VALLEY MOBILE PARK, BUENA VISTA, COLORADO

Our Opinion: Rave. Large sites, reasonable price, friendly management make this a winner

Date of Stay: July 31 through August 17, 2008. We liked it so well that we returned August 28 through August 31.

Weather During Stay: A wild mix, typical of high mountain summer weather. Heat, sun, clouds, thunderstorms and a few chilly mornings. A cold wave moved in for the last three days of our stay: rain, rain, rain. Snow on the high peaks.

Site Description: We began in site 19, then moved to site 29. Because this used to be a mobile home park, the sites are twice the size of other commercial parks in the area. Many have a mature trees; all have some watered grass, a small concrete patio, and a picnic table.

There are around 50 spaces for RV’s, with 12 mobile homes still in the park. Don’t expect manicured green lawns - the park has a somewhat rustic, “country” feel - they don‘t call themselves a resort, and they are not. Roads are dirt (and dusty); sites are gravel and nicely leveled. 50 amp FHU. Laundry, showers, sufficient dumpsters, and the owners live onsite. They seem to cater to longer-term stays (mailboxes are available), and an older crowd; we didn’t see any children.

Rate: $25/night for FHU. Weekly rate is $160 plus tax; monthly rate is $375 plus tax and any electric use after the first $30. Stay 2 nights or more and get 10% off for cash or check. We paid around $22/night for our 18 night stay - a bargain for the area.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones have a good signal; aircard on broadband most of the time. Local NPR on 89.9. No cable TV, but our satellite has a clear view. A couple stations are available on TV antenna, including Colorado PBS. WiFi is available through TengoInternet, but we used our aircard.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: A gently sloping park with trees and patchy grass at 8200’ elevation. View are of other rigs and nearby mountain peaks.

Lighting/Noise: Night lighting varies from site to site. In site 19, night lighting was unobtrusive - in site 29, a “streetlight“ reflects off the bedroom side of the rig, but it didn‘t keep us awake. No traffic noise at the back of the park, where we stayed, but the front sites would have highway noise. Dirt bikers used some nearby dirt roads and jumps from time to time - an infrequent annoyance.

Favorite Sites: Site 33 looks best to us for afternoon shade, but 29 must be the largest site. 30 is nice, too.

Hiking/Walking: A loop or two around the park is pleasant in the morning, but you need to drive to find a walk of a mile or more. We walked the Barbara Whipple trail 2 miles away in Buena Vista when we weren’t doing one of the many gorgeous hikes in the mountains.

Comments: This was a gem for us. “Homey” seems like the best description; nice big sites with folks relaxing outside their rigs, very mellow yet well-managed with the owners always around. The rate is less than ANY of the other RV parks in the area, yet the sites are twice the size of the usual commercial park. Opportunities for outdoor recreation and sightseeing are unlimited. When we return to this area, we will call in advance to reserve a favorite site for a nice long stay. 866-399-8107 and www.fourteenernet.com/valleymobilepark.