Favorite Year-Round RV Campgrounds

If you're like many of our customers, the fun you had RV camping this summer has you longing to be back out on the road. Our clients who live in warm climates will enjoy RV camping trips all winter, but did you know many cooler climate campgrounds are open year-round? To encourage you, no matter where you live, to enjoy RV camping as the leaves begin to change, here are some favorite year-round RV campgrounds.

Mountain Shadows RV Park, just south of Salt Lake City, is close to snow ski resorts and numerous Salt Lake City attractions and can accommodate the largest of RVs. You can pick up an RV rental at El Monte RV's Salt Lake City RV rentals location to start enjoying the best in outdoor winter fun.

Speaking of spending time in the great outdoors, Winding River RV Resort at Grand Lake, Colorado is right in the middle of a winter sports wonderland. Families will love the activities they offer—horseback riding, snowmobile rentals and guided hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The historic village of Grand Lake is definitely worth some exploring, too.

One more great place to stay in Colorado if your family loves to ski is Cozy Comfort RV Park in Dolores. This southwest Colorado resort is located near both the Telluride and Durango ski areas. It's also surrounded by Native American history and culture, so why not plan to stay a few days longer and explore? Let our Denver RV Rentals office help you rent the right RV for your trip.

For our friends who enjoy Pacific Northwest scenery, why not pick up the perfect motorhome at our Seattle RV Rentals location and then head for Tall Chief RV Resort near Redmond? This top-ranked RV campground in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains puts other RV parks in the shade. What a great way place to come home to after a full day of hiking or skiing!

Here's another tip for a great Northwest adventure year-round: SealBay RV Park on Vancouver Island, BC is at the heart of the glorious Comox Valley, home to some of the best winter sports venues in Canada. Mount Washington Alpine Resort is a particular favorite among downhill and cross country skiing enthusiasts and snow boarders. Making your trip in autumn, instead, will reward you with fabulous mountain to ocean views on this unforgettable island.

Doesn't a winter RV camping trip sound great? Get in touch with the El Monte RV Rentals location nearest your favorite winter destination and get rolling!

An RV Vacation Through Native American History

For an RV camping vacation that's a history lesson, as well, consider exploring Native American historical sites. The suggestions below represent just a few of the hundreds of places you can learn about the role of Native Americans in our nation's history.

Native American History RV Vacation – Four Corners Itinerary
Where the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet, you'll find a treasure trove of Native American history. In the Four Corners area you can visit Mesa Verde, Hovenweep National Monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Monument Valley.

Mesa Verde, in southwestern Colorado, is the site of ancient cliff dwellings and spectacular scenery. Winding roads lead to the canyon rim throughout this National Park. You will find numerous lookout points offering amazing glimpses of the cliff dwellings where ancient Puebloans lived for more than seven hundred years! While you're exploring the wonders of Mesa Verde, park your RV at A&A RV Campground located at the entrance to the National Park, or try the Mesa Verde RV Resort only a half mile away..

North and west of Mesa Verde, along the Utah/Colorado border, you'll find Hovenweep National Monument. The ruins of six prehistoric Pueblo dwellings dot the canyons of Hovenweep, with towers rising far above canyon walls.

Continue your Native American History RV vacation with a stop in Monument Valley in northeastern Arizona. You'll probably remember the sandstone buttes and towers from hundreds of Westerns filmed there. Native American guides who live within the valley will lead you off the main trails to sites that mark the legacy of their ancestors.

Your final leg of a Four Corners RV camping trip should definitely include Canyon de Chelly near the Arizona/New Mexico border. The Canyon, completely located on Navajo tribal land, offers an entire vacation's worth of historical treasures. The windswept canyons and buttes of Canyon de Chelly are home to more than two thousand archaeological sites. Plan to camp at Spider Rock RV Campground in Chinle, Arizona for the ultimate Canyon de Chelly experience.

For RV Rentals to the Four Corners area El Monte RV has you covered with the following locations: Albuquerque RV Rentals, Denver RV Rentals, Phoenix RV Rentals, Salt Lake City RV Rentals, and Tucson RV Rentals,

Native American History RV Vacation – Northern Itinerary
When you're ready for another round of Native American history, plan some RV camping in the Badlands and Black Hills of the north central U.S. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana lets visitors relive the battle that claimed the lives of most of the 7th Cavalry Division under Lt. Col George Armstrong Custer in 1876. Here in the place Sitting Bull and several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors were victorious, you'll find breathtaking scenery and plenty of Native American artifacts to explore.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to the Crazy Horse Memorial, where sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began creating his enormous tribute to the Lakota chief in 1948. Come watch as progress on the colossal sculpture continues, and stay to visit the Native American Cultural Center and Indian Museum of North America.

Finish your RV camping trip to find Native American history with a stop at the Wounded Knee Museum in Wall, South Dakota. About fifty miles from the actual site of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, the Museum tells the story of the tragic deaths of almost 300 Lakota Sioux at Pine Ridge.

As you travel the Badlands and Black Hills, there are plenty of well-equipped RV campgrounds to serve you. Big Pine RV Campground near Custer, South Dakota is a great place to make camp as you increase your knowledge of Native American history.

Why not learn more on your next vacation about the major contribution Native Americans have made to our history? Turn your motorhome into a rolling classroom and get ready to be inspired!

Cruising Colorado Ghost Towns by RV

We have been sharing reports from friends about great ghost town destinations to include on your RV adventures. While you're planning the itinerary for your next trip, don't miss Colorado's ghost towns. The Centennial State is home to dozens of former towns filled with artifacts, empty shacks and terrific Wild West history!

Let's do a quick cruise of some of the ghost towns you can easily visit on your RV camping trip.

• Florrisant: Thirty miles west of Colorado Springs, this former mining town has a school house and cemetery still in place, plus plenty of historical artifacts to discover. Stay at Lost Burro Campground in nearby Cripple Creek where you'll find scenic RV campsites creek side.
  
• Cripple Creek: While you're in the area, don't miss Cripple Creek itself. It's one of Colorado's most famous mining towns and area gold mines produced hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold before 1930. Although Cripple Creek is now home to numerous casinos, there are plenty of mines, ghost towns and cemeteries to explore in the immediate area.
  
• King: Turn your RV up the road to Park County and visit King, site of two major mining disasters in the late 1800s. Artifacts and ruins still exist in King, and the surrounding scenery is awesome.
  
• Fairplay: Don't leave Park County without visiting this once thriving gold mining town, where many of the original buildings still exist. Visit the grave of Prunes, the burro who worked the mines for decades and let locals tell you the story of Silver Heels the dance hall girl who nursed many small pox victims back to health. While visiting King and Fairplay, be sure to stay in Horseshoe RV campground in Pike National Forest.
  
• Gold Hill: Northwest of Boulder is a cluster of former mining towns that will fascinate ghost town fans. Gold Hill was one of the first places in Colorado where miners actually put down roots. Like a lot of other mining towns, a large fire took its toll in the late 1800s, but the hotel, general store and many cabins are still in place. Stay in the area to visit Sunset, Crisman and Gold Hill Station and spend the night at Olive Ridge Campground located in the shadow of Longs Peak.
  

We can't wait to hear your stories about your Colorado ghost town tour by RV! Let us know which ones become your favorites, and be sure to get in touch with our Denver RV Rentals location for the perfect RV rental for a Colorado ghost town vacation.

More Great Colorado RV Camping Adventures

Also see: Colorado Vacation Adventures.

One of my favorite things about traveling cross country is seeing the beauty of nature roll by. The State of Colorado is definitely one of the best places I know to see glorious scenery at every turn. RV campers from all over have shared their favorite Colorado RV camping destinations with Monty's Musings. Here are some "don't-miss" Colorado vacation ideas from my fellow motorhome campers.

Rollin' Through the Rockies…
RV camping enthusiasts looking for the ultimate Rocky Mountain experience should head for Leadville and Turquoise Lake! Sitting high in the Rockies (two miles high, in fact!) Turquoise Lake is surrounded by beauty, history and unbelievable outdoor adventures.

Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails abound in this mountain camping paradise. Canoe or fish the lake, and then be sure to take a day trip into nearby Leadville, a rough and rowdy Old West mining town with plenty of modern attractions. Make reservations at Sugar Loafin' RV Camp and get ready for some Rocky Mountain fun.

Colorado RV Camping for Families…
If your family's looking for a place to vacation that offers plenty of outdoor sports, Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) is your spot. Six scenic RV campgrounds make the area perfect for motorhome campers, and the river itself draws kayakers, river rafters and fishermen from around the globe.

Take the kids gold panning on the Arkansas River, or hike hundreds of miles of trails through meadows and mountain passes. From Pueblo to the mountains around Leadville, the AHRA offers one hundred fifty miles of family vacation fun.

And If Your RV Camping Trip Includes Fishing…
Motorhome camping enthusiasts who also love fly fishing should head for South Fork, Colorado, where eleven nearby lakes plus the Rio Grande River offer some of the best brown and rainbow trout fishing in the U.S.

Fellow campers tell me Ute Bluff Lodge & RV Camp, adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest, is the perfect base camp for trout fishing adventures. Why not head for South Fork with your favorite fishing gear in the comfort of a recreational vehicle? That's the recipe for fishing memories for years to come.

Now that I've convinced you to make Colorado your next RV camping destination, I'd like to make it even easier. El Monte RV Rental's Denver RV rentals location is a great jumping off spot for a motorhome vacation in the Rockies. The friendly folks there can help you plan your next Colorado trip and choose the perfect RV to get you there.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your Colorado RV camping trip. Stay tuned for more great motorhome camping ideas right here at Monty's Musings!

Denver RV Camping Ideas

Any trip to the Mile High City is a great one, but travelling there by RV opens a whole new dimension of fun. Here's a list of traveler's top picks for ways to enjoy the Denver area in the comfort of an RV.

Waking Up to Nature

Waking up in a scenic mountain meadow will thrill even the most jaded vacationer. The scent of pines in the air, water rushing through a stream nearby - who could stay cranky with all that natural beauty outside your door? The Denver area has more than its share of scenic RV campgrounds. Campers especially love the Colorado State Parks within easy driving distance of the Denver metro area. Whether it's Cherry Creek, Chatfield or Golden Gate Canyon State Park, there are plenty of scenic vacation memories in store.

Camping in the Heart of the Party

The people of North Central Colorado love to party, and they throw great festivals year-round! Make tracks in your RV to the Capitol Hill People's Fair, an eclectic arts celebration of Denver's diverse neighborhoods each June. Here's another thought; if hot air balloons perk up your senses, head for the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival at Chatfield State Park in August (just remember to reserve your campsite early!).

For a swan dive into Asian culture, be sure to visit the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan Lake Park in Denver. Held each July, this huge festival offers Asian food, arts and music and, best of all, colorful dragon boat races on the lake. Your kids will love this one, so pack the RV, reserve a nearby campsite and take the plunge into the Dragon Boat Festival.

Before we move on to more RV vacation ideas, we can't forget the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Held weekends in July and August in Larkspur, it's full of medieval fun and foolishness, plus some great food adventures! Camp at nearby campgrounds and enjoy the area's natural beauty as well as discovering Old World magic.

Outdoor Adventures Galore

Active vacationers are going to love the Denver area, with outdoor adventure opportunities in abundance. One you should definitely investigate is whitewater rafting. With two major rivers and Clear Creek within easy driving distance, Denver vacationers can experience every level of rafting excitement, from gentle drifting down the river to heart-stopping Level Five adventures.

If you've never experienced the Rockies on horseback, sign yourself up for one of the many area trail rides. Numerous horseback riding venues exist within thirty minutes of Denver, so don't miss this opportunity for a front-row seat to nature. Another great way to see the best of Denver's natural beauty is to try your hand at fly-fishing in nearby scenic rivers.

Whether fishing the mountain streams, rafting down whitewater rapids or travelling mountain meadows on horseback, the Denver area offers RV campers plenty of outdoor adventure. Set up base camp at one of the area RV campgrounds, then get out and enjoy yourself in nature!

As you can see, the Denver metro area is the perfect spot for vacationers travelling by RV. Pick a festival, pack your fishing gear and get ready to wake up to the Rockies. Your first Denver vacation won't be your last!

El Monte RV offers RV rentals for your Denver RV vacation from our Denver RV Rentals location.

Family RV Vacation of a Lifetime

RV Vacation Through Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico

The following was submitted by an RV Vacation Fan.

It was the summer of Y2k. My family (husband, wife & 2 sons) had planned a six-week trip traveling through five western states in an RV. We started with an RV Rental in Salt Lake City where we flew in two days before settling into our new "home."

Our RV was a Class A, 36 feet long and slept six to eight. It had all the makings of home except the washer and dryer. There were two TV's, stereo, refrigerator, stove and microwave. What more could we ask for? The grocery trips were fun - we could just leave the store and be home.

We drove up to Jackson Hole and to Grand Teton National Park. It was our dream family vacation. Teaching the boys, albeit young, only six and nine, about our country's history in real life!

After spending one night, we continued our drive north to Yellowstone National Park. It was amazing. We had booked the campground for a week, rented a car to tour the park and settled in to see the geysers and the wild life. Old Faithful was as true as they say. We hiked the trails and saw deer, moose and bison close enough to see the color variations in their fur.

The boys, with my husband, fished for dinner in the lake at the park. I never had trout that tasted so good. After making the kids try the fish, they chose to eat the hamburgers we brought as a backup plan.

From Yellowstone, we drove across Wyoming to Cheyenne, where we stopped to see a real rodeo, with bronco roping and everything. What a hoot. Next stop was Four Corners, in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The boys loved the idea of being in four places (states) at the same time.

We arrived in Denver, happy to go to a Colorado Rockies baseball game at the infamous Mile High Stadium, drove up to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park and even tried Buffalo burgers.

In Moab, we went on a half-day rafting expedition in a class 4 river. The rapids were a blast. So were the water gun fights we had with the people in the three other rafts!

Driving west, we fell in love with Bryce Canyon. It was so beautiful to gaze down at the gigantic monoliths from the top of the trail. Of course, we spent time at Zion National Park as well, since it was practically across the street. On to the Grand Canyon, our final park before heading back to Salt Lake City to return our home on wheels. We went to both the north and south rims. Very different views and although each was astounding, I highly recommend visiting the north rim.

This was the trip of a lifetime. A memory making adventure my family still talks about and will always remember. We could not have done it without the RV.

El Monte RV has RV rental locations in many places that can be used for a similar vacation (depending on the starting point):

• Salt Lake City RV Rentals
• Denver Colorado RV Rentals
• Arizona RV Rentals
• New Mexico RV Rentals
  

Please feel free to share your RV vacation experiences with us. Send them to monty@elmonterv.com.