Colorado - cannot find any place.

[TonyShope]

Originally Posted by Maman325

Should be right in the middle of the timeframe you were looking for - curious what you were able to find & how it turned out for you! :-)

I had an absolutely awful time this time. I found a campground where I was told I would have cable & internet. Get pulled in I have none of the above. To to issues I have from combat I need to be connected to the world either via phone or internet.

The guy used photos on his website that were what the architect envisioned on the 5 year plan.

I really liked western Colorado the year before and will try again. I drove 700 miles and then I let frustrations get the better of me. Everything that could have gone wrong did. So I decided it had been many months since I have seen family. I drove to Iowa and am staying for a month in the TT then roll on again.

[Maman325]

So sorry to hear it didn't work out for you (although I have a special place in my heart for Iowa, too!). Needing hookups can make it tougher to find something out here, especially on short notice - but was hoping you'd have had better luck! Next time! :-)

[MNtraveler]

Originally Posted by TonyShope

I had an absolutely awful time this time. I found a campground where I was told I would have cable & internet. Get pulled in I have none of the above. To to issues I have from combat I need to be connected to the world either via phone or internet.



The guy used photos on his website that were what the architect envisioned on the 5 year plan.



I really liked western Colorado the year before and will try again. I drove 700 miles and then I let frustrations get the better of me. Everything that could have gone wrong did. So I decided it had been many months since I have seen family. I drove to Iowa and am staying for a month in the TT then roll on again.

Thank you for your service! Stay close with your family - sounds like a great plan! We're here for you too whenever and I mean that!

[67L48]

I obviously cannot help the OP, but will contribute to the general overview of Colorado camping ... as someone who has camped here the past 12 years.

First of all, there are really two regions of interest: west of the rockies and east of the rockies. East is called the "front range" and will serve the I-25 corridor (the most populous areas): Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Boulder/Golden, Pueblo. As you might imagine, these CGs will fill rapidly. West serves the less populated areas or those willing to drive 3+ hours from the cities mentioned above. So, conversely, these CGs don't fill as fast and can be reserved closer to the date of interest.

There are 2 types of CGs: public and private. Private CGs range from chains (KOA, Jellystone) to local parks. These are much more likely to offer full hookups, cable TV, swimming pools, etc. They're also less likely to be available via reserveamerica.com or recreation.gov. So, you'll have to use other searches to find them. I don't camp in private CGs, so can't help much further.

Public CGs fall into one of two types: reservable and nonreservable. It seems that about half are nonreservable, but that's probably too large a guess. Anyway, the entire CG is first-come first serve. These are all USFS type CGs and typically only offer vault toilets, fire rings, and basic amenities. Most offer water, but it can be of the hand-pump, non-chlorinated type.

Reservable public CGs range from primitive USFS to full hookup state parks. However, there are very, very few CGs in Colorado that offer power, even fewer that add water (at the site), and even fewer that offer sewer. You're looking for the so-called white buffalo if you're looking for public CGs with full hookups. Typically, the larger lake-driven state parks are all that you'll find (St Vrain SP, Chatfield SP, and Cherry Creek SP, to name 3).

There are other CGs, though, that offer dump stations. Golden Gate Canyon SP, Mueller SP, and Ridgway SP are three that I can think of that have no water/sewer (only electric) at the sites, but have nice pull-through dump stations in the park. You can tailor the searches to find these. I recommend reserveamerica.com to recreation.gov. Reserveamerica is just easier to use and will locate all the CGs that recreation.gov will find ... and you'll get directed to recreation.gov if you want to book a USFS CG, e.g.

However, if you're on the Front Range, these will be, again, very hard to book. You'll be relying on first-come-first-served sites within the CG (not all have these, but most do) or relying on no-shows.

It's difficult and competitive to get any site in any CG with electricity along the front range. Typically, weekends will fill up within 1 hour of opening day (6-months). For holiday weekends, better book within about 10 minutes to get a decent site.

For example, is if you want to camp at Golden Gate Canyon State Park on Memorial Day of 2018, that is Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28. Booking opens 6 months, by the calendar month. Thus, to book Friday, May 25, 2018, you'll need to log in on Saturday, November 25 (2 days after Thanksgiving). The reservation system opens at 8 AM. By 8:05, all the good sites are gone. By 9:00, nearly all sites are gone and you'll be lucky to get anything. Tent-only sites will remain open for several hours or days, as they have no electricity and are, therefore, more fungible.

That's how it works around here. West-side and non-electric CGs are different. They don't fill as fast and you can wait a lot longer to make plans and reservations.

Let me know if you have specific questions. I've camped quite a bit around here. I love both Mueller SP and La Vista (CGs mentioned earlier in this thread) and can offer some insights. Also, campsitephotos.com has site-by-site photos of many CGs in Colorado. I use this when I'm trying to find good sites within a given CG.

Good luck.

[Chief T]

Enjoying our time at Mountaindale park south of Colo Springs. Drove by Mueller SP yesterday, got pamphlet, looks nice.

[Maman325]

We keep meaning to give that place a try - gets great reviews!