Destination Rocky Mountain National Park

Site C240 at Moraine Park Campground

As summer is beginning to wind down, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) this weekend.  We are fortunate to live less than an hour and a half away, so it is a frequent day trip and camping destination.

We stayed at Moraine Park Campground for 3 nights and used it as a base to explore the park and hike.   The sites at the campground are well spaced, surrounded by forest, and many have spectacular views of Longs Peak.

Big Horn Sheep

Near the top of Trail Ridge Road

We took a 48-mile day trip over trail ridge road, across the Continental Divide to Grand Lake.  This is always a beautiful drive and often affords views of elk herds, big horn sheep, and other wild game. Eleven miles of Trail Ridge Road rise above tree line providing sweeping views of the Rockies.  At its highest point (12, 183') the highway cuts through mountain top tundra and past snow fields that remain through the summer.

Alberta Falls

Friendly Marmot 

RMNP has 355 miles of hiking trails.  We took advantage of only a very small portion with a 1.7 mile roundtrip hike to  Alberta Falls.  It is a very popular trail and crowded on the weekends.  Still, it is worth the trip and a nice stopping place for a picnic lunch to people and nature watch.

Weather in the park this time of year is hard to predict.  During our stay, it was warm/hot during the day, but it dropped down into the 40s at night.  I was glad I brought some extra layers for warmth.

Again, the Camplite trailer performed well and was very easy to tow, even at altitude.  Hoping to get in another trip or two before calling it quits for the season.

 If you go:

South side of Loop C

Moraine Park Campground is one of the largest campgrounds in the park.  It has a mix of flush and vault toilets.  There is no electricity nor water at the individual sites, but water spigots are scattered throughout the campground.  Showers can be found in the town of Estes Park at Dad's Maytag Laundry and Showers for $6 per person.  In my opinion, the best sites are in loop C along the south edge of the campground.  Many overlook Moraine Park and have Long's Peak as a backdrop.

Boondocking at Olive Ridge

Camplite 11FK at Olive Ridge Campground

Olive Ridge is a campground I've passed over many times in favor of other campgrounds with more amenities.   Nothing but the basics at Olive Ridge - no flush toilets, no dump station, no showers, no electricity, no frills, not even water.  So, staying here meant dry camping, which I was eager to try with the new Camplite trailer.

In spite of a couple down pours that tested the seaworthiness of the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised at what a nice experience boondocking at Olive Ridge turned out to be.  The sites are well spaced and surrounded by trees and rock outcroppings.  "Dry camping" was a bit of a misnomer on this trip though.  It rained hard a couple times - of course right when I arrived and was trying to set up, and then once more in the middle of the night, which was actually more of a steady, relaxing rain that I could enjoy tucked away and comfy inside the trailer.  Happy to report, "No Leaks!"

St. Malo Chapel, Allenspark, CO

Anyway, 2 thumbs up for Olive Ridge.   It is also very close to a back entrance into Rocky Mountain National Park, called the Wild Basin area.   There is a wide variety of hiking opportunities in this area that take you through dense forest and up to scenic mountain lakes.

Additionally, just off Highway 7 is one of the most scenic churches in the area, St. Malo Chapel.  Pope Saint John Paul II prayed at the chapel during his visit to Denver for World Youth Day in 1993. Many visitors, including myself, stop by to take pictures and enjoy the beautiful setting.

If you go:

Olive Ridge Campground is located off Highway 7, near Allenspark, Colorado.   There is no water available, so be sure to bring all that you will need for your stay.   Public showers and necessities can be found a few miles down the road at Meeker Park Lodge.  Full services, a supermarket, gas, restaurants, etc. are only about 14 miles away in Estes Park.  A dumpstation is available in Lyons, CO, for a $10 fee.

Second Trip, Not So Great

Views of Rocky Mountain National Park from Lilly Lake

We were excited to get the CampLite out for its second trip and put it through a few more paces,  so we traveled to a nearby destination, Estes Park, and stayed at a full service RV park for the weekend.

Wish I could say everything went smoothly, but unfortunately, as soon as we hooked up the city water connection, we had problems.   Water began dripping from the rear of the trailer at a pretty steady rate.    Long story short the water heater seems to have a leak underneath it.   I was hoping it was just a loose connection, but everything looked okay in that respect when I checked under the bench seat where it is installed. Not sure exactly what the source of the problem is; we didn't notice this issue on the last trip a week ago.

So, I'll be taking the trailer in for repair the first of September, which of course is a big disappointment after owning the trailer only a week.  Everything should be under warranty, so fingers are crossed this won't cost too much.  I'll update the blog in a few weeks with the outcome.

Regardless, the trailer was still usable.  I just had to bypass the water heater to stop the leaking and get on with the rest of the camping weekend.

 

Views around Lily Lake

Still had an enjoyable time in spite of the bad start with the trailer.   Everything else worked fine, including a new TV and DVD player that I installed.     I also ended up taking a beautiful hike around Lake Lilly.  It is a popular spot and very easy to get to.   The lake has a short, level trail that circumnavigates the water's scenic edge.  For the slightly more adventurous, you can hike a little further west when  you come to a fork in the trail on the far side of the lake.  It will take you over a small hill to  some beautiful views of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Looking forward to the next trip, and hoping for a good outcome with the water heater repair in a few weeks.

If you go:

We stayed at Spruce Lake RV resort in Estes Park.   They have sites with full hook-ups and many amenities (pool, mini-golf, stocked fishing lake, showers, etc.).    It is located in town, but also very close to the South entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.   Cost was $72/night for a site with water, electricity, and cable TV.   It is conveniently located, well-cared for, clean, and a good destination for families with kids.