North Michigan Campground, State Forest State Park, Walden, Colorado

This place is off the grid and primitive. You will travel from the little town of Walden, just northwest of the park entrance to State Forest State Park. It's a beautiful drive with views of the Rocky Mountain's snow capped peaks which border this state park to the south. At the park entrance, a county dirt road leads from the pavement to the Michigan Creek Reservoir Campground. The road is a few miles long, and with the exception of a few bumps and potholes, definitely driveable in all types of rigs. In fact, we even saw some large diesel pushers
back in here. Once you reach the reservoir, the road splits again and campsites are located on both sides of the reservoir. Well worth the drive in, we settled into our beautiful lakeside campsite. All but the sites in the 230s have beautiful lake views. Those in the 230s are blocked from the reservoir by a small hill, but offer excellent meadow and mountain views. Sites set along the reservoir have easy access to the edge. Our site, 227, had a nice edge for launching our kayaks and fishing, which is excellent. In a full day here we caught over a dozen trout. In the evenings we watched deer come out of the hillsides to munch on grasses. Sites here are spacious and often private. Site pads are level, gravel and have designated tent pads, picnic tables, and fire pits. The sites along the north side of the reservoir are less wooded, but they do have access to a couple of small docks. There are also a handful of cabins available for rent through the park which spot the shore of the north edge. Walden is the considered the "Moose Capital of Colorado," so keep your eye out for these lumbering giants. We only saw moose scat and prints. Our neighbor spotted a red fox from his campsite, #228. Back on the main park highway you will find additional campgrounds and the Moose Visitor Center, outfitted with a gift shop, moose exhibits, and rangers for information amd maps.
Lots of OHV trails and a few hiking trails lead from camp. We mountain biked a portion of the Pennock Trail, which ran along a beautiful stream and provided views of the mountains and meadows, which were full of wildflowers in bloom.
 There isn't a drop of potable water here, so come prepared for primitive camping and all the water you need. Pit toilets (no sinks/running water) are available. Campsites are only allowed to be occupied if you hold a reservation; no first come sites are available, so plan ahead. There are no camp hosts or park rangers, at least during our stay, so come prepared with your own firewood. We loved the simple and rustic environment of this off the grid campground.

Best Sites: All
Poor Sites: None
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: Yes