64 miles
$26: Moraine Park Campground (Rocky Mountain National Park)

I am a lucky guy. I know it. I appreciate. I know it won’t always go my way. But I’m thankful when it does.

It only occurs to me the prior night – I’m only an hour or two away from Rocky Mountain National Park. Once I leave the Denver area to head east, I’m in a world of flatness and corn, and the trip is basically over. My real life beckons. I’m determined to squeeze one or two more days out of this trip.

I realize that Timber Creek is the only RMNP campground that does not require reservations. I’ve been there before. It’s beautiful. But getting there means going back over the Rockies – the hard way. On the Trail Ridge Road. 12,000 feet. With a 23-foot trailer in tow. I just don’t have it in me, or the Touareg, to tackle that.

So, I head out early to the Estes Park entrance to RMNP, and hope for the best. The worst that can happen is that the campgrounds on that end of the park are full.

But like I said, I’m a lucky guy.

This lucky.

I drive past the foreboding “campground full” sign, mid morning. The nice gentleman at the Moraine Park Campground gate reiterates that they are full.

But there might be one spot. It might be too small. You’ll need to back in. Take a look, and see if you’ll fit. It’s only available one night.

Oh, I’ll fit.

First of all, as we saw back at Upper Lehman at Great Basin NP, there is no campsite I will not try to shoehorn this trailer into.

Yes, it’s tight. My trailer’s back wheel are up against the log. The rear overhand is within an inch of the ground. I have to unhitch and park the car up against the trailer tongue.

But my reward is that I get to spend the rest of the day doing this:

Climbing. Between gasps of thin air.

Enjoying vistas.

Checking out the visitor center.

Going up and down stairs,

Like I said. I am a lucky guy.

But now I have 1,850 miles to drive in a few days. Funtime is over.