Eleven Mile and Mancos State Parks

Greg wrapped up his trip with visits to Eleven Mile and Mancos State Parks in Park Moabi in Colorado.

I stayed at Eleven Mile State Park on Wednesday. It is located in South Park, an expansive high-altitude grassland region of Central Colorado. I looked around but did not see Cartman, Kyle, or Kenny anywhere. The park is bordered on two sides by the Pike National Forest. The surrounding mountains, including Pike’s Peak, the Tarryall Range, and the snowy peaks of the Continental Divide, complement Eleven Mile’s own scenic lake, short grasses, and rocky outcroppings.

That makes for not much shade, but plenty of fish. In fact, the lake has surrendered some of the largest fish ever caught in Colorado. Below are photos of the marina, my campsite, and the ever present afternoon thunderstorms:

I headed out Thursday morning for the 300 mile drive to Mancos State Park. Naturally, I found myself on another Scenic Byway called Collegiate Peaks.

I crossed the Continental Divide in the rain at Wolf Creek Pass, about 11,000 feet up on US 160. Then my GPS called me a Turkey. Click on the photo and you can see the word on the right side. Below that is a photo looking west from the pass:

Mancos State Park is in Southwest Colorado, about 12 miles from Mesa Verde National Monument. It has a small lake and nice shaded campsites in a ponderosa pine forest. Wakeless boating and excellent fishing make this a popular spot to camp. Below are photos of the lake and a campsite:

I was going to camp in the Flagstaff area for my last stop on Thursday, but I decided to tack on another 200 miles and head to Park Moabi on the Colorado River 20 miles south of Needles. I forgot about the heat. I arrived there around 8:00pm and it was still over 100 degrees. The low was 90. Not fun when you are in a tent. I could hear the AC’s from the RV section going all night. Below are photos of me chasing the sun just south of Kingman, AZ, my campsite at Park Moabi, and some sunrise photos from Friday:

And the obligatory shot in front of the Pirate Cove bar as I was leaving:

So that’s it. My final post from this trip. Six weeks went by in the blink of an eye. I saw wonderful sights and met good people. But wait, there’s good news. Dry those tears off your keyboard because I will be back on the road in October for an even bigger trip. Details will be posted in the next few weeks.

Parting thoughts:

What is up with all the suicidal rodents? They wait on the side of the road until you are driving by and then make a mad dash across just in front of your car. Are they playing some kind of game or is it a rite of passage for them? I saw many that didn’t make it.

Who needs coffee? Just walk into a vault toilet in the morning and the smell will sear your nostrils and wake you right up.

There is a definite correlation between the size of an RV and the size of the dog. The biggest motorhomes always have little teeny yippy dogs. Why?

Campers always wave at each other in the campground. Always. Is it because we know that we are cool or is it something else?

Regards, Park Ranger