Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Reverend's Ridge Campground, site 30

With an unseasonably warm forecast for the next few days, we made Golden Gate Canyon State Park our weekend destination and gave winter camping a second try.   Even though this is one of the closest Colorado state parks to the Denver-Boulder metro area,  it is a great destination for peace and solitude during the Winter; the campground is quiet, and sites are easy to come by.

This was a very relaxed weekend.  Although we intended to do some hiking, the snow levels were quite a bit deeper than we expected, and we had left our snowshoes at home.  So we opted for short day-trips to nearby gold-mining towns where we explored some shops, enjoyed hanging out at a coffee shop sampling pastries, and lazily spent an afternoon doing some good old fashioned people watching.   We also took a side trip to the casinos at Central City and Blackhawk, but we weren't in the mood for gambling and losing money.  So, we just stayed for dinner and happily left with our pockets and tummies full.

Cloudless skies filled the Bambi with sunshine

Getting in some required reading

Scenic views from Panorama Point

Still quite a bit of snow on the ground in Mid-March

If you go: 

Gilpin County Community Center

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is located about an hour from Boulder.  Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers many winter activities such as snowshoeing, sledding, tubing, and ice skating.   Besides camping, cabins and yurts are also available for reservation.  We stayed in site 30 at the Reverend's Ridge Campground.   During the winter, the shower facilities are closed.  However, the Gilpin County Community Center is only 4.5 miles from the campground where for just $5 you can have access to their swimming, exercise, and locker room facilities.