Camping On The Eastern Plains Of Colorado
Camping on the Eastern Plains of Colorado is not what most people think of when they consider a Colorado camping vacation. But many vacationers do come through the Eastern Plains on their camping vacation and are looking for the best places to spend a night or a few days while they're in the state.
For those who take the time to get off the main highway, even for a moment or two, this part of the state has a few surprises in store for the camper, vacationer and tourist. A number of state parks grace the eastern third of the state; all of them feature beautiful lakes and the fishing is top notch.
Bonny Lake State Park
Bonny Lake is located in a wide valley of the South Fork of the Republican River near the Kansas border near Idalia, Colorado. This 1,900-acre reservoir, originally built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s, was made it into a state park in the 1970s. You can now boat, swim, and fish in this surprisingly scenic piece of the Colorado prairie.
The East Beach is the made only for tent camping amongst the four campgrounds that circle the lake and has a shady area for camping and the beach for recreation. Another campground that makes for good, rustic tent camping is the North Cove Campground. A bit less primitive and on the opposite end of the lake from East Beach. If you are coming into the state through the eastern plains, make sure stop here on your way to or from the Rocky Mountains. By stopping here, you will soon realize that Colorado really is beautiful from one end of the state to the other.
The more modern campgrounds start on the northwest side of Bonny Lake at Foster Grove Campground. Cottonwoods and willows shade the grassy flat of the campsites. You will find that there is very little undergrowth and thus very little campsite privacy. However, the campsites are spread far apart, making your privacy less of an issue. The lake is visible, but it is about a half-mile hike to get there. Foster Grove campground is the second most developed campground. It has showers and flush toilets.
As you continue around the lake, you will find other campgrounds that are either more or less developed by the state's park service.Wagon Wheel Campground is the most developed of the four campgrounds found at Bonny Lake. Here you'll find natural shady areas perfect for you tent or RV. Just remember that all campgrounds here require a fee and are by reservation only.
Jackson Lake State Park
If you're heading into Colorado from the Northwest, there are a couple of nice eastern plains camping areas to check out. In this stark plains area, water is essential to the farmers and ranchers that live here. Jackson Lake, just of I-76 outside Fort Morgan, was developed to supply their irrigation needs but also is a state park that provides campers with the opportunity to swim, fish, or do some boating.
The best camping areas are near the 2,700 acre lake where you'll find the cool shade of cottonwoods in the Lakeside Campground. Further from the lake, you'll find that the campsites are wide open in the sun, hotter, and often wind whipped. Jackson Lake State Park is definitely in the plains. Hiking around the area, vacationers will note the plains flora and animal life.
Pawnee National Grasslands
Not far away, on highway 14 going towards Fort Collins, plains visitors will find the Pawnee National Grasslands. Here the traveler will find the Grasslands along with the famous Pawnee Buttes nestled amongst the rolling high plains, abandoned homesteads, and the ranchlands that make up this portion of Colorado. Once in a while, you'll pass by rolling hills and an almost badlands type of countryside.
This was a favorite camping spot for the native Indians of the region and is now a modern campspot for Colorado tourists. Imagine Indians hunting buffalo near the streams or early settlers traversing this stark landscape and short grass prairie. The mesas and buttes of the area gleam with white during the mid-day only to turn into wonderful peach tones in the early morning and late evening. Wildflowers abound in the spring and fall, while thunderstorms can be seen miles off in the distance.
Comanche National Grasslands
Camping on the Eastern Plains of Colorado provides another great attraction in the form of the Comanche National Grasslands in the Southwesten portion of Colorado along highway 385. This is the historic Santa Fe trail, Mountain Branch. This scenic trail goes from Lamar through La Junta to Trinidad traversing the high plains of this region. Here you will find historic buildings from the past where cattlemen, railroad men, and miners roamed and lent a wild west charm to the area.
In this rolling plains rutted with old wagon wheel traces, you will find the Comanche National Grasslands a scenic place to camp. In the distance, you'll see the snowy peaks of the Culebra Range and on a good day, Pikes Peak. There are hidden canyons and stark arroyos to hike through and discover. Prickly pear cactus dot the countryside amongst the prairie grasses and wildflowers. Imagine yourself as one of the pioneers navigating the Santa Fe trail on your way westward.
There are two types of camping on the grasslands, camping in established sites or what's known as primitive dispersed camping. Established site camping is available at the Cimarron Recreation Area on a first come basis and there are no fees. Be sure to check out the Picket Wire Canyonlands, the Sierra Vista Overlook, and the Iron Springs Historic Area located within the boundary of the Grasslands while camping here. You may just find yourself and family spending a couple of days to take in all that the Comanche National Grasslands has to offer vacationers.
Anyway you look at it, camping on the Eastern Plains of Colorado has more to offer visitors that meets the eye. Yes, there's the mountains to look forward to, but whether coming or going from them, the plains will provide you and your family with a glimpse of Colorado that you weren't expecting to find.
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