It’s funny writing this post in January, when there is snow on the ground and I am cuddled up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee. Okay… maybe the coffee is lukewarm because I drink it too slow. Point being, it’s been over half a year since this beautiful camping trip to Lake Isabel. Things on this website definitely get posted in Mandi time. Sometimes it’s easy (and important) to do the living in life, rather than the blogging of it.
2021 was actually a pretty great year. Covid was still around, but we still managed to go on a few adventures here and there, plus we continued with the renovation of our house. Lake Isabel was one of two camping trips we did over the summer, and I really can’t wait to return to this spot again in 2022. The campground, the lake, the weather – all absolutely stunning.
Lake Isabel itself is a reservoir in Rye, Colorado.
There is fishing and kayaking at the lake, as well as a wonderful hike around the entire perimeter of it. Adam and I took Violet and Ella on the hike the first night we were there. I had recently purchased two new lenses for my Canon EOS Rebel 5, and wanted to practice with it. This is the much cheaper of my two cameras, which makes it ideal for travelling and family photos. The walk was absolutely beautiful and we hit it at a great time. It was also a little long for two three-year olds, so by the end we were carrying Ella and Violet back on our shoulders. The memories were absolutely worth it. There were plenty of interesting sights at different points around the lake, such as the structure of a tee pee, which we took a moment to explore. This was an excellent way to start the camping trip.
The campgrounds were a short distance off of the lake. The scenery all around us was absolutely gorgeous. Bright green grass and woods all around are certainly a wonderful way to get into the camping spirit. As you can see below, Ella and Violet especially appreciated the setting and being out in nature. They were definitely on their own little adventure.
The actual campsite was quite spacious. We stayed in a tent, sharing a lot with my parents who have a Teardrop camper. We had a second lot where my sister and her family stayed in an RV. Even though there were other campers, this still felt very private. No one was right on top of each other, which is much more comfortable during the pandemic.
We were also impressed with the bathroom situation. Despite the bathrooms being latrines with no water hook-ups, they were incredibly clean and didn’t smell bad at all. Total kudos to the people who upkeep the grounds, as it made it a much more pleasant overall experience. The skies were also absolutely gorgeous at night – crystal clear. We woke up in the middle of the night to do some astral photography. The picture below is from Adam’s cellphone! I can’t believe how far technology has come!
Rye, Colorado is about 5-10 minutes away from Bishop’s Castle. This place has been documented to death, so I won’t spend too much time talking about it. If you find yourself in Colorado, it is definitely worth a drive to see. It’s one man’s crazy, incredible, semi-hazardous dream. The twin’s weren’t quite old enough to go to the top of the castle, but we did go a few stories up and it is very impressive considering its origins. This isn’t the first time I have visited this local haunt. I hope that it withstands the test of time and I get to visit it with my grand nieces and nephews one day.
Since we were only a 45 minute drive from my absolute favorite pizza joint in Colorado, Tony’s Mountain Pizza, we took the drive over there for lunch. It had been 3 or 4 years since my last visit and it was exactly as delicious as I remembered! If you happen to find yourself in Silver Cliff, Colorado, this is an absolute must-have if you like pizza.
Overall the trip was awesome. There wasn’t cell reception at the actual campground, so you could unplug and just enjoy the environment and the people you were with.
The campground at Lake Isabel is definitely my new favorite campground. We made a lot of beautiful memories exploring the wilderness and enjoying the striking views. Here are some of our more candid moments from the trip.
And I can’t wait to visit again.
