Great campground in Gunnison National Forest. It is on Forest Service Road 706, off county road…read more12, between Paonia and Crested Butte. There are 15 campsites (FCFS) plus a small parking area for day use. CR 12 and FSR 706 are not paved, but any vehicle can travel the roads. The highlight of the campground is Lost Lake, a pristine alpine lake at 9600' elevation. The Beckwith Peaks are in the background. If you paddle across the lake (SUP or kayak - no motorized water craft) you get a stunning view of the Ruby Range. (No Ruby Range photos since I didn't bring my waterproof phone case this trip). The lake is dammed and is filled with snow runoff. Even in midJuly, the water was COLD. No chance in h e l l I was going to let myself fall off that SUP! But midJuly was prime time for the wild flowers. Lupine. Queen Anne's lace. Wild rose. Pentsemon. Sneeze weed. Cow parsnip. Fire weed. Absolutely stunning. I'm told the lake is stocked twice annually with rainbow trout. But I don't fish so can't verify. I did see lots of fishermen though.

This campground was relatively easy to access, on a gravel road well-maintained. The camping spaces…read morewere not too crowded in on each other, and plenty of trees for shade. There are picnic areas with grills, bathrooms, and access to the lake for recreation. Plenty of trails for hiking by foot, or with horses. This place makes for a great one-day or multi-day visit.

Love Love this reservoir!…read more Snuck away in-between a music fest in Aspen for the day and dropped our SUP's in Ruedi Reservoir. It was such a delight to see this beautiful reservoir on the western slope of the Continental Divide on the Fryingpan River...yep Fryingpan River...lol! This reservoir is da place for not only boating, sailing, biking, hiking, kayaking, SUPing and camping...it's also well known for it's Gold Medal fishery! If you're lucky you might catch some rainbow trout, brown trout or mackinaw trout. Heck, any trout will do! Campers listen up! They've got 4 campgrounds that accommodate 81 campsites and for all you boating enthusiasts, they've got two boat-launching ramps. We watched as boats lined up and it looked like a pretty smooth operation. All in all we can't complain...it was an absolutely beautiful day and we loved all the cool rock formations and little alcoves along the shoreline. This SUPaholic will be back for sure!

Getting here was a little tricky drive in the winter with tons of snow but worth the drive. If you…read morehave 45 minutes 1 direction to chill out on a drive thru the National Forest go for it!

Welp it's a long drive for just a day hike....but…read more.. If you want to backpack for a night or two it is an amazing place to explore. Fantastic hike to the lake: Roughly 2.8 miles with about 2000 feet of elevation gain. Lovely vistas and streams the whole way. Wildflowers abound aplenty all along the trail if you hit it right. Great campsites ( please pack out everything and no wood fires). Great hike to Electric Pass with slight exposure. Dogs are allowed on the trail. Smallish parking lot Last mile is on bad road and a small car might have problems....just saying

Such a gorgeous hike that's worth it 100%! Still snowy and having spikes and poles would make it…read moreeasier and not as sketchy, but we did see people in sneakers making it. Amazing views of cathedral peak and other mountains. At the lake there were backpackers that camped out over night to hike cathedral peak. Definitely a climb only for experienced people especially with all the snow. The parking lot is small and up a dirt road that low clearance cars can reach. The path is hard to find in the snow at the top but we just followed footprints and the sound of the water. There is no service on the road and ok the hike. Highly recommend this hike, especially when the lake isn't iced over.

"Enjoy this 7.8-mile out-and-back trail near Basalt, Colorado. Generally considered a moderately…read morechallenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 56 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash Thomas Lakes trail is one of the prettiest hikes in the area, and rewards hikers with some spectacular views and some gorgeous woodland. This hike isn't overly brutal, but does provide hikers with some steeper sections, so proper footwear is a must, and all visitors should expect a long day hike with some challenging distance." 1. there is a dirt lot at the trail head with multiple parking spots. 2. There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There is not however trash cans or dog poop bags. 3. Cows graze off the trail so if you hear something bigger it is possibly a cow. 4. If you are backpacking, it does say a bear canister is required. 5. The road up to the trail especially the last few miles is a little rough the trail i felt like was a gradual climb to get to the lakes. Wildflowers are popping right now! Many beautiful views along the way. The lakes are lovely! Great views of sopris.

The lake was good as a quick stop for us. We drove around it a bit and noted a few areas to pull…read moreoff and fish or sit. I didn't see signs posted stating to stay out of the water, but I also didn't see anyone in the water. It isn't far from Leadville and is worth checking out.

Absolutely gorgeous. My partner took me and my huskies to Turquoise Lake in the midst of our…read moremulti-day camping trip. The pups LOVED swimming in the clear, clean water. The view of the mountains was stunning. Other people were around camping or fishing. Lots of trail to hike or bike. We didn't personally camp here, but it seemed very serene. Leadville continues to impress me with its beautiful scenery!

We have been to Grand Junction many times but I've never been on top of the mesa. He wanted to show…read moreit to me so we headed to the top. The drive was beautiful with lovely views. The weather was perfect. Cool but sunny. We didn't go to the Land's End Observatory as we wanted to keep good time and not get to the hotel late. Stopped at Cobbett Lake. A gorgeous lake with trails and the visitor center nearby. We used the facilities and then continued the drive. The drive down afforded breathtaking views of the fall colors. Met a friendly couple who took our photos and we chatted for a bit. They were house hunting and I was jelly. What a fantastic place to move to. I look forward to driving this route again and spending time at the observatory.

This park is absolutely wonderful, I have been exploring this area since the late 80's. So many…read morerecreational opportunities. Growth is inevitable in the valley and I would rather see it run by the state park service than get abused by rationalization. I was there recently to update my hunting and fishing licenses and was impressed by the professionalism. Abby was kind, knowledgeable, and thorough during the process, Thank you Abby! The information center and store is the best I have seen in the entire state. No question I will be coming here for years to come!

Wonderful area that has lost a lot of charm due to volume and registration system. Too many rv's…read moreand a loss to the local community. It has been sad to watch it be on over-run by the state park system over the years. Nice cabins, great rv pads, great campsites if you want to be next to many people and can make a reservation.

Wonderful trail wow! We saw so many mountain goats! The views of the lake were incredible. Would…read moretotally come back!

Take the 850 road which is unpaved to the 1st parking lot with a lake to the south side. Here you…read morecan see the waterfalls in the distance. You will have to cross the river which has no bridge. Either take off your shoes or skillfully traverse the river by rock hopping across. If you have poles you stand a better chance of not falling off the stepping stones. After the falls you can drive all the way up to the dam and park there. Mountain goats do walk about there to lick the dust off cars or lick the roads there for salt which was left over from the salting of the roads during winter. If you are lucky you will be able to see them up close. Apparently they are there frequently. The views are spectacular in this glacial valley.

We made a quick pit stop here to stretch after skiing in Vail for the weekend. Grizzly Creek is…read morelocated off I-70 in Glenwood Canyon near Glenwood Springs. There is parking, tables, and restrooms at this rest stop. The scenery here is beautiful with the creek running through the mountains. The Grizzly Creek Trail is nearby if you want to do some hiking. It's about 4 miles one way and a little challenging. You can also do some rafting in the creek. Even though it was snowy and cold when I was here, Grizzly Creek still made for some beautiful photos.

Incredible recovery but you can still see the aftermath of the 2020 wildfire. So much green. The…read moresoothing sound of water rushing over the boulders. Giant yellow & black butterflies everywhere. Mother Nature really knows how to roll out the "red carpet" for us