Spruce Group - Lake Isabel

About

Spruce Group Campground occupies a forested site in the Lake Isabel Recreation Area, surrounded by dense spruce trees at 8,600 feet in the Wet Mountains of San Isabel National Forest. Lake Isabel, one of the few Colorado lakes built purely for recreation by the Civilian Conservation Corps, provides the scenic backdrop. The campground is designed exclusively for group use, accommodating up to 40 overnight guests or 50 for day use. Facilities include a picnic shelter seating 25-30 people, two 3-foot wide grills, individual campfire rings, a horseshoe pit, and volleyball court. Potable water is available via hand pump, and an accessible double vault toilet serves the campground. A paved parking area can fit some RVs, though space is limited and there are no hookups or defined tent pads. Lake Isabel welcomes non-motorized boating and fishing for stocked brown and brook trout. The St. Charles Creek flows nearby offering additional fishing. Hikers, cyclists, and motorcyclists can access the Snow Slide Trail or the 15-mile Cisneros Trail, which leads through wildflower valleys into the heart of the Wet Mountains.

Directions

From Pueblo, drive 25 miles south on Interstate 25 to exit 74. Go west 18 miles on State Highway 165 and turn into the main entrance at the Lake Isabel Recreation Area. Drive to Forest Road 374 and turn left. The entrance to the group campground is beyond the St. Charles Campground entrance behind a closed gate.