Sunset: A sunset of beautiful pastel colors is viewed over North Michigan Creek Reservoir during a camping trip to Colorado State Forest State Park. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Camping: There are several developed campgrounds as well as dispersed camping in the back country at the park. There also are cabins and yurts available for rent. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Colorado State Forest State Park … a state park with a long and unusual name but filled with abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.
At 71,000 acres, this is the largest state park in Colorado. However, a many of those acres are rugged, back country wilderness areas.
The park is in north central Colorado near the border of Wyoming. It is situated to the east of North Park in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains.
There are several lakes and reservoirs within the park and much of the summer activity evolves around the water. In addition to water sports, there are miles of trails for hiking, back packing, and mountain biking. There are roads for four wheeling in the park as well.
An abundance of wildlife calls this park home including the largest population of moose in the state. Elk, deer and bear can be spotted within the park.
Colorado State Forest State Park is open year-round and offers many winter outdoor recreations as well.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Ranger Lake: The Ranger Lake section of the state park offers fishing and hiking for visitors. There also is a developed campground with full hook ups near Ranger Lake. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
North Michigan Creek Reservoir: A paddle boarder glides across North Michigan Creek Reservoir. The reservoir allows only non-motorized boating, which means most of the watercraft are canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Reflections: Reflections in the cool waters of North Michigan Creek Reservoir create a beautiful scene in Colorado State Forest State Park. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com