A Review of Boyd Lake State Park: A Colorado State Park
Boyd Lake State Park
Believe it or not, I’ve never RVed with my dog, Teddy, alone until this summer. All of my dog and camping adventures with Teddy took place in our big RV and with my husband. All of my solo trips last year were just me and my T@B. I was always worried about leaving my dog in my RV when I went to the shower house or the bathroom, and it freaked me out thinking I’d have to leave him in the car when I stopped at rest stops. Now that I have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, I knew it was time to buck up and learn how to camp with my dogs. Plus, circumstances have changed at my house, and my husband can’t work at home as much as he used to, so I need to take my furry companions with me. The trip to Boyd Lake was my trial run with Teddy. It’s close enough to come home if I needed to come home early, and it’s far enough away to feel like a camping adventure.
I felt bad leaving Pippa at home, but I wasn’t ready to tackle two dogs and set up my camper solo yet. Pippa was only four months old, and I didn’t know how Teddy would behave, let alone behave with my crazy puppy. Believe it or not, Teddy was such a good boy during the trip. I think he really enjoyed time away from his sister, and he loved all of the paved trails around the lake. This park is a perfect spot to take a dog because there are many places to walk him and a lot of wildlife for him to watch.
Boyd Lake was also a trip for me to try and camp without full hookups. Call me high maintenance, but I glamp for a reason. I like the comforts of home on a smaller, modified scale. I camp alone a lot, and as a woman, I am not always comfortable heading out into the woods by myself. I’m not ashamed to admit that at all. I think it is good practice for any RVer, especially inexperienced RVers, to take trips once in a while to work out the kinks in the RV. For me, I’ve taken plenty of trips alone in my RV. The only time I didn’t have full hookups was when I camped at the Great Sand Dunes, and it was that trip that I realized my water pump was broken, and I had no water. I fixed my water pump, and I knew that testing my repairs at Boyd Lake would be ideal, because if I needed water, there were spigots within walking distance to most of the campsites, and I could fill my bottles and be a happy camper.
Boyd Lake is a State Park in the middle of Loveland, Colorado. I had no idea this park even existed. It was like a little piece of serenity in the middle of a metropolis. I loved camping here so much that I’ve booked another trip for four days in September.
Park Rating (1-5)
This park is a solid 5. The facilities are clean, the grounds are well kept, the water access is close to the campground, and this park feels like it is secluded even though it is in the middle of a big city.
3720 N County Road 11-C Loveland, CO, 80538-2307
Seasonal or Year-Round Camping?
The park is always open. You can check availability on the Reserve America website. Some sites are reservable, while others are walk-up sites.
Cost: $24.00 a day
Parking: $8.00 per day
Dates I Traveled: June 7-8, 2018.
Which RV Did I Take?
I traveled solo in my 2016 T@B 320 S Outback. The T@B is a single-axle, 15-foot long teardrop-style camper. The total length of the camper is about 17 feet when considering the additional length of the trailer.
Spaces/ Facilities / Amenities
I stayed in the Cottonwood Campground Loop A. Site 22 is an electric-only, pull-through gravel space that is relatively level. There are water spigots located throughout the park where you can fill your onboard tanks. My site was located directly across from the water spigot and right across from the camp hosts. The water spigot is really ingenious. There are multiple hoses coming from the one spigot so more than one person can access water at the same time. I had a full tank of water before I arrived at my spot, but I used the water spigot to fill my dog’s water bowl. Since I traveled alone on this trip, I was happy to have a place directly across from the camp hosts. The comfort knowing that help is a stones-throw away is immeasurable for a solo traveler.
My site was perfect. I was in walking distance to the showers, bathrooms, and the laundry facility. There is a paved bike/pedestrian path minutes away, and the lake was visible from my space. The trails are beautiful and clean, and a swimming beach is a five-minute walk away. The swimming beach has paddle board rentals, a playground, a covered picnic area, restrooms, and a snack bar. Check for seasonal availability of these amenities.
Wifi and Cable
Get outside and enjoy this beautiful park. Who needs Wifi and cable when you have a lake and many different recreational activities that you can partake in? Aside from that, I DO have a cell phone signal here, but my data didn’t work consistently. I’d not plan a working week from here if I needed to rely on my data. Perhaps other carriers (I have AT&T) have a stronger data signal.
Bathrooms / Shower / Laundry
All three of these facilities were located within a three-minute walk from my space. The building is large and well-kept. The showers are pay-showers with a separate shower and changing area. I always like when I can shower and then step into my own private changing area to dry off and get dressed without getting wet.
The bathrooms are clean. The only downfall? There aren’t any soap or soap dispensers in the bathrooms. Thankfully I have an RV with soap and water inside, so I didn’t worry about the no soap factor. If I were tent camping, I might be a little annoyed. BYOS (bring your own soap)!
Office
Stop at the gate to pay for parking and get a park map. I had to ask for a map since I’ve never been here before. Once I asked a few questions, the person running the gate was friendly and helpful!
Other Information (road noise, etc.)
Most of my stay, all I could hear was the sound of birds and the water lapping the shoreline. I could hear a church group singing right across from me in the evening, but they weren’t loud or disruptive. The park was almost full, but the people around me stayed in their respective spots and kept quiet. I had a tent on one side of me and my only complaint was that I could smell a little campfire smoke. I was tucked inside my RV with the AC on, so really, a little campfire smell wasn’t so bad.
If you are reading this and you are from somewhere outside of Colorado, you might laugh at me for this next piece. When the sun went down, the mosquitos came out. I know I am on a lake, but in Colorado we rarely have mosquitos, so I was a little thrown off when I became a bug’s dinner. After swatting at my legs ten or so times, I decided it was time to crawl in my RV for the night. I was able to watch the pink and blue sunset and then escape indoors when it became feeding time! Those skeeters can stay outside, and I’ll stay comfortable inside with my AC and cozy bed.
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