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Submission
“Exclusive Mountain Resort” comes to mind when describing Farish Recreation Area, a 650-acre paradise nestled in the mountains west of the Academy at an altitude of 9,000 feet. Farish is in perpetual motion with fun activities going on all the time. Summertime finds hiking, mountain biking, fishing and camping.
ELIGIBILITY
Active/Reserve/Retired Military/Dependent ID card holders/DoD Civilian Employees/and retired DoD Civilians. VA card holders and their caregiver with proper documentation. VA CARD HOLDERS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS ARE NOT ABLE TO SPONSOR ANY ADDITIONAL PATRONS FOR DAY OR OVERNIGHT USE.
Off base. From the Academy, drive south on I-25 to Colorado Springs, and take exit 141. Travel west on Hwy 24 for 17 miles to Woodland Park. At second stoplight near McDonalds, turn right onto Baldwin (street name changes to Rampart Range Road). Follow road through four stop signs. Road forks just past water-treatment facility, turn right and follow the Farish signs. Approx. 2 miles after the intersection, turn left onto Loy Creek Road and follow the signs to the new entrance into Farish. Facility is 5.5 miles past stoplight at McDonalds.
Farish is a lovely gem of heaven. I love that Farrish is designed to be uncrowded, with 3 small lakes to enjoy without boats, except for the small paddle boats you can rent for about 20 dollars, I think. There are very nice rooms to rent with a kitchen, and 2 bed in one room , 1 bed in the other. Very nice private view in duplex C for 150/ night. We also got married there a year ago. It was beautiful but it rained right at the time of the ceremony. But you can't do the ceremony in the morning to avoid rain. There isn't enough time to decorate either. So it would be nice if you had time the day before to decorate and are able to have an earlier wedding. It was still great, we took pics later. Though my husband changed already.
Very unique camping Recreation Area. Three sites has electric 20 amp service. Very well maintained and Friendly/ informative staff. Unpaved roads to get to Camp.
Upside: Beautiful area, friendly staff, reasonable rates, fishing areas / stocked ponds and fish cleaning area, porta potties close to camp sites, primitive and electric, shower houses with nice bathrooms, water fill station, grounds neat and clean.
Downside: Shower uses quarters, 8 minutes is like $1 or $2 dollars. Some sites are not very level, most accommodate smaller campers or tents, check site before booking.
Comments: This area is for active, retired or disabled veterans and their immediate family.
What a gem of a place in our own backyard! 3 beautiful lakes. Huge campsites. Pavillians. We were able to stay at Pavillion #4 with our RV which included 3 picnic tables right next to the camp hosts and camp store.
The fishing was so peaceful and gorgeous. Exciting when the fish hit! 3 fish daily limit per person is plenty for dinner. Even with a day of misty/ rainy day proved a great day for napping. I can't think of a better place to spend a long weekend.
And there was a wedding on the wedding ridge, aptly named.
If you are military, this is a must do, even if it is just for a day of fishing.
Camping here was a lot of fun. If like fishing and paddle boating that is. There is NO cell phone service once you arrive. Bring blankets and pillows. No personal Kayaks. They sell fire wood at the check in store but it is limited and could run out. They sell a few other small snacks but otherwise for food you have to go all the way back to town so come prepared. We stayed in the lodge which be warned you share a bathroom with whoever else rents a room in the lodge. Luckily we were in room 3 and my brother and his family was in room 4. The rooms upstairs must have shared a separate bathroom because we never really saw those folks. The Kitchen and living room space is in a separate building and is a shared space as well for the lodge. It has fridges, stoves, microwave, plates, cups, silverware and limited pots and pans. They had soap and sponges and everything you need. But we bought some things too. We brought paper plates, a few dish towels, new sponge, aluminum foil and a few others items. The coffee mugs were tiny so if you plan to have a coffee and carry to fish bring your own fav mug or thermos. The living room area has board games, tables and couches. We brought a few of our own games. We brought stuff for s’mores. It rained and hailed but we were glad we had the Kitchen area to relax in and play games. We cooked warm meals and fished all day. We didn’t check out any of the hiking trails but the front desk does have a map of the hikes. With no phone service we couldn’t use trails app as planned. Paddle boat rental was fun, steering took some figuring out, forward is left and back is right. Not controlled by left and right which would have been nice to know. Bring head lamps, lanterns or flashlights for each person, night fishing or walking around as it gets really dark. We ended up getting each of the kids a head lamp too. My other brother stayed in Camper Cabin 2 which was so cute, looked like a little log cabin, had a bed and then a small bunk bed, small fridge and electric heater. It did have lights and power but that’s all. No bathroom. CC5 wasn’t as charming and did not have power or heat. Just FYI. Next time we hope to get the Duplex or the building next to the lodge. But we will definitely visit again. I am not much into fishing and chasing the little kids around was a lot so I hope to hike the trails next time while the guys fish, and find something for the younger kids to do. Meal preparation helped too. I prepared most the food as much as i could at home and just had to pull it out for the meals and reheat some stuff. We had premade egg bites and premade mini pancakes with whipped cream. Fresh fruit. Costco pinwheels, PB&J, and of course burgers and hotdogs. Costco premade Mac&cheese. Costco breakfast quiche. Pizza.
