Best Campgrounds In Rocky Mountain National Park

All campgrounds in the park are $26 per night, and visitors are limited to camping a total of seven nights in the park per visit. As the only campground located on the west side of RMNP, Timber Creek Campground is pretty popular. It’s just off Trail Ridge Road about 8 miles from the Grand Lake entrance. Currently, Timber Creek is a wide open field, lacking any shade. Because of the damage done by pine beetles most of the trees had to be removed. For a light hike, pop back out to Highway 7 and just North of the campground you’ll find the trail head for Lily Lake.

It’s one of the best views you will see in any campground anywhere. And as an added bonus the local Elk herd just might show up in the early evening and pose for a few pictures before bed. If time allows, take the opportunity to do some exploring around the park.

Find More Rv Parks Near Rocky Mountain National Park

Most trailheads will not have room for extra large vehicles. You are better off parking at the Park and Ride lot and hopping on the shuttle. Most of the backcountry campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park are close to major trails so you won’t be totally alone. However, if you want to get away from almost everyone push yourself to one of the far in locations. Topics range from the history of the park to geology lessons to nature studies. Each time we enjoy the enthusiasm in which the rangers share the park with visitors.

For a hot shower check out Dad’s Laundry and Showers in Estes Park, behind the Safeway. Other campgrounds outside the park often also offer showers for a small fee including Mary’s Lake Campground or Mt. Meeker Lodge. The good news is that all the campgrounds have potable water. That also means that all, except Longs Peak Campground, also have the luxury of flush toilets.

Unlike the Aspenglen Campground, it has a dedicated dumping station for RVs. Plus, you also have easy access to utility sinks and drinking water. 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. The private camping sites outside of the park gates may offer hookups and amenities not found at the more rustic national park campgrounds.

Would You Be Able To Go Exploring In Rocky Mountain National Park?

If you are new at going back country there are camp sites that don’t require a long hike. That’s the perfect way to see if you really want to haul all the gear on a long, multi day hike. After a meal, all cooking areas including the picnic table are wiped down to reduce any temptations. Dishwater is disposed of in the locations assigned by the campground, in this case usually near the restrooms.

You’ll find the campsites are pretty private, though a few of them are a bit closer together if you are traveling with a group. Glacier Basin Campground is considerably larger, with 150 total sites, 73 of which are tent-only. No electrical hookups are available, but the site does offer seasonal flush toilets, potable water, and a dump station. Estes Park has many wonderful campgrounds within a 15-minute drive from downtown. With just 26 campsites, this is the smallest campground in Rocky Mountain National Park.

A Different Fiberglass Camper Approach

I vowed when I bought it to spend a year just roaming and exploring the national parks; not all at once, but six trips of two months each. I have made it happen for five summers in a row and then the economy got the best of me. Real estate has been in the pits in case you haven’t heard!

Are amazing in the Moraine valley meadows so consider visiting in autumn when the days are usually sunny and the evenings cool. Generator usage is pretty limited so you’ll be able to enjoy every moment in nature. Fall River Visitor Center is just a few minutes from Aspenglen Campground. Here you’ll find great displays about the wildlife and nature in the park. You can get your permit online through the Wilderness Office starting in March of each year. You can get all the detail of back-country camping in Rocky Mountain National Park on the NPS website.

Best Rv Parks Near Rocky Mountain National Park

Snow can fall at any time of the year at high elevations. Also, afternoon thundershowers are frequent in the summer. Cell service is spotty, and many areas do not have cell service.

Grasses, shrubs and seasonal wildflowers fill the open meadows. Moraine Park Campground is located in Colorado’s awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain National Park, near the Beaver Meadows Entrance on Highway 36. It is situated on the north side of Moraine Park, offering beautiful views of the vast park and the surrounding mountains. Altitude sickness commonly occurs in altitudes above 8,000 feet.

Take Highway 34 west from Estes Park, CO to Highway 36 via Deer Ridge Junction. Driving along the historic Old Fall River Road is like motoring through an earlier era. Wildlife is plentiful in the park; mule deer and the majestic Rocky Mountain elk are the most commonly seen. Black bear, coyote, bighorn sheep and moose inhabit the region as well, but can be harder to stumble upon. Park entrance fee of $35/vehicle is required; This fee covers entrance to the park for the date of purchase and the next 6 days. There is no first-come, first served camping at this facility.

You will need to have a day-use reservation to be admitted to the park, unless you already have a camping reservation. 1) Trail Ridge Road – This is the crown jewel of Rocky Mountain National Park. If you miss this, you may as well have not even come to the park. Trail Ridge Road takes you literally to the top of the world. Along the way you will see the headwaters of the mighty Colorado River and if you are lucky maybe even a moose or an elk.

Here are top choices near each side of the national park. Additional amenities include showers, flush toilets, a pool, and playground area, a dog park, and Wi-Fi, and it’s just a few minutes’ drive into Estes Park. The park is chock-full of amenities, as well, including a heated swimming pool, hot tub, mini golf, playground, space for group campfires, Wi-Fi, cable TV, and even a game room. Plus, as mentioned, the park is adjacent to the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Estes Park Koa

The closest town of any size was Granby, and it isn’t so huge however, there is a major supermarket there and furthermore the least expensive gas nearby. The Longs Peak Campground is the ideal spot for those searching for a calmer setting up camp insight. This little camping area highlights 26 tent-just campgrounds hidden in thick pine woodland. The Aspenglen Campgrounds is an area near RMNP that is situated at its north side simply past the Fall River entrance on Highway 34. Aspenglen highlights 52 campgrounds, with 13 tent-just destinations and five camping areas. The camping area is set in a delightful area with huge ponderosa pines and other trees giving shade in the mid-year.

Go for a relaxed walk around Sprague Lake or climb the entire way to Dream Lake from the Bear Lake Trailhead to find more about this place. The campsite is open occasionally throughout the mid-year months and is one of the most aggressive in the recreation area to get a booking at. When going to the Rocky Mountain National Park axcess it from the east of Denver, Fort Collins area.

Solar showers are allowed only in the Solar Shower Facility. Shower stalls may not be set-up or used in individual campsites. All food, pet food, cooking utensils and other scented items must be stored in a vehicle or in food storage lockers located in the campground. The floorplan features a unique rear kitchen design with all the amenities of a larger unit.

In July, the average daytime temperature is between 70ºF and 85ºF, with comfortable conditions, even at higher elevations. While temperatures can certainly get cold at night overall, July provides the best weather conditions for outdoor adventure. Estes Park Campground at Mary’s Lake enjoys a stunning location at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park, right across the way from the banks of Mary’s Lake. The campground is surrounded by majestic nature, though it is just a short drive from the heart of Estes Park.