Pearl Lake State Park (parks.state.co.us) has three dozen campsites for tents, trailers and small RVs up to 30 feet. Campsites include tent pads, picnic tables and fire rings, but no electric or water hookups. Campground amenities include drinking water, one flush toilet and several vault toilets. The park also includes a pair of yurts -- round tents 20 feet in diameter set on elevated wooden frames with decks. Each yurt has skylights and windows, sleeps six and includes electricity, heat, a ceiling fan, bunk beds, a table and chairs. No cooking is allowed in the yurts, but the site includes a fire ring. Guests should bring their own linens and pillows. Leashed pets are allowed in the campground but only one yurt allows pets, with an additional fee required.
Because of the popularity of Pearl Lake State Park and the small number of sites available, camping reservations are strongly recommended. Reservations must be made at least three days before arrival and can be made up to six months in advance. Campsites are typically available only from late May to mid-October because snow closes the park's access road from November to April. The two yurts are available year
-round but in winter, campers must navigate the half-mile trail to the yurts by snowmobiling, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. From May to November, a two-night minimum stay is required for yurt campers.
Fishing, of course, is a prime activity at Pearl Lake State Park, and anglers can fly fish or fish from a boat on the lake in search of cutthroat trout, grayling, brown trout and brook trout. Only artificial fishing lures may be used. The park's boat ramp may be accessed from May 1 to November 1, and only canoeing and wake-less boating is allowed on the lake. Hikers and bikers can use the park's .6-mile Pearl Lake Connection Trail, which provides access to a number of hiking trails in Routt National Forest. Other Pearl Lake State Park amenities include a small lakeside picnic area with grills and a wildlife viewing deck overlooking the lake. Wintertime activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.
Campers at Pearl Lake State Park may use showers, laundry and RV dump station facilities at nearby Steamboat Lake State Park (parks.state.co.us), about 7.5 miles west of Pearl Lake. Steamboat Lake has a larger campground with 188 campsites, some with electric hookups, plus 10 rustic camper cabins with electric heaters, beds with mattresses, and a small refrigerator. Steamboat Lake State Park also includes a swimming beach, hiking and biking trails, a marina and a convenience store. If you prefer backcountry walk-in tent camping, you can access dispersed camping sites in Routt National Forest (fs.usda.gov) from the Pearl Lake Connection Trail at Pearl Lake State Park.
