A Night in State Forest State Park
Thanks to extreme busyness from planning a wedding coupled with extreme busyness of work and other commitments, Anna and I hadn’t yet been able to make a camping trip materialize. Finally, after some planning and time off from work, we decided to make our first trip up to State Forest State Park near Walden, Colorado!
State Forest State Park has a reputation for being a picturesque, remote, and expansive state park. Oh, and moose! They have a reputation for moose.
Driving out through Poudre Canyon (CO 14), the road is windy and the views are gorgeous. The ride is about three hours from Denver, but the adventure is worth it. There are several campgrounds around Gould to choose from; we chose to go to the Aspen Campground. While the campsite was nice, the mosquitoes were vicious for the time of year. Make sure to bring plenty of bug spray!
Our first order of business was to hike the Ruby Jewel Trail, located well inside of State Forest. The trail, however, was still pretty deep with snow, and, being June, we were not prepared for that. So, we turned back for the truck and chose a much easier (and more convenient) hike: the Beaver Meadows Nature Trail. The hike is a short loop but has some great views of riparian habitat and lots of wildflowers.
After our hike(s?), we headed back to the campground. As we got near the campsite, we saw a young moose quickly jaunt its way across the road! We were too slow to snap a picture, but it was a reminder that State Forest State Park is moose territory and that we should be careful even at camp.
In the morning, we decided to make the most of our limited time and take one more hike. We chose the Gould Loop Trail, starting at the Moose Visitor Center and making a loop around the Michigan River and some great wetland and moose habitat. The trail is very easy (only 240′ elevation gain), so wear your comfy shoes. Also, remember that, at least in June, the mosquitoes are out there, watching… waiting. Make sure you bring lots of bug spray, especially when the weather is nice.
