Ep. 133: Best Colorado RV Travel | camping hiking mountain biking

[@mamamack253]

One of, if not the BEST travel video I've ever watched. No watching you cook food or drink beer around a campfire in the dark...just pure beautiful views and information on locations....WELL DONE!!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you SO MUCH Mama Mack!

[@Rafamantra]

Do you know how many videos I've watched just frustrated to all hell listening to people's personal crap that I care nothing about, waiting for the information that I'm seeking, and end up completely wasting my time!?! Omg! 🤦

[@Rafamantra]

This helped SO MUCH! Thank you!

[@TheTracystella]

Enjoyed it as always! Thanks to everyone for hanging out! Marc thank you for sharing!

[@GrandAdventure]

And thank you as always for joining us, Tracy!

[@danlindey7368]

I watch a lot of folks who do videos on RV camping but I can't say that anybody does a better video than you Marc. Keep filming and I'll keep watching. 5 star!

[@GrandAdventure]

You're much too kind, Dan. Thanks so much!

[@CaliforniaTravelVideos]

We have really enjoyed our time here in Colorado. The last 3 days hunkered down in the National Forrest. We are enjoying the cool summer rain here and the Siberian Husky is happy with the cooler temperatures. 👍

[@GrandAdventure]

That's fantastic to hear, Michael!

[@CaliforniaTravelVideos]

@@GrandAdventure and Grace 😉

[@GrandAdventure]

@@CaliforniaTravelVideos and Grace!

[@aaronchandler2380]

We sure do appreciate your excellent videos. Hopefully less than 17 months now will be on the road. When we’re finally free we’ll be going to a lot of places you’ve showed us. Thanks!

[@GrandAdventure]

Excellent, Aaron! Here's hoping that those 17 months fly by.

[@ExtremeRVing]

What a great museum in Silverton!

[@GrandAdventure]

It truly is. We spent a lot of time on it in episode 69.

[@ExtremeRVing]

Oh yes, staying near Garden of the Gods for about two weeks, did Cave of the Winds and Pikes peak...as well as a day trip into Cripple Creek. Stunning area!

[@GrandAdventure]

It certainly is.

[@vanettechristian2182]

After seeing your posting about Lake Irwin last year, we made a stop there last summer. It is a beautiful little lake. The park had a lot of visitors the day we were there. It was surprising how peaceful ad quiet the park was despite the number of people there. If any of your viewers are in the Crested Butte area, they should make time to visit this jewel of a lake.

[@GrandAdventure]

It is indeed a gorgeous little high-altitude lake, with its own small campground to boot (for smaller rigs only). We really enjoyed our paddle there.

[@YCallahan]

You make the BEST videos! They are informative, beautiful, and to the point! I feel like I’m watching a television travel show. Thank you! Keep them coming, please.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much Yvette, and we certainly will!

[@iker1644]

We love your Colorado video's. Especially Silverton. Thanks for your posting. Ike and Jenn.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much, Ike and Jean!

[@MurrayPeeps]

A whole episode on my home state! Can’t wait!!!

[@GrandAdventure]

See you tonight, Murray!

[@JJs-ClassC-Adventures]

Great summary of Colorado scenic areas. We are spending some time there this summer. Must have been great to ride with the engineer on the stream locomotive.

[@GrandAdventure]

Hope this helps your travels this summer, JJ! In the interest of full disclosure, the video is all our own footage *except* for a couple of b-roll clips provided by the railroad that we mixed with our own...including the one of the engineer.

[@josephpessotti3876]

One of your best videos, great job.

[@GrandAdventure]

Very much appreciate that, Joseph!

[@tomaustin4526]

Beautiful Colorado locations.❤️😊👍🌎🎥🎶🚌 they’re on my bucket list 😁 I hope this year. Thanks for sharing and safe travels

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank YOU as always, Tom!

[@Hangs4Fun]

Great camera work and production quality Guido!!

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that very much!

[@Serf_dumb]

Thanks for the excellent ideas!

[@GrandAdventure]

Our pleasure.

[@gorrdd]

Cool... I'll be very interested to see your refections on prior Colorado boondocking, Marc. Thanks... Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

Looking forward to seeing you at the premiere, Gord!

[@bevgunson1486]

So very thankful I found your site awhile back! We hope to expand our travels from our native Oregon :)

[@GrandAdventure]

We're so glad you found us too!

[@Juchauusamylife]

I and my husband like for you .I and him love camping, thanks ,video

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you!

[@WKINNEY]

awesome footage in this one, enjoyed it, thank you so much!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank YOU, Wink!

[@williamfry6087]

I have driven to Pikes peak, a scary drive going up, but easier coming down. Garden of the Gods is a great hike, better if you are an experienced climber. thanks

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you for watching and chewing your experiences, William!

[@SL_BA]

You always find the BEST boondocking spots. And you always share great information about the surrounding area... wherever you are. Love your videos! Catching up on a few I have missed 😁

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so very much! Comments like yours keep us going. ♥️♥️

[@zmarko]

What a wonderful and breathtaking video! Makes me miss living in Colorado very much. What a beautiful state. So much to see and do. Thank you for sharing your amazing images and video!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you very much! We're thrilled that you enjoyed it.

[@bruceh3786]

That was a great summary of some nice Colorado camping spots. I bet it brought back some fun memories putting it together. It makes me look forward to summertime boondocking In the high country. In the meantime I will be enjoying some great winter desert boondocking around Quartzsite. I should be picking up a Champion generator similar to yours.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Bruce! It did indeed bring back memories, and it's also fun to find a different take on editing than I did the first time...while using far less footage from each place. And you'll be very happy with that genny!

[@dandubay7662]

Great Video Marc!!...Thanks...

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that, Dan!

[@woofydoggie]

This is a great video for anyone wanting to start their planning for a trip to Colorado. Great information and well put together.

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that JW, thank you!

[@markreynolds9570]

Thanks again Marc. Hope you`re having a great ski season.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always, Mark! It's been crazy -- 294" so far this season, 98.5" just since 1/1/20.

[@gorrdd]

Fabulous Marc... Sorry I couldn't get to this earlier. One of the things I really loved were the clouds in the mountains. I love the sunny skies but the mood of the clouds in the the Rockies is something else. From the opening scene and throughout, you caught the incredible moodiness of these mountain scenes. Thanks for showing that. And, as you know, the more moody they look, the more caution you must take. Weather in the Rockies can change within minutes and bring very treacherous conditions, especially on back roads and back road mountain passes. I bet you have some stories you haven't shared. Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always, Gord! We go into some of those "stories" in the in-depth individual episodes that formed this one, although they've fortunately been few and far between. The worst one was hail the size of quarters while out hiking around Garden of the Gods. I've still got the dents in the truck to show for it, and probably still have them on the top of my head. Boy those hurt! I couldn't make it back to the truck, so I ended up hunkering down inside of a thick bush to break the fall of the hailstones with something other than my head. LOL!

[@gorrdd]

@@GrandAdventure Marc, quarter size is nasty but gold ball size and larger can be lethal. I don't recall that episode you refer to... maybe I missed it. Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

@@gorrdd we barely touched upon it in the Cañon City episode -- I was too busy running and hiding to film. ;)

[@gorrdd]

@@GrandAdventure No doubt!:)

[@cindyw5787]

Thank you so much for showing these beautiful places.

[@GrandAdventure]

And thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. It's very much appreciated.

[@raulsoto05]

Awesome videos! Thanks for sharing. It provides great information for "newbies" like us.

[@GrandAdventure]

Awesome comment, thank you Raul!

[@raulsoto05]

@@GrandAdventure Hey Mark, quick question. We just bought a 40 foot 5th wheel. Any trouble or issues getting to some of the areas mentioned in the video? I would hate getting stuck up there. Once again, keep the adventure going.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@raulsoto05 it definitely varies depending on location. Some spots can accommodate any rig, whereas others we'd only recommend for small trailers with good ground clearance. Feel free to hit me with any questions on any specific spots, and I'll be happy to address this in detail.

[@jwrappuhn71]

Fantastic vid Marc.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much as always!

[@ExtremeRVing]

Yes, we went to Royal Gorge Bridge at dawn, it was stunning!

[@GrandAdventure]

This was my first visit in nearly 50 years, my mother always brought our visitors there when we lived in Boulder when I was a kid. It was fun to return!

[@ExtremeRVing]

Great stuff, guys, loved it!

[@NomadicLiving]

Thx! Some great ideas for summer 2020!

[@GrandAdventure]

You're welcome, happy to help!

[@swhedge71]

Nice job Sir! Cinematography was excellent, thoroughly enjoyed the "Grand Adventure"! Gave you a BIG THUMBS UP and subscribed. Awesome, just like your other videos! Thank you for all you do bringing us your travels!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much! We're thrilled to have you along for the ride, so thanks as well for the sub.

[@LiveLaughLoveRVing]

As a native of Colorado, enjoyed watching!

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that!

[@curthiggins8792]

As always Marc, very enjoyable...your videos have really evolved. Great job!’

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, Curt! We certainly hope that we've gotten a little better at this over time.

[@paulavery366]

Thanks for your work, Mark.

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that very much, Paul!

[@conniewaite1996]

I was totally impressed,awesome!and so informative.i also like how you categorized your trips by state.ever so helpful.thank you!cant wait to get there

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much, Connie! These state recaps are something new for us, although you'll find individual state playlists on our channel home page.

[@gringo3009]

Great area's right there! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always Gringo!

[@mylibertyvan5650]

Loved the video as always.. I will be trying a few of these boondocking place out soon🚐🤠

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, Suzie!

[@sandystephanian7676]

We're Rv'ers and live in Colorado and you pointed out some boondocking areas we weren't aware of like Washington Gulch.

[@GrandAdventure]

That's terrific Sandy! We haven't been back to Washington Gulch since, but we've heard that the USFS may have now designated boondocking sites there and prohibited boondocking outside of the marked sites. Just a heads-up to that possibility.

[@bradwedge8276]

Another great video!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Brad!

[@ExtremeRVing]

So sad I couldn't get on tonight when you aired live - looking forward to watching!

[@GrandAdventure]

We certainly missed ya.

[@jesib7526]

My favorite area of Colorado! Black Canyon is my home page :) Durango is one of my Go To places! Love the train ride!

[@GrandAdventure]

They are definitely wonderful areas, Jesi!

[@kathyklarfeld2971]

I thank you for a great video.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank YOU Kathy!

[@laughingram7287]

Hi Marc, Sorry I missed the premier of this one. I took a week off from media. This was a nice summary of all your videos of Colorado. I believe you’ve kind of done the same thing with Utah more or less in two parts. Your summarizing camping spots per state is great for us desiring to visit a state and plan where to camp. Thanks for doing this. This video will come in handy later on if and when we decide to head toward Colorado. Have you folks ever thought about heading up toward Alaska or is that a little too far and extreme for you?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always Ram! We're actually doing California this Wednesday, although any local will recognize that it's anything but comprehensive. We'd love to do Alaska - Mrs GA has pushed hard for it - and we probably would've gone in 2018 had we gotten an earlier start than early June. But now, with working from the road it's just not practical.

[@laughingram7287]

California is a big state - like Texas - and has such a diverse landscape. (pun) I will not be able to watch the premier live this week, because I am covering the Swing Shift. We have briefly talked about a trip up to Alaska, but one needs to be totally prepared for anything; one needs to have their act together. It is beautiful up there, but barren. I worked on ocean going tugs from ‘80 to ‘87 and have covered the South, West and North sides. There is nothing quite as nice as a four days journey up the Inside Passage. Thanks for putting out great videos Marc!

[@GrandAdventure]

@@laughingram7287 so cool about those tugs! I'll bet you have some fascinating stories.

[@markbabcock40205]

Great overview of your adventures. You've sure helped in my future plans to re-visit Colorado.

[@GrandAdventure]

Glad to hear that, Mark! Thanks so much.

[@freedomspeech1776]

What a great video to see after searching for Colorado Rv camping vids. Just wish Silverton was open to make a reservation. Keep up the amazing job!!

[@freedomspeech1776]

Just found your channel and I'm sure busy but what's some of the best advice for a newbie? Thanks

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching Brett. There several RV parks right in town in Silverton if you're intent on having a reservation.

[@freedomspeech1776]

@@GrandAdventure Well best plan is to have something on the books. First time camping and I'd like to make it seamless if possible.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@freedomspeech1776 we can certainly understand that.

[@lorih379]

Thanks for this. We are going to southwest Co this summer and this was great Info!!

[@GrandAdventure]

Lori, you're most welcome. SW Colorado is the best part of the state in our opinion. Have fun!

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

enjoyed.

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that as always!

[@CampgroundRecon]

Looking forward to tonight's video!

[@GrandAdventure]

Looking forward to seeing you there! It's your home state, so you can provide great advice.

[@marianfrances4959]

Awesome! Thank you! 😉 🇨🇦

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Marian!

[@stevebevan2514]

Have been following you for quite a while now and really appreciate your videos as you do an outstanding job both in content and presentation. We are in the Grand junction area and recently purchased a 28ft. toy hauler bumper pull so we can see the surrounding areas and states. This year is not so great with the covid but we're gettin out there when we can. I have been sharing your vids and looking forward to making good use out of them. I know your out of Utah so any recommendations for us would be awesome. Thanks for the awesome videos.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Steve, and congratulations on your new acquisition! You live in a great location to get out and explore. If you haven't yet been get down to Bears Ears (Episode 101) -- the sheer mass of Puebloan ruins down there is remarkable.

[@ericmoore6934]

I work about a mile away from the Garden of the Gods, I think you would off drove right past where I work on the way there. A lot of road work going on all over the Springs right now. I was skiing at Steamboat last week, so I missed seeing your video. I'm doing Monarch in about another week. I like skiing at Crested Butte as well, it was featured in your video, never been there over the summer. Paddling at Twin Lakes is on my todo list, I gather from your video, you probably paddled there. Have fun at Grand Targhee !

[@GrandAdventure]

My memory of Garden of the Gods was getting pummeled by quarter-size hail, both my truck and my head as I was out hiking around when it started. I had to hide in a bush to break the fall of the hailstones. I too enjoy skiing at CBMR, and we'll do a video on the Targhee trip in a week or two.

[@ericmoore6934]

yep, we get a lot of hail, lightning, and wind storms here.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@ericmoore6934 that Front Range weather can be something special.

[@ericmoore6934]

I was thinking you may of told me before about your experience at the garden, or someone else did, it sounded familiar to me. Anyways, I enjoyed your video. It reminded me that I need to be my camping plans in place for next summer. Six months from now is prime camping and kayaking season, if you know what I mean 😉

[@GrandAdventure]

@@ericmoore6934 I do indeed.

[@sistagoldenhair747]

Thank youuuù❤

[@clintoncummings5290]

Love what you show in your shows. I can,t help asking: When you say "we" are you talking about you and the dog?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks Clinton! Nope, "we" is myself (Marc) and Mrs. Grand Adventure; however, she steadfastly refuses to appear on camera.

[@GoingPlacesOne]

Mark, great video man. What kind of camera(s) were you using?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so much! We use an entire quiver of cameras and equipment, that we have assembled here: www.amazon.com/shop/GrandAdventure?listId=29P8DKMLOCJAX . However, our workhorse that does all the heavy lifting is a Sony Alpha a6500 with their G Series 18-105 f4.0 lens.

[@jduncan740]

Marc what is your fulltime gig? Are you doing this part-time or full-time? Some of the best video content out there for Boondocking!

[@GrandAdventure]

You're too kind. I work full-time in the insurance industry. We keep a sticks-and-bricks home in SLC and stay home for Alta's ski season, then wander long-time in the summer, working from the RV.

[@InTheMomentTravels]

Grand video! I'm trying to build a 60-day trip to visit all 4 CO national parks, with a few other iconic stops added. We are in a big rig (44' 5th wheel) and are looking to stay near each national park - any suggestions on RV Parks that are best positioned to reach all 4 in a cohesive loop? We don't mind driving without the rig to get to the parks. We just don't want to get on the highway with the cliff side nor is boondocking an option. Thank you!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you very much! To be honest with you, we have never really paid much attention to RV parks in Colorado, and it sounds like you are adverse to boondocking.

[@rvandmuchtoseejohndeb8418]

Great video! We are planning a trip out next summer for a couple of months and this video really helped. How feasible is it to find boondocking spots during peak summer travel?

[@GrandAdventure]

Absolutely it is, John & Deb, and thank you. Sometimes it just requires a bit more creativity to find a good, quiet spot. That's often best accomplished by finding your own, rather than relying upon an online directory.

[@sajohnson33]

Our friends in Nucla have worked for many of the celebs you mentioned in Telluride.

[@GrandAdventure]

We don't doubt it.

[@sajohnson33]

@@GrandAdventure We were told a few stories -- one involved a guy up on some scaffolding at Sylvester Stallone's house yelling, "ADRIAN" at the top of his lungs. Apparently 'Sly' was not amused and wanted him fired but they never could figure out who the perp was. ;-)

[@GrandAdventure]

@@sajohnson33 LOL! That's just too funny.

[@sajohnson33]

@@GrandAdventure Our friends renovated the kitchen of a female celeb whose name you may have mentioned. They said she demanded that the cabinets that they removed be crushed with a backhoe. Of course they were hers to destroy, but they were very nice cabinets that Habitat for Humanity (or any other group/person) could have used. It seemed odd.

[@KJRitch]

Unfortunately most of your boondocking locations aren’t accessible for our rig and many of them looked full. We’ve been to many of the locations you showed over the years and when we go back we will plan and try to reserve campgrounds ahead at least six months in advance.

[@GrandAdventure]

A bigger rig, or one with less ground clearance definitely makes it harder. As for being full, however, that's where finding your own sites (rather than relying upon a listing somewhere) comes in handy. We've never been skunked yet. It just requires a bit more research and planning. We're just not campground folks, so we avoid them when we can.

[@A1soldiersaint]

Grand Adventure, can you recommend a few trailers for the type of camping you do? We will be winter camping in the rockies.

[@GrandAdventure]

I honestly can't say that we've looked at anything in particular in the last year or two, so we're not your best source for a specific trailer. However, given that you are going to do winter camping I can make some general recommendations. Get something with extra insulation in the walls, roof, and an enclosed underbelly. If possible, find something with dump valves enclosed in a wet bay instead of exposed to the elements. Check where the water lines run inside the trailer to make sure that they are in a well-protected area. When you say the type of camping that we do, I presume that you mean boondocking. The more batteries, the better. Consider an upgrade the lithium batteries and a solar panel installation. Look for something with large tank capacity. And most of all, have fun shopping!

[@A1soldiersaint]

@@GrandAdventure solid! Thanks.

[@jpsnides8364]

Wait, loved the video, but how could you leave off Grand Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park, and Estes?

[@GrandAdventure]

😁 Mostly because it's been nearly 50 years since we've been to any of those three. But it'll happen!

[@Mudmowerdiesel]

Great

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Eric!

[@teamnash55]

Awesome vlog on camping / boondocking in Colorado. How do you find all the boondocking sites?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Richard! Our process is explained in depth way back in our (very early) episode 6: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioW1qGZ3Yq58kLs

[@heideblake4274]

Beautiful, gorgeous footage! However....the title is misleading. There wasn’t a whole lot about RV campgrounds...only boondocking. This video is more about the places to visit...not camping.

[@GrandAdventure]

That's what we do, Heide, and thank you for the compliment. That's why we entitled it "Best Colorado RV Travel" and not "Best Colorado RV Campgrounds". We nearly always boondock when possible, and avoid campgrounds as much as we can.

[@SevenBears1]

All these great videos make it had to choose.. Texas..Colorado..Utah..Wyoming.. Which do i visit first ?? Thanks GA

[@GrandAdventure]

Them all?

[@SevenBears1]

@@GrandAdventure California to Utah then circle back through Colorado.. I may never get back to work on time..

[@GrandAdventure]

@@SevenBears1 work is highly overrated anyway.

[@IndianaFr0g]

Do you use an app or software of anykind to find these boondocking sites? For example, I use RVTripWizard to plan my routes, look for sites, etc, but I do not think this program has "boondocking sites". Thanks, and great videos.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks, David! Our entire process is explained in our (very early, please forgive the production values) episode 6: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioW1qGZ3Yq58kLs

[@timebanditrvtravels3449]

your playing in my back yard I grew up there

[@GrandAdventure]

Looks like a great place to have grown up. While we were in Camp Verde after we left Prescott, we got to spend some time with Jared Gillis, of the KZbin channel "All About RVs" and Campendium's KZbin channel. Apparently he grew up in Prescott as well.

[@daviscrt]

thank you

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank YOU, Don!

[@lyndcason7516]

Love the videos and really appreciate how much info you provide with every one. We are hoping to begin boondocking rather than staying in RV parks. What is the generally accepted rule for how much space you should allow to your nearest neighbor? And, how do you locate so many of those great boondocking sites?

[@dianestevenson2630]

Campendium.com and Allstays.com are good places to find boondocking places.

[@GrandAdventure]

We sincerely appreciate that, Lynd! And we promise that once you start boondocking you'll never look at an RV park the same way again. For advice on how we find spots, check out our (very early) Episode 6. As for space, comments on our episode 84 proved that there's a widely varying opinion on that one. Personally, we won't camp within a few hundred yards of someone else unless the situation absolutely, positively requires it. And if someone sets up closer than that to us, we'll usually break camp in the morning and find somewhere else.

[@gagetgirl1]

Marc, How long is your rig? Did I understand that you drove it on the M$ Highway? I'm sure the length of ones rig will be a major factor. Thanks. I really enjoyed this video.

[@GrandAdventure]

Length definitely matters. We're 26' but it drives slightly longer as we have an extra-long 18" shank on our hitch.

[@BrinkleyG077]

That spot by Twin Lakes, 11'40" in, is absolutely beautiful. Where exactly is it? Having trouble finding it.

[@GrandAdventure]

Happy to share, Brad. That Twin Lakes campsite was here: goo.gl/maps/8j82rTSNb4oDA4v67

[@BrinkleyG077]

@@GrandAdventure Thank you so much!

[@kcculp6430]

Excellent video - thank you. Keep up the great work! Who was the moron who gave you a thumbs down?

[@GrandAdventure]

LOL! Thank you so much, KC!

[@GimpyCamper]

My brother lives out there, but I've never been there. Maybe one of these days...

[@GrandAdventure]

Time to go there, Barratt!

[@GimpyCamper]

@@GrandAdventure Well I've got multiple things in store this year... apparently I'm going to an RVillage rally in FL in a few weeks, To the Huntslville Space Center for a week during my daughters spring break, then I'm taking the camper to a conference for work in DC in June, We are going to an airshow to boondock in GA in October, and we are going on an Alaskan Cruise... + our normal two hour radius trips we do... lol

[@GrandAdventure]

@@GimpyCamper well, what's one more? 😆 Sounds like a great season.

[@wellsonwheels457]

Sad to hear dispersed camping is going away in crested butte. We where in heaven there last July in Washington gulch. 😞

[@GrandAdventure]

Yes, it seems to be a most unfortunate combination of overuse, some disrespectful campers, and local opposition.

[@moriscondo5511]

@@GrandAdventure Hello, I see that there are all sorts of positive reinforcements in the comments stating how great this video is, but do you not see the irony? it is precisely all this attention that has been focused on Washington Gulch, among many other areas, that is leading to this closure. You probably know this already, but the same thing happened with boondocking in the next valley over to the East (where the Gothic road is).. Putting out a video directing people to a place that is already suffering from overcrowding is just pouring fuel on the fire. I have a friend who lives in Crested Butte and who has attended community meetings with the Forest Service that are reactions to the same overuse that you are encouraging. Please do not take this comment as an attack on you, but rather as a view from the other side There are un-intended negative consequences to what you are doing. It's very hard to write a comment like this and not come across negative, so I am sorry. I've seen many of your videos and I think we have a tremendous amount in common and I envy your lifestyle. Just know that broadbanding these locations will and already is leading to their demise.

[@GrandAdventure]

@Moriscondo I appreciate your thoughtful and well-written comment that in no way came through as negative. We respect you for posting your thoughts. And trust us, the irony that you call out in your comment isn't lost on us. There are times that we've genuinely thought twice about showcasing a location in a video, but we can't go through life wanting to enter a room and close the door behind us. The same thing happens in skiing. We arrived at Alta 15 years ago and have watched the Salt Lake Valley grow exponentially, watched canyon traffic and lift lines both grow with the arrival of the Ikon Pass, and watched lines track out much more quickly than we did when we got here. But we have no right to take away from others that which we gave ourselves. Let's be also be clear -- we in no way encourage overuse or abuse of the land. In fact, our Episode 84 was intended to directly combat that. We encourage people to find their own unpublished boondocking sites (see episode 6), but the fact of the matter is that popular places will get publicized, whether it's in our videos, in online directories like Campendium and FreeCampsites, or even in old-fashioned guidebooks as they've been for decades. Our US Forest Service has a mandate to make its land available for multiple uses, including recreation. It's incumbent upon campers to understand how to use the land and not abuse it, and as good stewards of our public lands we can only do our best to share best practices to preserve our way of life for those who follow our footsteps.

[@nenanenica6783]

Can you suggest any riverfront campground great for fly fishing? Thanks 😊

[@GrandAdventure]

Actually Nena, all we do is lose spinning lures. 😁 There are so many great trout streams in Colorado, but that's not our forté.

[@Rafamantra]

This video is 1yr old. Has dispersed camping been limited now at Crested Butte? And is that altitude difficult to deal with?

[@GrandAdventure]

We don't have issues with the altitude, but then again we've lived at 5,000 feet for the previous 16 years and regularly recreate at 11,000 feet. It has in fact since been limited in that dispersed camping is now limited to designated sites only in the drainages surrounding CB, much as they've been in other popular USFS areas.

[@WeekendRVing]

Nice place

[@GrandAdventure]

It is indeed.

[@WeekendRVing]

We camp at garden of the god a few mth ago I posted a video. We will go back this year

[@GrandAdventure]

@@WeekendRVing our souvenir from Garden of the Gods was hail damage, both to the truck and the top of my head. They were the size of quarters.

[@WeekendRVing]

Wow sorry to hear that

[@GrandAdventure]

@@WeekendRVing it's all just part of the Grand Adventure. ;)

[@2012escapee1]

Doc Holliday must have had a hard time breathing at 10,000+

[@GrandAdventure]

Good point, Janet. It's ironic that he left Atlanta to make it easier on his tuberculosis, yet ended up living at 10K feet.

[@BrettLane-divideby0]

2012escapee1 Doc Holliday was born near Valdosta, GA, and briefly practiced dentistry in Griffin, GA. After being diagnosed with Tuberculosis (which he caught from his mother) he moved west to become a gambler and get out of the humidity of Georgia. After the OK Corral and the events afterward, he moved to Colorado where he lived in Denver, Pueblo, Salida, Gunnison, eventually moving to Glenwood Springs (elev. 5-6K feet) where he died (he hoped the vapor caves and mineral waters in the area would help him). He lived in Leadville for a while (where his breathing problems worsened from the elevation), but was not a member of any law enforcement group or agency (after a confrontation about a debt he owed and he shot the man trying to collect, he was accused but acquitted of murder). During his time in Colorado, he was in fact running from a warrant for his arrest in the Arizona territory. After some 'assistance' from Bat Masterson, Colorado refused the extradition request.

[@BrettLane-divideby0]

Grand Adventure beautifully produced video! I live in Colorado...going to try some of your boondocking spots.

[@sajohnson33]

Why is the FS limiting dispersed camping near Crested Butte?

[@GrandAdventure]

A number of factors, including overuse and resident opposition.

[@sajohnson33]

@@GrandAdventure That's a real shame. I have to say though, while most boondockers are conscientious, some are not -- and it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone. Sometimes it's just a matter of too many people in one place.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@sajohnson33 so true.

[@sajohnson33]

​@@GrandAdventure I really appreciate all of your tips, along with the beautiful video footage. If I sold RVs I'd have your videos playing in the showroom and on the dealership website non-stop. That said -- I know I brought this up before and you gave me a great answer, but are you at all concerned that no good can come from promoting these gorgeous places? Some are obviously well-known (the towns themselves). I'm referring mostly to the boondocking spots. With Baby Boomers retiring, RV sales soaring, and the "Van Life" craze taking off, I'm afraid we will see more and more boondocking restrictions.

[@sajohnson33]

I wish there was an 'edit' function here on KZbin. I could have worded my post above better. Obviously much good can and does come from disclosing the location of boondocking sites and promoting their use. My concern is that they will be 'loved to death' -- overrun and overused -- which is apparently why the dispersed camping near Crested Butte is being limited by the FS. As we discussed a while back, there is a lot of public land -- even after subtracting the substantial amount of land is inaccessible and/or not appropriate for boondocking -- but there are also a lot of people, more and more of whom are getting into "van life" or RVing (not to mention car campers). I do not watch any 'RV' videos other than Grand Adventure, but I'm sure there are plenty of others disclosing favorite boondocking sites -- so, in a nutshell, "It is what it is". We might as well just get out there and enjoy RVing and boondocking while we still can.

[@nickhardy8300]

Here is our favorite camp ground in Colorado spend many summers there. www.ponderosaco.com/

[@toobusy32]

Nothing interesting around Estes Park?

[@GrandAdventure]

It's been around 45 years since we've been in the Estes Park area; thus nothing from around there made our list. It's just a bit too close to the Denver metro area, and therefore gets a bit too busy for our taste. We encountered similar overcrowding for the same reason in Leadville this past summer, and ended up leaving ahead of schedule to get away from everyone else.

[@Hyperchaosbringer]

I can't afford an RV you need to show camping for everyone.

[@GrandAdventure]

There are lots of channels out there dedicated to tent camping, much as we focus on RV travel.

[@yejulia9553]

Dear Marc, I write you an email and left messages on your Facebook, did you see?

[@GrandAdventure]

Julia, I just got back to town tonight. I'll track it down and get back to you.

[@yejulia9553]

@@GrandAdventure Great, Marc, good to hear from you again. Wish you had a great RV Trip;-) Look forward to your earlier reply~