When I was asked to join the ranger team for Questival I was very excited, perhaps so excited that I was the first to arrive at the Chatfield State Park. Pulling in ahead of schedule did however have its advantages as I was able to scout the location a bit before meeting my fellow rangers. It was May and the weather was unpredictable, with temps dropping into the 30s upon my arrival and slight snow sprinkling off and on. I had no idea what to expect so I took my time and explored a bit.
Chatfield has several camping loops, all of which are one way entrance, something to note but not a deal breaker if you turn in going the incorrect direction. I found our loop and drove for a bit looking for our exact site which was very close to the end of the loop. This had a bit of an advantage as I was able to see that there were several restrooms sprinkled throughout camp as well as water spigots.
From the C loop there was also access to a parking area which you could walk a very short distance from and be on a beach right next to the lake. At this access point is an area for campers to discard of their trash in large dumpsters.
Each of the campsites had large pull through parking which we determined was large enough for 4 cars, none of us have larger vehicles. The electrical post was directly beside the pull through parking and offered great connection options for those needing this service.
Additionally, the campsite had a picnic table and fire ring, probably the cleanest fire ring I have ever seen at a site, these were both placed on concrete as well.
For tent campers the sites are perfect. They have plenty of soft grassy space and allow 2 tents per site in this loop. When everyone arrived a bit later we had 2 tents and a roof nest set up in the space with plenty of space to spare.
The location we were in had easy access to all amenities including a playground, a water spigot, heated showers and restrooms and a laundry. We also had some really great neighbors which were very cool considering we were there on a mission and might have been a little more loud than usual.
This location would be perfect for large RVs or tents alike. The size of the sites are very large in comparison to many other state parks and this allows not only movement in your own site but also a bit more privacy from your neighbors as there is plenty of distance.
I noticed while there, several bunnies and squirrels and for some reason some geese were very interested in our camp early on.
TIPS:
Book this campground in advance, spaces fill up very quickly. Even early in the season we found that there were very limited sites available on the weekend.
Check for construction. When we traveled here for Questival we found that one of the entrances did not lead you to the campgrounds currently because of construction. Call in advance or check the website to find out which entry would be the best to enter.
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