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Outdoors
When the Cow Creek South Campground closed July 17, it temporarily shut off 32 reserved-access campsites along Green Mountain Reservoir.
It's an ideal spot, said Mike Meindl, who spends nearly every weekend at the reservoir. He's a permit-holder for the High Lakes Ski Club, which largely operates in a cove around the corner from the Cow Creek South Campground. And he's been frequenting Cow Creek South since the 1980s.
Aside from the ability to reserve sites and have a space guaranteed, the campground has willows that break the wind and tree cover for shade.
“It's a better experience” than Cow Creek North, which is where he's camping since the southern campground closed for construction, he said.
According to the Forest Service, the Cow Creek South closure is to facilitate construction of campground improvements, including about a dozen new campsites and two campground host sites within the facility's boundaries — funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project also includes creating a deceleration lane on Colorado Highway 9 as the road approaches the campground entrance — work that began Monday. The 2011 work is the first phase of several projects, spread over multiple years, for the campground.
Campers still have access to nearly 100 sites at other campgrounds on Green Mountain Reservoir, including Prairie Point, McDonald Flats, Cow Creek North, Willows and Elliot Creek. Dispersed camping is available on Spring Creek Road, about 15 miles away, and Blue River Campground, about eight miles south, has 24 campsites.
Meindl sees the benefit of improving the campground's entrance, but said the closure only enhances congestion in an already crowded area. Several tents can appear on one site during a weekend, making for a chaotic experience. Perhaps creating a reservations system across the entire reservoir would help, Meindl suggested.
He isn't the only person disappointed with the choice to close the campground in the height of the season. Questions arise of why construction didn't happen in May or September, when traffic at Green Mountain Reservoir slows and revenue isn't lost. There's also the suggestion to keep the campground open on weekends, when work ceases.
Cow Creek South is closed for the remainder of the summer season, and the three phases of road work should continue through the end of September, causing some daytime traffic delays (from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays) of up to 15 minutes.
“We regret any inconvenience this closure may cause the public,” Dillon Ranger District ranger Jan Cutts said previously. “We believe that in the long run this project will improve the recreation experience at Green Mountain Reservoir while reducing the cost of operating the facility and protecting the natural resources of the site.”
As far as other improvements to the campgrounds, the Forest Service is still working on a boat ramp design and finding funding for Cow Creek South. It was originally part of the environmental assessment for the site, to address the potential for aquatic-nuisance species introduction and to improve recreation opportunities. Launching at the undeveloped Big Green site is currently prohibited — acceptable launch sites are Heeney Marina and McDonald Flats.
Grant funding also enables 71 new picnic tables to be installed at Cow Creek North and South and Elliot Creek campgrounds — enhancing the fire pit-only amenities. Fee station bulletin boards will be replaced, as well.
The nearly $1.5 million contract will be carried out by Colorado-based Tropical Contracting.
Current campground status and additional information can be obtained by contacting the Dillon Ranger District office at (970) 468-5400 or visiting the White River National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver.
It's an ideal spot, said Mike Meindl, who spends nearly every weekend at the reservoir. He's a permit-holder for the High Lakes Ski Club, which largely operates in a cove around the corner from the Cow Creek South Campground. And he's been frequenting Cow Creek South since the 1980s.
Aside from the ability to reserve sites and have a space guaranteed, the campground has willows that break the wind and tree cover for shade.
“It's a better experience” than Cow Creek North, which is where he's camping since the southern campground closed for construction, he said.
According to the Forest Service, the Cow Creek South closure is to facilitate construction of campground improvements, including about a dozen new campsites and two campground host sites within the facility's boundaries — funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project also includes creating a deceleration lane on Colorado Highway 9 as the road approaches the campground entrance — work that began Monday. The 2011 work is the first phase of several projects, spread over multiple years, for the campground.
Campers still have access to nearly 100 sites at other campgrounds on Green Mountain Reservoir, including Prairie Point, McDonald Flats, Cow Creek North, Willows and Elliot Creek. Dispersed camping is available on Spring Creek Road, about 15 miles away, and Blue River Campground, about eight miles south, has 24 campsites.
Meindl sees the benefit of improving the campground's entrance, but said the closure only enhances congestion in an already crowded area. Several tents can appear on one site during a weekend, making for a chaotic experience. Perhaps creating a reservations system across the entire reservoir would help, Meindl suggested.
He isn't the only person disappointed with the choice to close the campground in the height of the season. Questions arise of why construction didn't happen in May or September, when traffic at Green Mountain Reservoir slows and revenue isn't lost. There's also the suggestion to keep the campground open on weekends, when work ceases.
Cow Creek South is closed for the remainder of the summer season, and the three phases of road work should continue through the end of September, causing some daytime traffic delays (from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays) of up to 15 minutes.
“We regret any inconvenience this closure may cause the public,” Dillon Ranger District ranger Jan Cutts said previously. “We believe that in the long run this project will improve the recreation experience at Green Mountain Reservoir while reducing the cost of operating the facility and protecting the natural resources of the site.”
As far as other improvements to the campgrounds, the Forest Service is still working on a boat ramp design and finding funding for Cow Creek South. It was originally part of the environmental assessment for the site, to address the potential for aquatic-nuisance species introduction and to improve recreation opportunities. Launching at the undeveloped Big Green site is currently prohibited — acceptable launch sites are Heeney Marina and McDonald Flats.
Grant funding also enables 71 new picnic tables to be installed at Cow Creek North and South and Elliot Creek campgrounds — enhancing the fire pit-only amenities. Fee station bulletin boards will be replaced, as well.
The nearly $1.5 million contract will be carried out by Colorado-based Tropical Contracting.
Current campground status and additional information can be obtained by contacting the Dillon Ranger District office at (970) 468-5400 or visiting the White River National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver.
