Need help in Denver

Ciscokid · 06-30-2019, 10:21 AM

Help! We just drove to Denver CO. a week early for a concert at Red Rock. All the campgrounds are either full or dont want a skoolie. Any suggestions where I can park beside a truck stop or sams club? They tell me they have city ordinance states no overnight parking at any business like wal-mart.

Brad_SwiftFur · 06-30-2019, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ciscokid

Help! We just drove to Denver CO. a week early for a concert at Red Rock. All the campgrounds are either full or dont want a skoolie. Any suggestions where I can park beside a truck stop or sams club? They tell me they have city ordinance states no overnight parking at any business like wal-mart.

I don't know how strictly it's enforced there, but many Wal-marts I've been to have never hassled me about an overnight stay (including a couple with 24 hour security patrols.) I get the impression it's more about preventing it from becoming a big parking problem (it's a retail store, not a truckstop or campground), as well as giving some legal leverage if someone decides to ... make themselves unwelcome.

Of course, my experiences are in big trucks, not my bus ...

Ciscokid · 07-01-2019, 07:05 AM

We found a welcoming Wal mart in Bowles to stay. Beside the people who are skoolie owners here mot people are not greeting us with open arms. But that wont spoil our fun!!!!

EastCoastCB · 07-01-2019, 07:10 AM

Colorado is a funny place.
I got out of our rental car in Arvada and was promptly detained by the local cops literally within seconds of exiting the vehicle. Turns out they are adamantly opposed to Deadheads in their town and I had a 90's tour shirt on. They changed their tune real quick when I showed them my FL ID and told them I was just there to spend money on vacation.

HazMatt · 07-01-2019, 07:22 AM

Huh! You're a Dead Head? Neva woulda guessed... [emoji849]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Colorado is a funny place.
I got out of our rental car in Arvada and was promptly detained by the local cops literally within seconds of exiting the vehicle. Turns out they are adamantly opposed to Deadheads in their town and I had a 90's tour shirt on. They changed their tune real quick when I showed them my FL ID and told them I was just there to spend money on vacation.

"Welcome to Colorado!
Leave your money, and go home..."

EastCoastCB · 07-01-2019, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HazMatt

Huh! You're a Dead Head? Neva woulda guessed... [emoji849]"Welcome to Colorado!
Leave your money, and go home..."

They should mind their own. Some local youths spent their afternoon throwing rocks and pennies at us as we tried our best to enjoy their crappy little mayberry wannabe town.

HazMatt · 07-01-2019, 07:39 AM

Yay skippee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

They should mind their own. Some local youths spent their afternoon throwing rocks and pennies at us as we tried our best to enjoy their crappy little mayberry wannabe town.

Let me put that burg on my, "No Way In Hell," list!

ewo1 · 07-01-2019, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Colorado is a funny place.
I got out of our rental car in Arvada and was promptly detained by the local cops literally within seconds of exiting the vehicle. Turns out they are adamantly opposed to Deadheads in their town and I had a 90's tour shirt on. They changed their tune real quick when I showed them my FL ID and told them I was just there to spend money on vacation.

A friend of the devil is a friend of mine...

Hehehe...

HazMatt · 07-01-2019, 09:03 AM

And what a looo-ong,
Strange Trip it's been...

JA Savage · 07-01-2019, 01:39 PM

Have you tried the State Parks? St. Vrain state park is north of Denver right off I25 and there two state parks on the east side of town I believe. They are usually very busy but you might be able to get in one of them on a weekday.

david.dgeorge07 · 07-01-2019, 10:39 PM

We are in Denver right now. We stayed last night at the Bass Pro in Colorado Springs. No problems there. We are at Chatfield Lake now, but I think it is booked up.

When researching for this trip I found a lot of boondocking sites on compendium and freecampsites.net of you are willing to drive up into the mountains a bit.

CHEESE_WAGON · 07-02-2019, 12:22 AM

Besides state parks and Wal-Marts, there's a handy-dandy guide you can get called "Next Exit" (maybe "THE Next Exit". It's chock full of listings for on-ramps (I say on-ramps because of a reduced possibility of some idiot crashing into you) that are safe to park on. Should be attainable in a truck stop or other travel centers.

HazMatt · 07-02-2019, 05:27 AM

That'd be a good resource to have on board! Seen plenty of semis idling away on on-ramps, re-setting their clocks.

CHEESE_WAGON · 07-02-2019, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HazMatt

That'd be a good resource to have on board! Seen plenty of semis idling away on on-ramps, re-setting their clocks.

Saved my bacon a few times until a spilled drink ruined it...

OP might also try rest areas. Pickings can be slim for parking but you can get lucky.

FuzzWantsABus · 07-06-2019, 06:37 PM

There's a big parking lot off of I-25 & Santa Fe next to a baseball field. If it's not considered part of the adjacent park (which are closed from 11p-5a), and I don't think it is because I see a small RV and various vans parked there frequently, then you're good. Sorry I can't make any promises about you not being hassled by the cops, especially if you're staying multiple nights, but it's a good bet. I'll PM you a Google maps link.

Meathead · 07-09-2019, 08:51 PM

Seeing as how today is the 9th, you have probably been to your show at Red Rocks. I saved the website for when I go next summer.😎

https://303magazine.com/2016/05/10-t...ing-red-rocks/

Sehnsucht · 07-09-2019, 09:42 PM

When I used to drive the entire lower 48 I would tag/rate in my GPS any place I found that was truck friendly - that includes Wal-Marts, Sam's Clubs (some Walmarts are 24-hour but Sam's Clubs are not so less noise and less harassment) and believe it or not a lot of adult stores although I will admit I don't recall seeing a lot of those in Colorado. Additionally, most Cabelas have some truck/RV parking, Cracker Barrels have RV parking but may not appreciate overnighting, and certain McDonalds have RV parking and/or truck parking. McDonalds like Walmart almost always have signs against overnight parking but rarely seem to enforce it if they've gone through the trouble of providing said parking.

Worse comes to worse, yes you can park at a truck stop but be respectful that those guys are federally regulated and once their clock stops they stop. If it looks full then chances are you're not going to win any friends if you commandeer a truck spot with an RV/bus. I would advise in that situation either see if there's a small space kind of at the corner of the lot where a truck wouldn't fit but you might or in a full size space pull through to the far end so that a bobtail truck might be able to use the extra space behind you. Its a little thing but makes a big difference in how truckers perceive other non-commercial rigs. The ones who often regret venturing into truck stops are RVs with slideouts that end up taking TWO spaces just to set up a free campsite! If you spent $250k on that Winnebago then go spent $25 a night at a proper RV park! But I don't expect a skoolie will get the same attitude.

turf · 07-09-2019, 10:09 PM

there are plenty of places to park in denver, you just need to be creative. I'd look for an apt complex and maybe park on the street next to that.

places like chatfield are booked up by locals for weekend warrior camping. for free camping, i'd try rainbow falls, or central city. there might be some free camping around golden gate park. but generally you have to go a bit away from the city for free campsites.

first time i ever heard arvada called "mayberry"

my sis used to be in the city govt there. i'll be sure to point it out at the next fam dinner.

heck, i ought to just give up my sis's addy, I know for a fact she'd call the cops on me if i parked my bus out front of her house.

that's what little brothers do.

wrxmakala · 07-11-2019, 11:30 PM

If you want to park somewhere in city limits, try Platte River Rd/Evans Ave just south of downtown Denver. It’s off Santa Fe Blvd. I lived over there in my car for almost 3 months and never had a single issue. Industrial warehouses and factory buildings galore with lots of fellow vanlifers and RVs. Some transients and not the type you’d stop for a friendly chat with, but others you’ll find are just like you.

wrxmakala · 07-11-2019, 11:31 PM

Also in the Belmar area in Lakewood, there’s a Home Depot lots of RVs park at. If you park on the park side of the street near the city parks in the neighborhoods over there, you won’t be bothered either.

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