Yampa River State Park –Western Colorado
We traveled west toward Craig, which took us through
Steamboat Springs and through some mountain passes. One particular pass that
Kurt was concerned about is right before Steamboat, called Rabbit Ears Pass.
This was no problem as the only concern was the downhill grade of 7%, which our
F250 handled perfectly. The drive down the mountain provided awesome scenic views.
There was one canyon on the way that had high craggy rock walls. It looked
amazing! The town of Steamboat Springs was obviously a wealthy area, due to the
ski resorts. There were very beautiful homes on the mountain sides and the town
had all the amenities needed for tourists. We even made a Walmart stop in town.
After continuing to head west, we entered the rolling hills area and the Yampa
Valley. The area was mostly ranch lands and a little town of Hayden, with the
Yampa River winding back and forth across the road. We arrived at the
campground and checked in. The campground was very well organized, with plenty
of space between campsites. The sites have nice gravel pads with wooden
borders. The picnic table had a metal wind shelter over it, strategically
placed for the typical prevailing winds. This was a great idea, as winds would
popup at any time. We got the RV setup and then walked down to the river with
the dogs. The river access was right along the park. We met the campground
host, Dan, who was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We also spoke
with a ranger to get more information on paddling the Yampa. They provided a
map with all the access points to the river and told us about one that was
upstream about 13 miles above the park. We discussed our options to get on the
river. There are no outfitters in the area that could shuttle us. We were both
tired from the drive and wanted to get some rest.
The next day, Kurt thought it would be a good idea if he
paddled the river first, to see what we could expect. So we drove to the put-in
and he floated downstream. The river was very swift and there were some Class 1
rapids in that area. He made the trip by returning right to the river bank at
our campground. I drove the truck back to the campsite and waited for him to
return. He had predicted it would take about 2 hours. His actual time was 2.5
hours. He did stop a couple of times on a gravel bar to stretch his legs and
have a snack. While he floated, I got some housekeeping done. Kody and Kirby were enjoying the warm sun and
sleeping outside. When Kurt returned, I brought the truck to the river parking
lot and we took his gear and kayak back to the RV. He loved the trip and said
we would definitely both go the next day. We contacted the camp host and asked
him if would be able to go with us to the put in and just drive our truck back
to the park. He was happy to do this, as he is camp hosting alone right now. We
went back to the RV and had some dinner and got ready for kayaking the next
day. Kurt had also acquired wood for a campfire, so we decided to sit by the
fire for awhile and relax. It was his typical “cracker” fire. It was getting
colder, so we went in to get some sleep.
The next morning, we met with Dan and drove to the put in.
Our kayaks and gear were packed and ready to go. Dan drove the truck back to
the park and we went down the river. This area of the state is a mix of rolling
hills, flat mountains, meadows and mostly ranches. We saw some diverse areas
along this 13 miles, it was pretty amazing. It was an easy paddle, mostly just
steering, and we saw some wildlife. There were 1 bald eagle (flew right over
us), 2 golden eagles, pronghorn deer, cattle and horses grazing. It was so
relaxing and a lot of fun. This paddle took us 2.7 hours. We really enjoyed
getting our kayaks in the water and looking at the countryside out here. When
we got back to the RV, the boys were real happy to see us. They have been so
good staying in the trailer while we are out.
We wanted to go on a hike and the ranger had told us about a
nearby reservoir, Elkhead. She said there were some hiking trails at the lake.
We took the dogs and drove up to the lake and found it to be a typical
reservoir in a desert environment. The trails were not so great and it was very
warm, so we decided to skip this hike. We then drove into the town of Craig to
go to Walmart. We wanted to get our shopping done so we wouldn’t have to stop
on our drive the next day.Later that day we began getting everything ready to move to our next location. We got the kayaks cleaned up and put back on top of the truck. We were sorry to have only booked three nights there, we had no idea how much we would have enjoyed this area.
