Help pick a camp spot

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AyeYo
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Help pick a camp spot

Post by AyeYo »

Having only lived here nine months, I don't trust solely going off internet camp site searches. Nothing sucks more than driving out somewhere many hours after work and finding a lack of sites or uncampable terrain. I haven't been to enough places around the state to have a library of camp sites in my head either.

So maybe you guys can offer some suggestions. We're looking to camp Thursday night through Monday morning. The area either needs to be within ~2-2.5 hours of Denver, not more than 3.5 hours with hike time included OR have some kind of intermediate site suggestion that does meet those criteria, then we can head to the actual site the next day. Would prefer it NOT be a camp ground - backcountry camp only. It would be nice if there was enough mountain climbing options to occupy the weekend. Doesn't have to, but could be, car camp. If backpack camp, being within a mile or two of the car would be nice in case I feel like eating a real dinner one night. No, RMNP, we have a dog.

Some ideas we're tossing around, with associated issues...


- Peru Creek
Pros: Close to town, easy road
Cons: limited spots, no safe water

- Lake to the southeast of Grays above Peru creek
Pros: Still close to town, only like two mile hike, totally secluded
Cons: No wood at all, lake water might be ok, might not be, no way to tell

- Mt Sopris trailhead approach road (or backpack in closer to Thomas Lake)
Pros: Close to Glenwood and Carbondale
Cons: low, hot camping if not up by the lake, climb Sopris and you've done everything there is to do

- Capitol Lake
Pros: Looks awesome in pictures, lots of water, wood, etc.
Cons: Long drive, never been so not sure what to expect as far as spot availability and quality, long backpack in means can't run back to the car to head into town
Questions: How crowded and tightly packed if we get there Friday afternoon? Snow conditions?

- Shavano trailhead
Pros: Close to town, close to lots of climbs
Cons: Never been, not sure on availability and quality of sites

James Peak/Loch Lamond
Pros: Beautiful, plenty of hiking
Cons: Loaded with 4x4 idiots shooting all night, lack of wood and shelter if at the lake or higher
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druid2112
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by druid2112 »

I think you're going to need to clarify some things before you get asked over and over...

* It's not clear what you mean about safe water. I think the expectation is if there is water, you're treating/filtering anyway. Am I missing something?
* By 3.5 hours do you mean you are willing only to drive 2.5 hours and hike for one additional hour? If you're only willing to hike and hour that reduces your options, like, significantly.
* Which brings me to... why even entertain Capitol Lake? That's when I really got confused....
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sheller
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by sheller »

Many of the 14ers have lots of dispersed camping. If you read up on the trailheads reports the description will usually include information with regards to available camping. If you want a guaranteed spot there are lots of great camping spots along the drive to the standard Elbert TH. I'd also recommend Yale, Massive, Harvard, Columbia, Mt Ouray (13er), Castle/Conundrum (if you have 4wd) are a few that come to mind that have ample camp spots. If you want closer and don't care if you climb a 14er then Gore range has many trailheads and you can backpack in to a decent camp spot with in an hour. Lost Creek Wilderness is also a good option. I'm a scout master and also prefer to save by using dispersed camping and there is a lot of stuff around if you are willing to drive at least an hour from Denver.
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by SoCool »

AyeYo wrote:- Capitol Lake
Pros: Looks awesome in pictures, lots of water, wood, etc.
Cons: Long drive, never been so not sure what to expect as far as spot availability and quality
Hey AyeYo,
Yes Capitol Lake is very popular so you may find all the established sites at the lake occupied on a Fri afternoon. It is unfortunate, for the impact, that people just pitch wherever. The better thing to do is to backtrack just a few minutes and there are plenty of places to pitch. (Of course, the best views are adjacent to the lake.) Also, currently I believe it is required to keep your food sealed and inside a bear can in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Last summer there was a male black bear routinely destroying vacant tents near the lake. The vermin are also habituated and will chew through a tent even with no food in it. (Or, in my case, even with a person asleep inside.) There are plenty of objectives in the area, including saddle hikes- if you go for Capitol beware steep snowfields.

And lastly, a correction: there are no fires allowed at Capitol Lake, not many trees anyway. But just down the trail there is plenty of wood. :-D
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Matt
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by Matt »

This wasn't on your list, but seems to fit what you want...
Have you considered CR 390, which leaves US 24 just south of CO 82 between BV and Leadville?
There are five 14ers accessible back here from either the Missouri Gulch, Rockdale, or Winfield. There are far more 13ers back there, as well as the old mining towns/ruins of Vicksburg and Winfield.

I showed up there Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and had little trouble finding a solid campsite next to a beaver pond, with a creek running about 15ft from the fire ring. This was just east of the Sheep Gulch TH.
Along the road's south side, there are many obvious sites, as well as little roads that follow the creek and feature many informal sites that are first come/first served. I couldn't see the road from my spot.
Once you get to Winfield, there are a bunch of sites, as well.
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AyeYo
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by AyeYo »

druid2112 wrote:I think you're going to need to clarify some things before you get asked over and over...

* It's not clear what you mean about safe water. I think the expectation is if there is water, you're treating/filtering anyway. Am I missing something?
* By 3.5 hours do you mean you are willing only to drive 2.5 hours and hike for one additional hour? If you're only willing to hike and hour that reduces your options, like, significantly.
* Which brings me to... why even entertain Capitol Lake? That's when I really got confused....
Probably should have been more clear in the OP...

- I would be treating regardless, but I'm not touching mine contamination water (e.g. Peru Creek), because I don't know of any backpacking filter that takes out heavy metals.

- I need to be able to leave Denver after work at 4pm and not be setting up camp in the dark, that's why the time limits. There's probably enough light until almost 8:30, so 4.5 hours total travel time is probably the limit. I was just being conservative with 3.5.

- For Capitol Lake, I'd stay in Carbondale Thursday night and hike in Friday morning, that's why I was saying there'd have to be an intermediate site for anything that doesn't meet the time requirements above.
Last edited by AyeYo on Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AyeYo
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by AyeYo »

Matt wrote:This wasn't on your list, but seems to fit what you want...
Have you considered CR 390, which leaves US 24 just south of CO 82 between BV and Leadville?
There are five 14ers accessible back here from either the Missouri Gulch, Rockdale, or Winfield. There are far more 13ers back there, as well as the old mining towns/ruins of Vicksburg and Winfield.

I showed up there Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and had little trouble finding a solid campsite next to a beaver pond, with a creek running about 15ft from the fire ring. This was just east of the Sheep Gulch TH.
Along the road's south side, there are many obvious sites, as well as little roads that follow the creek and feature many informal sites that are first come/first served. I couldn't see the road from my spot.
Once you get to Winfield, there are a bunch of sites, as well.
That sounds like a good one. Are the sites just off CR390?

How driveable is that road in an Impreza?
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huffy13
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by huffy13 »

CR 390 is doable in an Impreza. The road is just a little washboarded in places, but clearance should not be an issue. I've seen some pretty low clearance vehicles there in the past.
Seems like the times that I need a mountain the most are the times that I can not get to them.
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by TaylorHolt »

The suggestion of CR390 is a good one. Your original idea of Shavano trailhead would also work as well. There is a large field just south of the trailhead that has plenty of camping options. We held a Spring Gathering there a few years back, and I remember it being quite spacious.
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by AyeYo »

Awesome. I think we'll do the 390 area, since there's so much to do in the vicinity.
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Re: Help pick a camp spot

Post by madbuck »

Not only is it generally passable in 2WD, but it was specifically in decent condition last weekend. A great spot with lots of options (Shhhhh!) And the snow level/trail conditions are comparatively great, so it's a good option for right now, and you can save some of the other options for later this year.

The other options mentioned are good, and I specifically like Cottonwood Pass: besides Yale, Harvard, etc. there are other good summit and lake options in the vicinity. (Again, not far from BV and Salida for when you do want to go into town for good food)

Building a library of campsites -- That's the right attitude. It's funny, I struggle so much with going with what I know vs. wanting to explore something different. Finally settling into some regular spots now, though.
Haven't personally checked out the other spots you mentioned, so, when you do -- come back and let us know what you found and liked!
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