Best Places To Camp In The Rocky Mountains

Here’s a personalized guide to help you decide where to spend the night, from car camping paradise and remote backcountry sites to RV heaven. Many of the campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park are at high altitude. If you are coming from sea level, the National Park Service recommends spending one night in the town of Estes Park at an elevation of 7,000 feet before hiking to any backcountry campsites. “Mueller State Park is a great location, close to Colorado Springs and far away enough to have that quiet camping experience. There were amazing views of Pikes Peak and so many camping spots…The 5 kids in our group had a great time and I was impressed with how clean the campsites were kept.

Currently, several campgrounds, climbing areas, and sheltersremain closed. Covering more than a quarter of New Hampshire, the White Mountains are a natural haven for all outdoor enthusiasts, including the highest elevation point in the North East! Travelers yearning for the vast mountains, lakes, and beautiful forests of New Hampshire can head to Huttopia White Mountains for full-comfort glamping accommodations. All camp sites are First Come First Serve, with no reservations are available. Open all summer and early fall, you’ll find potable water and flush toilets here.

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It is near the trailhead for the popular hike to the summit of Longs Peak, the only 14er in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is a dump station, hot showers, drinking water, water and electric hookups and flush toilets. They even have a playground for the kids to burn off some energy.

Consisting of a pair of 14,000-foot mountains that are amongst the most photographed peaks in all of North America, this is a location that offers breathtaking views all year long. Whether you decide to stay at the Silver Bar, Silver Bell, or Silver Queen campsites, you simply can’t go wrong here. They are all equally amazing and must-visit locations for those who love camping.

Estes Park Campground At East Portal

During the summer months, firewood is sold at all campgrounds. Campers are encouraged to purchase firewood in the area where they are camping. Transporting firewood from out-of-state is discouraged since it may hold harmful insects which could be spread to Rocky Mountain National Park. To get to the trailhead from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, follow Hwy. 36 about 1 mile east and then turn right onto Mary’s Lake Road.

Steamboat is becoming increasingly popular so it’s something to check off on your list. Sticking close to the Southern region, Durango is a great place to see at least once in your life. This campsite has a nice balance of reasonable accommodations and letting you enjoy nature. You can find camping on other types of federal land including Bureau of Land Management , The Army Corps of Engineers, and US Fish and Wildlife Service lands.

If you ever wanted to check the hotel from the Shining, you can do it while you are here! It’s called the Stanley Hotel, and you can stay for one night if you are brave enough. The more rural the county the more likely you will find a good option for overnight camping. It is technically camping in a National Forest outside of a campground.

The Moraine Park Campground is the largest and most centrally located in Rocky Mountain National Park. Situated in a beautiful valley with stunning views, the campground is a short drive from the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. Those camping here will be close to the Cub Lake Trailhead as well as a short-drive from many of the other popular destinations in RMNP. Glacier Basin is a large campground with 150 total campsites, 73 of which are tent-only and 13 that can accommodate larger groups. RVs and trailers up to 35′ can be accommodated at Glacier Basin and there are four ADA accessible campsites.

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The campground has over 200 sites and is open all year round. But some of the services are not available all year round. Amenities include a seasonal dump station, food lockers, drinking water, vault toilets and flush toilets. The Rocky Mountains National Park houses over 350 miles of hiking tracks for people of all ages and ability levels. There are short, easy tracks to lakes for families to explore, summit hikes that could take the best out of the most rugged explorers, and plenty of mid-level hikes for day-trippers.

There’s no place like the Grand Canyon if you want a stunning view. Reservations are recommended for two of the three developed campgrounds during the summer. While the South Rim is easier to get to, it can get a little crowded. For a more secluded stay, try the North Rim, if you don’t mind having a slightly harder time getting there. The park is currently undergoing a phased reopening, and campsites on the South Rim are gradually starting to reopen with restrictions, but the North Rim campground is closed until July.

Dispersed camping is some of the most secluded and remote camping you will find and it’s free. If you have a reserved site the campground will mark it for you. DO NOT book a ‘tent only’ site in a National Park campground unless you also have a tent with you. Are amazing in the Moraine valley meadows so consider visiting in autumn when the days are usually sunny and the evenings cool. Or take the shuttle into the Bear Lake Corridor and enjoy one of those amazing trails. The Bear Lake Trail head leads to several great hikes starting with the super easy Bear Lake Nature Loop.

Explore This Park

Look for the Pole Hill Road intersection just before Highway 36 begins its descent into Estes Park. 4WD is a must here and also be sure to practice Leave No Trace principles as there have been many complaints from surrounding land owners. The Spruce Lake RV Park is located on the banks of the Big Thompson River and makes for a tranquil place to spend the night before exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. You’ll be well located for venturing into the park as well as for exploring downtown Estes Park and the plethora of amenities make this is a great option.

There are several great longer, full-day hikes that trailhead near here. Timber Creek will be reopening in 2022 as a Reservation Only Campground. Expect to be able to make reservations on recreation.gov in late spring.

Located southeast of the small mountain town of Jefferson, Lost Park campground features 12 campsites, each of which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Lost Park is Colorado car camping at its smallest, as each site is set evenly throughout a large area, and can accommodate a max RV length of 22 feet. That said, at 10,000 feet in elevation, Lost Park offers its own set of stunning views and excellent high-altitude hiking opportunities in close proximity to the campground. Known for its spectacular views of the night sky, the campsite allows visitors to take stargazing to the next level.

There is a free shuttle service that runs into Estes Park and the Visitors Center. Mary’s Lake has about 1 mile of shoreline and covers approximately 175 land acres. They stock rainbow trout in the lake fairly often, making it a great place to fish. It has exhibits and interpretive programs for the whole family to enjoy.

To cut down on congestion the park offers a shuttle bus to make your park visit easier to enjoy. 80% of the visitors to the park enter through the east entrance. For your visit to be less stressful check out the west side of the park. Located about 2.3 miles west of the Rocky Mountain National Park, this RV park features a crystal-clear lake, lush green meadows, and a calmness-inducing Big Thompson River. Other attractions include a restaurant, golf course, horseback riding, wildlife tours, and fly fishing trips. Provided you’re visiting between May and September , you’ll get access to various amenities.

The campground is located just north of Olive Ridge on Highway 7. Bear Lake is another scenic campsite located inside Rocky Mountain National Park that is sure to please outdoor enthusiasts. This locale is perfect for anglers looking to reel in some Colorado trout. The nearby Cucharas River provides excellent opportunities to do just that, luring in both casual and serious fly fishers looking to spend some time on the water. This campground also provides easy access to the 14-mile long Indian Creek Trail too, which is open not only to hikers and mountain bikers, but also ATVs and horses as well.

Visitors to the RV Resort are provided with access to showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, a commercial camper sink, 24/7 available WiFi, and a portable tank dumping service. Aside from that, a general store , firewood/propane, ice-for-sale, and arcade are on offer, too. Assuming you’d be staying in a recreational vehicle , you won’t have to deal with the issues other types of campers have to contend with. Enjoying the great outdoors within your comfortable and private recreational vehicle is true bliss. To check current availability and to make a campground reservation, search for the campground you’re interested in below, click “View Details,” then find the section titled “Reservations”. In June and September, park campgrounds tend to fill on the weekends.