Estes Park is, as you would expect, dedicated to tourists and the main streets are lined with shops and restaurants. We had to go through town pulling our trailer and then we came down a couple of times while in the area but due to the layout of the town and to road construction downtown, the roads and parking were tight even for just our truck. We did spend some time one day walking up and down the main street, shopping, and having an early dinner on a nice September day.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Located in northern Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, is a breathtaking destination renowned for its stunning mountain landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and abundant wildlife. Established as a National Park in 1915, the park spans over 415 square miles and encompasses a wide range of elevations, from lush valleys to towering mountain peaks.

The park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, offering over 300 miles of hiking trails, opportunities for rock climbing, and scenic drives showcasing panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. Trail Ridge Road, one of the highest continuous paved roads in the United States, takes visitors through the heart of the park, reaching elevations of over 12,000 feet and providing awe-inspiring vistas.

Wildlife is abundant in Rocky Mountain National Park, with the chance to spot elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, and various bird species. The park is also home to a diverse array of plant life, from alpine tundra to dense forests.

Notable landmarks within the park include Longs Peak, the highest peak in the park at 14,259 feet, and the iconic Bear Lake, surrounded by picturesque scenery.

The Holzwarth lodge is situated along the Colorado River inside the Rocky Mountain National Park and was originally built in the early 20th century as a fishing camp. Today, it serves as a guest ranch, offering visitors a unique and rustic experience in the beautiful surroundings of the park.

Park Review – Elk Meadow Lodge and RV Resort

Rating: 
Location:  Estes Park, CO
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 1:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Roads and sites were gravel/dirt and most of the sites were not level. Our front levelers were just about as high as they could go and the picture doesn’t do justice to how high the front actually is. I could walk under the front almost standing upright. To be fair though, Estes Park is in the mountains so level ground is hard to come by. The roads were heavily rutted by rainwater runoff in places. Each site had a picnic table but no fire ring although some of the tent sites had them.
Access: From I-25 you can take either US-34 or CO-66 to US-36 to get to Estes Park. The latter is probably a slightly easier drive but both work. Going through Estes Park can be challenging due to narrow roads and sharp turns and if there is construction going on, as there was when we were there, then it can be even more challenging to navigate. Fish Creek Rd. to CO-7 north then Mary’s Lake Rd. is a good way to bypass town of you need to get back to US-36 on the west side of town.
Staff: They had updated their software between the time we booked and when we arrived and they had lost some information. They thought we were in a Class A so they reserved a site suitable for one of them instead of a fifth wheel and had to work to find an alternative. C-16 was also a class A site but we were able to get leveled on it, barely.
Cellular/WiFi: We didn’t use WiFi if they had it but Verizon service was decent even though they had warned that it did not work there.
Restaurants: Smokin’ Daves BBQ had good Texas BBQ. The Wild Rose in town was good but a bit pricey. In Grand Lake at the other side of Rocky Mountain National Park we ate at The Waterfront, it was quite pricey and the food was just OK.
Nearby parks: Estes Park Campground at Mary’s Lake looked interesting but we didn’t drive through it. They can support rigs up to 43′.
What we liked: This park is very close to the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park.
What we didn’t like: The sites were very out of level. Our RV was very close to the road at a turn where rigs would track within a foot or two of the back end of our rig. Only community fire rings unless you make friends with a tent camper. There were lots of ground hogs in the park and in the past we had problems with them eating through our electrical cords. Fortunately they did not do that here.
Verdict: I wouldn’t be opposed to staying here again but I’d look hard at Mary’s Lake and the KOA as they both had higher reviews.

Also nearby is the Royal Gorge near Cañon City, several roads with beautiful scenery up into the nearby Rocky Mountains (although we played it safe and didn’t try some of the more challenging ones with our dually truck), and of course Florissant, Divide, Woodland Park and Colorado Springs. We took a few road trips and hikes but mostly just hung out at our park. Just before the end of our stay, the area got it’s first winter snow and we woke up one morning to 8″ of snow. Luckily most of it was gone before we left.

Park Review – Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort

Rating: 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 12:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Roads and sites are gravel which can get a bit muddy after heavy rains (or snow). Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. The park has cabins for those wanting to stay without glamping. Available within the park is a playground, pavilions, and dog park. There are also laundry facilities, bathrooms and showers. There is a small store at the office.
Access: From CO-115 south of Colorado Springs or north of Penrose, take Barrett Rd. west to the park. That said, access to anything like food, gas etc. is at least 20 miles away.
Staff: Friendly and efficient.
Cellular/WiFi: AT&T did not work at all and Verizon just barely worked. The park had WiFi and we tried to use that but it only worked well intermittently. Ultimately, we went to the Best Buy in Colorado Springs and bought a Starlink satellite system. With that we were consistently getting 40-50Mbps or more download speeds and unlimited internet data. So far, we love it. After we get more experience with it in different locations maybe I’ll write a post on what we find.
Restaurants: El Alazan Mexican Restaurant in Florence was pretty good but Ortega’s in Cañon City was better. The Lost Cajun in Cañon City has decent Cajun food for a chain restaurant. While on our fall color drive we stopped in to Peak View BBQ in Woodland Park and it was surprisingly good. Sushi AI in Colorado Springs had decent sushi.
Nearby parks: We did not look at any other parks during our stay. There are some further south toward Penrose and further north toward Colorado Springs that might be good places to look at when we’re back in this area. Of course Cheyenne Mountain State Park is just south of Colorado Springs and it is one of our favorites although it’s difficult to get into even when you book 6 months in advance.
What we liked: We saw deer and wild turkeys in the park nearly every day. We also heard that bear are occasionally seen but we didn’t see one – not that we were disappointed. Our site, 86, was on a terrace above the rest of the park and we were a bit less crowded up there. Sites 84 through 87 are good choices.
What we didn’t like: The lack of internet and cellular service was a bit of a problem until we got the Starlink system. There was construction on CO-115 while we were there and there was a major accident on I-25 that diverted some traffic over to CO-115 causing some major headaches getting in and out of the park. Even though we like being out of major towns, this park is a bit far out of town. We got about 14″ of snow toward the end of our stay (late October) with night time temperatures getting into the single digits. It was pretty but we’d just as soon stay above 20!
Verdict: We’d love to be able to rate this park higher but with access issues and communications problems we have to lower the rating a bit. Even then, this would be a nice park to return to but possibly for only a week or two.

Situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, Fort Collins is located 56 miles north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Fort Collins is a midsize college town, home to Colorado State University and Front Range Community College’s Larimer campus. Much of Fort Collins’s culture is centered around the students of Colorado State University. There is a local music circuit which is influenced by the college town atmosphere and Fort Collins is home to a number of well known microbreweries. The Downtown Business Association hosts a number of small and large festivals each year in the historic Downtown district. The Fort Collins Lincoln Center is home to the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and regularly attracts national touring companies of Broadway plays.

Outdoor activities abound with hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting, cycling and running being prevalent. The Colorado Marathon is a yearly event running down the Poudre Canyon and finishing in downtown Fort Collins. The FORTitude 10K run, a partner running event of the Bolder Boulder, is held on Labor Day each year. The Horsetooth Half Marathon has been a fixture of the local running scene since 1973.

We visited the area for a week in June 2023. Fort Collins reminds us of Springfield Missouri in many ways with old restored homes surrounded by large mature trees. It’s also like a larger version of some of the cool small towns we have seen in the mountain areas around the state. While there we visited three of the area attractions including the Larimer County Farmers’ Market, Old Town and the Cache la Poudre River Canyon.

Larimer County Farmers’ Market

Started in 1975, The Larimer County Farmers’ Market is the oldest farmers’ market in Northern Colorado. It supports local growers and is a staple of Old Town Fort Collins. The market operates on Saturdays from late May to the end of October.

Old Town

Old Town in Fort Collins is a well-preserved downtown district of 23 historical buildings that are part of both national and local designated historic districts. Included is the Armstrong Hobeing Hotel, a Fort Collins landmark that was restored in 2004 to its former Art Deco elegance. You’re likely to notice a strong resemblance to Disneyland’s Main Street USA here as it was modeled after Fort Collins old downtown! Old Town Fort Collins is lined with nature, tourist, antique, retail, and candy and confectionery shops as well as a variety of restaurants (over 80 of them) to provide a taste for any craving, and countless places to dine outdoors. Additionally, you can ride the only original trolley car west of the Mississippi through a beautiful historic Old Town neighborhood. And on any given day, you can enjoy the sounds of live music drifting through the square. The image at the top of this post is from the Old Town area.

Cache la Poudre River Canyon

Taking CO 14 (Poudre Canyon Rd.) west into the mountains off of US Highway 287 brings you through Poudre Canyon, a narrow verdant canyon, approximately 40 miles long, on the upper Cache la Poudre River (called the “Poudre” for short, which locals pronounce as “Pooder”). The canyon is a glacier-formed valley through the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains northwest of Fort Collins. The Poudre is Colorado’s only nationally designated “wild and scenic” river. Highway 14 is designated a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway between Fort Collins and Walden. Hiking, picnicking, winter sports, hunting, fishing, whitewater rafting and wildlife viewing await you along the route.

Park Review – Fort Collins Lakeside KOA Holiday

Rating: 
Location:  Fort Collins, CO
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 1:00PM/11:00PM
Site Quality / Amenities: Concrete pads and gravel roads. Cable TV is also available. Additional site amenities are available depending on the site type you book. There is a pool along with a splash pad, exercise room, rest rooms, showers and laundry room available on site. For families, there is a train that runs through the park, a fishing dock, paddle boats, bike rentals, pickle ball, basketball, shuffle board, horseshoes, mini golf, a jumping pad and a large playground.
Access: Take I-25 exit 269B (Highway 14/Mulberry Street) west. Take Mulberry street west about 5 miles to Riverside. Turn right. Take Riverside to College Ave/Highway 287 and merge right/going north. Take Highway 287 to the roundabout. Follow the left lane and go through the roundabout towards the town of Laporte. At County Road 54G/Taft Hill Road, there is a stoplight. Turn left on Taft Hill Road. The park is .6 miles south on the left.

Staff: We had minimal interaction with the staff but they were always professional and helpful.
Cellular/WiFi: WiFi was available but we did not use it. Verizon was 4G at 6.5 Mbps upload and 2 Mbps download and tended to go down occasionally. AT&T was slower and often non-functional.
Restaurants: Pueblo Viejo – OK Mexican food near Old Town. Serious Texas BBQ – Pretty good Texas style BBQ. There were lots of other places in the area but we didn’t end up eating out that much.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any nearby parks. In researching the area there just aren’t a lot of places around here we’d stay.
What we liked: Fort Collins is a really nice place to visit and there are a lot of outdoor things to do in the area. As KOAs go, this is one of the nicer KOAs we have camped in.
What we didn’t like: The area gets crowded on the weekends and if the university was in session I can imagine it being even worse. The KOA is a typical KOA, high price for what you get. To be fair, this is a Holiday park and to really get your money’s worth you would need to come with younger kids who would use all the family amenities. You need a lot of sewer hose to connect up as most if not all of the connections are at the back of the site. We used 30′ of hose.
Verdict: We’d stay in the KOA here again but only after closely looking at other options. There are many campgrounds along the Cache la Poudre River Canyon but we’d have to make sure we could fit into the spaces.

Fun with Anders

Park Review – Colorado Springs KOA Holiday

Rating: 
Location:  Fountain, CO
Site Quality / Amenities: Roads were asphalt and sites were gravel. Some smaller trees for shade. Restrooms and showers, self-service laundry, Office with store for camping necessities and some food items. This is a KOA Holiday park so they had activities for kids and quite a few outdoor things to do including horseshoes, a jumping pillow, heated swimming pool and adult hot tub and a splash pad.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access right off I-25 south of Colorado Springs.
Staff: The staff were a bit disorganized and distracted when we arrived but were otherwise friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: AT&T was marginal and frequently dropped offline. Verizon was decent at about 12.8 Mbps. They had Wi-Fi but we didn’t use it.
Nearby parks: Except for the Cheyenne Mountain State Park nearby, most parks in the area are not highly rated and are quite expensive for what you get. Some of the parks on US 24 going up toward Woodland Park look nice but they are quite expensive. Diamond Campground in Woodland Park is very nice but your experience there could depend on what site you get. We did drive through Northwoods Village off Fillmore but it appeared to be mostly long term residents and would be tight for our rig. We wouldn’t stay there.
What we liked: Good views of Pike’s Peak and surrounding mountains.
What we didn’t like: This is a typical KOA – the park was decent but not great but the prices are high. We got a deluxe site with a patio and with taxes, etc. it averaged about $100 per night. The patio was cracked concrete and our site was one of the older deluxe ones and could have used some TLC for the price. One of the amenities listed was cable TV which they said was out of order due to construction going on within the park but it was clear that cable had not been operational for some time. our connection was damaged and could not have been used and most sites had the pole for the connections laying on the ground. Lots of road noise as the park is right on I-25.
Verdict: We’d stay here again if we couldn’t find anything better in the area.

Many people might recognize Cheyenne Mountain as the location where the underground operations center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was built during the Cold War to monitor North American airspace for missile launches and Soviet military aircraft. Built deep within granite, it was designed to withstand the impact and fallout from a nuclear bomb. Its function broadened with the end of the Cold War, and then many of its functions were transferred to Peterson Air Force Base in 2006. One of the entrances into the underground tunnels can be seen above the state park.

Park Review – Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads with concrete pads. Large amount of space between each site.
Type: State Park
Access: From I-25, take exit 135. Go west on Hwy 83/South Academy Blvd. to Hwy 115. Turn left (south) on Hwy 115. Go to JL Ranch Heights road (Gate 1 of Fort Carson will be to the left) and turn right (This turn is very narrow for a big rig!). Be very careful of the signs from this point as there are two different places that could mess you up. The first is at the roundabout just after turning on JL Ranch Heights – stay to the left to enter the roundabout rather than taking the exit off to the right. The second place is at the Limekiln Trailhead turn off just after the park entrance station. It looks like you need to go straight at the intersection which would take you to the Limekiln Trailhead. Instead you want to take the road to the right to stay on JL Ranch Heights road. After that follow the signs carefully to find the correct campground. Having a map of the park ahead of time would be a good idea.
Staff: We didn’t have any interaction with staff at the park except for the camp host in our loop. He was friendly and helpful.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was slow at 2 Mbps (on 5G!) and AT&T was a bit slow at 5 Mbps.
Restaurants: We only tried a fast food restaurant near the Walmart while we were here.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Many sites have great views of Fort Carson and south Colorado Springs. Nighttime views and just before sunrise can be spectacular. Walmart, Home Depot and other major stores nearby, although the Walmart was extremely crowded. Lots of easy to moderate hiking trails in the park. Site 10 in Raptor Glen Loop was plenty long enough to park in front or behind the trailer.
What we didn’t like: The road into the park can be narrow and confusing in places.
Verdict: We will definitely come back, hopefully in the spring/summer when temperatures are warmer and we can sit outside and enjoy the city lights at night.

Rating: 1/2
Site Quality: Concrete pads with asphalt roads. Our site was long enough for our rig and truck.
Type: State Park
Access: Easy access from Interstate 225 a few miles east of Interstate 70.
Staff: We visited the park in the winter and only one loop with 16 sites was open (although we found out that normally two of the sites were not available). During the summer there are 6 loops with about 140 campsites. With a confirmed reservation you could skip the office and go straight to your site. Unfortunately, when we arrived someone was still in our reserved site and they were two hours away. We agreed to take one of the two “unavailable” sites and were happy with that.
Amenities: Restrooms with showers, laundry facilities, dump station (closed in winter). There are numerous hiking trails in the park but we didn’t use any of them due to the winter weather.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon service was weak and only 1 bar on our phones. Our data rate was between 2 and 20 Mbps depending on the day. AT&T through our wireless setup was fast at about 30 Mbps. The park had WiFi but we did not use it.
What we liked: Ease of access along I-225. Full hookups during the winter. Nice views of the lake and some of the Denver skyline and mountains west of the park.
What we didn’t like: Sites are expensive for a state park and on top of that you need a daily or yearly vehicle pass which just adds to the cost. Since they weren’t expecting to use the site we were in, they had not cleared snow from a major storm about two weeks prior from the site. There was still quite a bit of snow left right in our pathway from our truck to the RV.
Verdict: Cherry Creek is a very nice park with a lot to offer with camping, hiking, boating and fishing to name a few. For us, we would stay here again but it is about 40 minutes away from family in the area so it is a bit far. In the winter while Chatfield State Park is much closer, it does not offer water and sewer so it is a trade off between being close and having full hookups.

Rating: 
Site Quality: Gravel (mostly dirt and mud) roads and pads. Our site was barely long enough for our rig and truck. Since we were only going to be there one night we just left the truck hooked up. Spaces are tight. There are no amenities like picnic tables.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Easy access from Interstate 70 on the east side of Limon, CO.
Staff: No one was in the office when we arrived but a quick call to the emergency number and someone was there within about 5 minutes.
Amenities: Laundry, restrooms with showers.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon service was 4 bars on our phones and our data rate was over 52 Mbps. AT&T through our wireless setup was fast at over 29 Mbps.
What we liked: Ease of access along I-70.
What we didn’t like: Expensive for what it was at ~$42/night. The park was mostly dirt and was muddy. Most of the people in the park appeared to be long term residents and the park was probably about 90% full. Not much in town, mostly fast food with a few local restaurants. Diesel was expensive here – about $.40 higher than what we should pay in Denver.
Verdict: We would stay here again if this was convenient for our travels but likely only as a last resort.

We spent 13 days here visiting our son, daughter in-law and grandkids who live only a few miles from the park. During that time we had to move several times as we had made our reservations too late to get a block that long at a single site. Be sure to book longer stays 6 months ahead of time!

Other Information: The campground facilities are open year round. The A and B loops have larger trees and full hookups but the roads and spaces are much tighter for a fifth wheel of our size. The C loop is electric only and has the same size issues. Really the D loops is the best loop for big rigs and also has full hookups. Within the D loop, sites *158(satellite?), 157, 159, 161, 171, 172, 175, 176, 180, 181, *183, *184, *185, *186, 187 (satellite?), 188, 189, 191 and 197 would be our choices with the ones on the West side of the loop preferred as they are more private. The * ones are best. You can reserve spots six months in advance and must do so if you want a good spot for a longer period of time or over a weekend. You also can only reserve 14 days out of a 45 day period.

2021 Update: We stayed for 3 weeks in June to July 2021 in the same site as our original stay, site 175. We still really like this park and consider it one of our favorite places but after looking at the rest of the sites in the park, site 175 is really the best for us. Many of the other 50A sites were either very crowded or difficult to get into with a big rig. Site 175 is slightly larger than even the ones beside it and is pie shaped giving more outside room and there are no sites behind it just a dirt pathway and then some buffer before houses. While here this time, we also looked at several parks just south of Woodland Park and decided those just weren’t up to our standards. They were very crowded and difficult to navigate with a big rig. Rocky Top Motel and Campground might be OK if site 175 is not available. We also looked at Mueller State Park which has a few sites that might accommodate us. The park itself has a few areas that would be difficult with a big rig but probably doable but the biggest issue is that it is at least 1000′ higher than Woodland Park. We had many nights where we didn’t sleep well at 8500′ because of the thin air and even day time exertion could be difficult at times. Even after 3 weeks at that altitude we still hadn’t acclimated fully. It’s probably best to work our way up to this elevation gradually like we did in 2018 rather than going from Texas to Colorado in 2 days.

Up to this point (August 2018) this is so far our favorite park out of 20+ we have stayed at. Many people stay here for the summer season moving back to warmer areas in the winter. The park reserves spots for monthly and seasonal guests around mid-August for the following year. In 2018 the dates were 8/13 through 8/18 for seasonal stays (approximately mid-may to mid-September I believe), and 8/20 through 8/25 for monthly  reservations. Contact them before mid-August to get the latest information for the following year.

While here we visited several spots around the area including the Cripple Creek / Victor gold mining area, Red Rocks Canyon – an outdoor area with hiking trails nearby, driving scenic highway 67 up towards the Littleton area as well as visiting with the Joneses of the Rockies as well as attending Jason and Ryan’s birthday party. We also celebrated Anna and my birthdays with them too.

We stayed here for 5 days while we were waiting to get into the next park where we made a reservation. On short notice and without a reservation many of the other spots we looked at were already booked. This park has a lot of potential and has apparently been improved since the current owners bought the place a few years back. Based on their greeting when we arrived and their responses to comments posted about the place I can tell they care and are trying to improve as quick as they can. We would stay here again for a night or two if we needed to and if we couldn’t find a better place.

While here we mostly had some down time while trying to not spend too much money. We did spend a day in Colorado Springs with the Colorado Joneses at the Space Foundation Discovery Center where we learned some new things. The grandkids seemed to enjoy the hands on activities they had there. We also went into Cañon City a couple of times and saw the Royal Gorge train depot, the old town section of town and we also visited the Museum of Colorado Prisons. The Museum shares a stone wall and armed towers with a prison that has been in continuous operation since 1871. The exhibits cover 140 years of history and offers a unique experience.