Island Lake Campground

We've visited Island Lake many times as it's close to home. This was our first overnight camping at the campground. It's a newer type NFS campground. The sites are RV friendly for the most part, some with electric. There is a few drive thru sites and a couple large group sites. Most of the campsites are shaded but some are wide open with spectacular views of the distant San Juan Mountains. The hosts will help you fill your fresh water tank with their special backflow friendly adapter. The hosts are very active keeping the campground clean, kept and in control. The two vault toilets were kept clean everyday. There's plenty of trash containers. There's much to do at or near Island Lake. There's many off-road 4X4 trails, numerous hiking trails, fishing and boating at dozens of nearby Grand Mesa lakes. The fishing at Island Lake was pretty good for Rainbows, a few Cutthroats and a rare Splake, (Brook/Lake Trout Hybrid). Our site was one of the better ones as it had shade, privacy and easy, drive thru for our camper. The mosquitos are typical for the Grand Mesa. Not horrible but very plentiful. Bring your insect repellent as you'll need it around camp.

Dry camping in the finest of settings. (7 standard electric sites are available on Reserve America) The road getting in is a little rough. Just take it slow. The beauty of this area is unmatched. My husband lived in Alaska for some time. He said the Grand Mesa National Forest area reminded him of the Kenai Peninsula with its lush green forest and multiple lakes. Be prepared for cooler temperatures at 10,000 feet elevation. We experienced lows of 40 degrees in late August. Closest cell signal is in the town of Cedaredge (about 20 minutes away).