We’ve been wanting to explore more of the camping south of Denver on 285, and heard about the Taryall Reservoir area, so last weekend we headed out that way.
We had planned to find a boondocking spot, but we weren’t totally sure where the best spots were. As we drove down Highway 77 (the road that goes right past the reservoir), we kept seeing dirt roads, but couldn’t see them well enough coming from the north to decide if it was a good road with the trailer or not. (They are MUCH easier to assess as you’re coming from the South!) Near the end of Highway 77 we saw Spruce Grove campground and decided to pull in there, and luckily there was a walk up spot, so we took it!
Spruce Grove Campground
This is a beautiful campground that I think probably books up fast! (Reservations are typically made online six months in advance). The weekend we were there was Father’s Day weekend, which meant tons of families were there, and our kids had a great time playing with the other kids in the meadow in the middle of the campground.
Sites were well maintained and not too close to each other, but it was definitely a campground (as opposed to disbursed camping where there is sometimes no one else around). They all had beautiful views of interesting rock formations, and some beautiful scenery. A creek also runs through the campground. This year it was more of a raging river, but I’m guessing in a normal year it’s more of a quiet creek.
Firewood was available from the camp host onsite.
There are several other campgrounds along Hwy 77, all of them are reservations only, unless there’s a cancellation and then you can walk up. Happy Meadows was really pretty, right along the creek, and some people had brought tubes with them to enjoy the water.
Tarryall Reservoir
The reservoir is a fun place to plan a picnic and sit along the water to fish. The weekend we were there it was a little chilly, but the kids enjoyed fishing, and the people next to us caught quite a few fish.
There are several areas to setup for the day, you can pull off Hwy 77 into the east side of the reservoir, or take a dirt road around the back to access the west side of the reservoir. There’s also a really cool waterfall on the south end of the reservoir, with a nearby parking lot.
Don’t forget your fishing license, they were out checking! (Kids don’t need a license to fish, so if you’re just assisting them you don’t need one, but it might be better safe than sorry!)
Hiking
There was a fun hike that left right out of the campground. It went up through some rock formations and then meandered through a meadow and shaded areas. It offered beautiful views of the area!
There were several trailheads along Hwy 77 in the area. Ute creek seemed to be a very popular trailhead, there were always people hiking back when we drove past. Twin Eagles also looked like a fun area to hike. (These trailheads are both marked on Google Maps).
Dispersed Camping Opportunities
We explored the area when we weren’t towing the trailer, and know a little bit more about where to start next time. Heads up, there is a lot of private land in this area, so you need to be careful that you’re on a forest road.
On the north side, between the reservoir and Jefferson, there were 5-6 roads that looked do-able for four wheel drive vehicles pulling trailers. The camper in front of us turned off on a road directly across from the reservoir, and it looked like there were probably gorgeous spots there.
Going south, between the reservoir and Lake George, there were about 5-6 roads that would have worked well with our trailer too.
Unfortunately we didn’t explore the area above the reservoir, but I think there is also some dispersed camping available there. I asked in the Colorado RV Campers Group on Facebook, and people said that there were spots up there, even though there’s a sign that says no camping when you pull in. (I’m guessing that sign applies only to the direct loop around the reservoir).
On the same dirt road as Happy Meadows campground, there are a few spots that are set back from the road. No real views, but the sites were nice. (Once you’re on the dirt road, go left instead of right to the campground.)
There’s a huge network of national forest roads in between Hwy 77 and Hwy 24. We found some really great sites up there, but were a little worried about big dips in the road. We decided we’d probably be fine if we just took it pretty slow.
We had a great weekend and are looking forward to coming back and exploring more!
