Back to the Western Slope

Wednesday May 21, 2014

Left Chatfield State Park (SP) in Denver this morning for the Western Slope! After breakfast with a friend, I drove nonstop (about 4.5 hours) to the James M. Robb SP (Island Acres section) just east of Palisade, CO. This SP is comprised of 4 or 5 sections along the Colorado River; I camped at the Fruita section on my way to Denver last week and it was nice but fills up quickly. I believe camping is only allowed at these two sections of the SP; in my opinion, the Fruita Section is nicer than Island Acres; primarily because the former is further from I-70 noise and closer to the Colorado National Monument.  All of this SP's sections are adjacent to the Colorado River; the river is just about at its banks and is expected to continue to rise as the snowpack melts. There is also a fishing pond at the Island Acres Section and the facility has a shower ($1 for 4 minutes) and laundry. 

Both sections of this SP, and I suspect most if not all Colorado SPs, are full this Memorial Day weekend so I’m camping tonight and then moving to a commercial campground. In Colorado, one can reserve (for a $10 fee) SP campsites over the internet (http://coloradostateparks.reserveamerica.com); without reservations, your chances of landing a campsite on the weekend are remote so if you have to have a campsite, it is best to reserve. On weekdays (Mon - Thur) camping is on a first come first serve basis but (depending on the campground) you can only pay for one or two nights at a time. 

At Chatfield SP

Campsite 17 at James M. Robb State Park - Island Acres Section

Trail along Colorado River at James M. Robb State park - Island Acres Section