Whether you are looking for a weekend camping adventure or a beautiful scenic drive, I highly recommend taking a drive up Kebler Pass Road; the road between Paonia and Crested Butte, CO. Driving from Grand Junction, my husband and I pulled our little camper about two hours to the Erickson Springs Camp Ground, which is located in Somerset, CO, just 15 miles past Paonia. The campground is situated off County Road 12 (Kebler Pass ,about 6 miles from Highway 133).
It was the Fourth of July weekend, and we opted to leave the Thursday before the holiday. We arrived around 6:30 PM and there was still a selection of spots to choose from. Of course by the time we finished eating dinner most every spot had been taken. Erickson Springs has 15 sites that will fit either tents or trailers, a vault toilet, creek access, trail access, and it’s only $14 per night.
Our first night we spent exploring the camp ground, we took our dogs to swim in the Anthracite creek and we noticed a trail head at the back of the campground. This area offered trail access to a few different trails, one in particular caught our eye; a mountain bike trail to Marble, CO; something we will have to explore in the future. Our camp site was a relaxing spot with plenty of shade and lots of chipmunks chirping in the trees and sounds of the rushing creek.
The next morning we drove another 14 miles up CR 12 to the Dark Canyon Trail. Although mostly dirt, the pass is a well maintained road with a speed limit of 25-30 mph the whole way. Shortly after leaving our camp site, we mentioned “It would be nice to see some wild life today”. Within a few seconds a huge brown bear darted across the road and went hauling up the hillside. It happened so fast we didn’t have time to grab the camera, but the bear was only a few yards in front of the car and it appeared to be full grown.
Dark Canyon Trail is a 5 mile loop, however since we also had plans for another hiking stop we hiked in about 1.5 miles before turning back. The short hike featured several views of the peaks, a few little ponds, and wild flowers galore. There were several beaver dams along the creek and in the ponds, we were amazed at the size of some of the dams. Unfortunately we did no spot any of the busy beavers, however we did see a few deer and a group of people on horseback.
Our next stop was Lost Lake, which is a great day-use or camping area with several hiking trails to choose from, fishing, and non-motorized water activity. From the Dark Canyon Trail we headed back towards Paonia, traveling a few miles before turning for Lost Lake, just a short drive off of the pass. The day use fee is $6.00 per vehicle. We took a lunch and hiked a short distance around the lake with our pups, stopping for lunch and some leisurely swimming for Sydney and Nellie. Between the two hikes we put in roughly six miles.
Lost Lake is a lovely emerald green color, with lots of people playing on the water on paddle boards and kayaks. Some of the trail options include a short .7 mile hike (one way) to the Lost Lake. The main lake is actually called Lost Lake Slough. Just a little further on the trail is Dollar Lake and a more strenuous option is the hike to Beckwith Pass. Our pups were lagging and we could tell they were done for the day, so we didn’t go too far. We really enjoyed the area and would love to return later with plans to possibly camp at Lost Lake and spend more time exploring the area.
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