Camping with Dogs: Our Windy Weekend at Jackson Lake
We finally had our first seasonal voyage in the RV! (She still needs a name… open to suggestions?) Overall, it was a great trip — just not exactly the one we planned.
We camped at Jackson Lake State Park in Orchard, Colorado. Now, if you’re from Colorado, you might be laughing at us. People love to poke fun at Jackson because it’s not in the mountains. But here’s the thing — we live in Greeley, which is just under an hour from the mountains and just under an hour from Jackson in the opposite direction. For us, Jackson is perfect. Why?
Dogs and water. That’s why.
Why We Love Jackson Lake
There are two main reasons this park has our hearts:
It’s dog-friendly. Plenty of open space, mellow trails, and water fun.
There’s actual water. Krissy’s an East Coast transplant who loves the beach and hates that Colorado is mostly landlocked and dry. Jackson has a real lake with sandy beaches and space for boating, paddling, and even swimming — which makes her very happy.
Plus, campfire cooking is a major part of our camping experience, and Jackson is usually not under a fire ban. So, naturally, we loaded up…
Four Dogs. Three Humans. Two Boats. One Plan.
Let me paint the picture:
We hit the road with four dogs, three humans, two paddle boats, and an entire weekend of fire-cooked meals ready to go.
And then… Colorado happened.
Cue the unpredictable spring weather. We got a few blips of sunshine and even fewer moments of warmth, but for most of the trip it was cold, rainy, windy as hell, or all three at once. It was too windy for a canopy — even our favorite heavy-duty one that normally handles anything. So, we spent way more time inside the RV than we like.
Water? Nope. Boats? Still in the Attic.
Between the cold and the wind, there was no way I was putting on a swimsuit. The paddle boats never even came down — pretty sure if we’d gone out, we’d still be stranded mid-lake.
The dogs didn’t get their usual water toy chaos either. They would’ve needed a full-on blowout bar and heated doggy spa to recover from the cold lake. But they made their own fun, getting muddy and wrestling their hearts out.
Campfire Cooking (Minus the Fire)
Since the wind made open flames a hard no, we had to pivot and get creative with our meals. Shoutout to Smokey the Bear — we heard you loud and clear.
Here’s how we adapted our menu:
Jalapeño poppers → cooked on the electric griddle. Tasty but messy. And yes, I made the mess and cleaned it.
Calico beans → done in the crockpot. Honestly, just as good as the fire version.
Pizza → crockpot instead of Dutch oven. Not bad! Fully cooked and even crispy, which surprised me.
Pancakes, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns → griddle city. Still delicious.
We did get lucky for one short window when the wind died down. Just enough time to boil corn and roast some s’mores. Praise be.
Dog Life at Camp
Despite the weather, the dogs had a blast. With their electric collars on, they got to run through the fields, even without beach time. At night, we strapped on their glow collars so we could find them for those late potty breaks. The dark skies at Jackson are incredible — no light pollution and an unreal view of the sky and stars-ish.
During the day, we used our portable fencing for some leash-free time at the site. They lounged on their elevated beds and stayed mostly dry. That said, not everyone had it easy:
Douglas had a rough go — he gets anxious, and thunder plus a long drive was not his idea of fun.
Beau (our friend’s dog) got sick. And if you’ve ever been woken up by a puking dog… you know the trauma.
Shoutout to pet cleaner spray and our collective survival instincts.
What Saved the Weekend? Games and Good Company.
Even with the chaos, we still had a damn good time. The three of us laughed, ate, drank, and played games for hours. That’s the magic of camping — it doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.
Here’s our game roster:
Old favorites: Skip-Bo, Kubbs, and Farkle(or as we call it… Fuckle — explanation coming in a future post).
New addictions: Kings Cribbage and Parks: Roll & Hike. The learning curve was real, but once we got it? Instant obsession. And yes, I am competitive — why do you ask?
Final Thoughts
So no, this wasn’t the warm, sun-soaked, paddle-happy camping weekend we imagined. But it was still awesome. Because wherever we go, we make it fun — with dogs, friends, snacks, and some fierce game night energy.
In good and bad weather,
Anne 🐾
