First of all, the drive from the Denver area is fantastic (once you get off of I-25). Stop at the Moose Visitor Center first to see where moose have been spotted and to chat with the staff. (The wire sculptor out front is worth the stop, too.) Note that there is great bird watching and chipmunk watching from the back patio of the Center and there's a great picnic table tucked away there as well.
We went to the North Michigan campgrounds. The lake is beautiful, but our reserved camp site was beyond that, up the mountain on Franciscan Rd. Great spot and great group camping available. I really wanted to find the yurts but know that most of them are hike in only (even outside of the winter season).
We saw lots of rangers making their rounds. Lots of long hiking trails are around (4+ miles one way), but there are a couple of short ones on this end of the park too---Moose View and Beaver Pond.
This beautiful place is serene and feels isolated. Depending on your campsite, it is. read more