Rocky Mountain National Park Hotel Tips by richiecdisc Top 5 Page for this destination

Upper Mill Creek Campground: making the best of our worst spot

Our second and final night in Rocky Mountain National Park's backcountry was spent at Upper Mill Creek. This was a dark and unpleasant spot and a sad way to finish up our 27 days in the backcountry of US National Parks in the summer of 2008.

It was good that we arrived so late as we basically just ate dinner and got in the tent. We had spent some time at Mill Creek Basin Campground not all that far from here and were glad we did. If I was to do this circuit again, I would prefer to camp there as it was more open with nicer views.

Unique Qualities: Upper Mill Creek is located in a very dense new forest so the trees are very thin and closely packed together. It allows very little light through especially late afternoon. Mill Creek provided your water source and it was more pleasant down there so not a bad idea to take your meals closer to it. We actually walked to Bierstadt Lake for breakfast in the morning as it was not too far and was on our way back to complete our three-day circuit.

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Upper Mill Creek Campground is reached by a variety of trails, the shortest of which is from Holloway Park Trailhead. It is only 1.7 miles but rises steeply for 800 feet. We hiked about 5.5 miles from Odessa Lake, not counting a side trip to Spruce Lake.

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Campground

Odessa Lake Campground: an alpine lake paradise

Our first night in Rocky Mountain National Park's backcountry was spent at Odessa Lake. Though this was not the trip I had envisioned doing in the park, it turned out to be more scenic than anything I had planned. Ironically, the trail to it is initially the same as the one to Flattop Mountain which was my planned circuit.

It was late September and it was crisp and clear. We only saw one other person at the lake and that was just as we were leaving our second day. I am sure this is a crowded spot in summer but if you camp at some point you will have it to yourself or at least with just the people from the only other spot! We did a nice walk along the lake shore which looked to head to a possible climb of one of the surrounding peaks.

The only downside was this crazy kamikaze chipmunk who just would not take no for an answer. He came sneaking up behind us in an attempt to steal some food so eventually I tried throwing stones at it to scare it away. The stupid thing thought I was throwing food and the next thing you know he ran up my back when I had it turned to him! To be fair, it was obvious he had been fed by other lake visitors which led to this very unnatural behavior. Do not feed wildlife, let it remain wild.

Unique Qualities: Odessa Lake Campground has only two spots and they are quite spread out from each other. One of the spots is a lot nicer than the other though its better scenery could spell a lot less privacy if you do this trip in the middle of the summer as it is closer to the lake and literally on the trail to the pit toilet which is located in a small group of boulders away from the lake. It is not covered so gives great views and is not as stinky as run-of-the-mill covered outhouses. Our spot had a very nice little “kitchen” in the forest not too far from the tent area. It was a very short stroll down to the lake and its lake shore made for a great spot for breakfast as the sun shone on it fairly early.

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Odessa Lake can be reached from the Bear Lake Trailhead via a 4.1 mile one-way hike.

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Campground

Moraine Park Campground: a tent with a bugle

Moraine Park Campground had a tough act to follow. After two superb campgrounds at Grand Teton National Park, it was only natural to expect a letdown when arriving at Rocky Mountain National Park but that did not happen. Well, to be honest, the first night was spent at a KOA near Estes Park, the park's gateway town due to a late arrival. It was not a particularly nice KOA and at $31 a night, not a cheap one either. So, Moraine park would have had to be awful to sink to that depth but compared more to the great spots we had in the Tetons. The campground was not very busy as it was a Monday in late September. Despite it being late in the season and the chill in the air, those in the campground knew they were in for a special treat at this very special time of year. Not only was fall foliage coming into full swing but we were right in the peak time for elk bugling. Though it had been rainy the first night at the KOA, it cleared out the bad weather and it was wonderful at Moraine Park the two nights we were there. Sunny cool days and cold clear nights. It would have been quiet except the elk were bugling all night, sometimes very close to the tent!

Unique Qualities: Moraine Park is a wonderful campground with a combination of treed and open sites. The more open ones are on the edge of the campground, overlooking the valley and have wonderful views. The treed spots are equally nice with partial views into the valley and plenty of privacy from the trees. Restrooms are rustic but modern with running water. Our spot was great, up on a hill and far-removed from anyone around us but quite close to the restroom. The hill made this not a problem as though we were close in distance, no one walked through our spot (too lazy to climb the hill!) to short-cut to the restroom. The valley is noted for wildlife and is one of the prime elk viewing areas during the bugling season of late September. This makes for great evenings going to watch the elk and still being able to get back to camp for a meal or doing the reverse. Very convenient compared to say Yellowstone where you have to drive for miles between your camp and noted animal viewing areas.

We paid $20 per night which was good value for such a big private space.

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Moraine Park Campground is located off Bear Lake Road in the eastern part of the park.

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Campground