Tips for RVers

One of the best ways to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, especially in the warmer months, is in an RV (a motor home, truck camper, or camper trailer), or in a car or truck while spending your nights in a tent -- provided you don't mind roughing it a bit.

Because early morning and early evening are often the best times to be in the park, and because there are no lodging facilities within the park's boundaries, camping at one of the park campgrounds will allow you to conveniently explore the park at these times. It will also give you the inexplicable feeling of contentment that comes from waking to the sound of birds singing and the sight of furry little creatures scurrying about outside your door; you'll be living the national park experience rather than just visiting it as if it were an amusement park.

There are disadvantages, of course. Tents, small trailers, and campers can be cramped, and even the most luxurious motor homes and trailers provide somewhat close quarters. Facilities in national park campgrounds are limited, although they are being upgraded to the point where camping purists are starting to complain. Even in most commercial campgrounds the facilities are less than what you'd expect in moderately priced hotels; and if you prepare your own meals, you miss the opportunity to experience the local cuisine. But, all that aside, camping is just plain fun -- especially in a setting as spectacularly beautiful as Rocky Mountain National Park.

Tenters who want to avoid the walled-in sensation, exhaust fumes, and noise of being surrounded by huge motor homes and trailers should consider Longs Peak Campground, which is open to tent camping only, and there are also some very pleasant walk-in tent sites at Moraine Park Campground, about 100 to 200 feet from the vehicle parking area. Tenters should make sure that they have warm sleeping bags and extra clothing -- nights are cold, even in summer. It is also extremely important that they bring airtight food containers that can be stored in car trunks or hung from trees in the backcountry. This will help avoid unwelcome visits from black bears and other wildlife.

There are also a few things that RVers should know. Old Fall River Road, a one-way uphill dirt route, is closed to all trailers and any vehicles, such as motor homes, over 25 feet long. Also, keep in mind that parking is limited in most sections of the park, especially for motor homes and other large vehicles. Most people, however, drive on park roads between 10am and 4pm, so the solution is to head out on the scenic drives either early or late in the day, when there's less traffic.

If you'll be traveling in the park in your RV and want to make it obvious that your campsite is occupied, carry something worthless to leave in it, such as a cardboard box with "Site Taken" clearly written on it. You can usually find a rock to weight it down.

Because some of the national park campsites are not level, savvy RVers make sure they have a method of leveling their rigs. Many of the larger, more expensive motor homes and trailers have self-leveling systems, but for those that don't there is a cheap, simple solution. Carry four or five short boards, or leveling blocks, that can be placed under the RV's wheels, and simply place them in the low spots and drive up onto them. To help gauge where to put the leveling blocks or boards you'll need a small, inexpensive bubble level, available at RV and hardware stores. You'll discover that not only will you sleep better if your rig is level, but your food won't slide off the table and the refrigerator will run more efficiently.

Once you've got an RV or tent, you'll need a place to put it, of course. See chapter 5 for information on camping in and around Rocky Mountain National Park. A free copy of Colorado State Parks, a brochure with details on the state's 40-plus parks, is available from state park offices, 1313 Sherman St., No. 618, Denver, CO 80203 (tel. 303/866-3437; www.parks.state.co.us).

There are two dozen KOA franchise campgrounds in Colorado, which all offer well-maintained bathhouses and other facilities. A nationwide directory of KOA campgrounds, published annually, is available for $7.95 at any KOA, or free when ordered online ($5 for shipping); www.koa.com. Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) can request the club's free Southwestern CampBook, which includes campgrounds and RV parks in Colorado, as well as Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Several massive campground directories can be purchased in major bookstores, including Trailer Life RV Parks, Campgrounds & Services Directory, published annually by TL Enterprises, Inc. (tel. 800/234-3450; www.tldirectory.com), which sells for about $25 ($17 when purchased online).

Renting an RV for Your National Park Trek

If you own an RV, you're all set for a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, but if you don't, you might want to consider renting one. In fact, a study by two Canadian anthropologists has concluded that compared to those in the general population, those who travel in RVs are happier, healthier, and have a greater sense of community.

First, let's get one thing straight: You probably won't save a lot of money. It is possible to travel fairly cheaply if you limit your equipment to a tent, a pop-up-tent trailer, or a small pickup-truck camper -- but renting a motor home will probably end up costing almost as much as driving a compact car, staying in moderately priced motels, and eating in family-style restaurants and cafes. That's because motor homes will go only one-third as far on a gallon of gas as compact cars will, and they're fairly expensive to rent (generally between $1,100 and $1,500 per week in midsummer, when rates are highest).

But carrying your house with you like a turtle gives you the opportunity to stay in the national park campgrounds, which many park visitors believe is one of the highlights of their trips; it lets you stop for meals anytime and anywhere you choose, and it means you won't have to worry about sleeping on a lumpy pillow. An added benefit is that you won't spend time searching for a restroom -- almost all RVs have some sort of bathroom facilities, ranging from a full bath with a tub/shower combination to a porta-potty stored under a seat.

RVs come in seemingly unlimited varieties, shapes, and sizes, and for the first-timer the choices can be both confusing and intimidating. We suggest that for a national park vacation, especially a trip to a mountainous park such as Rocky Mountain, you choose the smallest RV you can find that still has the facilities you want. While practically every RV will have a toilet of some kind and a two-burner gas stove, smaller units often lack showers and ovens, and the smallest pop-up trailers and pickup campers often have iceboxes instead of refrigerators, which we consider false economy.

A trailer is advantageous in that it can be left in the campground while you go off exploring, and is an especially good choice if you'll be staying in one campsite for at least several days. However, we find trailers inconvenient when we're changing campsites every night because of the time needed for hitching and unhitching. Traditional hard-sided trailers are heavy and you'll need a large tow vehicle, probably a pickup truck or full-sized SUV. Pop-up-tent trailers are lightweight and easy to tow but require extra time to set up and take down at each campsite. Another disadvantage to trailers is that you'll have a fairly long and hard-to-park unit when the trailer is being towed.

A motor home offers the most space, often a nice shower, a three- or four-burner stove with oven, a refrigerator with small freezer, and sometimes extras like coffeemakers, blenders, televisions, and music systems. But motor homes, especially the larger ones, require a lot of room to park, and you're likely to discover that you're passing by some scenic overlooks simply because there isn't enough space to accommodate your rig. Campsites are often too short for long motor homes, and there's one road at Rocky where motor homes over 25 feet long aren't permitted.

Our choice for a camping trip to Rocky, as well as most other national parks, is either a van camper or a pickup-truck camper. A van camper, often called a Class B camper, is essentially a full-size van with an extended roof, sleeping from two to four people, with a two- or three-burner stove, small refrigerator, sink, toilet, and sometimes a small shower. Pickup-truck campers also usually sleep up to four people and have basically the same equipment as van campers. The downside to both of these is that they have fairly limited storage capacity.

For information on RVing, including a free video, check the website for Go RVing, Inc. (www.gorving.com); you can also obtain information on renting an RV from the Recreational Vehicle Rental Association (www.rvra.org).

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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	Frommer's Rocky Mountain National Park, 4th Edition