I sound like a broken record. Get to this dispersed area EARLY! This one is on The Dyrt for god’s sake. That website and app are okay, but there is nothing more exciting than taking a chance on a dispersed looking area, yelling at each other for an hour, then capitalizing on an amazing campsite. But before you go, as always, check the Fire Bans.
There must be a hundred “Clear Creeks” in Colorado. This one is up near Leadville and is as you might have guessed, it’s crystal clear. How did we run out of names for creeks in Colorado? Pretty sure there isn’t a Woman Hollering Creek like there is in Texas. We gotta get more inventive up here.
The road is easy to find and there’s a butt load of beautiful campsites with towering pines, waterfalls, great fishing, and views. Last time camping here we even spied a family of mountain goats clambering around on the steep cliffs above.
Hiking is abundant in the area and you can reach several almost 14ers and high alpine lakes from here. Such as Pear Lake, Huron Peak, and Missouri Mountain. Even cooler is Winfield. A ghost town complete with an ancient mining camp and graveyard.
Fishing can be pretty sweet here too. The creek itself is full of chubby little browns and brookies eager to take a dry fly. The reservoir itself supposedly holds Tiger Muskie, but I’m calling bullshit on that. I think CPW puts muskie on the sign to get people excited. But if you are gullible like me, you won’t be able to resist rigging up your 9 wt. with steel leader and tying on an enormous streamer to make a few casts, just to see. Otherwise the reservoir is great for SUPs and canoeing. Just don’t get your toes bitten off by a five foot muskie.
Directions: From Leadville, drive south on Hwy with 24 to the Clear Creek Reservoir turn-off which is Road 390. After you pass Clear Creek Reservoir start looking for spots. Great area and possibly haunted.
The Confluences 