This is a beautiful park. There are hiking trails up or around the hill, areas for picnics, a…read morereflection circle, or choose the pedestrian and biking trail along the river.

So this is a beautiful, off-the-beaten-path, nice place to make a quick stop while you are in the…read morearea. This is some simple, short hiking in the area. The real draw is the huge bronze Eagle statue in the middle of the rock-zen garden. This is a very serine and spiritual place. You can come here to stack your zen-rock pile and reflect on life's mysteries. On a nice day I recommend coming here to take in the zen garden/eagle and then spend sometime down by the river.

Handies peak is a beautiful and easy class 1 in the San Juan's. My group and I did this one the day…read moreafter Redcloud & Sunshine, so it was nice to have a shorter day. It's less than 3K elevation and I clocked 6 miles round trip, granted the elevation builds quickly during those 3 miles to the summit. It was so beautiful that my two friends declared it was one of their top three favorite 14ers that they've done! The view at the top is stunning, with gorgeous scenery and breathtaking vistas along the way. You can make a very short detour and even visit a lovely alpine lake. The hardest part of the hike is accessing it. We were already parked along cimaron pass at our campsite, but it took an additional 40 minutes or so to drive from Redcloud trailhead to Handies. I made it in my Crosstrek but there were a couple of truly sketchy spots and a very very bumpy ride. No bathrooms at the trailhead and not much coverage to duck into the woods so keep that in mind. A must do for every 14er fanatic or ambitious hiker!

Handies peak! I have dreamed about hiking this one for several years in the summer when…read morewildflowers are blooming but distance kept me away. Planned a 5 day stay up in the lake city/san juan area so we could knock it out. I finally did it and it did not disappoint. We took the Handies via grizzly gulch which is the non standard route and it is longer than the american basin route. The road getting to grizzly gulch from lake city was rough. lots of pot holes and jutting rocks. Also narrow stretches with drop offs on the side. ATVs and jeeps like to zip down the road at the speed of light and there are not a lot of pull offs along the way. I made it with my honda pilot but it was SLOW going. plan extra time for this road. (cimmaron pass) We were initially going to go to american basin but after the long drive to get to grizzly gulch i just didn't have it in me to do another 4-5 miles on even rougher road. There is a bathroom at the Trailhead. There are no trash cans or dog poop bags however so be sure to pack out whatever you pack in (including your dog poop)! This trail is a class 1. Though that does not mean it is "easy" by any means. However we did enjoy the first half or little more of the trail that had dirt trails and step ups. The trail was very well maintained. Currently in july there are fields of lovely wildflowers that are so abundant and in a variety of colors. Also there is a stream for a chunk of it that you will walk near. As you ascend further up, it begins to get rocky and there is scree near the top. As you merge on to the peak, you will meet up with all the hikers from american basin standard approach which is substantially more. So the peak may seem a little crowded. On our trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people. The flowers along the way and then the view at the top was all breathtaking! So thankful to have finally gotten to complete this peak!

Read about this road on a friend's travel link. He had been on it years ago and decided to add this…read moreto our itinerary. We started out on the Montrose end, south of Ridgway. It was not too bad at first but then it got a little dicey where vehicle wheels had made deep ruts in the mud which then dried. Some water puddles in spots. Rocky and gravel in others. We encountered a lot of vehicles to me. A convoy of jeeps and two trucks on their own trips, it made for a dusty drive and we held off so we could see the view without the dust clouds blocking it. And it was narrow in spots where if a vehicle was coming from the other direction we would have been stuck. Steep grades too. The positives? It was like a fairy land in spots. With fall leaves softly falling in the wind and the aspens pressing in on both sides. Then the dark green pines in forbidding rows. The overlooks with breathtaking scenery of colors - browns, greens and yellows. Houses here and there. We stopped and accidentally found the property where scenes from True Grit had been filmed. I was constantly charmed by the lovely magical feel of the woods. And then scared at the drive itself. It felt like woods where elves live. Then we were through to the Telluride side. Such an amazing experience. Im glad he's such a great driver and navigated us safely on the route. I'll never forget that gorgeous drive.

Beautiful views and easy access! It's a great spot to stop and take a walk.read more

We randomly stopped into this state park and it was such an amazing experience and just so…read morebeautiful! If you park in the visitor parking lot for more than 15 minutes, the park fee is $10. Visitor center has really informative and friendly rangers and definitely stop in to pick up a gift from Colorado! Ranger also let me know a few trails had interpretative education so follow the numbers and he gave me a guide for what each number means. Cool learning experience. State parks in Colorado are self sufficient, so taxes don't support the parks and the state parks reliant on fees they charge. I'd gladly support any state park any day. The views here are mind-blowing and we got to stroll around a bit and our dog also enjoyed the park and trails. We will definitely be stopping in here again when passing through, well worth the stop!

Nice clean sites with lots of room between. Volunteer hosts are terrific! Namely Dick & Cindy…read more Thanks you. Fishing ponds are full of fish as well. Negative which sucks- Once you pay for your site you need to also buy a "park pass" for another $10 per day!!! Outrageous!! This is like son California sh*t.

I was able to return to take Mount Sneffles which has been on my bucket list of 14ers. I ascended…read morevia the standard rout (not blue lakes) which starts from a different trailhead:the yankee boy basin. If you have a good car you can get to the outhouse easily. I did this in my Subaru Crosstrek and car camped overnight. The outhouse actually is functional and very nice! The standard route is about 6 miles round trip with over 3K elevation gain. You walk about 2 miles up the road, then go straight up a bunch of scree. It's not technical, but was daunting. I thought it would be worse going down than it was in reality. After this section, veer left up a fun class 2 scramble to the top of a gully. Then go left again right before the top to the famous V notch. Not as scary as I thought it would be although a very nice person was helpful with descending as it's best to go through backwards. Then there is a short class 3 scramble to the summit with beautiful and rewarding views. You can see the blue lakes and mountains as far as the eye can see. This is a very special mountain and I met lots of nice people at the top! Id highly recommend this hike for anyone progressing to class 3s as it's a fairly easy one.

We ventured up Mount Sneffels last week. It is considered an "easy class 3" 14er. We opted to go…read moreup the standard route (south slopes) which starts at Yankee Boy Basin trailhead. However to get to the trailhead you will need 4WD nd high clearance vehicle. If you dont have that you will either need to park at the bottom of the road or at the lower lot. Exposure and rockfall potential is considerable. Route finding and commitment is moderate. From the lower lot parking lot, you would start at 11350 feet elevation and will end at 14150 feet elevation. From the lower lot, round trip length of this trail is 6 miles. This trail was tough. once you get to the actual trail head, you will have around .5 mile of okay trail and then 1.2 miles of lots of scree and loose rock. You need to bring a helmet for this hike. People can kick down rocks above you or they could just fall loose. Poles would also be highly recommended. I normally do not hike with poles (well ever) and i was wishing i had them for this hike. My knees actually hurt on this one on the way down. It was one of the most challenging experiences i have completed but it was extremely rewarding. The views from the top were like no other. It was undescribable. So amazing. My top peaks would be this one or uncompaghre, just be sure that you are up for the challenge as it is VERY physically challenging.

Truly magnificent. The lower trail is easy for all levels, it has stable footing and minimal…read moreelevation changes, yet still offers beautiful views of the creek, and waterfalls along steel walkways and short trail. There are also stairs to near bottom of the waterfall. The high bridge trail is much more challenging, although one can opt to only climb the stair portion for a better view of Ouray and a little cardio. At the top of the stairs there is a small shelter, if you're feeling the altitude at this point it's a good idea not to continue further, as the trail continues to climb and there are no stairs/structure. There is a cable above the trail in sections for stability, and cables below some sections for safety. I'd guess the top of the stairs is a little less than half way to the high bridge. The bridge is a very sturdy structure, over a steep narrow gorge, the views of Box Cañon, the creek, waterfall, and town below are breathtaking. There is a hallway-like tunnel on the far side of the bridge, which is part of the perimeter trail. It's low in some spots but walkable, and offers some shade and cooling after the climb. The trail was drub when we went, it would be significantly more challenging/difficult with any moisture or icy conditions.

I had an awesome time visiting box canyon waterfall while in Ouray! I came with my husband and…read moretoddler children. They absolutely loved it! Great for all ages. The waterfall was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It was super loud inside of the canon which made it all the more exciting. Check out both the lower and upper box canon falls trails. The lower falls trail gets very close to the waterfall, we were getting wet from the spray we were so close. The upper trail has a great view of Ouray and a fun bridge to cross that leads into a tunnel. It is $7 for each adult, but super seniors, military, and children under 4 are free! No dogs allowed in the park. I don't think the dogs would want to come anyway with the metal bridges and aggressively loud waterfall. If you are in Ouray in the summertime this needs to be on your itinerary!

We only stopped to take a peek at the falls. We had already summitted mount sneffels that day and…read moreour legs were tired. But a friend who is a local said we needed to stop there to see it. The falls were beautiful and amazing. It was definitly worth the short stop. The trail was nearby and easy to access. If i was in the area id definitely stop to do the entire hike.

Bear Creek Preserve Trail is a must-do hike when visiting Telluride…read more You access the trailhead at the end of South Pine street, right in town. This beautiful and well-marked wooded trail ends with a waterfall and an unbeatable view of the town of Telluride. The hike is 2.5 miles one way to the Falls, with an elevation gain of 1,050 feet. You should plan between 1 hour and 1 hour 1/2 from the trailhead to the falls depending on your pace. 5 miles round trip, so it's perfect to start the day!

Bridal Veil Falls Trail is absolutely amazing...It's not too advanced...making it perfect for most…read morehikers...but still offers a great workout (my legs are sore...but it was worth every step!!!)...The trail is filled with beautiful sights and wildlife -- I spotted several birds and some adorable chipmunks along the way. There are three breathtaking waterfalls that are truly the highlight of the hike...Reaching the top feels so rewarding...and you even have the option to walk back using the road...which we did for an easier descent. I highly recommend this trail for anyone looking for a scenic adventure that's not overly difficult but still feels like a great accomplishment!!!

Lovely hike at the end of downtown Telluride! We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday in June and…read morethere were a few spots left in the parking lot (outhouse in lot). The views from the parking lot were super cool! The hike itself was fairly mild with several awesome waterfalls along the way. Although the hike to the top was only a tad over 1 mile and didn't have very high elevation gain, it took us a bit longer than expected -- relatively narrow, rocky trail that requires some attention to footing. Highly recommend some rain gear to get closer to the falls when you get to the top!

Great hike when you want to feel like you did something but don't want to commit to a full day…read more Suprising amount of people on this trail, especially because the road to the trailhead was rough. Happy I have a high clearance vehicle. Beautiful wooded hike with several water crossings at this time. 4.7 miles roundtrip 1312 ft elevation gain.

We've stayed at several independent campgrounds throughout our travels; however, none compare to…read morethis one. The staff are so warm, welcoming, and friendly! On top of that, it'd be so easy to just let the location do all the work and neglect the facilities but the showers were amazing and incredibly clean. We will definitely be back!

Day use review: we were making the drive from Ouray to Durango and stopped in along the way. What a…read morebeautiful, peaceful, and cozy park-- when we arrived, we went right in to the camp store and rented a kayak and paddle boards-- super reasonable pricing ($20 for kayak, $10 for paddle board, includes life jackets) and the equipment is well kept. The lake was small enough to traverse but big enough to keep us entertained. The surroundings are just beautiful and I even enjoyed paddling out and just laying on my paddle board meditatively. This was a big highlight of our 2wk trip to CO-- Don't forget sunscreen!