The Dolores River Campground has a new place for campers to lay their heads.
It still offers tent, camper and RV sites, as well as the option between camping cabins or full-service cabins.
But now, the campground provides a more unique option: a vintage trailer.
Billy and Lainey Beyhan purchased the campground in May of 2013, leaving their corporate jobs behind and relocating from Grand Junction.
“We just decided to give up corporate life and buy a campground,” explained Lainey. “We were just like, ‘Hey campground for sale. Let’s sell everything we own and go down there and run a campground.’”
An old Spartan travel trailer was included in the purchase, but it came in poor condition and the couple was unable to find anyone to restore it.
Instead, they came across a 1950 Spartan Spartanette trailer in great condition and purchased it.
“Vintage trailer rentals are really a thing now,” said Lainey. “So we had the two types of cabins, and then we just loved the idea of the vintage trailers.”
The 31-foot trailer comes with original woodwork, a full kitchen with a refrigerator, a queen-size bed and a bathroom with a toilet and sink.
The Spartanette is available to rent on a nightly basis ($95) or weekly ($570), and the Beyhan’s are close to adding a second vintage trailer.
They have a 1953 Airstream trailer given to them by friends that they’ve been restoring with the intention of renting out, and Lainey anticipates that it will be ready to rent this year.
But they’re not limiting their new camping options.
“We want to get an old houseboat and park it on our pond and redo that as a rental,” Lainey said excitedly. “Like an old one, not one of those big 60-foot houseboats, but a cute little funky ’60s or ’70s houseboat.”
Lainey added that among the campground’s upgrades include its expanded gift shop with souvenirs and locally made products.
The campground is at 18680 Colorado Highway 145. The gift shop is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, and the camping season runs from May 1 – Oct. 24, with one full-service cabin available year-round.
For more information or to make a reservation, call Lainey or Billy at 970-882-7761, email them at doloresrivercampground@gmail.com.
