BLUE MOUNTAIN

The campground, at 8,200 feet, sits on a hill a half-mile from the South Platte River. Campsites are nicely spaced on a single loop among scattered ponderosa pine. 3,405-acre Eleven Mile Reservoir feeds into the South Platte River that carves through the Eleven Mile Canyon.

Recreation: Hard Rock Interpretive Trail, accessible from the campground, is a 1-mile self-guided interpretive trail that leads to an impressive overlook of Eleven Mile Canyon. The trail explores the diverse life of the region and offers a chance to see plenty of wildlife and take photos of the sweeping views. Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout can be caught from the South Platte River. Benches and Picnic Areas along the river allow anglers to relax in comfort waiting for a fish to bite.

Nearby: Visit the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.