Camp Out Colorado

29/04/2024

With your 🚙 registration

12/12/2022

On five days in 2023, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer FREE admission to everyone.

On these significant days of commemoration or celebration, and throughout the year, the National Park Service is committed to increasing access to national parks and promoting the advantages of outdoor recreation for public benefit and enjoyment.

Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates:

✔️ January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

✔️ April 22 – First Day of National Park Week

✔️ August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day

✔️ September 23 – National Public Lands Day

✔️ November 11 – Veterans Day

Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Image: A visitor enjoys the view Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Photo by by Karla Rivera (sharetheexperience.org)

12/12/2022

“Here's my strut, do do do
Strutting my way on over to you
You like my strut? I like yours too
Strutting my way on over to you…”

If you come upon a Spotted skunk, it's usually polite enough to give fair warning before spraying a noxious liquid on any potential aggressors: they will stamp their front feet, raise their tail, hiss, and if they’re particularly annoyed, stand upright on their forelimbs and perform a hand-stand dance.

If the dancing fails to intimidate (wow, nothing?), they may resort to using a pair of scent glands out back that will introduce you to a foul-smelling musk. Pew, pew, pew!

If a skunk does approach you, calmly strut, do do do the other way. Avoid anything that could be considered threatening. Yelling “smell ya later” or “I fart in your general direction” is not helpful.

Image: Spotted skunk standing upright with tail in the air at Saguaro National Park.

06/12/2022

We've had several roadkill whitetail bucks during this year's rut.

By moving them from the roadway into a conservation easement we've been able to see some pretty cool carrion interactions like eagles vs. magpies and red-tailed hawks vs. foxes.

Beats watching a football team from Colorado these days...

17/11/2022

All trails in Rocky Mountain National Park are snow covered and icy. When coming to the park, be prepared for winter conditions.

Traction devices for the bottom of your boots and hiking poles are strongly recommended. At higher elevations, the snow may be deep enough that snowshoes are advised.

Want to learn more about planning for a winter trip to Rocky? Visit https://go.nps.gov/romo/wintervisit.

Image Credit: NPS Photo/D.Bialeschki - Park visitors are winter hiking in RMNP on November 13, 2022.

17/11/2022

For the third time this YEAR, a record-breaking brook trout has been caught 🎉

Only five months after a new state record brook trout was caught after the first record was broken 75 years ago, the record was again reestablished by Matt Smiley. He caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce brook trout on Oct. 8. The fish measured 26.25 inches in length and had a girth of 16 inches.

Read more about this record-breaking catch: https://cpw.info/3g2XRVv

📷: Courtesy of Matt Smiley

11/11/2022

Porcupines. They just want to cuddle…and a park stamp.

How about some fun porcupine facts? Yes? No? Here we go.

1️⃣ A porcupine, aka Needle Beaver, has approximately 30,000 quills on its body. (Not a hugger. We repeat. Not. A. Hugger.) Dare we say it? We’re gonna say it. Don’t say it. Uhhhhhhh….Don’t lick it.

2️⃣ Myth busting. Porcupines cannot throw their quills. Don’t get us wrong, they may throw some sassy barbs, (Porcupines are vocal critters and create a wide array of verbal cues, including shrill screeches, coughs, groans, whines, passive aggressive insults, teeth chatters, and witty barbs.) but alas, no quill launching. However, on occasion, loose quills will fall out before it strikes (awkward), creating the illusion that they're being shot out. We apologize that it took so long to get to the point.

3️⃣ The most popular porcupine hobby is needlepoint.

4️⃣ What a slow poke. Porcupines are considered slow, attaining a maximum speed of two miles per hour. (Seems fine to us.)

5️⃣ Porcupines have a strong odor to warn away predators, which it can increase when agitated. Turn it up!!! The smell has been described as similar to strong human body odor, goats, or some cheeses. (Oh, hey pal. Why are you holding a goat with a plate of old cheese?)

6️⃣ Baby porcupines are called "porcupettes.” That is all.

Image: Prickly visitor (porcupine) clings to railing outside the visitor centKatmai National Park & Preserveeserve. I’m gonna need to speak to the ranger. NPS/L.Law

26/07/2022

This is up and running again. The errors have been fixed and you can get your fishing times again! Good luck, stay cool out there.

Find the best fishing times with this handy chart. Camp Out Colorado's solunar best fishing times chart works great for the best times when to hunt too!

25/06/2022

Turkey vultures help keep our environment clean. They can eat food contaminated by salmonella, botulism and anthrax thanks to their stomach acid, which is more acidic than battery acid and kills the toxins! Watch for these large birds soaring with a little wobble.

Photo: Turkey vulture courtesy of Gordon Garcia.

15/06/2022

Happy !

Photography is an important part of national park history. Early photographers took pictures to show why special places needed protection. People were able to see how beautiful and unique park landscapes were even if they could not visit them in person. Today, professional and amateur photographers alike travel from around the world to capture scenic and historic vistas.

Have camera, will travel. While you’re in the park, protect the things you come to enjoy, as well as yourself and other photographers, by following these simple rules:

1. Oh, snap! Zoom with your lens, not your feet.
2. Stay on designated trails and walkways.
3. Park in roadside pullouts.
4. Leave the drone at home.
5. Felt cute, might be in pain later. Selfie goals should not include a bison.

Learn more tips at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/photography

Image: A trail sign that reads, “Take nothing but pictures…leave nothing but footprints” at Tuzigoot National Monument, AZ.

20/05/2022

Boat ramps will be open, but visitors will not be able to rent equipment or use slips.

29/04/2022

It’s getting to be that season again…

National parks offer a unique experience for watching wildlife. But with that privilege comes great responsibility. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals, too. Simply put, leave animals alone—no touching, no feeding, no harassing. Do not feed any animals from your car and keep an eye on the road for any wildlife that may decide to cross at any time.

Now this message is not for those who know what’s up and would never dream of getting too close to wildlife on purpose. Thanks for leading by example! Think of this as a message to share with others you may know heading out to a park. “Vacation brain” sometimes makes an appearance, and people may let their guard down, or get taken in by a bear’s fluffy ears, only to have a less than pleasant experience in nature. With nature? Nature doesn’t care about your vacation. It happens. Every year.

In conclusion, remember to keep your distance from wild animals, and enjoy your experience watching wildlife. Find more tips at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/watchingwildlife/

Infographic entitled “Wildlife Safety” with a chart of two columns. First row has an illustration of someone feeding a squirrel “nope” example next to an illustration of a person distanced next to no feed sign as “better” example. Second row has an illustration of a person taking a selfie next to a bear as and the word “nope” next to an illustration of a person far away from a bear with words, “good job”. Third row has an illustration of a person next to a moose with the word “nope” next to an illustration of a person far away from a moose with words, “now you got it”. Fourth row has an illustration of a person about to touch a bison as a “why?” example next to an illustration of a person running away from charging bison herd with words “Good luck”.

11/03/2022

The fish stocking report has been updated for 2022! Keep an eye on it to see which of your favorite water holes is stocked this fishing season. https://www.campoutcolorado.com/colorado-fish-stocking-report/

Fish Stocking report for Colorado. Improve your camping and fishing experience. Learn which lakes are stocked with fish and how often.

28/12/2021

What are you looking at? One of the most poorly understood birds in North America! Northern hawk owls breed in remote locations, have low population density and sporadic movements, making this owl difficult to study. Mostly found across much of Alaska and Canada, you may be lucky enough to spot one in northern parts of the lower 48 in the winter!

Photo: Northern hawk owl by Lisa Hupp/USFWS.

21/12/2021

Even during the coldest of winter days you can look for wildlife and not be disappointed. Here are some animals that are active no matter the weather.

20/12/2021

Heading to the beach this weekend? Remember to follow beach regulations and give wildlife space. Animals show stress and fear differently than people do. As a general rule: if an animal is fleeing or showing avoidance, you're disturbing them.

Take the Wildlife Pledge: http://ow.ly/IbCk50HezPc

02/12/2021

This is the pink heelsplitter mussel. Did you know that freshwater mussels are silent superheroes? They usually indicate good water quality. Mussels also act as as water filters and help create a better habitat for other fish and wildlife species!

Photo: Pink heelsplitter mussel in South Dakota by Sam Stukel/USFWS

26/11/2021

Get great gift ideas from our camping lists!

Camping lists are a tool that every camper should use when planning their camping trip. Use are camping lists to help you plan and pack for the perfect camping trip. Print and save these lists to your phone or tablet for easy access. We have many different lists for all kinds of camping!

04/11/2021

Bats aren’t scary. There are myths about bats. Most common, not all bats have rabies: http://ow.ly/CoJW50Gvt56.

Bats are fascinating and are even a little cute: 9 of the coolest bat species in the United States | U.S. Department of the Interior (http://ow.ly/zq0G50Gvt57) Bats play an important role in our daily lives even if they do their business while we sleep. Bats pollenate and eat an extreme amount of insects. As one example, a single bat can eat over 1000 mosquitos in an hour. That sounds like a welcomed partner to encounter on your next outdoor outing. What do bats eat? (http://ow.ly/G1nT50Gvt58)

05/09/2021

National parks offer a unique experience for watching wildlife. But with that privilege comes responsibility. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals, too. Simply put, keep your distance—no touching, no feeding, no harassing. See more tips to watch wildlife safely at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/watchingwildlife



Image: Infographic with text reading "Wildlife Petting Chart. . NPS.gov". Illustration is of a bison with sections of the body labeled "Nope. How fast are you? Vacation over. Think again. Ouch. Umm, no. Do you have insurance?" Text reads "National parks offer a unique experience for watching wildlife. Animals in parks are wild-visitors have the amazing opportunity to view animals as they live and interact with each other in their natural homes. But with that privilege comes responsibility. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals, too. Remember to keep your distance, and enjoy your experience watching wildlife. No touching, no feeding, no harassing."

26/08/2021

The National Park Service was officially established on August 25, 1916!

For 105 years, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with millions of visitors every year.

Today, National parks across the country will be hosting in-park programs and virtual experiences. Entrance fees are also waived for everyone to come out to enjoy their national parks! Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/nps-birthday.htm

02/07/2021

Fish stocking report has been updated. They are stocking all kinds of places around the state. Check out your local fishing hole here: https://www.campoutcolorado.com/colorado-fish-stocking-report/

Fish Stocking report for Colorado. Improve your camping and fishing experience. Learn which lakes are stocked with fish and how often.

02/06/2021

The fish stocking report has been updated. https://www.campoutcolorado.com/colorado-fish-stocking-report/ Many places have been stocked recently. Check it out!

Fish Stocking report for Colorado. Improve your camping and fishing experience. Learn which lakes are stocked with fish and how often.

19/05/2021

When most wildlife are injured, we encourage folks to take them into a licensed rehabber for treatment, however, that is not the case when it comes to injured adult deer.

06/04/2021

The Fish Stocking Report has been updated! This is a great tool to use to see when and how often your favorite fishing spots are stocked.

https://www.campoutcolorado.com/colorado-fish-stocking-report/

If you haven't already bookmark it and share it with your fellow anglers!

Weekly fish Stocking report for Colorado. Improve your camping and fishing experience. Learn which lakes are stocked with fish and how often.