Fremont Indian State Park, a Lucky Find

This park was not on our original itinerary. We planned to stay longer at both Salton Sea and Sand Hollow. But when Matey started showing signs of stress in the heat back in Arizona (as did we), Bud asked me if it would be possible to change some reservations and get us higher into the mountains where it would be cooler.

I looked around for a place that would fit into our route and found the Sam Stowe Canyon campground at Fremont Indian State Park. It had full hookups so I booked us here for a week.

There are only seven full hookup sites here, tucked into this beautiful little canyon.

And it meets our criteria for altitude…

and temperature. In fact there was a freeze warning last night and there is one again tonight.

But these temperatures are right where we are most comfortable.

And we certainly can’t complain about the scenery.

We all walked up the canyon this morning. We stopped to check out their “modernized pithouse”. This is built like the Fremont Indians built their dwellings but with a better door and floor…

and a skylight. Unfortunately no windows, so we couldn’t see inside. They rent this for overnight stays along with a couple of traditional cabins. Someone’s staying there tonight.

Sam Stowe was the first European settler of this canyon, but others followed and there are remnants of their farm. When we saw this I thought it was a corral,

but I walked back up the canyon later and discovered this valve; this was a water storage tank for irrigation.

There are some imposing rock walls as the canyon narrows.

Bud spotted this lovely desert paintbrush.

It is so pretty,

and Matey has perked up with the cooler temperatures.

We took Matey less than a half mile up, so the whole walk for him would be under a mile. I went back to see where the trail went. I went through this gate.

This was an impressive pour off.

The trail got narrower,

As did the canyon. Not too far up I came to a place where there were three possible paths.

But after a few more feet…

each option…

disappeared. So I turned back.

It was a very pretty walk,

even if it was short.

The only drawback to this spot is that it is right alongside I 70.

The park and the campground are along Clear Creek Canyon Road, which parallels the interstate here. I can walk Matey in the stroller here.

And close by is a picnic area with a preserved cabin.

There’s a footbridge there across Clear Creek,

and a trail on the other side that also works for the stroller.

All in all this is a fine place to spend some time.

To top it off there are petroglyphs done by the Fremont Indians all through this park. We’ll go see more in the coming days, but these are right in the campground.