Colorado in the spring and summer is a wildflower mecca. Tiny, alpine flowers come out in bulk, taking advantage of the short season, and can be found on almost every hike. So when we heard that there was a Colorado town that had such a high concentration of wildflowers that it was known as the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado”, we knew we must check it out.
Our goal for this trip was to: 1) visit the Wildflower Capital of Colorado in time for their renowned Flower Festival, 2) to experience boondocking, 3) to visit new towns in Colorado and 4) see gorgeous natural sights. For this trip, we visited Aspen (particularly the most photographed mountain range in the United States,) stayed in a town known for its rafting, enjoyed the wildflower mecca of Colorado, and had many adventures along the way!
ASPEN AND THE MAROON BELLS (PART I/ IV)
First things first, the Maroon Bells were spectacular. They are the most photographed mountain range in America. This gorgeous site is located about 10 miles west of Aspen, in a glacial valley, three and a half hours driving distance from Denver, and their distinctive maroon color is due to hematite, an iron-bearing mineral. The two 14ers are separated by a lake and surrounded by aspen and pine trees. There are some parking spaces at the mountains but, at the time of our visit, they were sparingly appointed. The majority of people park at the base and take a shuttle. The shuttle comes with a pre-recorded tour and is very informative. Pro tip: We recommend you sit on the driver’s side on the way up so you can see what they are referring to in the tour.
The main lake is pretty mobility-friendly and you can see the Maroon Bells, the lake, and the surrounding beauty without hiking (especially if you have a stroller.) We hiked up further, to see Crater Lake, and enjoyed the hike. We even saw a fox! This is undoubtably a sight you don’t want to miss.
Stayed: Elk Creek Campground (7/10) – There are very few RV parks with hookups near Aspen so we ended booking about an hour away. This campground had a river snaking through it, a clubhouse with air hockey and ping pong table that the boys enjoyed, and some greenery between most sites plus internal walking trails. However, the spots were tight, and getting around the park was difficult.
Visited: Aspen and the Maroon Bells (10/10)
Ate: At the Maroon Bells base, an overly expensive meal (but still thankful for the plant-based options) at a place called “Ale House.” The spot overlooks the ski lift, now covered in greenery and tiny alpine flowers. It was beautiful! The little town at the base reminded us a little of Vail Village.
BOONDOCKING WITH HARVEST HOSTS AND FINDING A NEW RV PARK FAVORITE (PART II/ IV)
Boondocking with “Harvest Hosts” in Salida, Colorado
We recently joined Harvest Hosts and decided to make use of one of the boondocking sites. Harvest Hosts is a membership program that allows RVs to boondock at unique locations. These locations include farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, museums, golf courses, etc. You pay for the membership (~$99/yr) and are typically expected to spend a certain amount ($25-$30) at the location you stay. There is no requirement to do so, but it’s typically well-accepted that you will contribute something.
We stayed at the Vino Salida in Porcha Springs, Colorado. They are a cute winery with live music on the weekends. The boondocking spot was inside their parking area, but the sites were level, and it was pretty quiet after the winery closed. Our boondocking was seamless and it was so fun to just walk over to their winery – have some wine, beer, or assorted drinks (sangria!,) some tapas (we had hummus and chips,) and listen to charming live music. One of the best things about camping in the Colorado mountains during the summer is that you can sleep with the windows open and it gets nice and cool at night.
A new RV-park family favorite!
Next, we stayed one night in my new favorite RV location! The Four Seasons RV Park. Initially, I have to admit I was skeptical. The reviews were mixed and the park looked a bit old. But my concerns were for naught.
Our site was river-front and it was spacious plus it was shaded by old, large trees. The trees were pruned well and did not scratch or touch our RV but they shielded us from the Colorado sun when on the picnic bench. The site had an amazing sight of the river and we entertained ourselves watching folks raft down the river all day long. You’d be surprised what people raft on!
This site was great for relaxing. We opened up the back of the Ember to listen to the river and had dinners on the picnic bench while watching swallows hunting for insects on the river, and hummingbirds buzzing all around us. If you’re trying to work and dial into video calls, this is not the place we’d recommend (we found a great place for that later on.) The signal was weak and the wifi from the RV park wasn’t robust. The clubhouse was very old and smelled a bit like an attic. It did have a picnic table that the boys used and the park has a small store with snacks and other RV/camping needs. It also had a laundry but we didn’t use the facilities. The park is located about 7 minutes from downtown Salida, Colorado – a charming, mid-sized town.
But if you want to relax, be in a well-located site with full hookups, with shaded, and entertaining river views, this is it for you.
BACK TO WORK IN THE SALIDA RV RESORT – PLUS HOT SPRINGS, WHITE RIVER RAFTING, GOLF, AND BOWLING!
(PART III/IV)
Our vacation time was over, back to work! We selected the pretty-new Salida RV Resort for our work week. While this RV Resort is neighbors with the Four Seasons RV Park, it is much better suited for a work week.
The wifi signal from the park was very good, it included a fitness center (!), a well-appointed clubhouse with a pool table, kitchen, plenty of seating, a laundry, pickleball courts, and a walking trail. For two adults who need great wifi to work productively plus two teenagers that need to be able to entertain themselves during the day, it was a win-win. During the day, we would work from the Clubhouse while the boys slept, then have lunch at the RV and finish working either from the RV or back at the clubhouse. If we rate this RV Resort for work set up, we’d rate it a 9-9.5. The signal plus the well-appointed, quiet and comfortable clubhouse made working remotely easy. If we rate it for relaxing, we’d give it a 7.5-8. We liked the amenities (pickleball courts, access to the river, walking trails etc.) but the sites didn’t have any shade and and the constant wind made it dicey to open the awning. The blinding Colorado sun in the summer made it hard to spend any time outside. We had mostly slept with the windows open in the other sites but we kept the AC on for much longer at this site.
We did find the management at this resort to be very friendly, reasonable, helpful, and easygoing. When we were moving between RV parks, we called to see if we could check in earlier to avoid being so tight to make our river rafting reservations and they were more than happy to accommodate. So many sites make it painful or charge you to check in an hour earlier, but our experience here was very pleasant and supportive.
This RV Resort, similar to the Four Seasons RV Park, is about 7 minutes from downtown Salida, Colorado. From the RV resort, we biked to downtown Salida to check out the surfers and kayakers enjoying the river. There is also a portion of the river where you can get into the water to cool off. We had some vegan ice cream, there are many options to enjoy, and headed back to the RV.
The town of Salida is cute; a refreshed western town, with small shops and eateries, all accompanied by the rushing river.
On a different day, the boys enjoyed mini golf and even a round of bowling. There was plenty to do in this area to keep anyone occupied.
We found the Salida Aquatic Center to be very nice as well. Their waters are spring-fed and you can use their pools or reserve a private room and tub to take in the spring waters in private. We did both and while the waters very very hot, we enjoyed them and came in and out of the pools as needed to cool off. Afterwards, my persistent neck pain had decreased and the feeling of relaxation stayed with me for hours.
However, the clear winner of the fun award in Salida was white-river rafting. This area of Salida has many white river rafting outfits and we selected Salida River Adventures. It was the boys’ first time rafting and we picked the type II/III rapids trip (rapids go up to level V.) They had a blast!
And for anyone who is afraid they are too old or weak to go rafting – our raft had a 70+ year-old woman in it. The outfitters do a great job managing the collective strength of the raft and making sure everyone has a good time.
FLOWER FESTIVAL IN THE WILDFLOWER CAPITAL OF COLORADO (PART IV/ IV)
After working from the Salida RV resort for our work week – we headed to Crested Butte – the final stop in our trip and the main reason and destination for the trip.
The East Valley River, where Crested Butte is located, was used as a summer home for the Ute people. Then came the trappers and surveyors which gave way to mining and ranching. In the 60s a ski area was built which revitalized the community with tourism. The area is well known for its top-notch hiking, mountain biking, festivals, nordic sports, river activities, and, of course, skiing.
We had not visited before because it is 4-hours from Denver by car and there are many other towns on the way that we have been exploring. However, we could not be more pleased to have visited it!
The Wildflower Festival was not, at first glance, what we would’ve expected. It was not full of thronging masses, loud music, tarps, and hundreds of vendors. No, this festival is a low-key celebration of Crested Butte’s natural beauty. The town offers hundreds of classes – from photography, to art, to hikes and talks. I took two photography classes that really helped my photography get to the next level.
But first, some drama..
When we drove over to the RV part within range of Crested Butte’s downtown, with electric and water hookups, we found that they did not have our reservation.
We pulled to the office of the Crested Butte RV Resort, or to the door of the office, I should say. The office was not open and plenty of messages on the door advised to text the owner if there were any problems. I revised the posted reservations on the door and when I couldn’t find mine, I texted the number. Only to find out that they did not have our reservation. The owner came down to explain that despite me having a document that had our reservation number on it and information on when they’d charge our card (and how much they would charge) the way their system worked was that you could only submit a request to a waitlist (since they were full.) The very confusing way their system works is that your “reservation” is not a confirmation, it’s just a place in the waitlist in case they freed up. We were flabbergasted. I had seen the notice that they were full but when I submitted the info and received a reservation number, I thought that was it, we had gotten through.
Luckily, someone had canceled a spot for that night and the next day another RV was leaving early to drive to Texas. We had to cut our stay short by one day since there was no more space, but at least we wouldn’t miss our festival reservations. We were both relieved to have found a solution (by luck) but also annoyed at their confusing system.
The RV park was small and a bit on the older side. You could hear some road noise but it also backed into a beautiful green area and a river. They were very strict on rules, particularly about dogs, but hey, we were happy to have a place to stay with hookups!
We dined at Secret Stash pizzeria (they had really tasty plant-based pizzas,) had freshly churned ice cream at Tin Cup Creamery, and just enjoyed walking around the picturesque and gorgeous downtown area. I had two wildflower photography classes and left so inspired and happy to have learned so much. The classes focused on macro photography, a new area for me, and the wildflowers were absolutely gorgeous. But enough telling, let us show you…
Crested Butte was the highlight of an already pretty great trip – we can’t wait to go back and explore it further. We heard from locals that the snow can be pretty brutal (it shows 400+ inches a year) but that the skiing is great. All we know is that we will be booking nice and early for next year’s wildflower festival and staying for much longer.
And that wraps up our trip. Looking forward to many more adventures this summer!
Beautiful! Loved all of it!