Introduction:
This is a lovely Colorado state park featuring large private sites and full hook ups.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Price per night / Discounts: $26 / Colorado charges a daily fee (usually $7.00) in addition to the nightly camping rate. If you're staying in the system more than a week, it's usually worthwhile to buy an annual pass which costs $70.
Campground website: James Robb State Park, Fruita Section
Our Site #: 008 - FHU
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
5/5: The sites here are very large and there are a lot of tall grasses and trees throughout the park. Sites are either large pull through sites or back in sites, arranged around loops. There's plenty of space between the sites and the tall grasses make each site feel private.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
5/5: The campground is located just down the street from Colorado National Monument so it's a fantastic place to use as a base for exploring that park. In the other direction, there's the large city of Grand Junction where you can find all your typical city conveniences, and just beyond Grand Junction is the town of Palisade, home to several very good wineries. Plus, the park itself is very nice, featuring a waterfront location and access to a significant bike trail system.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
5/5: Sites are long, level, and concrete with excellent utility placement. The roads in and out of the campground are wide and easy to maneuver.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
4/5: Customer service at the park was extremely friendly and helpful. I made out original reservations through the online system, but you have to call the main Colorado Parks Department to make any changes to an existing reservation. When I tried to do this, I ran into all kinds of aggravation. In the end, I had to go into the local park office and they were able to get everything straightened out.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
4/5: No wifi, as expected in a state park, but our AT&T hotspot worked fine.
Summary:
Other than some aggravation dealing with making a change to our reservation and the unrelenting heat of summer in Grand Junction (which is, obviously, not the fault of the state park), we really enjoyed this campground. The park was lovely, the sites are exactly what we want to see, and it was in a very convenient location.
