West Chicago Creek

West Chicago Creek Campground sits along its namesake creek at the base of Mount Blue Sky, off Highway 103 on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in central Colorado. It is a popular facility for hiking and fishing enthusiasts. The area provides easy access to many hiking trails that lead into the Mount Evans Wilderness, and West Chicago Creek offers good fishing for rainbow, brown and brook trout. There are 15 sites available, all suitable for RV and tent camping. Each site contains a tent pad, picnic table, charcoal grill and fire ring. Other amenities include a vault toilet, water spigot and trash dumpster. There are no RV hook-ups. Firewood is available for sale during peak season at the campground. The campground sits at an elevation of 9,600 feet in an aspen and lodgepole pine forest. The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland cover 1.5 million acres in the foothills and slopes of the Rocky Mountains, extending north to the Wyoming border, south to Mount Evans and west across the Continental Divide. The area encompasses mountains, lakes and five scenic byways, designated by Congress for their scenery, wildlife or history, including the highest road in North America: Mount Evans Road, also known as Colorado Highway 5, climbs from 10,500 to 14,130 feet above sea level in just 14 miles. Nearby Idaho Springs, a former mining town, makes for a nice outing. History buffs will appreciate the Argo Gold Mine and Mill Museum.