We returned to one of our favorite campgrounds, Stillwater, between the towns of Grand Lake and Granby, Colorado, near the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. This campground sits right on the edge of beautiful Lake Granby and offers stunning views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains all around.This campground has 129 sites and is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area. Services include flush toilets, hot showers, and water and electrical hook ups. An RV
dumpstation is located at the entrance to the campground. This is also a great site for boating enthusiasts as the campground is adjacent to a boat ramp.This is a beautiful area, but visitors should be warned that the forests in this area have been decimated by the Pine Bark Beetle infestation. Be prepared to see vast amounts of dieing and dead trees. It is a stark reminder of the delicate balance in Nature, and how we must all do our part to tread softly and try to minimize our impact on this planet. Note: Since
posting this entry we have returned to the Stillwater Campground and have been saddened to see that almost every pine tree has been removed in the campground due to the pine bark beetle infestation. As a result, there is little to no shade at any of the campsites, but on the positive side, there are unhindered views of the lake and the mountains. It is still a great campground because of its location next to the lake and proximity to the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, but, in my opinion, it has lost much of its appeal with the removal of almost all of the pine trees.
We always enjoy the short trip into the village of Grand Lake (10 minutes) where there are groceries, camping supplies, entertainment, and restaurants. We recommend the Sagebrush BBQ and Grill, and be sure to stop in for breakfast for the best pancakes ever (in my humble opinion). Grand Lake also offers bowling and pizza when bad weather limits your outdoor activities. We were pretty lucky weatherwise on this trip until the morning when we packed up to leave. It is still early in the season for a mountain campground at 8300' in elevation, and it actually even snowed a bit on us as we were heading out.All-in-all, it was a great trip, and we always enjoy this area of Colorado even with the sobering sight of the dieing forest. There is so much to do and see including boating, hiking, wildlife viewing, or just strolling the boardwalk in downtown Grand Lake. We look forward to a return visit soon.
If you go:
Information and reservations for Stillwater Campground can be found here.