Ridgway State Park is a stunning natural haven nestled in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This park offers a variety of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, including camping, hiking, fishing, biking, water sports and photography. The park is also home to a large lake that provides plenty of opportunities for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. In addition to its recreational activities,
Ridgway State Park also offers educational programs to help visitors learn more about the area’s flora and fauna. Whether you’re looking for an adventure or just want to relax and enjoy nature’s beauty, Ridgway State Park has something for everyone!
Ridgway boasts over 250 campsites that range from electric, full service, pull-thru, non-electric, yurts, and walk-in tent camping with bear proof food lockers. The sites are in multiple campgrounds throughout the park. As is the case with most parks, the newer sites contain more modern amenities, but lack in shade and a more natural setting.
Access to the lake, a trout stream, hiking and biking paths and beautiful mountain views make this park one to visit in the near future!
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John muir
Campfire Recap
As the title of this article indicates, we did not want to leave this park. We stayed in the upper Elk Ridge loops which didn’t have some of the more modern amenities, but had incredible views of the San Juan mountains. The campsites in this area didn’t seem quite as close and while we were there during the week, there were a number of sites that were open.
We did not have hookups, but were able to fill with fresh water at our site by running a hose to one of the hydrants scattered throughout the campground. The large and well-kept shower, laundry, and group use restroom building was an easy walk and quite impressive from what we were used to in many state parks across the country. Besides clean and numerous showers, there is a room that allowed for us to wash our dishes and cooking pans in a spacious area. This was very useful in conserving space in our gray and black waste tanks. We did need to use our waste tote to make room in our tanks in order to make it through the week, which is not unusual without full hookups. The dump station is at the bottom of the hill, so it made for a slow afternoon drive to enjoy the scenery.
We went for a walk each day to enjoy the scenery and mountain air. One of the daily visits was a viewing deck at the end of a path from our campground. The view was from high on a bluff above the lake with a backdrop of the San Juan mountains in the background. You can see from some of our photos that the view was almost surreal and changes dramatically during the day.
We ventured off the path a few times and walked back into the walk-in tent camping areas. They were set up very nicely and all contained a flat area for the tent and a lockable bear-proof food locker. Yes, bears make their way through the area from time to time and there was a report of one walking through our campground early one morning. The deer walked through the campground every day and were quite comfortable grazing while we sat only feet away enjoying them in their natural surroundings.
On one of our drives, we spent time near a fishing area along a trout stream and enjoyed the walk through this area of the park. We really need to start carrying a fly rod with us.
We went on a couple of excursions during the week. The first was just 15 miles away to the town of Ouray. They call themselves the “Outdoor Recreation Capitol of Colorado” and who would argue with all of the possibilities. This little town is completely surrounded with mountain peaks and filled with historic little shops and restaurants. It was very easy to spend the day experiencing this little alpine village. You can find more information about Ouray here.
Another day, we traveled to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. One of the most beautiful and lowest visited national parks, it was a great way to spend a day. We combined this trip with laying in some supplies from the town of Montrose, which was on our drive. For more information on Black Canyon, visit our blog entry by clicking here.
It was an amazing week and we spent every waking moment outdoors, either walking, exploring, relaxing, or cooking in the fresh mountain air. How could you not in this beautiful setting?
For more information about Ridgway, use the following link: Ridgway State Park
Seasonings
“The greatest gift of life on the mountain is time. Time to think or not think, read or not read, scribble or not scribble—to sleep and cook and walk in the woods, to sit and stare at the shapes of the hills.” – Phillip Connors
So What Is Available?
Click the link to find more information about Ridgway State Park.
| Spacious Campsites | X |
| Shade | X |
| Picnic Table | X |
| Electric Hookups | X |
| Paved Pads | X |
| Full Hookups | X |
| Fire Pit | X |
| Fresh Water | X |
| Shower House | X |
| Laundry | X |
| Dump Station | X |
| Cabins | X |
| Lake | X |
| Stream | X |
| Hiking Path | X |
| Bike Path | X |
| Playground | X |
| Swim Beach | X |
| Swimming Pool | |
| Watersport Rental | |
| Disc Golf | X |
| Geocaching | X |
| Historical Site | |
| Festivals | |
| Guided Tours | X |
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