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Situated on a scenic red-rock cove of McPhee Reservoir, the House Creek campground is a well-known hangout that continues to attract visitors from Southwestern states and beyond.<\/p>\n
A recent tour with newly hired manager Anthony Casillas met with people from Summit Ridge, Cortez, Durango, and Kansas.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the weekends and holidays, we fill up to capacity with vacationers mostly from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah,\u201d he said. \u201cWith 65 campsites, it\u2019s one of the largest in Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casillas, 35, is an energetic outdoorsman who says being a campground host is a \u201cdream job that\u2019s a good fit for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking a break from a riding mower with his loyal passenger \u2013 a friendly Pug named \u2018One-eyed Rico\u2019 \u2013 he explained the day-to-day routine of managing the campground.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love helping out the campers with whatever they need, and I really take pride in campground maintenance and keeping the bathrooms very clean so that people are comfortable,\u201d Casillas said. \u201cBoaters stop in just for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Use has been historically low at House Creek, which is under Forest Service jurisdiction, but operated under lease by Rocky Mountain Recreation. Officials are hopeful that a new marina in at the nearby McPhee boat ramp will help boost recreation visitors on the lake.<\/p>\n
In 2010, the House Creek campground was 19 percent occupied for July, the busiest month, according to Forest Service data. Occupancy jumped to 25 percent in 2012 for July, then dropped to 17 percent for the same month in 2013, the latest numbers available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people love it here; I\u2019ve had no problems,\u201d Casillas said. \u201cWhen some cattle wandered through, the city kids were excited. The cowboy came in and rounded them up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remote area accessed off the Dolores-Norwood Road is good wildlife habitat for deer, elk, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. A bear and her two cubs were recently sighted nearby, but they have avoided the campground.<\/p>\n
House Creek also features a large boat dock, ample boat parking, 12 bathrooms, a swimming beach, and nearby trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The new non-motorized McPhee Overlook trail is expected to connect House Creek with Dolores by next summer.<\/p>\n
A water-treatment plant provides safe drinking water drawn from wells, there is an RV dump site, and campsites offer electrical hookups, fire pits, and picnic tables.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our great features are the camping sites along the lake shore where you can pull your boat up to,\u201d Casillas points out. \u201cThe fishing at the head of the cove has been really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Locally, there has been a renewed effort to try and promote McPhee Reservoir recreation, which has been historically under-utilized, and suffered from fewer amenities due to Forest Service budget cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad to hear they are putting in the marina, it\u2019s so beautiful here, but people don\u2019t know about it,\u201d says newlywed Julie Jacobsen, who arrived with her husband, Rick, for some camping and motor boating. \u201cThere\u2019s been the perception that it\u2019s been neglected.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Durango couple recently rediscovered the lake, and prefer it to Lake Powell.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cleaner here, and better maintained. It\u2019s not overrun with crowds like Navajo or Powell,\u201d Rick Jacobsen said. \u201cThe lake is much bigger than it looks from the highway with a lot of interesting places to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forty percent of the campsites at House Creek are first come, first serve. Fees are $19 per night for non-electric sites, and $25 for sites with electric hook-ups. Day use is $5.<\/p>\n
To reserve a site, go to www.recreation.gov\/housecreek<\/p>\n