Hey, Colorado, welcome to how the West Was Camped.

On this episode, we're going to explore the Florissant Fossil Beds and 11 Mile Canyon.

One summer, two friends set out with their families to camp at some of Colorado's premier outdoor destinations.

This is their story.

Hey, you know, one of the best things about camping in Colorado is it gives your family an opportunity to get out and experience some of the history that this great state has to offer.

And some of the best weekends that I've ever had has been just picking a place that I've never been to and heading on out.

Well, that's exactly what we did on this trip.

And this is what happened.

The fluorescent fossil beds are located in central Colorado, a short drive west of Colorado Springs.

There are plenty of camping options in this area, and we stayed at Round Mountain Campground just west of the fossil beds.

What can I say about this no frills campground?

Well not much.

It lacks a lot of amenities that other campgrounds have, like a campground host and a trash dumpster.

You have to pack it out yourself.

But what this simple campground does have is space.

And lots of it.

It's 18 sites are huge and can accommodate both tents and RVs of all types.

Set in a partially shaded forest of pines, these big sites provide families plenty of room to play and enough privacy to relax.

Our kids also noted that dirt was exquisite to romp around in.

The pit toilet here looked practically new and was surprisingly clean considering there was no on site staff.

Our guest sniffer, Shannon Barta, gave it a mid-range odor reader rating of Tom's feet.

Seeing as I've smelled Tom's feet, that rating is accurate.

Round M ountain is located in Pike National Forest, and the campground is adjacent to a pretty extensive set of 4x4 trails that Tom and I had fun exploring.

These make the area popular for ATV-ers and dirt bikers as well.

So there is some daytime noise.

Please note you can't ride your off road vehicle in the campground and have to hand push them out.

The trails are pretty mild and suitable for family riders of all ages.

The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument was just a short drive away, so with my trusted friend Tom leading the way, our Camp group paid a Sunday morning visit to explore its history.

The fossil beds are the remnants of a great redwood forest that was covered in volcanic ash over 34 million years ago.

We thought a great way for our kids to explore the park was to sign them up for the Junior Rangers program.

I had a chance to talk to Ranger Jeff Wallen about this program, and why it's important to the future of our national parks and monuments.

The Junior Ranger program is a national program that you can find in most national parks.

It's a chance for kids to earn badges and patches and become junior Rangers, and help take care of our nation's greatest treasures.

Here at fluorescent Fossil Beds, to become a Junior Ranger, you need to come to the visitor center and get the Junior Ranger book.

And in the book, there are games to play, and depending on your age, you'll fill out a certain amount of those games and then ask you to go out into the park and explore.

Maybe go on a ranger walk.

Maybe take a walk with your family.

Typically takes about an hour and a half.

Kids really enjoy the Junior Ranger program because it's a lot of fun.

It's fun to be outside in nature, in an engaging way, and to have a mission to do a task.

And for a lot of kids, it's it's important to feel like they're helping take care of the parks.

And then you bring the book back in, you check in with the Ranger, you take the Junior Ranger pledge, and then you become a Junior Ranger.

The Junior Ranger program is really important to the National Park Service and to our nation's parks, because the junior Rangers are the future of our national parks, and we want them to help out, take care of the parks now so that when they grow up, they're ready to to assume that role when they're adults.

Another piece of history we experienced at this national monument was the Hornbeck Homestead, settled in 1878 by Adeline Hornbeck, who was a single mother of four at the time.

This hands on exhibit transports you back in time to the world that the early white settlers of Colorado lived in.

Our kids loved exploring the house and buildings.

Being an old country boy from Iowa myself, I felt right at home here too.

For you outdoor lovers.

Nearby 11 Mile Canyon is definitely worth checking out.

Carved by the South Platte River, this canyon provides lots of outdoor activities for the entire family.

It's actually the tail water section from the aptly named 11 Mile Reservoir.

This area is popular with rock climbers, and we saw scalers of all levels honing their craft.

11 mile has plenty of river access for fishermen as well, with the lower reaches open for bait and the upper section restricted to flies and lures.

Just be ready for plenty of company if you bring your rod and reel.

Its close proximity to Colorado Springs makes it quite popular and a bit crowded, but if you look hard enough, you can still find solitude here.

I'll warn you, though, the heavily traveled road up the canyon is rough, so make the most out of a bad situation and bring your laundry to do.

On this quintessential Colorado washboard.

The canyon extends about nine miles back to the 11 Mile Reservoir Dam.

Because post 911 regulations restrict public access to federal damming projects.

Tom and I took our daughters, Kayla and Riley, on an overlook hike to get a better look at 11 Mile Dam.

This half mile hike seemed almost straight up at points and was all our eight year olds could handle, but the view from the top was worth every step.

This breathtaking overlook gave us a great view of the dam, as well as an incredible look at the nearby South Park Valley and 11 Mile Reservoir.

It was an amazing experience to soak in the area's beauty, and from above, it was easy to see why 11 Mile Canyon is so popular.

Hey Tom, daily here.

My tip for this week is how to use a Frisbee to start the perfect fire.

Most times, all a stubborn fire needs is a little more oxygen, especially at higher altitudes.

If Frisbee makes a perfect and sturdy tool for fanning the flames, keep one handy and in no time at all, you'll be enjoying a roaring fire.

Well, we've come to the part of the show.

I know you've all been waiting for our super scientific rating for the fluorescent fossil beds and 11 Mile Canyon.

On a scale of 1 to 4 for being the highest, we give this trip two marshmallows.

Let's review.

Why?

Don't get us wrong, a two rating doesn't mean this trip is not worth doing.

We're just saying it's what you'd expect on an average Colorado camping excursion.

Brown mountain turned out to be your typical no frills campground, and although it was a bit noisy, you do get a lot of room at your site.

The fluorescent fossil beds are totally worth seeing.

The expert staff was awesome and the lessons they taught our kids will be something they'll carry their entire lives.

11 Mile Canyon is very popular and a bit crowded on the weekends, but like most of Colorado, with a little effort, you can still find those quiet spaces to enjoy yourself.

Well, that wraps up another episode of How the West is camped.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

If you really love the great outdoors, for sure to check out Ken Burns new film, The National Parks America's Best Ideas, starting in September on Rocky Mountain PBS.

And from Scott's family of mine.

Stay safe and happy trails.