GRAPE CREEK RV PARK, WESTCLIFFE, COLORADO

Our Opinion: Recommend. A pleasant, reasonably spacious, well-managed RV park near town.

Date of Stay: August 21 through August 28, 2008

Weather During Stay: The usual high mountain summer weather. High’s in the 80’s, lows in the 40’s. Sun, clouds, showers…and a major thunderstorm complete with flash flood warning.

Site Description: 34 sites are arranged in 3 rows in this small, scenic, commercial RV park. All sites are pull-throughs and long enough for big rigs. Each has a bit of green grass and a lovely little clump of aspen trees. Our row (the back row of three rows) has 50 amps; the other two rows have 30 amps. Most of the sites in the 50 amp row are rented to seasonal visitors from Texas.

Sites are reasonably level, and we are able to find a gap through the trees for our TV satellite. Picnic tables are scarce, about half a dozen for the park. Two or three tiny cabins are available for rent.

Rate: We paid $192.50 for a one week stay (weekly rate) - $27.50/night.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones have 2-3 bars, sufficient for calls. Aircard has 3-4 bars of Broadband speed. Excellent local NPR on 88..5. Many rigs have their TV antenna up, we didn’t bother. Park brochure says you can get 2 stations. No cable TV, no internet access (free internet is available in town, less than 2 miles away).

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: A somewhat sloping park at 7,900 ft in a high, wide, mountain valley on a small bluff above Grape Creek. Local views are neighboring RV’s and the rolling green pastures and cattle of area ranches. Distant views to the east are of the Wet Mountains. The spectacular Sangre de Cristo range, 5 miles to the west, dominates the landscape.

Lighting/Noise: Very quiet, just the lowing of cattle at feeding time and the whisper of the aspen leaves. Unfortunately, the park has one streetlight right in the center, which is on all night. Fortunately, we are no directly under it. The stars would be fantastic if the light was turned off!

Favorite Sites: Any of the 50 amp sites in the back row. All sites face east, so a 5th wheel with a back living room would have a spectacular view of the Sangre de Cristos in this row.

Hiking/Walking: Not a lot here in the little park, but good hiking is not far away. The nearest trailhead to access the Rainbow Trail (a gently undulating trail above 9,000 ft that stretches at least 100 miles along the east side of the Sangres) is about 12 miles away.

Comments: This is an enjoyable park a few miles south of an interesting (though tiny) town in a beautiful location. It appears to be the only RV park in town. Good boondocking is available at De Weese Reservoir, not far from town on the northeast side.