Ryan Park Campground

We have been going to Ryan Park for 24 years and tent camped there for the first 15. Beetle kill really decimated this area and much of the Snowy Range. Like most places these days this campground now has many ATVs, people flying drones, loud/crying children, off-leash dogs, construction generators and inconsiderate people. I guess even the moose I used to see every trip has had enough as she was nowhere to be seen.

The good? Water on-site, good cell service (is that a good thing?) and some privacy on the easternmost sites. Plus, it is $5 with the senior discount. The camp host is a good guy, but has no real authority. Toilets are the cleanest I have ever seen in a forest campground.

The history of the place as a POW camp and CCC work camp make it a really interesting are to me and I will probably continue to go, but no more between Memorial Day and Labor Day. My iPhone said 3G, but my iPad said full LTE. Either way I could send texts and read emails. I did not try streaming video.

I made a reservation 2 weeks prior to the 4th of July weekend. While I noticed one or two other campgrounds along 130 this is the only where you can make reservations. If you chose not to make a reservation, the rate is $10.

Campsite 29 was pretty good. Adjacent to VERY clean vault toilet and dumpster. The dumpster had just been emptied so no flies or smelliness the weekend we were there.. However, no water. I had read a blog that said no water and brought water. The reservation site shows water available but for some reason not this year.

Unfortunately the sites are not the bests for tents in my opinions. Very rocky - no tent pads. We have cots so it didn't matter. But it did take some searching to find a good spot to pitch our tent.

We brought one bundle of wood but ended up gathering a lot of wood from the campground and nearby.

We heard the nearby creek but we were further away from the road than others on the other loop (group loop was closed). They got more highway noise. But they did have more shade and trees. #29 was probably one of the most open sites as several trees had been cut down.

I'm a T-mobile user and had pretty decent roaming coverage (3-4 bar) at this site.

We did a drive-through to check this out. It's the only campground in the Snowy Range that's right off Hwy 130. It's a large, typical Forest Service campground, with lumpy parking spots. We counted 7 pullthrus, most sites close to each other; #7 is a back-in with more privacy. 2-seater pit toilets on each loop. In 2016 they're drilling a new well, so no water available. Saw several big rigs there.