Colorado RV sites? Please Help us...

[silversled]

Colorado RV sites? If you had 9 days and left austin texas in the heat of the 4th of July weekend... Where would be a nice place to stay in Colorado.. Which route would you take. And Please give us some guidance. This will be a first vacation with our Airstream. We have had it since easter and are looking forward to this Mountain trip. We have been told of some place called Maroon bells? I think it was a aggie making fun of us being in Austin?
Please give us your suggestions.
Thank you

[InsideOut]

Maroon Bells is by Aspen/Snowmass which are at altitude so it is cool, even in July you could have rain/snow. You won't be able to park "right there" Maroon Bells is a remote wilderness hike/backpack locale...but there is bound to be something nearby. It is beautiful...I've not camped in Aspen or nearby since my tenting days...not sure of any specific RV sites, but I'm sure there are some. Just search Aspen/Snowmass for some campgrounds that wouldmeat your need.

Any of the mountian towns would be nice, it depends on your goals...Hiking? Biking? Trains? Fishing? Art Communities? Mininng? Music? Each town has it's own special flavor...what do you like to do?

Shari

[Rodger with a D]

Hola there

I have found that with an vintage AS and an tow vehicle that still has all the same colour of body parts, that you can stay awhile longer.

On the So part of BreckenRidge is a place the City lets you stay at about $5.00 per night. ( At the South part of town, on Colo Hwy 9 is the So. Traffic light. Turn East and go maybe 3-5 hundred yards and turn right.) At this place you are walking distance from the down town area. The City has an facility there so it is patroled by the law. The City building there is an Sports Complex so it has showers and all.

On I-70 at MM 218 is Hermans Gouch. Folks park there and go off to ~. This place has an "BLM/National Park" style rest room. ( The Fresco exit is MM 201 and the Vail East exit is MM 180 )

If you enter Colo from Santa Fe on US 285, there are many many places that you will be hollering to stop now. The area has miles of BLM land and no signs.

If this is not enough, ask again or wait for more to reply.

Rodger & Gabby
COS

[lewster]

If you want to stay first class, try Tiger Run in Breckenridge. A lot of my well heeled clients stop there when they leave FL in the Summer. Some stay for the entire summer.

[Lumatic]

Thumbs up south central Colorado:
There is a nice private campground at Wagonwheel Gap in on Rt 149 stables, jeeps, and hot tubs. reasonable

Great Sand Dunes National Monument

North west:
Dinosaur National Monument (colorado Utah border) much more than a bunch of old bones.


Thumbs down:
anywhere around Glenwood Springs $$$$$$

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by lewster

Tiger Run in Breckenridge

Site of the 2007 RMVAC Rally...

Shari

[Aerowood]

There are just so many places it's had to advise. Do you want full hookup or do you want to boondock? On the 4th of july weekend, anything around the main mountain corridor,s, ie I-70, will be packed with people. so it depends on how much privicy you want. The place I've been tent camping every 4th is really remote and I seldom see another camp but the roughnees and grade of the road, and the creek I have to drive through, weeds out all but the most die hard campers. Do you know what area you'd like to go to?

[WhiteyFord]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

There are just so many places it's had to advise.

I can recommend serveral state parks (Colorado State Parks Home - Colorado State Parks) that are above 7,000 ft which should meet your "cool" requirement. Most of them are located on or close to lakes. I believe they all have electric and water. Some are more remote that others such as Sylvan Lake but all are in beautiful mountain locations and are very well maintained. My favorites that you should fit into with your A/S are Steamboat Lake, Sylvan, and Mueller. If you plan to stay in the state parks over holidays, be sure to reserve in advance!

Neil

[InsideOut]

I love Mueller...very nice!

Also Estes Park (Rocky Mountain National Park), Creede, Ouray, La Veta, Crested Butte, Silverton...all have lots to do and lots of local flavor~

Reservations are a must at most of these...but pick a couple and plan a route to take in more than one area. Get the most out of your trip~

[eubank]

Nine days, huh? Consider that, from Austin, it's a two-day drive to Colorado, so four of your nine will be on the road. (Lordy, how many times did Maria and I drive the Beetle from Austin to my parents' ranch up at Paonia? A gazillion? And we were young, too, so we could make it there in around 26 hours if we drove straight through.)

From Austin, though, we found that the nearest cooler place was straight west, up around Ruidoso or Cloudcroft in southern NM. It was a one-day drive.


Lynn

[bjond]

Or Eagle's Nest/ Red River in North NM is up high and cool at night. We can make Eagle's Nest from Florida on the second night. Amarill...Clayton...Springer ... Eagle's Nest.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by silversled

Colorado RV sites? ... (snip) ... I think it was a aggie making fun of us being in Austin?

Oh, I just noticed this part.

Damned aggie.


Lynn (UT Austin, BA, MA, PhD -- and even a member of the Longhorn Band while an undergrad!)

[overlander64]

Another of the host sites for one of the Rocky Mountain VAC Rallys is among my favorite RV destinations -- Garden of the Gods Campground in Colorado Springs. While it is rather urban, I have thoroughly enjoyed both of my stays there, but then again, I can say that for any of the places where the Rocky Mountain VAC Rally has been held. I suspect that reservations would be highly advisable for Garden of the Gods as well -- it is just a few minutes from the Pikes Peak Cog Railway -- I can't say which method I have enjoyed most -- driving my own car up the Pikes Peak Highway, the Gray Line Tour to Pikes Peak, or the Cog Railway (I can't pass up visiting Pikes Peak anytime that I am anywhere close to Colorado Springs).

Kevin

[silversled]

Thank you, we have reservations at Tiger Run for 3 days and on the way back have looked at the Durango/Pagosa Springs area. Anyone know of a nice place to stay at in that area? Thank you so much for the information. We can not wait to do this full time..
Astro..

[silversled]

Okay, anyone know of any nice places to stay in the Crested Butt Area. Of Colorado that is.
Thank you,
Astro

[nymphfishin]

Originally Posted by silversled

Thank you, we have reservations at Tiger Run for 3 days and on the way back have looked at the Durango/Pagosa Springs area. Anyone know of a nice place to stay at in that area? Thank you so much for the information. We can not wait to do this full time..
Astro..

Pagosa Springs has a lot of RV Parks, most of them are closed for the winter season, but I'm sure there a few open all year. We drove over to Pagosa for lunch Saturday and I noticed that there is a new RV park that looked very ,very nice, it is just north of the 'Y' on the east side of town that had a couple of morotcoaches in it,.. You might Google and make a few calls?

I think Pagosa is one of the top senic places in CO.
Wolf Creek Pass is a treat. very scenic.

Don

[eubank]

Yep, there are bunches of them in Pagosa. The one we like the best is actually the one out on the east (north?) side of town, Elk Meadows. It's quiet. However, we're thinking about trying the one that's directly across the street from the springs themselves; after all, the only reason we stop in Pagosa is to go soak the muscles in the hot waters! (I much prefer the springs at Pagosa to those in Glenwood, but I guess that's debatable.)

Lynn

[Pacerized]

Originally Posted by silversled

Colorado RV sites? If you had 9 days and left austin texas in the heat of the 4th of July weekend... Where would be a nice place to stay in Colorado.. Which route would you take. And Please give us some guidance. This will be a first vacation with our Airstream. We have had it since easter and are looking forward to this Mountain trip. We have been told of some place called Maroon bells? I think it was a aggie making fun of us being in Austin?
Please give us your suggestions.
Thank you

Colorado is a very diverse state. If you want the mountains up where I live in Summit county is very nice. I like Heaton Bay on Lake Dillon, it offers a few hook up sites, but mostly dry camp sites. If you want to see a lot of wildlife go to Rocky Mountain national park. There are a lot of nice campgrounds in the area, and 3 dry campgrounds in the park. Pagosa Springs is very nice, and much less crowded. Anywhere you want for the 4th. of July time frame will require reservations, so I'd make up my mind as soon as possible.

[GStephens]

We've been everywhere in Colorado over the years. Our favorite destination is the South Fork and Creede areas. Consider staying at the Southfork Campground on the Rio Grande or at Wagon Wheel Gap as directed by the poster in post #5. It may be listed as the Blue Spruce Lodge and Campground. From either of these places, it is only a few miles into Creede and over to Lake City or over to Pagosa Springs and Williams Creek. It doesn't get any better.

With no more time than you will have, I think you are pushing it to travel all the way up to Tiger Run and then all the way back down to Pagosa Springs. Going up to Tiger Run, you will be on I-25 all the way with the mountains off to your right, but you won't be in them. From Tiger Run, its a long way back down I-25 to Colorado 149 at Walsenburg and then over both LaVita Pass and Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs. If I were you, I'd skip Tiger Run altogether.
GStephens

[47WeeWind]

A different, more direct route from Pagosa Springs to Breckenridge is Colo. Rte 160 East from Pagosa to Del Notre, Rte. 112 NE from Del Norte to Center, Rte 285 north from Center to Fairplay, then Rte 9 north from Fairplay to Breckenridge. You can do that one way in a easy day.