This weekend's Airstream outing landed us atop Pike's Peak for breathtaking views of Colorado scenery. We boarded a bright red cog railway car in Manitou Springs and enjoyed the hour and 15 minute ride through a ponderosa pine forest, along mountain streams, past pristine mountain lakes, and across boulder fields inhabited by marmots and mountain goats. The 14,115' destination provided a vantage point far above treeline where on a clear day you can see four states. This was just one of several side adventures we took while camping at Mueller State Park in Divide, Colorado.
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| One of 3 cog railway cars that carried us to the top of Pike's Peak |
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| Plenty of spectacular views along the way. |
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| We caught several glimpses of the elusive mountain goat along the way. |
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| Brilliant views from atop Pike's Peak |
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| Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs offers another interesting side trip. Built in 1895, the castle once served as a sanitarium and is thought to be haunted. |
The campground at Mueller State Park is a favorite, providing a central location with easy access to nearby Colorado Springs, historic Cripple Creek, Royal Gorge Bridge, Air Force Academy, not to mention the 55 miles of trails open to hiking, biking, and horseback riding within the park.
The park itself also offers plenty of camping amenities including well-space paved sites with electrical hook ups, coin operated shower facilities and laundry, and a dump station. Water hydrants are located throughout the campground.
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| Our campsite (#49) |
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| Aspen-lined trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding |
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| Wild flowers are abundant this time of year. |
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| We saw several wild turkeys on the drive into the park. |
We just started following your blog and are glad to have found you! We're getting a 16' Bambi in August (it's currently being made) and adore Colorado, so that'll most likely be our first long trip with it.
ReplyDeleteHow full was the campground? It looks like a really nice site that you had. Such a gorgeous state!
Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYou will love your Bambi. A small trailer like that is easy to tow and offers a lot more possibilities for camping destinations than a larger trailer does.
Mueller State Park is a very popular campground, and in my opinion, one of the nicest in the state. It was pretty full this past weekend, and you will want to make advance reservations, especially if you plan to stay over a weekend.
Hope you make it out here soon and best of luck with your new Bambi!!