
"Parshall flume" was installed west of Byers Canyon on the Colorado
River and the town took its name from that flume! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97l0PJ587kWjWWc8x7qsZ-SZgVV8Xdagnu3-mNWsGD_0MCliXIPVqpcc71hEzjIQqVVeuQEftr3w61kIhqo5SH3l-Q44fO1kALU82ohqY6lqLmu1nM0mNGr3h97tyf8c3HCWtjolDfD-x/s1600/Middle+Park+satellite+view.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1116" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97l0PJ587kWjWWc8x7qsZ-SZgVV8Xdagnu3-mNWsGD_0MCliXIPVqpcc71hEzjIQqVVeuQEftr3w61kIhqo5SH3l-Q44fO1kALU82ohqY6lqLmu1nM0mNGr3h97tyf8c3HCWtjolDfD-x/w500-h294/Middle+Park+satellite+view.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Middle Park, Colorado</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Berthoud Pass in lower right and Kremmling in upper left connected by US 40.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dark lake southeast of Kremmling is Williams Fork Reservoir with Free camping.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">White areas on right are snow-capped peaks along the Continental Divide.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bright white spot just below and left of center is the tailings pond at the Henderson Mill.<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also of interest is that continuing south on CR 3 to its end will bring you to Climax Molydenum's Henderson Mine and Mill. This huge underground mine has operated since the
1970's. Mill workers generally
live in Frisco and Silverthorne and commute via Ute Pass, while most miners
live in Idaho Springs and commute via US 40 and a deep mine shaft located on
the Jones Pass Road at the eastern approach to Berthoud Pass, nearly 10 miles from the mine portal near the mill. Originally an electric train hauled ore from inside the mine to the mill, but it was later replaced with a 5 mile-long conveyor system. The elevation of the mine shaft is about 10,500 ft, while the elevation of the mill portal is just under 9,000 ft., a difference of 1,500 ft in elevation and all of it underground! Unfortunately, the big 2020 Williams Fork Fire decimated the forest in a large area between the mill and the town of Fraser.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are relatively few places to camp Free or for a price
along US 40 west of Parshall. Red
Mountain RV Park in Kremmling has FHU sites for $39-42/night.
Wolford Campground on Wolford Reservoir, north of Kremmling and east of
the highway, has a current rate for electric sites, with separate water
hydrants and RV dump, of $40/night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thirty miles north of Kremmling on Muddy Pass, the USFS has
a cheaper, no hookup campground called Dumont Lake. Two miles north of the intersection of US 40 with CO 14, turn
north off the highway onto gravel CR 199.
The campground has 22 sites with potable water, picnic tables, fire
rings, and pit toilets for $12/night ($6/night with Senior pass). Adjacent to the campground are lake and
stream fishing, non-motorized boating, and mountain biking and hiking
trails. Reservations can be made for
this campground, but it gets relatively light use due to opening only about
June 30 each year and closing in late October.
So you may want to take your chances and avoid the reservation fee, since one loop is FC-FS. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The popular USFS Meadows Campground is located 7 miles
closer to Steamboat Springs (37 miles north of Kremmling) and a mile south of
US 40 on gravel FR 297. It has 30
tree-shaded and open campsites up to 35 feet long with picnic tables, fire
rings, and pit toilets for $10/night.
This is a no reservation, first come-first serve campground, so never
lacks for campers during the summer and during the fall hunting season. There are also other forest roads in the vicinity that might be used for dispersed camping, but we haven't done any there. Be aware of hunters in fall--we've had them come out of the forest right into our campsite!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before the recent bark beetle destruction of the lodgepole
pine forests of northern Colorado, two of the most popular State parks among
Colorado RVers were Steamboat Lake and Pearl Lake. Located north of Steamboat on CO 129, these lakes provided
secluded, shaded campsites around the lakes, plenty of boating room, and great fishing. Now, however, there are few trees remaining
in the campgrounds and they are less popular during summer than in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The hot springs pool in Steamboat, Fish Creek
Falls just outside town, and numerous summer festivals still bring in many
summer visitors, but most stay in the abundant ski lodges and condos at Mt.
Werner. A word of warning: Steamboat
Springs has posted "No Overnight Parking" signs in the Walmart
parking lot and enforces them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A new State park campground much closer to US 40 is the Yampa
River State Park Headquarters on the south side of the highway west of
Hayden. This campground has 35 long RV
sites with 20/30/50A electric hookups, water, an RV dump, flush toilets,
showers, and a laundry for $32/night plus the $8 daily fee. Included
in the daily fee is access to the Visitor's Center and 15 fishing access points
across public and private land along a 134-mile reach of the Yampa River
between Hayden and its confluence with the Green River in Dinosaur National
Monument. Not inexpensive camping, but
well worth it if you are a fly fisherman and want to fish one of the least
dammed rivers in the State. There is a
limit of two trout, but no limit at most access points on non-natives like
bass, pike, walleye, perch-crappie, and catfish. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Due to the extreme length of the Yampa River State Park, there
are no SWAs with camping along US 40 west of Hayden. However, BLM had two areas for Free camping adjacent to the river </span>(no license required for camping, just for fishing) until 2023<span style="font-family: inherit;">. However, when we visited it in September 2023, both Juniper Canyon and Maybell Bridge have now become part of Yampa River State Park. That means that these formerly Free campgrounds are now $14/night for FC-FS dry campsites. Juniper </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Canyon is
located 20 miles west of Craig on gravel County Road 53. Turn south off U S 40, then, after 3.6
miles, take a sharp right turn onto CR 74 and go about a mile. The site has a boat ramp, parking lot, pit
toilets, and bear-proof trash receptacles. It has 5 angled, back-in RV sites with tent
pads and 3 tent-only sites, each with its own picnic shelter. Juniper Canyon is popular not only with
boaters and fishermen, but also mountain bikers, hikers, ATV/OHV riders, and
wildlife photographers. The only nearby
population is in a ranch house across the river from the campground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearly identical to Juniper Canyon, but much closer to US 40 is the now-$14/night Maybell Bridge campground. Turn
south at the east end of the Yampa River bridge just before entering the town
of Maybell. The campground has 5
angled, back-in RV sites, one pull-thru site, and 5 tent-only sites. There are tent pads and picnic shelters at
each campsite, as well as a pit toilet, boat ramp, parking lot, and trash
containers. However, the proximity to
the highway and town make this a relatively noisy location compared to the
quieter (unless the OHVers are there), somewhat isolated Juniper Canyon campground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we took our RV to Alaska, the city park in Craig, with
its fantastic wood carvings, and the Moffat County Fairgrounds both offered Free
camping, complete with electricity at the fairgrounds. But the Craig KOA owner apparently complained to the
two governments and that ended the public campgrounds. Incidentally, there are now "NO Overnight Parking"
signs at the Craig Walmart as well. The first come-first served city park campground in Maybell still has sites with electricity and a water faucet, but it is up to $20/night. They also charge $5 for using their RV dump and $3 for a shower. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that takes you west on US 40 to Vernal, Utah or maybe northwest through Maybell to the very remote Free
campgrounds at Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge on Colorado's reach of the Green River. From there, you can take a raft trip on the Green through Dinosaur National Monument. If one-armed John Wesley Powell could
handle Whirlpool Canyon in a wooden
dory, you can certainly handle it in a rubber raft. Or if you happen to be in Maybell on an early May Sunday morning, don't miss the <a href="http://www.visitmoffatcounty.com/great-american-horse-drive.php">Great American Horse Drive</a> right through town on US 40!</span>fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-22316071009123655262017-07-10T01:00:00.083-07:002024-03-04T14:52:23.864-08:00Free RV Camping – US 50 (west of Pueblo)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCC7WMFfl9rHbon1cUHxhBzEVRzuGvOWjfQy-R6-NuMb2bUYDpHxCIfLii15TcRCG_eJGSLaI88oxLGjr-JtYSFZ5_6xJD_QZCcODESYrqz-g1UB9T4PS4L3jfuIC3iVR6aQ3kpWzXGvvDe5PbGgfnvxRX22a_JO7XMS9sUoAxyO90xpNh8ZKvQK-wA/s1280/cure_cureneedle01a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCC7WMFfl9rHbon1cUHxhBzEVRzuGvOWjfQy-R6-NuMb2bUYDpHxCIfLii15TcRCG_eJGSLaI88oxLGjr-JtYSFZ5_6xJD_QZCcODESYrqz-g1UB9T4PS4L3jfuIC3iVR6aQ3kpWzXGvvDe5PbGgfnvxRX22a_JO7XMS9sUoAxyO90xpNh8ZKvQK-wA/w538-h431/cure_cureneedle01a.jpg" width="538" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Curecanti Needle from Morrow Point Reservoir</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you happen to be traveling from Kansas to Pueblo on
US 50, there are 10 State Wildlife Areas with Free (with CPW SWA Pass or valid CO fishing or hunting license</span><span>--s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;">) lakeside camping and a State park. The SWAs are located
north of the highway between Holly and Rocky Ford and John Martin Reservoir State Park's Lake Hasty completely tree-shaded campground is south of the highway. And, if you have children with you, don't miss a visit to Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site when you go through La Junta. If you camp in the La Junta area, there is a Free dump at the Pueblo West Quik Stop gas station (next to car wash) just south of US 50 at 101 S. McCulloch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But, after leaving the Pueblo area heading west
on US 50, your first Free camping is southwest of Canon City in Temple Canon Park. Be sure to c</span>heck fire conditions/bans (719-269-9028) and the weather forecast before leaving Canon City, as the park is in a very dry area that is also subject to frequent flash floods (the D&RG Railroad abandoned its 1881 narrow-gauge line up Grape Creek due to an 1889 flood). In this <span style="font-family: inherit;">Canon City mountain park, the picnic and dry camping areas (Temple Ridge and Temple View) have gravel-dirt roads and parking areas, pit toilets, covered picnic tables, fire pits, and trash cans, but no water, RV dump, or hookups. Camping is limited to 3 days and water and pay RV dumps are available at the Shell and Conoco gas stations in town. To reach the park, turn south off US 50 on 1st Street, then right on 3 Rd., which becomes gravel Temple Canyon Road. It is 5 1/2 miles from US50 to the park.</span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a long day's drive to Salida, try a dip in the city-owned indoor hot springs swimming pool. A special place in Salida for kids is the State's <a href="http://cpw.state.co.us/hatcheries">Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery</a> located on the north side of town next to the river. And, best of all, this is the town to try summer whitewater rafting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although we formerly dumped Free at the Salida Visitor Center, that dump is now closed. There is Free potable water and a $10 (credit card machine) RV dump at the Poncha Springs Visitor Center at the intersection of US 50 and US 285. In addition, the visitor center has restrooms with flush toilets and several long, pull-thru RV parking spaces that can be used for a Free overnight stop. This is rare in Colorado, as most visitor centers and rest areas do not allow overnight parking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you don't want to pay a dump fee at the Poncha Springs Visitor Center, the
next Free RV dump station heading west on US 50 is in Gunnison. West of downtown Gunnison, turn east on Rio
Grande Avenue, then take an immediate right onto Airport Road. At the first gravel road, turn right again
and follow it behind the General Aviation hangers to the dump. There is plenty of room to turn around in
the parking lot at the dump, as you must leave the same way you came in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHKoV2gKQtFOUho-y4CR4fT3-iLh9_nla6L-xNGaYaI3S4mwJg9AedpOrUcNuwt4B3ZRsRC_-Nd7UVpEdnMFgwGdhvjp_RKFzpEEf7fA93ecE1k57xv3i_hvCHA0lz-3f-gmBXWVJU2MrUZW9MBo_G8xq1qejZcDUkHKsgUPz5vvHHZkTaeXz-xGjLg/s768/East-side-of-Monarch-Pass-CO-768x432_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHKoV2gKQtFOUho-y4CR4fT3-iLh9_nla6L-xNGaYaI3S4mwJg9AedpOrUcNuwt4B3ZRsRC_-Nd7UVpEdnMFgwGdhvjp_RKFzpEEf7fA93ecE1k57xv3i_hvCHA0lz-3f-gmBXWVJU2MrUZW9MBo_G8xq1qejZcDUkHKsgUPz5vvHHZkTaeXz-xGjLg/w527-h295/East-side-of-Monarch-Pass-CO-768x432_1.jpg" width="527" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> US 50 on Monarch Pass and the Monarch Ski Area</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to boondocking along CR 250 as discussed in the "US 285" section, Free parking lot dry camping is allowed on the east approach to Monarch Pass at the Monarch Crest Gift Shop. However, the elevation is 11,000', so have plenty of propane in fall! And be sure to ask permission and buy something in their store to repay the owner's generosity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inexpensive USFS campgrounds are located west of
Poncha Springs, including Monarch Park (just east of Monarch Pass and first opened in
1920!) and three more west of the pass and north of the highway. The Pitkin, Snowblind, and Quartz no-hookup campgrounds are very scenic places
to spend a day or two camping, fly fishing, mountain biking, or hiking. You can also check out the narrow-gauge railroad grade up to the Denver, South Park & Pacific's 1881 Alpine Tunnel under the Continental Divide. The road is now closed due to an avalanche that destroyed part of the Palisades railroad grade, but you can still hike or mountain bike to the portal. The Pitkin Campground is
listed as one of the 100 Best Campgrounds in Colorado. When we were there on a weekday in June 2020, the first pandemic summer, every campsite in both Pitkin and Quartz was full. And most were full of ATV/OHV owners, as the Cumberland Pass Road is now "4-wheeler heaven." So, if you want a little peace and quiet, I would highly recommend finding a different camping area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another abandoned railroad grade to explore is east of the town of Sargents, which is located on US 50 at the western end of Monarch Pass. The Marshall Pass road (Forest Road 243) is the 1881 3'-gauge D&RGW Railroad mainline to Utah that operated between Salida and Gunnison to 1955. This serpentine route is probably best viewed from your tow vehicle or toad, but you may find a few Free dispersed campsites at lower elevations on USFS land. Just watch for cattle on the open range!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a large expanse of brush-covered BLM land southwest of
Sargents for Free dispersed camping. At
Doyleville, take paved County Road 45 across Tomichi Creek, then gravel CR 14-AA about 5 miles to reach BLM land on both sides of the road. Watch for cattle on the road as this is also open range. There is no water, pit toilet, or trash container, so you have to be self-contained to camp in this area. Please stay on previously used tracks and take
<u>everything</u> you bring with you when you leave. There are no nearby residents, lights, or cell service, so get
there before dark to find your campsite. But that dark night sky is pretty spectacular, which is why my
wife has taken star-track photos along that road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If CR 14-AA is a bit too remote for you, there are also 3 Free "primitive" BLM campgrounds along CO 114 in the BLM Cochetopa Canyon Recreation
Area. These are located at approximately MP 12.5, 14.5, and 18 south of US 50, with pit toilets, but no
water except what you bring. Some campsites are tree-shaded and back up to the creek, but hopefully you can live without cell service because the
canyon walls may block the signals. However, there will be occasional traffic along this
primary cutoff between US 50 and the San Luis Valley, so you won't be too remote. When I was there during tourist season in June 2023, only a few of the campsites were occupied. Of historic interest, the Cochetopa Canyon area is where
Gunnison County's uranium ore was mined during the 1950's Uranium Boom. And nearby Cochetopa Pass was the "easy" transcontinental railroad route over the Continental Divide that Lt. John C. Fremont was searching for in 1848 when he nearly lost the lives of his entire expedition in a fall blizzard. Ten of his 35-man party did die and no railroad was ever constructed over that pass!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hartman Rocks, a Free BLM dispersed camping area just south of
Gunnison, is very popular with Western Colorado University students. That's because it offers great rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing only 4 miles from campus, as
well as OHV and snowmobile riding. It is located south of the airport via CR 38
(Gold Basin Road) to CR 56 (Hartman Rocks Road). However, the dispersed camping areas are off a very steep, rocky road
that has been made worse by a constant stream of OHVs. It is suitable only for 4WD truck campers, 4WD Class B motorhomes, and 4WD pickups towing high-clearance, off-road trailers. It was a very rough ride in May 2023 even in my 4WD, 3/4-ton diesel truck without a trailer, so I certainly
wouldn't take a Class A or C motorhome, fifth wheel, or travel trailer up there. Too much chance of dragging the tail-end on the ground, high-centering on a rock, or even bending the frame!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Free camping (with CPW SWA Pass or valid CO hunting or fishing license</span><span>--s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;">) is available in
two SWAs ~15 miles north or 6.5 miles east of Gunnison. The Almont Triangle SWA is located 3 miles north of Almont on CO 135--halfway to Crested Butte--and is open from March to November. It is located near the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, which raises tens of thousands of kokanee and whirling disease-resistant trout each year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Located 6.5 miles east of Gunnison is the Cabin Creek unit of the Van Tuyl SWA. Travel US 50 to BLM road 3107 and go north 0.2 mile. This SWA offers camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing on 200 acres of the Tomichi Creek valley, but an SWA Pass is required.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Incidentally, some of th<span>e best fall aspen color in Colorado is around Gunnison. Northwest of Gunnison is the extremely popular (bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on weekends!) Kebler Pass road, mostly gravel from Crested Butte to CO 133. CO 135 and the Kebler Pass road (CR 12) are part of the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway, with spectacular views of Mt. Crested Butte, Lake Irwin, and the volcanic peaks of the rugged West Elk Mountains. To the NE is th</span>e newly paved Cottonwood Pass Road from Almont to Tincup to Buena Vista and suitable for most RVs. The SE aspen-leaf peeping area is the old narrow-gauge, gravel/dirt railroad grade discussed above from Sargents over Marshall Pass to US 285 (not suitable for most RVs!). For leaf-peeping to the SW, take US 50 to all-paved CO 149, the Silver Thread Scenic Byway, south to Lake City and Lake San Cristobal. FYI, this natural lake formed behind a dam created by the Slumgullion Mudflow, which is so massive that it was visible in the earliest photos taken by astronauts. If you visit Gunnison County in mid- to late-September, you should definitely take your tow vehicle or toad over at least one of those scenic routes.<br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">West of Gunnison, the </span><a href="https://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/camping.htm" style="font-family: inherit;">Curecanti National Recreation Area</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">'s
Elk Creek Campground on Blue Mesa Reservoir is located between US 50 and the
lake shore. The Elk Creek D-Loop is the
only CNRA campground with electric hookups. The 28 paved sites have 20, 30, and 50A power plus potable water
and a dump at the entrance station for $24/night ($14/night with the Senior
Pass). Not much shade anywhere in the
campground, but Elk Creek has a visitor center, flush toilets with showers, a swim beach, boat ramp, and marina. We last stayed there in the fall of 2019 while I kayaked the Gunnison River and upper end of Blue Mesa while fishing (very successfully!) for brown trout feasting on the kokanee salmon that were returning to their birthplace at the Roaring Judy hatchery.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you don't need hookups, the other 3 loops at Elk Creek and several nearby campgrounds on Blue Mesa have no-hookup campsites for $16($8)/night. Farther west on US 50, the Cimarron campground near Morrow Point Dam has additional paved sites with water, flush toilets, and an RV dump for the same price. This cg. is generally less busy in summer than those around Blue Mesa. I have also seen RVs dispersed camping south of US 50 between the CO 149 and Elk Creek cg. turn-offs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Incidentally, the photo at the top of this section is of the Curecanti Needle, a symbol of the D&RG's 19th-century narrow-gauge "Mainline through the Rockies." A view once reserved only for railroad travelers, this photo was taken from our NPS <a href="https://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/boattour.htm">boat tour</a> on Morrow Point Reservoir through the depths of the Black Canyon. The boat tour is no longer operating, but hiking the old railroad grade is still allowed. <b>Warning:</b> it's a long downhill walk from the parking lot to the railroad grade and a much, much longer climb back up the steps after the tour. I had to stop several times while climbing the steps in 2019 just to catch my breath despite having lived in Colorado for 60 years. This trek is definitely NOT for the senior just arrived from the flatlands or for anyone with heart or respiratory problems!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11J_2nG33eATNEVbYWksNadnm-Y6w3pz6VxtOHYEFiyHrmL9R-OuP6Px2fEWNfH7303lKnvX5owh8CRhIRLHiHt9tQTa9C2TSauE6J3ZXxVJd8znmjaQ6oW-WkYkhsNp7RA7L3kUYlVZB/s1600/D%2526RGW+C-16+%2523278+-+Cimarron.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11J_2nG33eATNEVbYWksNadnm-Y6w3pz6VxtOHYEFiyHrmL9R-OuP6Px2fEWNfH7303lKnvX5owh8CRhIRLHiHt9tQTa9C2TSauE6J3ZXxVJd8znmjaQ6oW-WkYkhsNp7RA7L3kUYlVZB/w516-h292/D%2526RGW+C-16+%2523278+-+Cimarron.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />1882-vintage C-16 2-8-0 steam locomotive #278 sitting on an original Black Canyon of the Gunnison D&RG railroad bridge before its 2009 removal for restoration.</span><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Curecanti NRA also has the Free, first come-first serve Gateview campground with great fishing in the Lake Fork a few miles south of Blue Mesa. BLM has the $5/night Red Bridge campground on the same gravel road, but 4 miles farther south, which locates it just outside the NRA. The Gateview and Red Bridge campgrounds have 6 and 7 campsites, respectively, with </span>pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire grates, but<span style="font-family: inherit;"> water during summer and early fall only at Gateview. Although neither site nor Lake City have a Free RV dump, there are dumps in both Gunnison and Montrose. To get to the campgrounds from Gunnison, turn south off US 50 onto paved CO 149 at the upper end of Blue Mesa Reservoir and go approximately 20 miles to gravel Blue Mesa Cutoff Road (CR 25). Turn north and go 2.3 miles on CR 25 to Red Bridge, then an</span> additional 4 miles on CR 64 to Gateview. Don't cross the bridge on CR 25! Stay beside the river on Blue Mesa Road--the old roadbed of the D&RGW Lake City Branch<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Incidentally, the water in the Lake Fork at Gateview was so clear that I watched 18"-20" rainbow trout feeding on the bottom of a 10' deep pool located just below a huge boulder. And I didn't have my fly rod with me! Lesson learned, now I keep one permanently in the motorhome.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, there is the South Rim campground at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National
Park, which has both electric and non-electric, unpaved (gravel)
sites. The non-electric sites are the
same $16($8)/night rates as the Curecanti NRA campgrounds, while the 23 short
back-in and longer pull-out electric sites are $22($13)/night. However, there is no water faucet, no RV
dump, no flush toilets, and no food for 15 miles. So, come prepared with everything you need for an overnight stay and pack out everything you bring.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Note for 2024</b>: US 50 is only one alternating lane with a 10' width at Blue Creek on weekdays from 8:30am to 7:30pm due to construction between Sapinero and Cimarron (MP 123-127). It is fully open on weekends. This multiyear construction project is expected to be completed in Spring 2024, but don't hold your breath! When I was there in September 2023, the digital sign said waits of 1-2 hours were possible.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">West
of Black Canyon NP, there is a Free RV dump and potable water at the Confluence Park off US 50 in Delta. NOTE: Sorry, RVers, another shut-down due to abuse by other RVers. In October 2020, Montrose County closed their Free RV dump station at the fairgrounds due to black tanks and trash bags dumped on the parking lot! However, there are several pay dumps at Montrose gas stations, including the Shell Super Mart on East US 50. Since Durango and Salida closed their city park dumps several years ago and McPhee Recreation Complex near Cortez closed theirs in 2020, we'll see how long the dumps in Delta and Gunnison remain open and Free.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are skipping Black Canyon NP, a Free overnight (24-hour limit) dry
camping stop could be the West Main Trailhead Park in Montrose. Stay on US 50 (East Main) until you pass US
550 and the street becomes CO 90 (West Main).
Just before the bridge over the Uncompahgre River, turn left into a
circular, paved parking area and you are there. A restroom and trail along the river are available for your use. Please DO NOT abuse the privilege of your Free stay or Montrose will ban camping at this site as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Incidentally, the Montrose Walmart currently seems to welcome RVers
for overnight stays, but the Gunnison Walmart is much less accommodating. The Gunnison Walmart is on the north side of
town on the road to Crested Butte and was posted in 2016. But, even if you could camp there, you
wouldn't want to do it during ski season. I tried skiing at Crested Butte
one January when the temperature got to -40, so I wouldn't be caught dead
camping in the Gunnison Valley in winter--free or otherwise. Incidentally, Gunnison often records the lowest winter temperatures of any Colorado town!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There aren't many places to camp Free between Montrose and
Grand Junction because, quite frankly, it is a dry, barren, alkali-dust, shale
valley with very little to attract RVers, even just overnight. BUT, if you have time to get a few miles off
US 50, there are some great places to visit along CO 141 in Unaweep Canyon,
like the Gateway Canyons Resort and its fantastic Auto Museum, or along CO 65 through the Grand
Mesa "lake district". Even more scenic is CO 133 to McClure Pass, the Crystal River valley (historic Marble and
the eclectic Redstone company town, with its rare USFS electric-hookup campground), ritzy Aspen, and Glenwood Springs, with its huge hot springs pool and access to I-70.
However, those are not US highways, so finding your campsites on those routes will be left to Campendium or some other blog.</span></div>
fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-15552892802641532932017-07-10T00:30:00.007-07:002023-03-17T10:11:19.261-07:00Free RV Camping – US 550 (south of Montrose)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">South of Montrose between the towns of Ouray, Silverton, and
Durango is located one of the most popular areas of Colorado. US 550 in this stretch is called the
"Million Dollar Highway" and is both beautiful and a terror for many
RV drivers and passengers from the flatlands! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This area is tourist-heavy for good reason because it has some of the
most scenic and most photographed mountains, passes, rivers, waterfalls, split
rail fences, jeep roads, and narrow-gauge trains anywhere in the U.S. This is especially true in the fall when the
aspen are changing on Mt. Sneffles, on Dallas Divide, and in Animas Canyon.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mt. Sneffels and Wilson Peak in fall as seen from Dallas Divide on CO 62 west of Ridgway</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The "terror" of driving US 550 in an RV is due to a combination of factors. The least of these is a tunnel and an avalanche shed that the highway passes through just south of Ouray. The avalanche shed should have plenty of clearance for most RVs, but the tunnel has a clearance of only 13'9" and that is in its center The more significant "terror factor" on US 550, however, is the Uncompahgre Gorge's lack of guard rails along a cliff that drops several hundred feet to the river. Due to the narrow lanes and abundance of curves, northbound drivers tend to drift toward (over!) the center line to stay away from the sheer rock face on the east side of the highway. This leaves little room for a long, southbound RV trying to stay in his lane, but away from the edge of that sheer drop! </span><br />
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If in doubt on being able to negotiate the tunnel or you just want to avoid the gorge altogether with your RV (use your toad or tow vehicle to drive to Silverton), there is an alternative, very scenic route from Ridgway to Cortez and Durango. That is the CO 62-CO 145 route through Placerville and Telluride to Dolores that I use when towing my 5th wheel. And, just FYI, the Town of Telluride has a $15 big-rig/tour-bus friendly RV dump at their wastewater treatment plant. It is located in the public parking area at South Mahoney Drive and Pacific Avenue. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Telluride, just off CO 145, showing Bridal Veil Falls and the Black Bear Pass Road switchbacks on the wall of the box canyon</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And, while on the subject of driving the roads of the San Juans, this is Colorado's jeeping capital, so a few comments based on personal experience. Jeep roads were originally animal trails, then Ute horse trails, then pack trails for miner's mules and burros, then wagon roads. They were never designed by engineers, widened for modern 4WD pickups, or constructed with passing locations. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, just because you have a 4WD truck doesn't mean you should drive the jeep roads of the San Juans. </span>If you want to do some 4-wheeling in your pickup, my advice is to have very good brakes, practice making 7-point turns, and stick to Engineer Pass and Ophir Pass. If you want to experience the adrenaline rush of "conquering" passes like Imogene and Black Bear, either schedule a jeep tour with an experienced driver in Ouray or Telluride or bring/rent a small, maneuverable OHV.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As one example to emphasize this point, not so many years ago an out-of-state visitor drove his big 4WD pickup off a San Juans jeep road into an off-limits area and to the edge of a cliff. When he couldn't turn around or back up without going over the edge, he walked out and notified the USFS. When the rescue team couldn't get it out either, the truck had to be taken apart and airlifted out by helicopter. That cost several hundred thousand dollars, including a massive Federal fine, but not including the cost of putting the truck back together (that's not in the USFS' job description)! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A Free (with CPW SWA Pass or valid hunting or fishing license</span><span>--s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above<span style="font-family: inherit;">) camping area is located 16 miles south of Montrose and east of US 550 on Ouray CR 2. It is the Billy Creek Tract of the Billy Creek SWA and camping is allowed there only from May 1 to December 31 (there are several other tracts in this SWA, but none allow camping). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few miles farther south on US 550 is Ridgway State Park, one of our favorite Colorado state park campgrounds. The park has one FHU campground below the dam and electric-only sites in two other campgrounds: an open, sunny one near the boat ramp-marina area and a nicely shaded one up on Elk Ridge, where we camp. On our last October stay there, the Elk Ridge D-Loop was walk-in only and there were a dozen available sites on a Wednesday afternoon. The big reservoir and the Uncomphagre River allow all types of fishing and host Colorado's biggest smallmouth bass tournament in July. Both former railroad town Ridgway and spectacular Ouray, with its hot springs pool, are just a short drive from the state park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">South of Ouray, Free camping is limited in areas near the major roads. Dispersed camping is possible in some areas of the San Juan National Forest, but BLM lands are limited due to the widespread abundance of patented mining claims. These claims are privately owned lands even when unfenced and unoccupied. So, know before you go by buying detailed maps or checking with the USFS or BLM ahead of your stay in this area (Google Earth does NOT show mining claims).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQ8SJddFq3uySb4_u48ueO_51TOSNJxII38MqPOMjxYmGzJugR_XoSsqflFW4SY8KW2zfwDrwElAv1MGJze5p9B6jTVF4hXnF1h41qU0n6g2U6TfsuWGqr_91DwH9L5p-QnkqD9SqXa4D/s1600/_MG_3530+%25282%2529+%25281667x2500%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQ8SJddFq3uySb4_u48ueO_51TOSNJxII38MqPOMjxYmGzJugR_XoSsqflFW4SY8KW2zfwDrwElAv1MGJze5p9B6jTVF4hXnF1h41qU0n6g2U6TfsuWGqr_91DwH9L5p-QnkqD9SqXa4D/s400/_MG_3530+%25282%2529+%25281667x2500%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;"> Red Mountain and the Idarado Mine on US 550 </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> between Ouray and Silverton</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just north of Silverton on US 550 and 4 miles east on FR 585 is the very scenic USFS South Mineral Campground, another of Colorado's 100 Best Campgrounds. With 26 relatively level, first come-first served campsites, potable water, pit toilets, and reachable with a 2WD vehicle, it is very popular. So it is best to get there as early in the day as possible.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An extremely scenic drive near that campground is the Ophir Pass 4WD road (FR 679). This 19th century wagon road for hauling mining equipment and supplies between Silverton and Ophir is only one-lane, hangs on the edge of a cliff, and has switchbacks too narrow to get a pickup truck around without a 3 or 4-point turn. But, of the passes between Ouray-Silverton and Telluride-Ophir, this road is the least difficult. Imogene and Black Bear are far more dangerous passes and not recommended for out-of-state visitors except on a jeep tour or ATV/OHV. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One very popular Free dispersed camping area south of
Silverton and east of US 550 is located along the very long, dirt Lime Creek
Road (FR 591). The easier northern
entrance is located about 6 miles south of the Molas Lake parking area and the
southern entrance is one US 550 hairpin curve north of Cascade Village. It is considered a 4WD road, but, if you
have a truck or RV with a relatively high clearance, you shouldn't have a
problem. However, being signed as 4WD,
this is also one of the most popular ATV/OHV roads in San Juan National
Forest. So, if you want peace and quiet
when you are boondocking in the Colorado mountains, this may not be your
favorite campsite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you do dispersed camping along US 550, please be conscientious concerning USFS regulations, other campers, streams, and roadless areas. In other words, please be a good “Tread Lightly” boondocker! One recent summer, we drove the 4WD-only Bolam Pass road (FR 578) from the Durango Mountain/Purgatory ski area to the Cayton campground (now with 19 electric sites!), located on CO 145 south of Telluride. Where this road runs adjacent to Upper Hermosa Creek, the USFS had posted the riparian areas with numerous “No Camping – Revegetation In Progress” signs. Behind the signs were at least a dozen groups of campers, some with horse trailers and some with toy haulers, OHVs, and trail bikes. And everywhere they had driven were deep ruts in the reseeded areas. My wife was shocked at the arrogance of those campers, who obviously didn’t feel that any rules applied to them. It was especially galling since a perfectly acceptable pine-shaded, Forest Service campground and a designated equestrian camping area were located only three miles east on the same road. That is exactly the kind of behavior that the Forest Service is going to use the Travel Management Rule to end. Will the Bolam Pass road be completely closed? Don’t be surprised if it is. That will be a shame because, although the upper portion of the road is extremely rocky (4WD-, OHV-, trail bike-, mountain bike-, horse-only) and traveled by relatively few people, the views of Lizard Head and the western San Juans from the top are spectacular!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As discussed in detail in the "US 160 West of Pagosa Springs" section below, there
are not a lot of dispersed camping-boondocking areas near Durango and no dry
camping at Walmart either. Because of
the popularity of Durango during the summer-fall tourist season, USFS
campgrounds like Haviland Lake (another "100 Best Colorado Campground")
and Junction Creek are generally booked months in advance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">South of Durango, the land is mostly private near the
highway and Southern Ute Indian Reservation land away from the highway. So, there is very little BLM land available
for boondocking and not even a USFS pay campground.
Maybe New Mexico has more places to boondock along US 550, but, if so,
I've never explored them. You're on
your own finding those.</span></div>
fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-50036515056275993882017-07-09T10:32:00.013-07:002023-06-13T16:38:32.800-07:00Free RV Camping - I-25/US 160 (Pueblo to Pagosa Springs)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This post includes Free or
low-cost RV campsites from Pueblo along I-25, then west along US 160 through
the San Luis Valley and over Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs. US 160 from Pagosa to Cortez is in a separate post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are headed
south on I-25 to US 160 between late April and mid-October and have a Federal
Senior pass, you can stay at the only campground in San Isabel National Forest
with electrical hookups for only $12/night ($24/night without a Senior Pass). La Vista is one of our favorite Forest
Service campgrounds in southeastern Colorado, as it is on little Lake Isabel,
built by the CCC in the 1930s. There
are 8 water taps for 19 ponderosa pine-shaded RV sites that range from 25’ to
45’ long, but electricity is only 15A (summer nights are cool in the Wet Mtns.) and there is no dump. Several adjacent campgrounds have
non-electric RV sites. From I-25 Exit 74 at Colorado City (between
Pueblo and Walsenburg), take CO 165 12 miles west to CR 371, turn left, then follow the signs a mile to the </span>San Isabel Recreation Area <span style="font-family: inherit;">campgrounds. There is a very nice CDOT rest area at Exit 74 where we </span>frequently stop<span style="font-family: inherit;">, but it unfortunately has no RV dump.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After leaving Lake Isabel, retrace your route to I-25 and
stop for lunch in the little town of La Veta.
La Veta is located just south of US 160 on the Highway of Legends Scenic
Byway (CO 12). The <a href="https://www.coloradotrain.com/ride/excursion-trains/">Rio Grande Scenic Railroad</a> is now in bankruptcy, but its eastern terminal was on the north side of town. A few years ago, if you were lucky, a
passenger train pulled by a 2-6-2 Prairie steam engine may have pulled in while you were there. Hopefully, someone will buy the railroad and RVers can again have that experience. There are also two CPW SWA reservoirs just east of town with great trout fishing, but no camping. Two private RV parks are located in town. but pull-outs that RVers use for Free camping are located along
“it-used-to-be-paved” Old La Veta Pass Road.
Turn south off US 160 on CR 443 two miles before the top of
pass. There is a Free dump at the Cliff Brice food store on CO 12 at the south end of La Veta.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steam freight train on the Rio Grande Scenic Railway, a standard-gauge line across La Veta Pass between Alamosa in the San Luis Valley and the tiny town of La Veta near Walsenburg<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, if you are like me and love back roads (even when
they are gravel instead of paved), I highly recommend an alternative to US 160
over La Veta Pass. I would not take a
Class A or our Class C Mercedes Sprinter motorhome over the Pass Creek Pass road (use your toad to explore it),
but the route follows the historic 1840’s Huerfano River trail between Bent’s
Fort on the Arkansas River and Taos, NM. Incidentally, "huerfano" is Spanish for "orphan" and you will see the "orphan"--the lava neck of an ancient cinder cone and a landmark visible for miles along the river--just east of I-25. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> To access Pass Creek, leave I-25 at Exit 52 and take the first right onto CO 69. At Gardner, turn left (west) onto CR 550 and then another left at Malachite to CR 570/572. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An alternative route from Lake Isabel takes you through the
scenic Wet Mountains and Wet Mountain Valley and passes one of Colorado's most unusual tourist sites--Bishop's Castle.
Go north from Lake Isabel on CO 165 and west on CO 96 to the
twin towns of Westcliffe-Silver Cliff.
These two old mining/railroad towns have some great eateries and an annual music festival. As of July 1, 2020, you can
camp just outside town at the DeWeese Reservoir SWA for Free if you have a valid CPW SWA Pass or fishing or hunting license (</span><span>s</span>ee the "Introduction" section above).<span style="font-family: inherit;"> After lunch or overnight camping, go south on CO 69, then turn west at Gardner and
follow the previous directions. If you
have an RV that you don’t want to take over the gravel pass road, but would
like to camp Free (with the appropriate SWA Pass or license) and take only your toad or tow vehicle over the pass, stay on CR 550/580
for 13 miles to the Huerfano SWA. It has
campsites with picnic tables, restrooms, cold-water fishing (no boating), and trails leading into the scenic
Sangre de Cristo ("Blood of Christ") Mountains.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After crossing La Veta Pass or Pass Creek Pass, you are in the high, dry, flat San Luis Valley. See
"US 285" above for information on camping around Great Sand </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dunes National Park and Alamosa. If the San Luis Lakes SWA is full</span>, there is an alternative SWA nearer US 160. The Mountain Home Reservoir SWA is southeast of the town of Ft. Garland (once commanded by Kit Carson, so stop and take a tour of the fort!). Although this SWA has no hookups, it has a Free (with valid CPW SWA Pass or hunting or fishing license) campground with restrooms, water, a boat ramp, and a lake stocked annually with trout. Access to the SWA is located 2.5 miles east of Ft. Garland, where you will turn south off US 160 onto Trinchera Ranch Road. After 2 miles, turn west on Icehouse Road and go 1 mile to the north entrance to the SWA.</div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In late winter (mid-March) and late fall (late October or early November), you may want to camp near Monte Vista to visit the Monte Vista National Wildliife Refuge while the sandhill cranes are migrating. The 2023 <a href="http://mvcranefest.org/">Monte Vista Crane Fest</a> was March 10-12, so around that weekend each year would be a good time to see "big bird." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you don't mind a gravel parking lot with a restroom for a Free overnight stay (with valid CPW SWA Pass or license), the Rio Grande SWA allows camping in one parking lot </span>between July 15 and February 15 (it is closed to the public the rest of the year)<span style="font-family: inherit;">. If you are traveling east</span>, turn off US 160 at the eastern edge of Monte Vista on Sherman Avenue<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and go</span> 3 miles east <span style="font-family: inherit;">to the Home Lake SWA. Turn left on Soldiers Home Road, cross the irrigation canal, turn right immediately after crossing the canal onto the gravel road into the Rio Grande SWA, and go east for another 0.4 mile to the parking lot. If you are traveling west on US 160, you can turn right on CR 3E and go one mile </span>north <span style="font-family: inherit;">to Home Lake, then follow the previous directions. When you leave,</span> you can stop at Monte Vista Co-op, two miles east of Monte Vista on US 160, to use their big-rig friendly RV dump ($8.00 without Co-op membership). The Co-op also has good prices for gas, diesel, propane, and a car/truck service department for those who might have those needs. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The city park in Del Norte no longer has designated campsites. However, Free overnight RV parking is allowed at any city park, with water and </span>an RV dump just north of the old train depot. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It is located </span>on the northwest side of town just off<span style="font-family: inherit;"> CO 112, the short cut between US 285 and US 160</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Incidentally, you will cross railroad tracks next to the depot, but there are no more trains. The tracks west of town </span>all the way <span style="font-family: inherit;">to South Fork are just used for railroad car storage, so there will be no noisy trains during the night!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a Free big-rig friendly RV dump behind the Rainbow Grocery in South Fork. We saw it being used last fall during a lunch stop, but did not not need it ourselves. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The USFS campgrounds near South Fork and on Wolf Creek Pass are very popular during
the summer. If you just need a place
for a single Free (with valid CPW SWA Pass or license) boondocking night, you might want to drive through the
parking lot of the Wolf Creek Ski Area to the Alberta Park Reservoir SWA. It
is 1.7 miles past the ski area on FR 391.
Non-motorized boating and catch-and-release trout fishing are allowed on the lake and
camping is not prohibited, although no designated campsites exist. Keep in mind that Wolf Creek consistently has the greatest snowfall of all Colorado ski areas, so at 10,200 ft., this SWA opens late and closes early. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaX8BHkqAnetL5NMOTkzsnrbu1fcxJ2ipPXyPyIoloGIv3BGaBIfwNDaibqK0TcKFHrKNBVArlbdg2SxIPA780-ukAWAUFl2tu_1CP2n1H7cTJ15LV43cNWNtWXvj06xPZGFglKXfPYHJ/s1600/_MG_3351+%25282%2529+%25281533x2300%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaX8BHkqAnetL5NMOTkzsnrbu1fcxJ2ipPXyPyIoloGIv3BGaBIfwNDaibqK0TcKFHrKNBVArlbdg2SxIPA780-ukAWAUFl2tu_1CP2n1H7cTJ15LV43cNWNtWXvj06xPZGFglKXfPYHJ/s400/_MG_3351+%25282%2529+%25281533x2300%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treasure Falls at the US 160 rest area<br />
on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the SWA is unavailable, try the USFS West Fork Campground at the west
end of Wolf Creek Pass. First, however, stop at the
Treasure Falls parking area and take the short hike to the falls to relieve the
stress of having just driven over the pass. Then drive another mile down
the highway and turn north on FR 648.
After two miles of gravel-dirt road, you will reach 27 well-spaced, gravel-apron
sites with 9 pull-thrus, grills and tables at each site, two hand pumps for
drinking water, and pit toilets. The
price is $18 ($9 for those with the Senior pass). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are no SWAs allowing camping in
Archuleta County. In addition to West
Fork, the 8 other USFS campgrounds (totaling over 200 campsites)
within 25 miles of Pagosa Springs cost at least $18-$29/night. Of course, 3 of those campgrounds--Bridge,
Teal, and Cimaronna--are among the “100 Best Campgrounds in Colorado.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The only Free campsites we have found around
Pagosa Springs are dispersed ones off Fourmile Road (N. 5<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">th </span> St. to
CR 400) after it crosses into San Juan National Forest about 5 miles
north of town. Eight miles south of
town and east of US 84, we have also seen campers along the Forest Roads branching off Blanco Basin Road (CR 326). And there is a Free RV dump (with fuel fill up) at the Speedway gas station just west of downtown at 2537 West US 160.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is great fishing near Pagosa, hot springs for those
who don’t mind the smell, and beautiful aspen in the fall. But the not-to-be-missed attraction is
located 16 miles west of town on US 160. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turn south off US 160 at CO 151 and go 3
miles to the new <a href="http://www.chimneyrockco.org/">Chimney Rock National Monument</a>. We attended an equinox sunrise tour at Chimney Rock several years
ago and highly recommend the new monument to anyone interested in an Anasazi
lunar observatory. Very different than Mesa Verde, but only open from May 15 to September 30!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A great place to camp near the new monument is Capote Lake
Recreation Area on the Southern Ute Reservation at the intersection of US 160 and CO 151. The price is $25/night for one of the ten 30A electric/water RV sites, with a shower house and a dump at the
office/store. That price is the same as
the nearby USFS Ute campground (1 mile west on US 160) that has no electricity, one (summer-only) water spigot, no dump, and a pit toilet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihMbGX_ynNFJSR5mBOmqwticllE3yquvFTeNTO6iBu5Hy6f8A7hw7mLn2jDvQxj-o4tra4Bgpxd3hyL1kpkwUdQr8a8VtUe1mIayC8dba2gt7s59-lQIZtEULMEJsI_ab0pkN4ZHqE6eF/s1600/_MG_3418+%25282%2529+%25283500x2333%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihMbGX_ynNFJSR5mBOmqwticllE3yquvFTeNTO6iBu5Hy6f8A7hw7mLn2jDvQxj-o4tra4Bgpxd3hyL1kpkwUdQr8a8VtUe1mIayC8dba2gt7s59-lQIZtEULMEJsI_ab0pkN4ZHqE6eF/w588-h391/_MG_3418+%25282%2529+%25283500x2333%2529.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />Chimney Rock National Monument just after dawn on a September equinox. More than 1000 years ago, the Anasazi watched the moon rise in the exact center of the two sandstone monoliths once every 18 years and, at the instant it occurred, lit signal fires on peaks along a 90-mile line to Chaco Canyon.<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are some wide spots and pull-outs on very slow CR 166/FR 622 north of the USFS Lower Piedra campground that are used for dispersed camping, but much of that road is on a steep cliff above the river. In the fall, outfitters set up hunting camps at the northern end of the road east of the old bridge across the river. These camps come with horses and OHV's that create very muddy river water and very unattractive campsites. I personally wouldn't waste my time and fuel driving our motorhome those extra 20 round-trip miles. Now it's on to Durango!</span></div>
fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8026399847521252961.post-24109522779537653532017-07-08T10:22:00.036-07:002024-03-06T13:37:23.297-08:00Free RV Camping – US 160 (west of Pagosa Springs)<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The post above included a few
campsites along I-25/US 160 from Pueblo to Pagosa Springs, while this one will
include the stretch of US 160 from Chimney Rock to the Four Corners. This region includes the Durango &
Silverton narrow-gauge railroad and Mesa Verde National Park/World Heritage
Site. It also includes some
lesser-known attractions like the wonderful Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center-Museum near
Dolores, Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monuments, and Lake
McPhee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">West of Pagosa Springs-Chimney
Rock, there is a Free USFS dispersed camping area
located just east of Bayfield. Turn
south off US 160 onto CR 526 and then immediately turn east on CR 527. As a general rule, the land north of CR 527
and Sauls Creek is private and the land south of the road is National
Forest. The best bet is to turn south
onto CR 528, then find a side road in the trees going to one of the many
natural gas wells in the area. These
wells are the reason for the substantial number and generally good condition of
these roads. This is also free range,
so watch for cattle on the road. Camp
at an existing campsite/fire ring and within 300 feet of the road if
boondocking. And be extremely careful
with any campfires as there is a wildfire nearly every year in the Durango
area. Since the county often has a fire
ban in effect, "Know Before You Go."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Durango gets hundreds of thousand of tourists each year, so it
has an abundance of private campgrounds.
Due to this lobby, overnight camping at the Durango Walmart is forbidden
by city ordnance. Some people still do
it, but I prefer to get a good night’s sleep without worrying about the cops
rousting me out at 2:00 AM. So we have
never stayed at Durango’s prominently posted "No Camping" Walmart or
Home Depot parking lots. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the city
doesn't want campers using their parking lots, the county likes tourist
money. And the constant stream of <a href="http://www.durangotrain.com/">Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad</a> patrons provides them with just what their doctor (county treasurer?) ordered. So, the La Plata County
Fairgrounds, east of US 550 in north Durango, has electric-water only campsites
for $27.00/night (2023 price), but no dump.
However, there is a Free dump (with fill up), potable water, propane refills, and truck lanes at the Speedway gas station at </span>20453 US 160 (1.5 miles west of the D&S Railroad yard). You may want to check that it is still available at 970-259-2440.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> There is also a Free dump and drinking water behind Tarpley RV at 25817 US 160.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ1MqFDVvEuOVz0dvbLKuY_0UDCqoqG-8CU_0Gwc8mSQZLNFIK9rA9mZ78K-B0MD0Mr7Va7Tq_HBFLRmpfGfQUa2eFvJM072Y4xXpRgONSKkMNdOXI8sWqihWIn_heBTphKasxE3NpoBO/s1600/P1010047.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ1MqFDVvEuOVz0dvbLKuY_0UDCqoqG-8CU_0Gwc8mSQZLNFIK9rA9mZ78K-B0MD0Mr7Va7Tq_HBFLRmpfGfQUa2eFvJM072Y4xXpRgONSKkMNdOXI8sWqihWIn_heBTphKasxE3NpoBO/w525-h394/P1010047.JPG" width="525" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning D&S freight train in front of the Durango depot. The special Grande Gold paint scheme applied to 1925-vintage K-28 #473 is the same one it wore for the 1949 Chicago Rail Fair<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even the Forest Service has gotten in on the tourist-money
act with electricity at their two campgrounds nearest town. So, if you need to recharge the RV’s
batteries by this time or maybe run the AC, only 5 miles northwest of Durango
is the Junction Creek Campground, a USFS facility with 50A electricity. Not free or even cheap at $38/night ($19 for
pass holders) plus reservation fee. The 14 electric sites are as long as 65’ with conveniently
placed water hydrants and pit toilets, but no dump. One of my friends with a 32’ 5<sup>th</sup> wheel and a Ram
diesel pickup considers it the best campground along US 160 for his RV. Take 25<sup>th</sup> St. west from US 550
for 3 miles to the “Y,” then left 2 miles to the campground. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Haviland Lake, 18
miles north of Durango and just east of US 550, is the other nearby USFS
campground with 50A electrical hookups.
Maps show that the lake is part of Haviland Lake SWA, which it is. Unfortunately, the campground is in the
National Forest, so the camping fee is $39-46/night plus reservation fee, which is required if you want a site any time the D&S trains are operating. Gorgeous scenery, but not inexpensive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Give the Forest
Service credit for knowing a good thing when they see it—modern RVers want to
use their AC, residential fridges, microwaves, and satellite TVs and have campsites long enough for
a 40' coach and toad or fifth wheel and truck.
As long as their prices are slightly less than nearby full-hookup
private campgrounds ($62-95/night), the USFS can charge a high nightly rate compared to their "primitive" campgrounds and still keep
their campgrounds full all summer. I'm sure that's why three of their former hand pump-pit toilet campgrounds </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">along CO 145 north of Dolores now have electricity and flush toilets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A number of great boondocking sites can be found along Madden Peak Road (FR 316) between Hesperus and Mancos. Twenty years ago, I tent camped on FR 568 east of its intersection with the Madden Peak Road. The roadbed of FR 568 was originally built
as part of the Rio Grande Southern narrow-gauge railroad line between Durango
and Dolores. Along FR 568, there were
several areas where a travel trailer, pickup camper, or small Class C RV could
disperse camp. However, before camping
there with a Class A, long fifth wheel, or toy hauler, you should explore
it with a toad or tow vehicle. The road
ended for my 4WD truck at a washed-out culvert about 6.5 miles east of FR 316
where I would have high-centered on the embankment if I had tried to cross the
creek. Once you find a campsite, if you
unhook your trailer or your toad, you can take a shortcut down the hill
from your campsite that comes out on US 160 about 4 miles east of the USFS Target
Tree campground. Just
above the highway on this unnumbered road is a relatively flat gravel/dirt
clearing that might be used for a quick overnight stop if you aren’t bothered
by significant road noise. That
clearing would be about 5.5 miles west of the intersection of US 160 and CO 140
at Hesperus. When you leave, there is a
pay dump at the gas station in Mancos or you can wait until you get to Cortez and dump for free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The east end of FR
568 near Hesperus was blocked by large boulders placed in a narrow railroad
cut. But it wouldn’t have mattered
anyway because the old railroad grade has a ¼-mile long section missing in that area
due to a landslide. On the ground, you can actually see an intact portion of the railroad bed
down the hill, unconnected to its original grade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many others have mentioned RV camping along the Madden Peak Road. When I was there, the west side of FR 316 had been fenced and
gated by a natural gas pipeline company, even though maps showed it as National
Forest land. I didn’t travel north of FR 568 on that road, but many RVers have reported good campsites farther uphill along FR
316.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the triangle made
by Mancos, Cortez, and Dolores, there are 4 SWAs—Totten, Joe
Moore, Summit, and Pruett Reservoirs—and a fifth—Narraguinnep Reservoir—northwest of Dolores. They are old
irrigation reservoirs and all allow boating and fishing. Maybe it is due to their proximity to Mancos
State Park and McPhee Reservoir, but NONE of the five allow camping. Mancos State Park has some nice,
aspen-shaded campsites near the lake, but, unlike most Colorado State Parks, it has vault toilets, very few RV sites longer than 25 feet, and NO electrical
hookups. So, for $30/night, including the daily pass, you are
getting a USFS campground with an RV dump!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For my money, I would
go on to the McPhee (Reservoir) Recreation Complex and pay $36/night ($27/night with Senior Pass) + reservation fee and tax for one of the nicely-spaced, asphalt-paved spaces with 30A
electricity and some shade Then, if I needed to run my AC in July to keep my wife happy, I
could. Water to fill an RV tank is provided at a couple of threaded spigots in the 78-site campground and it has both flush and pit toilets. It also includes 16 pull-thrus, but only a couple have electricity. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">McPhee is only 18 miles north of the Mesa Verde National Park Visitors Center. It is also a lot roomier than being
packed like sardines into one of only 15 $52/night 30A FHU or >200 $38/night dry campsites at Morefield Campground inside
the park. And, best of all, you don’t
have to drag your RV up that long 6% grade and through the tunnel to get to Morefield. <b>Note</b> <b>for</b> <b>2024:</b> Due to too many non-paying RVers, the dump at McPhee is now closed! This means RVers camped there will have to use the Free dumps at the Giant station or Tarpley RV in Durango mentioned above or the Free dump with fill and RV lanes at the Maverick gas station at 455 State St. in Cortez, depending on the direction you are headed. And, according to one of the commenters, the Speedway station at US 160 and CO 145 now has a Free dump and RV fuel pumps. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The campground at McPhee has another attraction for me because it is next door to</span> one of my favorite museums in Colorado, the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/CANM-visitor-center-museum">Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (you pass it driving to the campground). The museum began when the Bureau of
Reclamation needed a place to store and study all the artifacts they were
excavating during the construction of McPhee Dam and Reservoir. Now it has a much better collection than you
can see at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Aztec, or Hovenweep. Many of its exhibits are interactive--not
the video-game kind of interactive, but the hands-on-the-artifact,
microscope-viewing kind of interactive.
For elementary-age children or 80-year old grandparents, spending a few
hours at the museum will greatly enhance any later visit to Mesa
Verde or Canyons of the Ancients. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rOOGVG0nj7EX7f-YgaByfBH5Fhib1T4bARJkNHTAqeS9aenVWijqZxgHx1YayFXLxbOiI4wxNBSj5oNpQ0ompO6EifjzhrIwOADE-pxMWjFWSTW-VVWQW27lXPKcyRTXWhcwHERtqmZupOmjRDPEdr2FARco9hHD6ExJOXZGThYv2MCbtdbKlznrnA/s1172/R%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1172" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rOOGVG0nj7EX7f-YgaByfBH5Fhib1T4bARJkNHTAqeS9aenVWijqZxgHx1YayFXLxbOiI4wxNBSj5oNpQ0ompO6EifjzhrIwOADE-pxMWjFWSTW-VVWQW27lXPKcyRTXWhcwHERtqmZupOmjRDPEdr2FARco9hHD6ExJOXZGThYv2MCbtdbKlznrnA/w552-h376/R%20(2).jpeg" width="552" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Weatherill Mesa at Mesa Verde NP, a special reservation-only tour by the NP Service</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You don’t even have
to leave the grounds of the Visitors Center to visit two small, excavated Anasazi pueblos. But, if you want to see more,
take a trip to Lowry Pueblo in nearby Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (where
Free dispersed camping is not only allowed, but encouraged!) and on to Hovenweep National Monument. Hovenweep has a no-reservation, “first to arrive gets the best spot” campground</span> for $20/night ($10 with a Senior pass) <span style="font-family: inherit;">next
to its Visitor’s Center. There are 31 no-hookup, gravel campsites up to 36' long with covered picnic tables, water in season, and flush toilets all year at the Visitor's Center.
It’s a long way out there, but worth it to see a completely different
kind of Anasazi community than that represented by Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. And, if you are headed for southern Utah
anyway, it is on a great alternative route to driving past the Four Corners
Monument . . . again! After all, if you’ve experienced that tourist trap once, do you really need to see it a second time?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, that's it for US 160. And notice I didn't once mention overnighting at Walmart in Cortez or at the FHU RV parks at the Sky Ute and Ute Mountain Casinos, each of which accepts Passport America. Oops, I guess I just did!</span></div>
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fanrgshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16351291072704286256noreply@blogger.com2