Craig Bailey's Passport Adventures
After a visit to Dinosaur National Monument in 2003, he stopped at Yampa River State Park and learned about stamps that were issued in 2000, the “Year of State Parks.” He received a stamp from Yampa and his journey began.
“I started a page of Colorado State Parks and continued slowly visiting them,” he said.
When Craig visited Eldorado Canyon State Park, the ranger gave him a Passport booklet leftover from the Year of State Parks.
“That’s when I really started visiting Colorado State Parks,” he said.
Craig visited 34 state parks by the summer of 2009, including the six he ventured to before picking up the passport booklet. Then in June of 2009, he noticed the 50th Anniversary Passport to Parks book at the Denver REI.
“As much as I like traveling and visiting sites, I knew I had to try to fill the book in 2009,” he said.
The dedicated stamp collector visited a handful of parks on the way to a conference in Vail (Castlewood Canyon, Cherry Creek, Roxborough, Chatfield, Eldorado Canyon and Golden Gate) and took a side-trip to Sylvan Lake State Park during a conference break. He then visited Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area on the way back to Limon.
By November, there was only one park left to visit: San Luis State Park, which he visited on New Year’s Eve.
In six months, Craig journeyed to all 42 Colorado State Parks—eight new parks and the 34 he visited previously. His favorite was Rifle Falls State Park.
“While collecting the 2009 stamps I was also able to finish the old 2000 passport book, except the Picnic Rock stamp; I wish I could find that stamp,” Craig said. “Colorado is a great place to visit. It has so much to offer.”