A site for sore eyes

Campgrounds run from full hookups to the hike-in variety

Erika Gonzalez, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 11, 2007 at midnight

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Sleeping outdoors under the stars sounds like a romantic notion, but camping often requires more than simply pitching a tent.

Luckily, Colorado is full of experts on the recreational endeavor, including camping guru Gil Folsom, author of Colorado Campgrounds: The 100 Best and All the Rest (Westcliffe $24.95).

For beginners, the temptation to spontaneously head for the hills with a borrowed tent might be huge, but Folsom recommends doing some homework before packing the car.

"Go out and pick up some books," Folsom says. "Find people in the (recreational) stores and quiz the heck out of them."

Folsom also suggests spending a bit more for durable, dependable equipment.

"If something doesn't work, you might find your enthusiasm goes down the drain," Folsom explains.

Once they've got the basics down, camping enthusiasts typically gravitate to a specific type of site.

Some prefer remote locations that can only be reached through long hikes.

Others like the luxury of staying in campgrounds that cater to RV owners.

"I don't have a preference," Folsom says. "I'm one of these jack-of-all- trades types and master of none."

Thanks to years of research, Folsom, who updated his book last summer, has narrowed the selection for the rest of us.

Here's a look at his favorites in a few categories.

• Best fishing campground:

Rated as one of the state's fishing "hot spots" by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Lake Pueblo State Park offers five campgrounds and roughly 400 sites 14 miles west of Pueblo.

"What makes this so unusual is that it offers warm-water fishing, with warm water species," Folsom says. Trout, walleye, large and smallmouth bass and wiper (a hybrid of white bass and striped bass) are common catches. The campground also features a swimming beach, hiking trails and volleyball courts.

• Best campground for families:

Mueller State Park, near Cripple Creek, is a popular park offering something for nearly everyone - from biking trails to a playground for the wee ones. "An added bonus here is that there are no large lakes or fast-moving rivers in the vicinity that could pose potential problems for wandering children," Folsom says.

• Best campground for RVers:

"With a 1,000-acre lake in a valley only a few miles from the Continental Divide, Steamboat Lake is one of the crown jewels of the state park system," Folsom says. Nearly half of the park's 198 sites offer electrical hookups, and Folsom says the campground can accommodate most RVs.

He also gives high marks to Redstone, a scenic gem providing modern facilities and sites with electrical and water hookups.

• Best campground for backpackers:

Perched at the end of a long dirt road on a creek good for quiet fishing, Cimarrona has just 21 sites. The campground is northwest of Pagosa Springs and on the edge of the Weminuche Wilderness.

Says Folsom: "Solitude, great hiking and awe-inspiring mountain backdrops all await the lucky few who venture this far off the beaten path."

• Best camping at a National Park:

RVers aren't allowed at east portal, located at the bottom of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But from Folsom's description, it sounds like the scenery might be worth the sacrifice of sleeping on the ground.

"If you are a discriminating camper who demands the most spectacular canyon scenery, a gorgeous river teeming with rainbow and brown trout only a few steps away, great shade and are willing to drive about five hours from Denver, then time's a wasting," says Folsom, who also notes that it takes trusty brakes to make this steep drive.

gonzaleze@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5350

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