The Colorado Rockies are famous for beautiful wildflowers in the summer, and many areas justifiably lay claim to the best wildflowers. There is no way to settle that question, but Dumont Lake in the Park Range near Steamboat Springs has an undeniably beautiful display of wildflowers in July and August. Luckily there is a great campground there as well, and the fishing isn't bad, either!
As far as amenities go, Dumont Lake Campground is a pretty typical national forest campground; you'll find vault toilets, drinking water (from a hand pump, no less), picnic tables at each site, and that is about it. What really sets this campground apart from most, though, is the great distance between many sites. Spread out over gently rolling hills covered with wildflowers of every color, the 22 sites have plenty of space. Some sites are grouped closely together, notably sites 9 through 13, which is a great area for large families or groups. Most sites, though, are widely separated from others to such a degree that only one or two other sites can be seen, and from quite a distance away. If you want privacy, then sites 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 are particularly private. Most of the sites are not very level.
Dumont Lake is beautiful, surrounded by rolling hills and sparse conifers. The lake is just a five-minute walk from the campsites, but low hills prevent the lake from being seen from the campground. The 6-mile roundtrip trail to Rabbit Ears Peak starts right next to the campground, and in the other direction (past the lake) there is a trail that reaches all the way to Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat Springs (about 11 miles one way). Steamboat, with all its civilized amenities, is about a 30-minute drive away. But the real star of this campground and lake are the wildflowers, many of which are waist high. They are everywhere, like a vast unkempt perennial garden in all directions. It truly has to be seen to be believed.
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