A Colorado camping vacation is the way that many visitors see the state. Imagine setting up your tent and camping beside a roaring Colorado mountain stream. The Colorado wilderness calls to campers and the myriad of Colorado campgrounds and campsites are there to meet any avid camper's needs.
A camping vacation to Colorado is one of the best ways to intimately see the state. There is no better way to get close to Colorado's wilderness, whether the rolling plains of Eastern Colorado, the Colorado Rockies, or the mesas of the Western Slope than by setting up your tent in one of Colorado's many campgrounds.
You'll find that Colorado's campgrounds and RV parks make great home bases for exploring the state's scenic areas and historical landmarks. Camping in Colorado is easy. Thousands of campsites and campgrounds are to be found within the 20 million acres of public lands that are found in any section of the state.
Colorado camping is some of the best in the world. There are endless possibilities to camping in Colorado when on your vacation to the state. Where you camp while in Colorado is up to you.
Here is a list of some Colorado camping options to help you plan your vacation as you'll need to pick your campsites as reservations in most campgrounds need to be made in advance to insure that you get the camping spot you are wishing for.
Rocky Mountain National Park
A great place to go camping in Colorado is Rocky Mountain National Park. The National Park is considered the gateway to the Rocky Mountains from the Front Range side of the state. Colorado camping is at its best in the park. It is literally a nature lover's delight when you're camping in the intimate campgrounds that the park provides its visitors.
This is the classic wilderness and camping experience. A place to pitch your tent and tell stories around the campfire while roasting marshmallows and enjoying the friendship that such a cozy setting provides.
Colorado camping is an experience that can be fully appreciated in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Campers will be thrilled by an abundance and variety of landscapes across the 260,000 acres of the park. Hiking from your campsite will take you to nature areas that display a wide variety of wildlife.
Animals, such as elk, bighorn sheep, bears, bobcats, coyotes are often seen by the campers in the area. Birds greet campers in the morning with their wonderful wake-up songs. Hawks and eagles soar in the skies during the days. Hummingbirds will buzz you when you're eating or hiking the numerous park trails.
Aspenglen, Glacier Basin, Longs Peak, Moraine Park, and Timber Creek are the major campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park. These campgrounds offer a total of 575 campsites to the visitor and family. All of these Colorado camping sites make great home bases to begin your exploration of the area and it's wonderful sights.
Grand Mesa
A wonderful Colorado camping experience awaits the vacationer on the Western slope region of the state. This is the Grand Mesa. This large, flat-topped mesa separates the Colorado and Gunnison river valleys. Grand Mesa is a massive table land of lush evergreen forest that greets the Colorado camper with dozens of lakes, large and small.
Colorado campers will find thirteen public campgrounds on the mesa. These campgrounds together provide a camping experience in the mesa area with over 250 campsites. The traveler to the mesa will also find numerous picnic areas dotting the area.
The Colorado camping experience on the Grand Mesa hails the visitor with canoeing on the myriad of lakes, fishing in gurgling streams, and gazing at the stars around a warm campfire. Elk, deer, and other wildlife abound on the mesa for those that are out to view natures wildlife wonders.
The Colorado camping experience doesn't get any better than pitching your tent in one of the many campsites of the Grand Mesa.
The Telluride Area
If you're looking for the classic Colorado camping experience, full of tall pines and aspen trees set on rugged mountain peaks as the backdrop then camping in the Telluride area is probably for you.
Camping in the Telluride area includes the Sunshine Campground. This Colorado campground is small with only 15 campsites. But the scenery that the camper will view is extraordinary. The camper will feel privileged to be partaking of the breathtaking view of the 14,017 foot Wilson Peak. Colorado camping at this campground is an exclusive retreat from the outside world.
When you're in the mood to wash off the dirt and grind of your Colorado camping vacation, you can settle into the City of Telluride's campgrounds with it's 30 campsites or maybe even check into one of the sophisticated, but rustic, hotels for a shower.
You will find that Telluride is a charming place to dine and the main street is dominated by the views of spectacular cliffs and waterfalls, as well as, wonderful mountain views.
The traveler can enhance their Colorado camping experience by a visit to this scenic area. It's not just telluride that's spectacular, but the whole surrounding region is made for camping and partaking in the views and wildlife.
Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park
Not all Colorado camping experiences are in the wilderness. Within the Denver Metro area there is a rampart of cottonwood-speckled plains that contain the wide-open waters of the Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park. Camping at this state park offers the visitor a reprieve from the hectic Front Range and the Denver city life.
Visitors exploring this Colorado camping playground can enjoy walking, biking, or horse back riding on the extensive network of trails that are contained within the borders of the park. During such excursions from the campsite, the visitor will encounter wildlife like mule deer and great horned owls.
As the name implies, this is a reservoir. Boating, water skiing, swimming, and fishing are the two big attractions to this camping area. This is especially true on the weekends. Campers that don't make reservations by mid-week are often disappointed, especially if their group is a large family or friends gathering.
The Steamboat Springs Area
Many make the Steamboat Springs area the base camp for their Colorado camping experience. Steamboat springs itself is a popular downhill skiing resort in winter. But in summer, the surrounding area presents vacationers with many Colorado camping adventures.
Dumont Lake Campground is located Southeast of town on Rabbit Ears Pass where mountains and wildflower meadows meet. The campground's 22 campsites take in views of the twin-pinnacled Rabbit Ears Mountain. This is a spectacular area for hiking and mountain biking.
North of Steamboat the Colorado camping experience continues. Steamboat Lake State Park is a wonderful fishing spot where the family can enjoy the camping that they came to Colorado for. Beginner and experienced anglers alike will enjoy the fishing here. Other family members will enjoy the hiking trails and nature exploration.
Nearby is Pearl Lake State Park. Camping at this park is more secluded. You will find 36 campsites nestled in the woods where it's hard to see your neighboring camper's tents. As you rise in the morning from a rested sleep, you will gaze to the lake below your tent and listen to the sand hill cranes that roost in the willows towards the north end of the lake.
Maroon Bells
Along Maroon Creek, just to the south of Aspen, you'll find a few Aspen Colorado camping experiences at the Silver Bells and the Silver Queen Campgrounds. Book these in advance because you'll find that there are limited campsites here. But it's well worth it to experience Maroon Lake. And just so you know, only booked campers can drive to the lakes and see the Maroon Bells reflect in the still waters at dusk.
The Colorado camping experience here is the private, leisurely view of the scenery. Since non-campers have to take the crowded shuttles from Aspen, you have the advantage. But, keep in mind that you will still have to do a short hike to experience the view.
Of course, you can also mountain bike or horseback ride to one of the most fabulous sights around Aspen. This spectacular wilderness area is full of trails that will delight any camper to Colorado. It's one of the areas that most Colorado visitors rarely see.
North Sterling State Park
Camping on the plains of Northeastern Colorado is a much over looked Colorado camping experience. A great camping area in this part of the state is the North Sterling State Park. This campground is a fisherman's delight with 141 campsites.
This boater's delight offers 3,000 acres of clear waters. The lake has numerous coves to explore and fishing that ranges from pan fish to walleyes and tiger muskies.
Vast bluffs and boundless views of the high plains welcome visitors to North Sterling State Park. Night time is dominated by the clear skies and numerous stars that campers see through the non-polluted air.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
This Colorado camping experience will be the most unexpected adventure. The sand dunes consist of soft waves of sand abutting against the pinnacles of the the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It's like pitching your tent against a backdrop of the Sahara desert.
Springtime is the best time for camping in the Great Sand Dunes National park, especially if you have small children. At this time of the year, the shallow Medano Creek runs through the base of the dunes. Not only is it perfect for cooling your feet after hiking the sand dunes, but because the sand constantly is disrupting the flow of water, it is like being on an ocean beach with rolling waves flowing by.
Pinon Flats campground is the entrance to the dunes. This campground accommodates group camping and RV's up to 32 feet in length. Beware though, campsites are on a first-come-first-served basis.
This Colorado camping experience is one that the whole family won't want to miss. It's so different from the rest of Colorado that you have to see it to believe how relaxing the camping is in this area. But don't worry, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains close by, there's still plenty of the scenery that you came to Colorado for.
Trinidad Lake State Park
Camp beneath the foothills surrounding the Spanish Peaks for this Colorado camping experience. Trinidad Lake State Park has 62 campsites with some RV hook-ups.
The lake has enough open space water for all kinds of boating and swimming activities. Fishermen will find peace and solitude in many areas with a variety of cold water fishing such as brown and rainbow trout. There's warm water fish too. These include bass, catfish, crappie, bluegills, and the wonderful walleye as a good eating fish.
Fishing and boating are just part of this Colorado camping experience. Just like every other good camping spot in the state, there's hiking and biking to be enjoyed.
The Colorado camping experience is some of the best in North America. At your campsite you will find that your tent is a room with a fantastic view. While camping in Colorado you should remember that many of the campgrounds are at high altitudes. Be sure to acclimate to your surroundings before venturing out on the many trails that you will find for hiking and fishing.
Colorado is truly a wonderland for the camper. Make the most of your vacation by enjoying the Colorado camping experience that you will encounter in this unique state.
