Rocky Mtn NP, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes
 

We're looking at mid to late August, tent camping. We camped the same time of year last year at Yellowstone & Grand Tetons, so I generally know about weather.

Does anyone have favorite campgrounds in those areas?

Restaurants? We camp, but eat out. Depending on cooking over the campfire is too stressful for a vacation!

Also thinking of a white water raft trip, possibly in the Buena Vista area, but open to suggestions.

The lodge at Mesa Verde has excellent food.

- Granny Joan

Great Sand Dunes is one of my favorite places to go here but the sand can get hot in summer. I haven't camped there but stayed in town at a B&B. If I can drag my husband down there again I'd love to camp inside the park.

The Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde is one of my favorites. There are pay showers nearby at the General Store. This campground is huge and from what I've heard, never fills up.

We've experinced some really bad thunderstorms here...so be prepared...they come out of NOW WHERE pretty fast!!!!

Utahtea

At Rocky Mountain, the east side camp grounds fill quickly. I think you will take what you an get.

On the west side, Timber Creek was (hope it still is) a nice one.

At Mesa Verde, you don't have much choice as I recall. Morefield or outside the park.

The Great Sand Dunes can be hot, and dusty, gritty.

My thread list shows no responses, so I am very happy to see replies! Thank you.

So Mesa Verde sounds pretty easy to camp at. And our fun at Great Sand Dunes may depend on the heat.

We're planning to be flexible, even stay at hotels if the weather does turn nasty. Though we have camped through downpours & a nearby tornado before, so we do tend to ride it out.

I'm a little leary about camping at RMNP, I have had altitude sickness there once on a hike, but other than that we were just driving through and I was ok.

We tent camped in the Great Sand Dunes two years ago. It was hotter than H during the day but it cooled at night. To us the heat was not at all oppressive, we are accustomed to the heat with humidity in Florida.

It's good to hear it cools off at GDNP at night.

It was 104 here yesterday in the Black Hills and supposed to be 105 today. I don't think I would ever get used to heat like this.

A few years ago we spent several nights tent camping in Center Lake, Custer State Park when the temp was well over 100..... Not much cooling those few nights. One night in a motel in Buffalo SD it was 100 at 11PM. That part of the country can get a little warm...

According to the newspaper it was 109 degrees at the Rapid City airport, 105 in town. This is home for me, but sometimes the temp extremes thru the year are a bit trying.

Ok, here's my tentative travel itinerary:
Day 1) drive to Rocky Mountain National Park
2 down through Buena Vista and the "teener" mountains, a series of peaks that are 13 & 14,000 feet high. Maybe whitewater rafting in that area.
3 Mesa Verde National Park & the Anastazi ruins.
4 Great Sand Dunes NP
5 & 6 Denver & the Waterworld amusement park.
7 Outlet mall & drive Home

I've spent some time looking at mileage today, and I think the RMNP loop is too much. We've been there before, plus went to Yellowstone & Tetons last year, so, think we'll get enough of a mountain fix.

We planned Mesa Verde, but it was on fire at that time :(, so we haven't been there or Great Sand Dunes.

We have done Royal Gorge & been to Colorado Springs many times (LOVE Garden of the Gods, not this trip tho).

So, I think day 1 we'll go on I70 west, Indian Springs Resort in Idaho Springs doesn't seem to have very good reviews, but then, we're camping and don't need to worry about the rooms.

We're taking our 3 thin-walled rooms and air filled mattresses with us. :)

Mesa Verde really needs one full day or more to see and to some hiking to the ruins. Try to get into one or two of the Ranger led hikes to Cliff Palace, Balcony House or Long House. You have to buy tickets so get them early in the day.

Utahtea

What Utahtea said - one full day is a minimum for Mesa Verde.

Get tour tickets as soon as you get to Farview visitors center. Try to get tickets to Cliff Palace for first thing tour and get Long House tickets for second tour. It takes 45 minutes to drive to where the Long House tour so plan accordingly. Also, while there see Step House and Badger House.

Read my report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34829258

Hope this helps..
Debi

Thanks Utahtea & Debi. I think we'll arrive in the evening, so will have a full day the next day to tour around.

My daughters are 19 & 21 so the more intensive the tour, the better they will like it. The Long House tour sounds perfect.

Long House Tour is my favorite, then Cliff House ;)

Utahtea