Mary's Lake Campground in Estes Park

[PWRSTRK]

Has anyone stayed at Mary's Lake Campground in Estes Park, CO? Feedback? Everything there is full! I'm in trouble!


Tom

[ZoominC6]

Tom,
You may want to consider Grand Lake on the west side of the RMNP. Estes has become a tourist town with tour buses, fast food joints and big crowds. Grand Lake is still small and quaint and there's the wonderful Stillwater Campground in the Arapaho National Forest on Lake Granby. You'll need your generator but showers are available and the view is hard to beat across the lake looking at the mountains. Good luck and happy trails.

[centennialman]

Hi Tom....that particular campground is always full and is pretty noisy too. There are lots of places to stay within a few miles of the park that are very nice. Do you have a book that lists all of the campgrounds across the nation? Let me know if you need any other help.

Steve

[InsideOut]

I stayed at Spruce Lake RV Park a couple of weekends ago...it was nice,for a commercial type campground in a touristy area. I would give them a try...

Shari

[tphan]

hi tom- I can see the campground from my house, I'm that close. It's probably not the nicest campground in the world, the rv and trailer spaces are just in a line-up on gravel. There is a pool, it is right across the street from the lake, and a mile from the nearest grocery store, not much further to the nat. park entrance. Are you coming for the rally over the july 22 weekend? The Denver wbcci unit is having one, at the Elk Meadows RV resort, right by the aforementioned park entrance. There are many other RV camps in town, a few other private campgrounds close to town, and 1 or 2 nat. forest campgrounds about 10 miles away, on hwy. 7. If I can help you further, please don't hesitate to PM me- I could give you a list from the phone book, make some calls, etc. -tim

[pmclemore]

I stayed at Elk Meadows last October and found the people to be outstanding. Not a very fancy place, but then again, the attraction is the park, right?

Good luck - wish we were there.

Pat

[InsideOut]

Just curious...

Originally Posted by tphan

hi tom- I can see the campground from my house

which one? Lake Mary's? Spruce Lake? Elk Meadows?

Personally, I prefer Spruce Lake over Elk Meadows...I haven't stayed at Lake Mary's.

PWRSTRK - go with the local's recommendation!

Shari

[tphan]

Shari- it's mary's lake that I have a view of, also of the Lodge, Twin Sisters, as I live on the flank of Prospect Mt. I have never stayed in any of the many campgrounds except a few in the park (1st choice, definitely, if there are any sites available), so can't recommend with any wisdom any particular place. That being said, I do know that there is a KOA coming into town on hwy. 34 from Loveland I would NOT recommend, due to busy highway and nearby horse stables. There is a lovely little one at the very end of Spur 66, past the YMCA, near a small lake and quite isolated and quiet, not sure how big a rig you can get in there: Estes Park Cmpgrd., phone 586-4188. Spruce Lake is on the river I believe, quite near town and the park entrance, grocery and restaurant and gas next door: phone 586-2889. There is another one just uphill from there, on riverside drive, called Manor RV park and also looks to be quiet and nice: phone 586-3251. I have seen airstreams there before! There is also another one that looks OK, immediately before the north (hwy. 34) entrance to the park, kind of up on a hill across from a park visitor center. Again, don't know about size of rigs: National Park Retreats, phone 586-4563. Elk Meadow RV is at 586-5342, where the upcoming rally will be. Finally, Mary's Lake can be reached at 586-4411. I don't think it would be a bad choice, it's just kind of surrounded by a residential area so doesn't have a particularly "woodsy" feel. If I had any kind of room at all in my driveway, I'd offer you a place! Unfortunately, I'm going to have a difficult time one day just getting my coach out- it's shoehorned in pretty badly. Anyway- hope this helps, hope to meet you! -tim p.s. picture shows mary's lake cmpgrd., approx. middle of picture, from my living room...

[PWRSTRK]

Thank you all for your help.

I've been to town several times and know it pretty well.

Have stayed in the NP and also Spruce Lake. Grand Lake, while a great idea, is not an option. There are some complexities I won't bother you all with, but they include more than one rig and a business trip in the middle of it all.

Elk Meadows is full for most of the week. Spruce Lake only offered their worst spaces. Don't want to do 'no hookups' for more than a few nights -- it's tiring and this is vacation, after all.

So the final result: three nights at Mary's Lake, three in RMNP and two, to finish, at Elk Meadows.

I'd LOVE to know more about the rally at Elk Meadows! We'll be there on Thursday and Friday nights and leaving on Sat. the 22d.

Thank you all, again.


Tom, and Frank

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by PWRSTRK

I'd LOVE to know more about the rally at Elk Meadows! We'll be there on Thursday and Friday nights and leaving on Sat. the 22d.

Here's a link to the DenCO Unit's website.

I just got done uploading the July Newsletter...it has the info (and sign-up form) for the Estes Park Rally (pages 4 & 5). Also, last month's newsletter has some more info. Not sure if we are going to make this one or not...lots of prep for the RMVAC Rally is still underway.

Have fun if you decide to attend ~

Shari