Colorado State Parks #2 and Season Wrap Up

After Chama and the Cumbres & Toltec train, we’ve returned to Cheyenne Mountain State Park enroute to Golden Gate State Park just west of Golden, CO.  Another favorite spot, this campground offers beautiful pine treed sites and miles of hiking trails all very convenient to the Denver metro area.

Following this outing, we’ve taken a break in the camping and jetted off to the UK to sail onboard the brand new Explora I luxury ship from Explora Journeys.  Our impressions of the ship are posted here: First Impressions Following 9 nights onboard, we enjoyed 3 nights in London catching up with good friends and seeing two West End shows, Mrs. Doubtfire and Crazy For You!

In late September, we’re back to Lake Pueblo State Park to enjoy the Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival in downtown Pueblo.  In early October, our last camping trip of the season is at Hecla Junction State Park which has become our traditional end of season trip.  As usual, fall colors  are beginning to show over the higher mountain elevations and along the canyon walls near the campground.  While in the Salida area, we explored Buffalo Pass Campground, a Federal campground just west of Saguache, CO.  This small rustic campground offers no services other than beautiful sites and pit toilets.  We’d like to return and spend a few days here next summer.

Hecla Junction, State Park

Buffalo Pass Campground, Site #19

Once again, we’ve winterized the rig and are patiently awaiting our winter/spring trip to Arizona and Texas.  More from somewhere in Arizona in mid-January…

End of Season Camping

In what is becoming a tradition, we’re joining friends at Hecla Junction, one of the campgrounds in the Arkansas River Headwaters State Park.  This small campground is along the Arkansas River about 12 miles north of downtown Salida.  We’re parked in site #1101 along with friends in #1102 and #1122.  On this last weekend of September, the leaves are just beginning to change here along the river, but were beautiful over Poncha Pass.  Warm sunny afternoons are perfect for explorations in nearby Salida and we enjoy lunch at the Boathouse Cantina and some interesting cocktails at Woods Distillery.

Hecla Junction Campground, AHRA

Woods Distillery, Salida, CO

After being home for a weekend, we’re soon back on the road to Circle the Wagon’s RV park in La Veta.  Just a 17 minute trip from home, we’re here for closing weekend and the 4^th annual Chili Cookoff Championship.  7 chili’s are presented and tasted, and in the end judges select 3 awesome bowls!  Our stay this year is a bit bittersweet – the owners that have become great friends have sold the park and will be moving north, near Denver.  B&B, we’ll miss you!

Chilli Cookoff Champs

After 2 nights at Circle the Wagons, we’re headed to Chatfield State Park south of Denver. Chatfield is a great spot for us to shop “big box stores” as well as catch up on various professional appointments such as an annual eye exam.  We’re at Chatfield for the entire week, and stay busy visiting with friends staying at the park and others that live in the Denver metro area. As we depart the metro area on Sunday, October 16^th, we’re sure this will probably be the last camping of the 2022 season.

Chatfield State Park

We’ve towed nearly 6000 miles this year, representing 161 nights on the road.  Once again we’ve visited favorite spots in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming and of course Colorado.  Next up will be the massive RV show in Quartzsite, Arizona in mid-January.  More from there…

Fall Camping at Hecla Junction

We’re back at one of our favorites, Hecla Junction, one of the campgrounds that make up the Arkansas River Headwaters State Park.  Our site, 1101, provides a long level back-in, beautiful views of the Arkansas River, a firepit and a nice gravel tent site.  This site is optimal for backing out of the park if you suspect the low crossings could cause clearance issues.  Site #1102 is the same – however neither of these sites offer any shade.  For early afternoon shade site 1103 & 1104 would be the best.

Hecla Junction

The aspen are just starting to turn over Ponca Pass, with a few showing their colors here along the river.  Our days are spent exploring Buena Vista and Salida – and evenings around the campfire.  We enjoy food and beers at both EddyLine Brewery in Buena Vista and The Boathouse in Salida.

Eddyline Brewery, Buena Vista, CO

On a technology note, friends tried out a weBoost Drive Reach RV ($500) cellular booster in Site 1102.  Using a Verizon phone hotspot, they achieved about 8Mb down and .5Mb up. And were able to share the signal with several of our devices from 1 site away. This is quite impressive, none of our cell phones, T-Mobile or Verizon, have enough signal to even send text messages!

This is likely one of our last Colorado trips for the season.  Next up, is a trip to northern Arizona.  More from there…

Hecla Junction, along the Arkansas River

We’re parked in site #1 (now called 1101) at one of our favorite Colorado campgrounds, Hecla Junction along the Arkansas River near Salida, CO.  This is an entirely “dry” campground, no water, no electric, not even any trash service.  We’ve tried for several years to find any type of cellular service, but again this year outside access is very elusive in this quiet canyon.  Set along a beautiful stretch of the Arkansas River, this is certainly our favorite and probably one of the most picturesque campsites in Colorado.

 

A relatively small campground with only 23 sites, we prefer low numbered sites which overlook the river.  There’s a drainage area that crosses the main campground loop road between sites 1104 & 1106 and sites 1117 & 1118 which presents problems for low clearance truck beds or jacks. Any of the sites from 1101 to 1104 will allow reversing out of the campground to avoid these low areas.  And, upper sites 1123-1120 also have good views and would avoid the drainage area by reversing in.  There’s also a very large combined site at 1117 & 1108.  However, these sites are very sloped, and it would be real challenge to level any except the smallest rigs.

Hecla Junction, AHRA

Back to Hecla Junction

 

Our cruise to Norway was the maiden voyage of the new Azamara Persuit.  In a very unique celebration at the port of Haugesund, Norway the Pursuit met her “big” sister, the Azamara Journey.

Azamara Sister’s Meet

After returning from London, we’ve spent 7 nights at Circle the Wagons in La Veta before a long weekend at Hecla Junction, one of our favorite campsites in the Arkansas River valley.  Located just a few miles north of Salida, Hecla is one of the put-in/pull-out sites when rafting the Arkansas.

Hecla Junction, Arkansas Headwaters State Park

It’s been 2 years since we were last at Hecla, and it’s great to be back!  We’re in Site #4, a riverside site, a large back-in, with a lower firepit, picnic table and tent area.  There are no facilities at Hecla except pit toilets – no water, no electric, not even any trash service.  And, no internet access.  A very weak Verizon signal finds it’s way back into the river canyon, but not enough for much but short text messages.

On Friday we spent a few hours catching up on email and phone calls while parked under the shade of the trees in the Buena Vista city park with good T-Mobile coverage.  On Saturday we returned to Buena Vista to visit a favorite, Eddyline Brewery for a few excellent beers and lunch.

After Hecla, we’re back to Circle the Wagons through Labor Day weekend before embarking on a week long circuit of Northern New Mexico starting at Taos.  More from there…

Hecla Junction, Arkansas Headwaters State Park

Hecla Junction, Arkansas Headwaters State Park

 

Hecla Junction – AHRA

Hecla Junction, Tent Camping

Good Morning from Hecla Junction, a small primitive Colorado State Park along the Arkansas River in central Colorado. PARK MAP  For river rafters, we’re just beyond the infamous Brown’s Canyon.  With just 22 sites, this is a tiny campground by most standards.  The only facilities or services at Hecla are clean vault toilets, and beautiful canyon and river views – there aren’t even trash dumpsters provided.  We, along with friends, are in sites #2, #3, & #4 – premium, spacious back-in sites, all with great views to the river and with large tent pads and picnic table/fire ring areas. Sites beyond #7 would be difficult for most trailers or 5th wheels due to a short turning area at the bottom of the loop.  However, site 17-22 would be good alternates to riverside sites.

In a unique situation, we’re tent camping this weekend.  After acquiring a new pickup last week, we haven’t had time to install hitch rails yet. This is our 3^rd time at Hecla this season, so it’s obvious we enjoy it.  It’s close to home, without any major highway or train noise, has beautiful dark skies at night and (so far) appears to be off the beaten trail of many RV’ers.  We’ll be back next season!

Hecla Junction

The new Truck

Hecla Junction, AHRA

Happy Independence Day! We’re bound for Ridgway State Park in southwestern Colorado. Along the way, we’ve stopped at the newly renovated Hecla Junction campground – one of six campgrounds that make up the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, a Colorado State Park.  Located just north of Salida and next to the rafting pull-out for Browns Canyon, the campground offers 23 campsites in a beautiful, riverside setting.  Each site offers a parking area, a graveled tent pad and a fire pit/picnic table area.  There’s a vault toilet in the center of the campground next to a accessible site (#8). Access to this campground is a bit daunting, just 2.4 miles off of highway 285, there’s a short section of 12% grade.  But, with school buses pulling trailers of rafts in and out all day, the dirt road is in good shape, and oiled to keep the dust down.  The entrance to the camping area is unique, you traverse the boat loading zone, across the cement apron before turning into the camp sites.

Sites #1-#12 are riverside sites.  We’re parked in site #9, beyond which the access road gets a bit tight, and might provide a challenge for turning, especially if those higher numbered sites were occupied.  Sites #7 and #9 would be optimal for a dual-site arrangement with #7 providing very easy access.  Site #3 is a 49′ foot site providing some of the best river views in the campground. Site #4 also shares this good river view. Upper sites #21/#23 would provide highest privacy and good views.  After visiting Railroad Bridge and Ruby Mountain a few years ago, this campground has become our new favorite among the AHRA sites.

Tomorrow we’ll head south to Poncha Springs, make the right hand turn over Monarch Pass and be in Montrose with good friends for 1 night before moving to Ridgway State Park.  More from there…

Sites #9, #10, #11

Hecla Junction Campground

Site #23

Site #21

Brown’s Canyon Pull-Out

Site #3

Site #4