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Reviews
99% Recommend36 ratings · 23 reviews
Recommends
· August 2022
Mushroom Hunts and Shared Meals
With pets ·
Imogene Pass Eco-Lodge Mount Hayden
I absolutely adore this place! Not only is it gorgeous, but the food was wonderful, the people were wonderful and the hikes were amazing! You truly are out in the middle of nowhere-so be sure and read up on the website. The cabin is set up for sharing, I stayed in a bunk room upstairs with a group of 6 other people that I didn’t know. I was a little nervous, but the bunks were comfy and not like your average youth camp! I drove up Imogene pass, and could do it in my 4Runner, but other people hiked in from Camp Bird. Super excited to come back in the winter.
Madi I.
7 years on Hipcamp
Eric is the man! He is a great host and even better Chef. The views and surrounding area of his property are amazing. We had a great stay at his cozy lodge in the mountains! 4x4 high clearance definitely needed to access his property. We will definitely be back!
S
Steve S.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2021
The hut is gorgeous and the food was great. Loved staying here and getting to visit the San Juans from such a comfy spot!
Michal R.
14 reviews
Loved our stay at the Hayden Backcountry lodge! Accommodations were extremely comfortable and lovely and the food and hospitality provide by Eric and team is fantastic. So much tasty food including wild foraged mushrooms! Don't miss a stay at this gem of a lodge.
Taylor F.
32 reviews
Eric’s place was amazing, one of the coolest places I have stayed to date. It’s beauty is spectacular, the place is so cozy, hiking from the cabin is gorgeous and the area in general is magical. Erics meals and advice were wonderful! We will visit again and again!!!
L
Laura W.
4 years on Hipcamp
After visiting in the summer, we knew we had to return in the winter, and the experience was equally enjoyable- and the skiing was incredible! Absolutely love this place, and Eric provides such wonderful hospitality. Thank you!
Stephanie M.
10 reviews
Recommends
· March 2021
We were not able to get back in to the hut this time but the host was extremely gracious and we will be visiting again soon!
Taylor F.
32 reviews
We had an incredible stay with Eric- the lodge and his hosting exceeded our expectations and we were very well taken care of! Food was delicious and plentiful, and the views and hikes from the lodge were breathtaking! Also the hot tub was perfect for a soak after a long hike. Will definitely be coming back with friends, and in the winter too!
Stephanie M.
10 reviews
Eric's cabin was a perfect spot for a quiet getaway. A short hike takes you to his property with endless trails to explore along the basin, fields of wildflowers and gorgeous mountain views. Eric's hospitality and delicious food were the finishing touches on a great trip.
Megan T.
2 reviews
Recommends
· June 2020
Had an incredible time with Eric and Bree (his dog).
The camp is set within a beautiful wooded area above 11,000 feet and it is, frankly, an amazing feat. We had a wonderful time exploring the remnants of old mines in the area and hiking throughout the basin. Afterwards, we enjoyed delicious meals cooked by Eric and great conversation.
We were lucky enough to see an 8 inch June snow storm, which we saw the start of from the hot tub. The next day we hiked down from camp to our car and were grateful for such a unique experience.
This is a special place, and you’ll love it.
Jasdeep G.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2020
Eric's spot is breathtaking. He was great - sweet to our kids and a great cook. Can't wait to get back.
W
Will S.
6 years on Hipcamp
Carl Sandburg wrote that "Roads are filters, the rougher the road the finer the filter." The Imogene Pass Road that leads to Richmond Basin Retreat is one of the finer filters most of us will travel, and the payback is even finer. You stay in a roomy platform tent on the edge of a stunning alpine meadow. Eric, the personable host and a professionally trained chef, delivers hot breakfasts and wonderful dinners at your convenience twice daily. He also provides good advice about right-out-the-tent-door hikes and insights on local natural history. Stars at night are awesome and the 360 degree mountain views from the front deck leave you lost in contemplation every time you step out. We stayed five days and wish we had more time. This is a very special destination with a host to match. We wish Eric well as he expands his footprint here with a full-fledged mountain lodge down the creek.
W
William S.
6 years on Hipcamp
This was my families first trip out to the Colorado and was chosen based on this camp. We then build the rest of our trip around this stunning location. Ive traveled a good amount of the world and I can say this place has the most breathtaking scenery ive ever witnessed.
From the very beginning of the trip Eric helped us navigate the trail up to the camp since I had no Colorado off road experience. And like other reviews describe the road is not for the faint hearted (especially if your from the east coast). But Eric and his buddy Mike helped us up the road with ease. If you have no off road experience I would reach out to Eric for guidance.
The camp is framed by lush green forest and a beautiful mountain background. A small stream cuts through the camp and the old snow fall provided us with a fun end of summer snowball fight. The walking trail leading to the camp was surrounded by wild mountain flowers and tall grass. its like a dream.
Erics meals were hearty and delicious. The first night was a pasta with elk meat accompanied by garlic bread and dessert. The second night we had venison (the best ive ever had!), mashed potatoes and broccoli.
The tent provided me with the best sleep ive had in weeks and the stove kept us warm all night. Although you have to feed it every 2.5 hours to keep it toasty.
During the day we hiked down the waterfall stream and found amazing rocks with crystals, we panned for gold (a kit from town for my 7 year old) and explored. At dusk you could see bucks up on the ridge with the help of binoculars. The stars at night were insane! we had no moon with no clouds and the milky way was clear as day.
This was an epic trip. Words or pictures cant do this special place any justice. If you visit this amazing location please respect the nature and surroundings around it.
Thanks so much for sharing with us Eric!!
J
Jamie A.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2019
Like nothing on earth
Daniel Z.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2019
The site was peaceful and clean! We loved the cooking! Eric was a great host. The drive up is hard if you don’t have a 4wheel drive! The hike took us about an hour one way.
J
Jessica W.
2 reviews
You won’t find a better high alpine camping experience out there, truly one of a kind. The property itself, the food prepared and delivered by the host, access to hiking / exploring, there’s nothing that’ll compare . .
Brian A.
2 reviews
Eric let us know shortly before our trip that the yurt had been damaged by an avalanche but he could accommodate us in a cabin in the same area. We had been planning the trip for months, and last-minute lodgings in such a popular place are hard to come by, so we agreed to rent the cabin. Communication with him was confusing and frustrating. We got the feeling something was going on that he wasn’t telling us.
First we expected to stay in the cabin, then when we got to Ouray he said the yurt was ready, then suddenly it was the cabin again and he said we must have misunderstood him.
We made transportation arrangements with him before the trip that he either forgot, or wasn’t able to fulfill but didn’t want to tell us. He did eventually meet us to drive us up the 4 X 4 road as we agreed, but we started up a hike we weren't prepared for based on his changing instructions. We not only lost a lot of time, but could have gotten ourselves into a dangerous situation had passing ATV-ers not warned us about the conditions of the shelf road ahead.
Once we got there, we were kind of amazed to learn that the one-room cabin with a sleeping loft was his home, where he lives, that we would be sharing with him, his son and his nephew. (They went outside late at night to sleep in a camper and a tent.) I can’t imagine that was his original plan, because the cabin was not ready for guests (i.e. fresh bedding). It really seems like he was expecting the yurt to be ready, but got some news late in the day that it wasn't, but didn't tell us that.
We stayed one night and left in the morning. They're great kids, friendly and sweet, and our kid had a fun time playing board games with them. Bree the dog is a sweetheart. Eric is an interesting guy and his passion for living in this beautiful place is contagious. He’s a talented cook—the dinner and breakfast he made were excellent.
It was not the private family vacation we planned for or expected, and we were pretty crushed. I understand that the road closure (it opened the day we went up there) and damage to the yurt put him in a tight spot. I just wish he had been up front with us in the first place, so we had all the information we needed to make a decision before we were high up a mountain with no way to get down til morning and the sun going down.
D
Dan M.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2018
This place was unbelievable, above and beyond our expectations! Eric was so friendly and accommodating, and even helped us get up the crazy path leading up to the tent. I will say the road to the tent is definitely not for the faint of heart 😂and you will most definitely need 4wd and probably high clearance vehicle (although we made it in a regular dodge ram truck with only a couple scuffs) but probably one of the best experiences of our lives! The view from the tent is something from a dream, it's just such a spectacular place with Eric bringing us warm meals for breakfast and dinner. Everything was perfect!! We will be back!
M
Marissa H.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2018
Absolutely stunning! The view, the cabin and the food we're above and beyond. The drive is beautiful but a tad Rocky so make sure you're equipped with a good 4 wheel drive vehicle. We would.love to being our dogs and friends back to this piece of heaven. Thanks Eric for sharing!!
D
Dana S.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2018
Phenomenal place. A treasure!
Brent S.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2018
After 8 years of living in CO, we felt like we struck gold. Eric and Susie have created a truly magical place. Their hospitality is superb and they left us dying to come back for more. Thanks for creating this haven! We can’t wait to come back!
Melissa S.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2018
How do you put a magical place into words? Almost impossible. You feel like you've stepped into a private piece of heaven at Eric and Susie's beautiful site.
The landscape is stunning: from Mount Hayden looming over you to the left, to the babbling creek that turns into a stumbling waterfall, to the plethora of trails: backcountry roads, scrambling, bouldering, hiking trails, game trails - it's heaven.
And that's before Eric's incredible cooking fills you up morning and night, with Susie's hospitality and kindness in keeping the outfitter's tent spotless while you're out hiking.
We felt like camping royalty being there, and cannot wait to return.
Thank you, Eric and Susie, for a truly memorable weekend.
P.S. For those driving, be sure to pay attention to the 4x4 high-clearance note. It's not a joke. We got up with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it's pretty torn up on the bottom. There are shelves that get to be 2-3 feet high that you can't avoid (we tried). Take a good look at your vehicle then compare it to Colorado West Jeep's pictures. We like to push the limits in our vehicles, but we made a mistake on this one for sure. Thanks to Eric for rescuing us :)
Claire R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· June 2018
Most people don't camp at 11,000 feet for comfort, but at Richmond Basin, you get the best of both worlds. A tent that can sleep 8 with a wood stove to keep you warm once the sun sets, catered meals delivered right to the tent, and endless trails to wander around no matter what the season. This place has all the comforts of home, and all the views you could ever dream up. Situated in the Richmond Basin next to the famed Imogen Pass, you have easy access to the Richmond Trail and as many saddles and peaks as your heart desires. Nothing beats a warm meal at the end of a day exploring where not many others have. Accessible by high clearance experienced 4x4, or by simply hiking, Richmond Basin Retreat is everything you've ever wanted at 11,000 feet, and more.
Kimberly C.
11 reviews
Location
Ouray, Ouray, Colorado, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Eric J.
Joined in January 2018Things to do nearby
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