Itty Bitty Lakes Campground, Colorado

We named the property Itty Bitty Lakes over 34 years ago because, in the 1930s, the property was a state fish hatchery. There are 6 small ponds. We have never wanted to take ourselves too seriously. The campground was established a few years later. The trees have since become huge and some of the ponds are now more wetlands than ponds. 

The entire property is a bird sanctuary. Our main building was the center of town for many years. It was the grocery store, a billiard hall, a diesel garage and even a small bar. We purchased the property in 1984 and turned it into a fine art gallery with studios for painting, sculpting, weaving, and it is our home. The US Post Office for Coaldale was first established in 1878 and is at the east end of our property.  

Coaldale got its name from the charcoal kilns that were built here in the 1800s.  The ruins of the original red brick kilns are only a block and a half away. The Sangre De Cristo Mountains soar to over 13,000 feet just 5 miles south. We are close to many wonderful attractions for folks who love the outdoors, and we are only 18 miles from Salida, a small town known nationally for its art, culture, breweries, wineries, a distillery and multiple Cannabis shops. The Bighorn Sheep Canyon and its tributaries are home to just about every kind of Colorado wildlife you can imagine.  

Please share with us our beautiful and funky spot of magic in the mountains.