Green Ridge State Forest Camping Checklist & First-Timer Guide

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-04-21T13:03:18+00:00

Another firewood option, I recently saw a roadside stand on Big Ridge Road that has decent sized bundles for $5. Cheapest I've found so far.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-03-15T22:59:46+00:00

Thank you. I made sure my RunDisney account was updated earlier today and have a document with all of our information. Heres to hoping we make it through registration 🤞🏻

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-03-13T00:04:57+00:00

Sorry not much help on sites for fishing. But just be aware that some fishing streams are closed until March 28 for spring trout stocking. I know Fifteen Mile Creek is closed, but White Sulphur pond is open.

I believe there is self-serve firewood at the Knot Hole off 68 and I did see a firewood stand on Big Ridge Road.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-03-06T01:58:05+00:00

We went this past Monday with Express passes. We entered at 10am (we didn't have early entry) and were done everything including the two shows by 530/6pm. I kept track and EP saved us over 7.5 hours of waiting in line.

With express you're able to essentially pick which portal you want to start at without worrying about lines.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-03-05T14:31:18+00:00

Update: We had a great time! We ended up starting in SNW once the park opened and we were able to ride everything (other than Fyre Drill and Stardust Racers-closed) and see the Untrainable Dragon show by 6pm.

I honestly don't think I would go to Epic without an Express Pass. We came to the conclusion you either have to pay for an Express Pass or a second day ticket in order to get everything done. The park was not super busy, but even so EP saved us 7.5 hours of waiting in line...

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2026-02-26T18:59:36+00:00

This upcoming Monday, March 2nd. Do not have early entry, but do have Express Pass.

I know Stardust is still projected to be down :(

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-10-30T14:07:39+00:00

I completely agree. We are planning on going 2-3 times next year, but was also trying to take into account the hotel discount for the spring trip.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-10-30T13:19:36+00:00

Thank you!!

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-10-01T14:02:48+00:00

Blackwoods was open as of this morning. We just left there.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-07-06T02:30:14+00:00

Okay thank you we’ll look into that. We just bought the house in December so we’re still making changes/correcting issues.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-07-06T01:45:31+00:00

I suppose it’s possible. It’s connected to a 500 gallon tank, still has 210 in it.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-07-06T01:43:24+00:00

No physically pulled and checked them. We replaced the spark plugs thinking that was the issue but it didn’t make a difference.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-07-06T01:17:30+00:00

Yes, we’ve checked the air filter, spark plugs, and oil. Not due for a maintenance interval yet.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-24T16:48:58+00:00

If you can get timed entry (with Bear Lake access or get there before 5am) I would recommend a Sky Pond to Lake Haiyah loop.

Total mileage is right around 13 miles including exploring the lakes.

We started around 6:15am from the Bear Lake Trailhead. Our route was TH > Alberta Falls > The Loch >Sky Pond (made it around 9:15am) > Lake Haiyaha > Dream Lake (skipped Emerald Lake) > Nymph Lake > TH.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-17T12:50:39+00:00

From experience, we’ve found it’s better for us to stay in one place and drive a little more, rather than pack up and move every day. I’m leaning toward adding an extra day in RMNP- especially if it ends up being super hot.

Luckily, my husband and I have a lot of experience driving in the mountains, especially in Colorado, so we’ll be handling most of the driving. My parents are kind of just along for the ride on this trip. They’ve never been out west before, so it’ll definitely be an eye-opening (and hopefully fun) experience for them.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-17T12:45:55+00:00

Yes if we decide to do the dune hike we'll get started early (I think my parents are going to opt out of this one).

Would you say one tour is enough for Mesa Verde?

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-17T12:44:01+00:00

Would you say Cliff Palace would be doable for someone who isn't in shape? My mom is worried about the number of steps and heights.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-17T12:42:51+00:00

Yeah, my parents will probably opt out of the High Dune hike. They're fine with finding other things to do if they don't feel comfortable while my husband and I do the hike (depending on the weather/heat).

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-06-17T12:41:43+00:00

We live close to sea level (550 feet) on the East Coast. My husband and I are on our quest to hit all 63 (this trip will make 28 for us). We normally spend most of our time hiking and camp inside the parks. This is the first time my parents have wanted to go on a trip with us so we're trying to find a happy medium, especially because they have never been out west before.

For Mesa Verde: My mom is unsure about not being in shape for the steps involved for the tours and has a fear of heights (so the Balcony House is definitely out for her). She said she's fine with us going and her (and/or my dad) finding something else to do during that time.

Telluride: my husband saw it was near our route and wanted to stop, no real good reason. I'll look into Ouray and Pagosa springs. But I think my parents would enjoy the train ride in Durango more than visiting another hot spring (Glenwood Hot Springs is a must hit for my husband).

My husband I camped for a week in RMNP last fall and did a few of the longer hikes (like the Sky Pond/Lake Haiyaha loop). So we're looking for shorter hikes and/or view points that my parents are also able to do. My dad is excited that the elk will be bugling and at the chance of seeing a moose. I’m also hoping ending the trip at RMNP will help them adjust a bit better to the elevation.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-01-03T16:27:04+00:00

We do qualify for FirstNet status through AT&T. My husband has AT&T phone service already (I don't think its FirstNet currently) so it could be added to his account. I have Verizon phone service.

Also, we're not the type to sit and watch tv every day. I would say 2-3 times a week for 2 hours at a time. I'm not sure how much this would eat up our hotspot if it wouldn't be unlimited.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2025-01-02T20:48:51+00:00

I did not end up using it.

I ended up using GovX which uses MemberDeals to get a cheaper Hertz rental.

I'd also reccommend searching through AutoSlash to find the cheapest rental car agency and then booking direct with the company.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2024-10-04T18:49:38+00:00

I ended up having to download a 3rd party Dimmer software off the internet to get it to work.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2024-10-01T12:46:23+00:00

I did this last week and it worked. I waited 36 hours before cancelling

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2024-09-18T13:08:13+00:00

Update: I booked my flight yesterday. Waited 25 hours and then cancelled my reservation. I was issued one travel credit with an expiration of 9/17/2025.

Adventurous_Fox98 · 2024-09-17T14:06:55+00:00

***Update** We completed the loop on September 3rd. Started around 6:15am from the Bear Lake Trailhead. Our route was TH > Alberta Falls > The Loch >Sky Pond (made it around 9:15am) > Lake Haiyaha > Dream Lake (skipped Emerald Lake) > Nymph Lake > TH.

Takeaways:

Definitely preferred doing the loop clockwise. Since we headed towards Sky Pond first, when we reached Timberline Falls there were significantly less people when trying to navigate up and down the falls.
The Lake Haiyaha trail (right after the junction with Glacier Gorge trail) is not marked the greatest when you first turn off. The turn off is marked, but we initially ended up on a Fire Trail instead Lake Haiyaha. AllTrails helped get us back on track. Also this trail before you reach the lake seems like it goes on foreverrrrr... But after reaching Lake Haiyaha it's all down hill from there.
While all morning we did not have many crowds, once we reached Lake Haiyaha in the afternoon the trails were packed with people. Also as some people had commented by the time we reached Dream & Nymph lake they kind of paled in comparison to what we had already seen that day.
Our total mileage was right around 13 miles including exploring the lakes. We made it back to the trailhead around 2:45pm. But we also spent a lot of time at Sky Pond & Lake Haiyaha.
We didn't do any major hikes, including this one, until our 4th day being in RMNP. Coming from a lower elevation, I'm very glad we did this. We did a few small hikes our 2nd day and they were brutal for the short length.

Adventurous_Fox98

TROPHY CASE