Dodging Rain around Steamboat Springs
While dodging rainy weather in and around Steamboat Springs, we visit State Park lakes & reservoirs, waterfalls, botanical gardens, and river walks.
Finger Rock
On the way from Aspen to Stagecoach State Park, we pass this unique 300-foot rock formation along the roadside and curious I look it up on the map to find that it’s been dubbed “Finger Rock.”
Steamboat Lake & Pearl Lake State Parks
Looking at the forecast our first day in the area, it appears that if we go north, we may avoid today’s rain. So, we pack a lunch and head to Steamboat Lake & Pearl Lake State Parks. Along the way we get a good view of the rain clouds obscuring the mountains to the east.
Steamboat Lake State Park
Arriving at Steamboat Lake State Park we immediately head into the visitor center to get a park brochure and see a patio out the back that provides incredible views of the surrounding area.
Tombstone Nature Loop Trail
Not knowing how long we’ll have before it starts raining, we opt for the Tombstone Nature Loop Trail. This 1.1-mile loop takes us through a nice mix of forest and open views of Steamboat Lake, grasslands, and mountains. There’s also a brochure available that provides some history of the area and interesting nature facts.
Despite the heavy cloud cover we don’t see any rain and decide to have lunch on the picnic tables available at the trailhead.
Pearl Lake State Park
Next, we head a few miles southeast to Pearl Lake State Park where we find another short trail around part of the lake.
As we’re chased out of the park by the heavy gray clouds coming our way, we catch sight of the sun highlighting Hahns Peak north of the road out.
Elk River & Deer Mountain
On the way back to Steamboat Springs, we take a slight detour along the Elk River and see two Bald Eagles perched in a tree as well as an incredible view of Deer Mountain from just above the river.
Fish Creek Falls
Today’s forecast shows a little sun between 9am to noon before an afternoon of rain. So, we’re up and out early to make sure we can visit our main draw to the area, Fish Creek Falls. This 283-foot drop waterfall is the 2nd highest in Colorado and has definitely earned its spot in Colorado’s list of top 10 waterfalls.
If you would like to see and hear the falls, we invite you to view them on our YouTube channel via this link.
Falls Overlook Trail
The trail leaving from the north side of the parking lot, is paved, and takes us to two different overlooks that provide incredible views of the falls.
Fish Creek Falls Trail
This unpaved trail can be found at the eastern edge of the parking lot and gradually descends down to Fish Creek. We then follow it until reaching the Fish Creek Bridge constructed in 1927 where we also find the best views of the waterfall from below.
The trail continues on for another ~2 miles and ~1,300 feet of elevation to reach the upper falls. Given the combination of trail difficulty and short timeframe for good weather today, we turn around at the lower falls and head back to the parking lot.
Yampa River Botanic Garden Loop
Our next stop is the Yampa River Botanic Garden Loop beginning at Emerald Park and consists of a 1.2 mile walk through the Botanic Garden, along the Yampa River, and down Pamela Lane to return to the parking lot.
Yampa River Botanic Park
We begin the trail by going through the Yampa River Botanic Park where we find a kid’s corner with lots of activities to keep the young ones engaged, paths lined with blooming flowers, water features, unique statues, and a little disconcertingly fresh bear scat.
Yampa River Core Trail
After exiting through the rear gate, we join the Yampa River Core Trail which is a multi-use trail along the Yampa River. Here we see some incredible views of the Yampa River as well as an Osprey.
Next, we make a quick trip to the grocery store and then we head back to camp for lunch. Turns out it was a good decision as we manage to get inside less than 5 minutes before the rain begins.
Later in the day there’s small break in the rain that allows us to get out for a short walk around camp.
Stagecoach State Park
Located about 17 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs, CO this hidden gem has four campgrounds totaling 92 sites, picnic sites, a marina, boat launch, hiking trails, and wildlife all situated around the beautiful 780-acre Stagecoach Reservoir. Our campsite is on the reservoir shoreline with unimpeded views of the water.
Campsite Reservoir Views
Over the few days we’re here we take many pictures of the reservoir in a variety of weather and light. Here’s a few of the best.
Trails
Our final day in the area we decide to stay in the park and explore the trails on offer in between rain showers. After an incredible breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs, we head out to burn off some of those calories.
Overlook Trail – Yampa River
Our first choice is the Overlook Trail – Yampa River which we turn into a loop from our campsite.
Pinnacle Summit Trail
Our second and last trail for the day is the Pinnacle Summit Trail. We actually saw this one from the overlook we did earlier and thought it would give us a fantastic view of the entire park from the top. We were right, we have a 360o view of the reservoir and the entire park.
We make a very good choice to head back when we do as it starts raining less than 2 minutes after we arrive.
The scenery in this area is gorgeous. Everywhere we look there are either emerald or golden fields surrounded by mountains. No picture can do this area justice, it has to be seen. So despite having to plan everything around the weather, we really enjoyed our time here and more importantly… we managed to time everything so we didn’t get wet!
Travel views
As we travel from Steamboat Springs to our next destination, we stop a few times to take some pictures.
Next stop… Summer Fun in Breckenridge-Vail-Frisco
