Camp Site Review:
I came across this spot from a previous Rangers review! We were looking for something in the Buena Vista/ Salida area. The spots are about 20 south of BV and about 10 minutes north of Salida. A great base camp for a multitude of activities. The Arkansas river is a minute down the road, it is the take out spot for the popular Browns Canyon section. Within 20 minutes of driving you have multiple Colorado 14ers to hike, amazing fishing, miles of mountain biking trails and 2 amazing towns with great places to eat or grab a beer.
The spot itself is very basic, as most BLM sites are. A simple rock fire ring built by past occupants and a small spot to park. That is about it. No bathrooms, no tables and no designated spots. I counted about 8 or so "spots", all fairly spread out. There were a few RV's parked, so plenty of room if that is what you are driving. Did i mention its free!
Vey easy to find, follow highway 285 until you see the Hecla Juntion forest service sign. Once turning off 285 onto country road 194, you will drive about 1/4 mile, looking on your right for a small white sign with some rules for camping and the BLM logo.
Overall i was very impressed with this spot. Easy to get to and the spot was large and flat for tents. The view was the best part, multiple 14ers directly in eye shot while hanging around by the fire. Cant beat it.
Product Review:
As a Ranger of The Dyrt, i sometimes get to test out products. At this campground i tested the Wenzel Camp Quilts. My first impression was i loved the look. The design on the quilt is beautiful and vibrant. The feel is that of a sleeping bag, it is very soft and comfortable. The reason i wanted one of these quilts is because i live in Colorado and even in the middle of summer, most camp spots will get down to the mid 40's. The quilt did not disappoint. It was very warm when sitting out side and around the fire. To really test it out, i decided to not use my sleeping bag and just use the quilt. The temp got down to 43 degrees and i woke up extremely warm. The only negative i have here is that i feel the blanket will get beat up using it outdoors a lot.
