North Fork Tipi Haven & camping, Colorado

22 acres once owned by International sculptor Lincoln Fox, and built by Mr. Wooten in the early 1900's as an apple orchard, Old Moon Acres is now home to North Fork Tipi Haven & camping.

 The North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River, encompassing Crawford, Hotchkiss and Paonia, was an important fruit orchard area in the late 1800's and well into the early 1900's. The valley's climate is a banana belt, perfect for fruit with the cold air coming down from the mountains at night and the heat from the mesas warming up the valley during the day. Coal mines up the road in Bowie and Somerset paid better, so many of the orchards languished over the years. Since the closing of all the mines but one, today the NFV is home to the largest concentration of organic farms in the state of Colorado as well as becoming a state Creative District serving the multitudes of artist and creatives that call the valley home. 

There are many pick-your-own peaches, cherries, apples, pears, nectarines and if we are lucky, apricots, in the valley. Delicious Orchards, 1 mile down Hwy 133, is an excellent place to pick your own, drink local hard cider and listen to live music on the weekend over a wonderful brunch. It is all about the farms, cattle, art, music, outdoor adventure, fun and relaxation here in the North Fork Valley.

The tipis are custom made by the Colorado Yurt Company in Montrose, Colorado where they have been making yurts, tents and tipis since 1976. The tipis are expertly designed and made with custom paintings invoking the animal spirits that inhabit our land. As you enter a tipi it is proper to walk in a clock-wise direction to your left and do not step over the wood poles out of respect for the tree that gives you shelter. The Ute's held trees as sacred and after a night in the tipi you will understand why. Being encased in the 'round' is a titillating experience to indulge your senses with absolute awe at the beauty of the simple, yet effective design. These are a Sioux design tipi as the Ute's mainly lived in wiki-ups until they were introduced to the tipi in the 1800's. The Ute's appropriated the tipi design from the Sioux or Plains Natives.

Each tipi has a new IKEA foam mattress for your comfort and we ask that you bring your own bedding. We do have bedding available for $20. We have solar lights but you may want to bring our flashlight, 2 private composting toilets, a camp kitchen with tables, chairs and a cook stove with cooking materials along with a French press coffee pot. 

We have solar showers (solar bags of water heated by the sun during the day) available for free.  Showers are also available at the local laundromat in Hotchkiss.

Our goal is to awaken your sense of wonder by sleeping out in nature and waking up to the Colorado Blue Sky in clean, clear air at 5500 ft. We want you to have a reasonable place to stay while you enjoy the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. You can visit the many high altitude wineries (think Alsace), fruit orchards, organic farms, farm-to-table restaurants, world class classical music at the Blue Sage, interesting movies at the community owned Paradise Theater, art at the Creamery Arts Center in Hotchkiss, stand-up paddle boarding, WSSUP, at Crawford reservoir, mountain biking in Grand Mesa, hiking in the West Elks with Colorado De-Tours, rafting down the Gunnison river in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, fishing up canyon in the coolness of the forest or relaxing in one of many hot springs within an hour of us.                     

Come and visit one of the last 'non-tourist' areas of Colorado. If you really must venture outside out valley...Aspen, Crested Butte (over Kebler Pass), Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, Ouray, Grand Junction, Ridgeway and Telluride all are about 1.3 hours away by car.

We are 420 friendly. Welcome to Colorado.