Willow Creek Campground and Reservoir, Pronghorn Antelope

At Sunset Point Campground, Lake Granby, Colorado

Willow Creek Reservoir and Campground is about 3 miles down a dirt road off of the highway that leads from Granby to the National Park, and is about 4-5 miles from our campground.  The National Forest Campground is larger than the one at Sunset Point, but the dirt road seems to hamper some people from going over there…it shouldn’t, because the dirt road is in excellent condition, although the one lane road over the dam might scare some people off.  To get around that, if one turns to the right at the dam, it will take them to a wide turnaround, which will give them a straight shot across the dam so they don’t have to worry about negotiating a turn and a narrow road at the same time.

The Willow Creek Dam raises the water about 175 feet, allowing for gravity flow into Lake Granby, which assists in the diversion of water through the Alva B. Adams Tunnel under the Continental Divide to the east side of the Rocky Mountains. 

The lake encompasses about 300 acres, motorized boats are not allowed, and it seems like a nice, peaceful area to camp.

The Willow Creek Campground has 35 campground sites, all of which are first-come, first-camping.   When I drove through today (Monday), the park was about 35% full at most.  There are many sites which could handle our set-up, and at least a dozen that could handle a 40 foot motorhome or 5th wheel.  No electric, water or dump station, at a price of $21 per night, along with the access fee to area which varies depending upon how long you stay.  With a senior pass, the access fee is waived, and the per night fee is cut in half.  Had we not gotten a site at Sunset Point, I wouldn’t have minded camping at Willow Creek at all.

   

Above are three examples of empty sites which one could have picked today.  All long enough for large RVs, and two had some view of the lake.  Please note, there is NO water intake for RVs, only for filling containers for washing dishes, drinking.  There is NO dump station, despite a few Internet Sites which say that there are.  I talked to the camp host asking about a dump station, and he said there has never been a dump station at Willow Creek Campground in Colorado.

Yesterday when I went to the library to post the blog and download some music for Marcia, I spotted a bunch of Pronghorn Antelope in a rancher’s field on the way to Granby.  Today, on the way to do laundry, I saw only about six in that same field (there was around twenty yesterday), so after unloading the clean clothes, I went back and got this picture. 

This is our new neighbor, I think his name is Mike.  A few years ago he bought this empty cargo trailer, and converted it into a slick camper trailer.  He was (he is just over 70 years old now) a general contractor, and on the inside is the nicest woodwork that I have ever seen in a conversion like this.  He said that it cost him less than $5,000, and took him a week to put the inside together, except for the back shelving which is behind those two back doors…he did that the next year so that he could store everything he needs right in the trailer and not haul things in and out of his truck all the time.  The Kayak is about 10 years old, and he comes up to Lake Granby from the Greely area about six times per year to paddle around the lake.  He said that 10 years ago he could do it all in one day, now he does half one day, cutting across the lake to come back to the campground, and then the next day he starts out the other way and does the same.  Well, today’s winds took its toll on him, and for the first time he had to call for assistance from a local marina to come pick him up.  He started out at 7 am, and by 10 am the wind was blowing so hard it knocked him sidewise for a bit.  Trying to paddle against the wind, he said in 5 minutes he had only traveled about a yard…so he gave up.  Normally the winds don’t pick up until around 2 pm or after…but not today.  He is headed home tomorrow.

Three times on this trip I have watched people either setting up or tearing down their pop-up tent trailers.  I am convinced that I will NEVER have one of these…it took these folks two hours to break camp yesterday, wow!

There are a bunch of these little critters running around the park…the Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel.  One day when I was sitting out without my camera, three came very close to me…would have had easy camera shots of them.  Went and got my camera, and now they are camera shy, staying a long way away.  Funny thing, just a few hours before getting this shot, I was over talking to Mike about his trailer and a Golden Eagle was on the same fence, just three posts down from where this critter is sitting.  Of course, I did not have my camera…shucks.  Never been that close to one in the wild before.

It sure seemed like it was going to rain a couple of times yesterday afternoon…but other than a drop or two, it never hit us.

Sure can make for some interesting pictures though…

When we woke up and took the dogs out at 7:30, there were water puddles on the street, and the car and motorhome were covered in water droplets. Funny thing, neither Marcia nor I heard the rain during the night.  Today’s high winds have kept the threat of rain out of the forecast this afternoon…steady winds around 20, gusts hitting 30 mph, according to Mike, with 40-45 gusts up at the passes.  But the temps have been around 74 today for a high, but will dip down to 40 tonight.