Colorado camping season is in full swing! Last weekend, we got out to Blue Mountain Campground near Lake George, Colorado about two hours from Denver. You can make reservations for this campground on the recreation.gov site for $17 a night. The campground accommodates both tents and campers/RVs.
Features of this campground:
1. A friendly, welcoming campground host who greeted us right away and was available to answer any questions.
2. A large campsite with a picnic table and fire ring. There was a ton of open space around us (Bear🐶 enjoyed the grassy space to run around in and the ample sticks to chew on) and distance from our neighbors for a little privacy. We occupied site #19 which had a pull-off spot for us to park the camper. (Not a pull-thru site and in fact, I didn’t see any sites with pull-thrus). The campground had a couple of vault toilets that were clean and well stocked. (Probably the cleanest of any campground that I have ever been, but it might just be that it was the first weekend of the season?)
3. Quiet campground. There are only 21 sites in all. There were terrific tall trees for setting up my hammock and relaxing in the peaceful surround. We even saw a few deer passing through the area on the first night.
4. Pretty and scenic at 8,200 feet elevation with a nearby hiking trail to the Eleven Mile Canyon Overlook with fantastic views of Pikes Peak.
5. Close proximity to the Eleven Mile Canyon Recreational Area ($7 to drive the canyon…worth every penny!).
The incredible drive through the canyon definitely showed us that this is the place to be for fishing (there were hundreds of people fishing), biking, hiking, camping, and even opportunities for rock climbing. There were also four other campgrounds along the way, many of which were right along the water. (probably super nice when we get further into summer and the temps go up)
“Construction of the Colorado Midland Railway started in 1886 and ultimately spanned 261 miles between Colorado Springs and New Castle. The winding section through “Granite Canyon” was completed by April 1887. For thirty-two years the Midland hauled coal, livestock, hay, wool, lumber, produce, other goods, and passengers, before ending service in 1918. It is thought to be the largest abandoned rail project in the world.”
-courtesy of the Park County Tourism Office
The best parts of camping for me are always the chances to relax, crack a book (or a beer), sit around the campfire, and get away from the screens for a bit.
This trip reminded me how lucky and grateful I am to live in this beautiful state. The opportunities to find beauty and adventure are absolutely endless in Colorado!
BONUS: (and sorry, but you’ll never see it in my pic unless you zoom in and my camera isn’t that great) In the distance is a massive Bald Eagle’s nest perched out on a tree!!! We could see the mama watching over the babies. So cool!!! I learned that a Bald Eagle’s nest can weigh over a ton! Nature amazes me.
You just never know what you’re going to see on a road trip. Get in your car, hit the road, and enjoy!
Happy Exploring!
Oh and yes, there were most certainly S’mores although there was some disagreement on the best marshmallow roasting methods. (Haha). I like to roast mine slowly like a rotisserie chicken so it’s a nice even brown all around. Others, like to light the ‘mellow on fire and eat it charred. Yuck.
Following Your Nose 
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