DAVENPORT CAMPGROUND

Overview Davenport Campground was one of the first Forest Service campgrounds, and is near the now-abandoned Squirrel Creek Campground, the very first Forest Service campground in the country. In 2010, Davenport was rebuilt to evoke the original 1920s design. Adirondack shelters and a common cooking shelter with stone fireplaces were built and old-style log picnic tables add to the historic character of this campground.

The campground offers access to an array of hiking, mountain biking, motorcycle and off-road vehicle trails. 5-mile Squirrel Creek Trail is open to hiking, biking, horseback riding and motorcycle riding. This trail meets the original Squirrel Creek Campground site where a major flood, in 1947, washed out the never-reopened road and campground.

Silver Circle, Second Mace, and South Creek Trails can be accessed nearby, too. Anglers enjoy casting for brook trout in Squirrel Creek. Facilities The campground offers single-family sites for tent camping only.

Most of these are reached by walking on short foot trails to the sites from common parking areas. Some sites are accessible, and three sites have log Adirondack shelters. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, campfire ring and grill.

Accessible vault toilets and trash collection are provided. Natural Features The campground sits in a grassy meadow surrounded by aspen and spruce trees at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Squirrel Creek runs alongside this scenic facility in the Wet Mountains of southern Colorado.

Nearby Attractions Bishop's Castle, a replica of a medieval castle, is about 2 miles from the campground, just off Highway 165. The always-in-progress structure is an interesting display of labor-intensive masonry and intricate wrought ironwork. Beautiful Lake Isabel is less than 10 miles away.

Visitors enjoy canoeing, kayaking and fishing in the stocked lake. Several mountain trails weave through the area. Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah Valley is about 7 miles east.