Camping at 9,000 feet

Last year we were less than pleased with our state park experience in Colorado.  I couldn't believe that was the best that the centennial state had to offer, so we started searching for other campgrounds for future trips. 

Spot #15

What we discovered was Reverend's Ridge campground at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It sounded like absolute heaven to us - up in the mountains (over 9,000 feet we found out), surrounded by pine trees, no cell or internet service, and plenty of nearby hikes.  Oh, and also only 30 miles outside of Denver!

The pad for our trailer was the biggest I have ever seen. We could have easily put in two trailers and trucks of our size in our spot! 

Since it is so close to Denver, this place books up FAST. We had a hard time reserving a spot even though we were doing it 6 months in advance (which is when they start accepting reservations). Every night we were there EVERY spot was reserved.

Our campsite was HUGE as well! 

Since we had a very specific window that we wanted to be there, we didn't get the spot we had our eye on, and instead got a pull through spot on the interior of the loop.  Which meant that we had clear views into the other spots that were also on the interior of the loop.  So, even though we were up in the trees, and our spot was huge, it wasn't very private, which was a bummer.

Fire time! 

Luckily, the majority of the neighbors we had over the 10 nights were really quiet - except for a group of 50 something ladies who came up for a girls weekend.  We still spent plenty of time outside enjoying our hammocks in the afternoons and fires in the evenings (when the weather cooperated - it got much cooler and rained more as the week went on).  We even got out Mr. Woody and cooked up some smores!

Mr. Woody toasting some marshmallows

We started off continuing with our running/work/hiking plan for the first half of our stay.  Let me tell you - trying to run or hike when you are out of shape at 9,000 feet is NOT easy.

All smiles as we start our hike

We chose a 3 mile hike that was labeled "moderate" as our first hike.  The trail head started in camp and it was supposed to take us to a place called "panorama point", so it sounded like a great idea. 

A beautiful day for a hike

 However, the trail guide failed to mention that this hike basically scaled down the side of a canyon and back up - TWICE.

You can't tell, but this path is not only rocky, but also straight up

 It was much more difficult than we were prepared for - even after a summer of miles of hiking, the elevation was something we were not prepared for.

A short FLAT portion of the hike

Pretty purple wildflowers

Even though we suffered through it, we both really enjoyed the views and the hike itself. And, panorama point definitely lived up to its name! 

Mountains in the distance at panorama point

After that hike, we were both a little beat up and sore, so we pretty much took it easy for the rest of our time.  We spent a lot of time just relaxing - a lot of reading and just enjoying the nature around us.  I tried to soak it all up because I don't know when we won't be able to be in this type of environment again.

Sunset back at camp

Now we are back on the road on our way back home. In just a short 24 hours, we should be pulling in at home! We are currently in the same KOA in Salina we stayed at for our last stop last year to use their electricity and water to do all of our laundry, get the trailer clean, and get ourselves all packed up so that when we get home it will be easier and quicker to unpack.

I have a couple of wrap up blog posts planned, so hopefully I can get those done in the next few days!