Best Designated Camping in Colorado
Colorado has the biggest reputation for being an outdoor paradise and it is well deserved. The state boasts majestic mountains, vast plains, sweeping desert and elevated plateaus that are ripe for hiking, world-class trout fishing and a number of outdoor activities. Dotted in between the great hiking, fishing, Native American ruins, dinosaur bones and wildlife are a number of the most beautiful campgrounds in the country. Whether you crave the backcountry or a campground near leisurely lakeside fishing, Colorado has the campground that is perfect for you. So where are some of these great Colorado campgrounds?
Moraine Park Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park
Quick Camp Site Info
| # of Sites | Price: | Comforts: | Availability: |
| 244 sites | $20 for campers RVs allowed up to 40 feet |
Running water Flush/Vault toilets Solar showers |
Reservations recommended and only accepted in summer Open year-round |
Moraine Park Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the best campgrounds in Colorado if only for the character of its terrain. The campground lies in the shadows of the massive mountain range, but is in a beautiful grassy meadow that is smattered with big rocky outcrops that also aid in lending some privacy to the campsites. In many of the sites, the rocks are so high that it feels as though there are no other campers around although that is certainly not the case. This place, like all of the national park’s campgrounds, is very popular. This popularity means that it is nearly booked up all summer. Reservations are a must and campers who want even a shot at staying in this fantastic campground should reserve their site at least eight weeks in advance. Moraine Park is located right by the roadside and just a few miles from the nearby town of Estes Park so civilization is not so far away. However, campers are also nearby scenic lake trails like Bear Lake and Cub Lake or waterfall trails like Adams Falls and Alberta Falls. Of course, off in the distance are summit trails for those that want to reach higher vistas.
Saddlehorn Campground in Colorado National Monument
Quick Camp Site Info
| # of Sites | Price: | Comforts: | Availability: |
| 50 sites | $20 for campers RVs allowed up to 40 feet |
Running water Flush toilets No showers |
Reservations available Open June to October |
Saddlehorn is the only establish campground in the Colorado Monument, a 20,000 acre area that is renowned for its spectacular geographical features like sheer canyons and massive red rock spires. As such, the sites in this campground fill quickly, but not just because it is the only campground in the area. Saddlehorn is also located at the end of a 23-mile long scenic drive through the Colorado Monument so each night many car campers end up taking the first come, first serve spots. The campground sits right next to some of the park’s signature rock formations and provides access to nearby steep rock canyons and pinion and juniper-pocked mesas that grant outstanding views of nearby Grand Junction and the valley beyond. Saddlehorn is right next to the trailhead for Monument Canyon Trail. This six mile trail is arguably among the finest hiking inside the park outside of the back country. It provides excellent views of the canyon from above it and inside it as well as beautiful rock structures along the way. For those that want to wander further outside the campground, there is some excellent desert backcountry hiking to explore. Aside from hiking, the scenic roadway and nearby paved loops make for excellent biking and there is also rock climbing available in the park.
Pinyon Flats Campground in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Quick Camp Site Info
| # of Sites | Price: | Comforts: | Availability: |
| 88 sites | $20 for campers RVs allowed up to 35 feet |
Running water Flush toilets No showers |
Reservations available Open year-round |
Sandy wasteland is one of the last things that visitors to Colorado expect to see, but hidden on the southeast end of the sprawling, grassy San Luis Valley is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. These aren’t just any old sand dunes though; they are the largest dunes in the United States. However, the 700 foot dune crests look small compared to the 14,000 feet mountain peaks in the distance. Just outside this sandy playground, the Pinyon Flats Campground is located in a soft sandy grassy area that is the perfect beach camping experience (just without the water.) This campground has a few trees and brush that lend privacy to the campsites, but it is still close enough that visitors can take just a short walk to the dunes, though visitors can always see them towering in the backdrop. Instead of great hiking in this area of Colorado, this national park and campground provide for another unique activity. The popular pastime in the dunes is to rent sand skis and sandboards (snowboards, basically) to slide down the sandy slopes as if they were the snow-covered slopes of Aspen. For those that find themselves camping in the area during the month of May, the nearby Medano Creek floods over and creates a sandy, wet water park for families. However, the water is melt water from the mountains, so it is usually a bit chilly.
Angel of Shavano in San Isabel National Forest
Quick Camp Site Info
| # of Sites | Price: | Comforts: | Availability: |
| 20 sites | $17 for campers RVs allowed up to 30 feet |
No water Vault toilets No showers |
No Reservations Open late May to late September |
Located in between two steep ridges in the upper Arkansas Valley area of the San Isabel National Forest, the Angel of Shavano Campground is perhaps the most remote and overlooked campground in Colorado. However, this is part of the campground’s charm. Although it is located near the town of Salida, campers rarely travel here, making it peaceful and surrounded by iconic Colorado nature. There are few trees in the actual campground, but the sites are spaced so far apart that campers won’t want for privacy since there are rarely many other campers around. Most of the campers that do set up shop here are travellers down the Colorado Trail (the 486-mile long trail that travels through the state) which passes right through the campground. They arrive weary and ready to plop down their stuff after an exhausting 9,000 foot climb up to the campsite. For those that want to wander along the Colorado Trail, it leads to tougher hiking yet as it climbs up the 14,000 feet summits of the nearby Mount Shavano and Mount Tabeguache. However, for those that are interested in more leisurely pursuits, there is excellent fishing just up the valley in the North Fork Reservoir. However, even getting to this fishing spot requires some hard hiking or a four-wheel drive vehicle to navigate the rough mountain roads.
Longs Peak Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park
Quick Camp Site Info
| # of Sites | Price: | Comforts: | Availability: |
| 26 sites | $20 for campers RVs allowed |
Running water Vault toilets No showers |
No Reservations Open May 23rd through November 3rd |
Like Moraine Park, Longs Peak Campground is another fine campground in Rocky Mountain National Park. Longs Peak is not too far away from Moraine Park, but this is a backcountry campground and considered one of the best backcountry camping spots in the state. Longs Peak Campground is on the east side of Glacier Gorge between Mills Lake and Black Lake so it offers up a lot of great backcountry adventure. Visitors can head a few miles to the trailhead for Glacier Gorge, which will take hikers up into the mountains and give beautiful panoramic views of the area including Longs Peak, the mountain after which the campground was named. For those that don’t want to undertake the strenuous hikes in the area, both lakes offer fantastic fishing. The campground itself is located in a small forest surrounded by wide, open meadows that are protected by the mountains around it. It is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in Colorado and certainly not a place that campers will soon forget.
Are you a camping enthusiast in Colorado? What is your favorite campground?
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