5/26/2015
We traveled south to Denver and made our way around the city towards the west, near Red Rocks. The campground is called Bear Creek Lake Park and is easy to access from I-470, which circles the city of Denver.
The rain and cold temperatures kept following us but we did have patches of sun with temperatures slightly higher in the upper 60’s.
Activities
We chose Denver and not our usual rural camping experience because of all the activities available for kids. We drove the short distance back into the city and visited the Nature and Science Museum and even had a picnic. Denver has a Churches Chicken all who have lived down south understand why we had to go there as well. After the museum we stopped by the Mile High Dome so that Quinn could see it. Saying he was happy is an understatement. Later that evening we also visited one of the local malls so that Madeline could have that experience. It seemed silly to us but she hasn’t been to a large mall and it actually turned out to be pretty fun for all of us.
The park itself features nearly 15 miles of soft-surface (primarily dirt) trails for users of all abilities. Most trails are open to horses, pedestrians and mountain bikes. Other activities include horse trail rides, archery, swimming and fishing.
Lodging
Bear Creek Lake Park offers unique camping as it is very close to Denver but far enough away to not be very crowded. You do hear highway noise and one particular view is of a Home Depot but overall considering you are this close to the city, it was fine. They do have showers though it will cost you a couple dollars to use, they are clean and roomy. This is important when showering with your kids. Some of the reviews complained of a lack of trees in the sites, which is true but that area of Denver is a grassland ecosystem so trees are limited everywhere except by the river.
The campsites themselves are generally flat and easy to access. They do have electric but not full hook-up. Water spickets are available throughout the campground. There is a potable water station and dump site.
Two yurts are available by reservation only for a unique camping experience.
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After a couple nights at Bear Creek Lake Park we headed west to Grand Junction, CO and the Colorado National Park.
