Cascade (Colorado)

Jake, our campground host, was truly the best host we've ever experienced in 4 decades of camping!!! He was always checking on vault toilet cleanliness and supplies, checking in with campers, getting new arrivals an open site, cleaning fire pits immediately after a departure and more. Cascade has always been a fav but Jake and his dog, Carrie, added so much to making our experience there even better!

Jake, our campground host, was truly the best host we've ever experienced in 4 decades of camping!!! He was always checking on vault toilet cleanliness and supplies, checking in with campers, getting new arrivals an open site, cleaning fire pits immediately after a departure and more. Cascade has always been a fav but Jake and his dog, Carrie, added so much to making our experience there even better!

Good points
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I stayed in site #12. Large site and lots of privacy from surrounding sites. Nice shade with lots of trees with even a couple good spots for a tent if desired. I was able to string up my hammock. Site is level, only needed about 1" of lift, and was easy to back into. There is a bathroom nearby (pit toilet) as well as potable water to fill up a bucket or jug. The Chalk River is literally across the street and can be heard from the campsite, which was nice. Mt Princeton Hot Springs are about 4 miles away and would make a fun daytime event. Restaurant is expensive, but there is a small mini-mart to get cheaper food. St Elmo Ghost Town is about 10 miles up the road and is another thing to do.

Bad Points:
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Site #12 is literally right on the road. Maybe 50' from the trailer. This road is quite popular as it's the main way into St Elmo Ghost Town as well as a lot of off-road trails for vehicles. So you have lots of people driving large vehicles towing ATVs from about 6:30 am until 8:00 pm. So, very noisy during this time. Also, if my kids were still small, I probably would have tried to move to another site. Unless you watch them like a hawk, they could easily wander onto the road and the vehicles would not see them in time as there is a ton of vegetation blocking the view around the curve. The speed limit on this road is probably 35/45 mph but people drive faster.

Cell Service
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I have Verizon but only had 1 bar or service. This didn't matter as I couldn't get texts, data, or calls. I had to drive back down the road about 6 miles past Mt Princeton Hot Springs before I could text, call, or get data. I didn't care too much because I like being away from all that, but some people do care.

June ‘24 was my 3rd summertime trip to Cascade. The campground hosts have all been efficient, though some were more friendly and helpful. In 2020 I camped 5 nights in Site 20. Last year I camped 6 nights in 21. This year I chose Site 18, and stayed 8 days.

They have all been great sites, but 18 was perfect for me. It’s very handy to two restrooms, the water pump, and dumpster. Many don’t like it’s proximity to the road, but I did not find the traffic intrusive, and I was camping solo with a Harley-Davidson and small pop-up, so I was outside at all times. It’s definitely close enough to the creek and Cascade Falls that you can hear it all day and especially at night. One afternoon I had two does show up on my site momentarily, before they saw me and scampered across the road to the safety of Chalk Creek. I had plenty of shade, but also had good morning sun on the site to recharge my solar battery which powers a CPAP machine, plus the little things.

I highly recommend Cascade!

Good points
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I stayed in site #12. Large site and lots of privacy from surrounding sites. Nice shade with lots of trees with even a couple good spots for a tent if desired. I was able to string up my hammock. Site is level, only needed about 1" of lift, and was easy to back into. There is a bathroom nearby (pit toilet) as well as potable water to fill up a bucket or jug. The Chalk River is literally across the street and can be heard from the campsite, which was nice. Mt Princeton Hot Springs are about 4 miles away and would make a fun daytime event. Restaurant is expensive, but there is a small mini-mart to get cheaper food. St Elmo Ghost Town is about 10 miles up the road and is another thing to do.

Bad Points:
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Site #12 is literally right on the road. Maybe 50' from the trailer. This road is quite popular as it's the main way into St Elmo Ghost Town as well as a lot of off-road trails for vehicles. So you have lots of people driving large vehicles towing ATVs from about 6:30 am until 8:00 pm. So, very noisy during this time. Also, if my kids were still small, I probably would have tried to move to another site. Unless you watch them like a hawk, they could easily wander onto the road and the vehicles would not see them in time as there is a ton of vegetation blocking the view around the curve. The speed limit on this road is probably 35/45 mph but people drive faster.

Cell Service
------------------
I have Verizon but only had 1 bar or service. This didn't matter as I couldn't get texts, data, or calls. I had to drive back down the road about 6 miles past Mt Princeton Hot Springs before I could text, call, or get data. I didn't care too much because I like being away from all that, but some people do care.

June ‘24 was my 3rd summertime trip to Cascade. The campground hosts have all been efficient, though some were more friendly and helpful. In 2020 I camped 5 nights in Site 20. Last year I camped 6 nights in 21. This year I chose Site 18, and stayed 8 days.

They have all been great sites, but 18 was perfect for me. It’s very handy to two restrooms, the water pump, and dumpster. Many don’t like it’s proximity to the road, but I did not find the traffic intrusive, and I was camping solo with a Harley-Davidson and small pop-up, so I was outside at all times. It’s definitely close enough to the creek and Cascade Falls that you can hear it all day and especially at night. One afternoon I had two does show up on my site momentarily, before they saw me and scampered across the road to the safety of Chalk Creek. I had plenty of shade, but also had good morning sun on the site to recharge my solar battery which powers a CPAP machine, plus the little things.

I highly recommend Cascade!

Beautiful wooded campground. Close to St. Elmo ghost town - 6.5 mile uphill bike ride. Things were very tidy. Jake, the campground host, was great and helpful.
Be aware, the water source is a hand pump and not suitable for filling an RV.

Beautiful wooded campground. Close to St. Elmo ghost town - 6.5 mile uphill bike ride. Things were very tidy. Jake, the campground host, was great and helpful.
Be aware, the water source is a hand pump and not suitable for filling an RV.

Loved the location and our particular site was perfect! Private and secluded. Loved how close it is Mt Princeton, and St Elmo.
Campsites and bathrooms are clean and the views are incredible.

This is a gorgeous campground - and quiet! We loved it! Just the drinking water looked suspicious after you worked to get it out of the well.