The best camping in Colorado

Camping in Colorado means falling asleep under inky-black skies dotted with stars, waking up to birdsong and wildflowers and spending the day adventuring on trails and waterways. Sure, you could book a hotel or vacation rental during your next trip to the Centennial State, but then you’d miss out on the total immersion in nature – and isn’t that why you’ve come to Colorado in the first place? 

Pitching a tent or cozying up inside an RV is one of the best ways to experience the Centennial State’s diverse landscapes. I’ve camped in just about every nook and cranny of Colorado; Below are some of my favorite places to camp across the state.

Oh Be Joyful Campground

Where is it: 5 miles outside of Crested Butte

What makes it great: Perched on the banks of the Slate River, this campground has tall, shady trees and spacious campsites. Wake up, cook some breakfast, then walk just a few minutes across the footbridge and you’ll find yourself on the Oh Be Joyful Trail – no driving or parking required. As you hike, you’ll encounter crashing waterfalls and colorful wildflowers, including penstemons, mule’s ears sunflowers, and Indian paintbrushes.

Amenities: Choose between 30 campsites, including 14 RV sites, 15 walk-in tent sites and one walk-in group site. Each site has a parking space, a metal fire ring, a picnic table, a tent pad and a bear-proof food storage locker. There are three vault toilets at this campground.

How to book:Recreation.gov 

Where to stock up on provisions: For groceries, head to the recently renovated Clark’s Market. If you’re in town on a Sunday between the end of May and early October, stop by the Crested Butte Farmers Market.

Best thing to do in the area: Crested Butte’s nickname is the “wildflower capital of Colorado,” so anything outdoorsy that lets you see nature’s kaleidoscope is ideal. Hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing and horseback riding are all great options. 

State Forest State Park

Where is it: 16 miles outside of Walden

What makes it great: Nearby Walden is known as the “moose-viewing capital of Colorado,” and that nickname extends to State Forest State Park. When you camp here, you have a good chance of spotting one of these majestic, antler-topped ungulates. Just be sure you keep your distance and give these animals plenty of space.  

Amenities: The park offers tent, RV and group campsites, including some with electrical hook-ups. Vault toilets, a dump station and drinking water are also available. If you don’t feel like roughing it, book a cabin or a yurt.

How to book:Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Where to stock up on provisions: Pop into North Park Super’s in Walden for groceries and other supplies.

Best thing to do in the area: State Forest State Park is remote and rugged, so set your out-of-office reply and spend a few days totally off the grid. Spanning more than 70,000 acres, the park is ideal for hiking, fishing, paddling on North Michigan Reservoir, horseback riding, birding and, of course, looking for moose. 

Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Where is it: 7 miles outside of Steamboat Springs

What makes it great: Where else can you roll out of your sleeping bag, pull on your swimsuit and slip into a warm, toasty hot springs pool? When you camp at Strawberry Park Hot Springs, sleep under the stars and soak in naturally heated thermal waters, which are typically at least 102˚F.

Amenities: The walk-to tent sites are located along Hot Spring Creek and equipped with propane grills and picnic tables. There’s also one vehicle camping spot for a standard car (no RVs allowed), plus covered wagons, cabins and a renovated train caboose. Overnight guests can use the pools from sunrise to midnight on every full day of their stay. Restrooms, a heated changing cabin, picnic areas and massage appointments are also available. 

How to book:Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Where to stock up on provisions: Steamboat Springs has several grocery stores, including a Safeway, a City Market and a Natural Grocers. 

Best thing to do in the area: You’ll be glad you’re staying next to a hot springs when you realize how sore your muscles are from mountain biking, hiking, tubing, fishing and other adventures. For a more mellow day, wander among the blooms at Yampa River Botanic Park or explore downtown shops like F.M. Light & Sons, which has been selling Western wear here for more than a century. 

Big B’s Delicious Orchards

Where is it: 2 miles outside of Paonia

What makes it great: Sure, standard campgrounds are great. But at Big B’s Delicious Orchards, you can camp among rows of trees loaded with luscious fruits—including apples, peaches, apricots, plums, pears and cherries. During harvest season, when the fruits are ripe and ready to pick, the whole place smells heavenly. And because Big B’s offers “u-pick” fruits throughout the late summer and early, you can pick your own and munch to your heart’s content.  

Amenities: Big B’s has rustic campsites spread throughout its organic orchard, available for tents, small campervans, pop-up trailers and large RVs; some have fire rings. There’s a store and cafe on-site that offers lunch and dinner, as well as just-picked fruits, snacks, ciders and other goodies. Fresh water and WiFi are available. Big B’s usually has live music on Friday nights, and the whole place gets lively and social.

How to book: Big B’s Delicious Orchards on Campspot

Where to stock up on provisions: You’ll find most of what you need at the on-site store and cafe. But for other groceries, head to Don’s Market in Paonia. 

Best thing to do in the area: Visit one of the many local wineries in the region, like the Storm Cellar and Black Bridge Winery, for a taste of Paonia’s unique high-elevation terroir. Or, meet the adorable goats and pick up some cheese at Western Culture Creamery & Farmstead.

Morefield Campground

Where is it: Inside Mesa Verde National Park

What makes it great: Though Colorado’s other national parks tend to get all the attention (we’re looking at you, Rocky Mountain National Park), Mesa Verde National Park is worth planning a trip around in its own right. At this 52,000-acre swath in the southwest corner of the state, explore more than 700 years of human history. And staying at Morefield Campground means you can wake up and start exploring right away.

Amenities: Among its 267 campsites, Morefield has a mix of tent-only, RV and group sites. Each site has a gravel tent pad, a picnic table and a fire pit or a grill. An on-site store offers groceries, supplies and gifts. Nearby Morefield Village, meanwhile, has a cafe, a coin-operated laundromat, showers, firewood, gasoline and a dog boarding facility. 

How to book:Visit Mesa Verde

Where to stock up on provisions: If you want to load up before you enter the park, make a stop in nearby Cortez, which has a Safeway, a City Market and a Walmart.

Best thing to do in the area: You can easily spend several days exploring Mesa Verde National Park, which protects nearly 5000 archaeological sites – including 600 cliff dwellings inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo people some 1000 years ago. You can see them by booking one of three guided tours or taking a scenic drive along Mesa Top Loop Road. Within the national park, hike, stargaze, attend cultural demonstrations, birdwatch, and more.

Piñon Flats Campground

Where is it: Inside Great Sand Dunes National Park

What makes it great: The sand dunes are one of the quirkiest, coolest and most otherworldly natural formations in all of Colorado – you just don’t expect to find miles and miles of soft sand in a landlocked state. Since the national park is fairly remote, spend less time driving and more time exploring by camping at Piñon Flats. Wake to views of the undulating mounds of sand.

Amenities: Choose between 88 individual campsites for tents and RVs up to 35ft or three tent-only group sites. Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring with a grate, a bear-proof food storage locker and a tent pad. The campground has restrooms, drinking water and a small store offering drinks, snacks, firewood, ice and some groceries.

How to book:Recreation.gov

Where to stock up on provisions: The largest nearby town is Alamosa, which has a City Market, a Safeway and a Walmart. You can also find some provisions in small stores in the towns of Mosca, Blanca, Hooper and Fort Garland.

Best thing to do in the area: Hiking is the easiest way to explore the dunes. For a more adrenaline-pumping experience, hike to the top and glide back down atop a sandboard or sand sled. (They’re available for rent from several nearby retailers.) Because there’s little light pollution, Great Sand Dunes National Park is also an ideal place to stargaze. In late spring and early summer, splash around in Medano Creek.

Rifle Falls State Park

Where is it: 12 miles outside of Rifle

What makes it great: With its limestone caves, towering waterfalls and lush foliage, Rifle Falls State Park is unlike anywhere else in Colorado. And, since it’s more than three hours from Denver, this otherworldly spot doesn’t get too crowded. After snoozing in your tent or RV, wake up feeling refreshed – and, if not, feel the cool mist on your face from East Rifle Creek as it flows over the edge of tall cliffs.

Amenities: The park has seven walk-in and 13 drive-in campsites, including some with electricity. Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring, and a bear-proof food storage box. Bathrooms and water hydrants are also available.

How to book:Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Where to stock up on provisions: Before you enter the park, stop in Rifle to pick up what you need. It has a City Market and a Walmart, as well as several liquor stores. 

Best thing to do in the area: Within the state park, lace up your hiking shoes and explore the three trails. If you’re comfortable being in enclosed spaces, grab a flashlight or a headlamp and check out the limestone caves. Look (and listen) for the many creatures who call the park home, including three species of bats, marmot, elk and warbling vireos. Take a free tour of the fish hatchery, one of the largest trout-producing facilities in the state.

Echo Park Campground 

Where is it: Inside Dinosaur National Monument

What makes it great: Perched on the banks of the Green River, this campground is surrounded by cliffs, including a prominent landmark called Steamboat Rock. During your stay, you’ll likely spot deer and bighorn sheep hanging around. Nearby, find the Pool Creek petroglyphs, a series of dot-patterned etchings made high on the canyon walls.

Amenities:Echo Park has just 21 individual campsites, and one group site. The drive-up sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and the walk-to sites have food storage lockers. The campground has vault toilets, drinking water spigots and a self-pay station.

How to book: All of the individual sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis—they’re not reservable. However, the group site can be reserved online at Recreation.gov. If you can’t find a site here, the national monument also has several other campgrounds.

Where to stock up on provisions: Dinosaur National Monument is really far out there, so ensure you’ve got plenty of supplies before you start adventuring. Drop into the White River Market in Rangely on your way into the park.

Best thing to do in the area: The name says it all; Dinosaur National Monument is home to 1500 fossilized dinosaur bones from Late Jurassic creatures like stegosaurus and allosaurus. You can see these 150-million-year-old remains in the Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall (though you’ll have to drive to the Utah side of the park to see them). Beyond the dinos, this is a popular spot to go whitewater rafting, and there are many different outfitters who will take you on a single- or multi-day trip. Dinosaur National Monument is also an International Dark Sky Park, so stay up late or wake early to contemplate the cosmos.

East Ridge Campground

Where is it: 12 miles west of Cañon City, inside Royal Gorge Park

What makes it great: Head just two hours south from Denver and find yourself at the Royal Gorge, a 1200ft-deep canyon etched into the landscape by the Arkansas River over millions of years. Suspended above the gorge is the nation’s highest suspension bridge, which dates back to 1929. As you might expect, the gorge is a popular tourist destination – but most people overlook the on-site campground.

Amenities: Open year-round, the campground has 23 campsites, including a mix of tent-only and RV sites. Each spot has a picnic table and a fire pit, and the campground has two vault toilet facilities.

How to book:CivicRec

Where to stock up on provisions: Cañon City has a City Market, a Safeway and a Natural Grocers, plus several liquor stores.

Best thing to do in the area: The campground is surrounded by trails; bring your mountain bike or your hiking shoes. You can also walk across the Royal Gorge bridge, whitewater raft underneath it, soar across on the zip line, and work on your mountaineering skills on the Via Ferrata. Or, catch a ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, which travels along tracks at the bottom of the gorge.

Ward Lake Campground

Where is it: 50 miles outside of Grand Junction

What makes it great: The pointy peaks of the Rockies typically hog the spotlight, but Colorado is also home to the world’s largest flat-top mountain, called Grand Mesa. Located some 11,000 feet above sea level, this plateau is home to more than 300 lakes, as well as stately evergreens and reddish-orange sandstone canyons. You can definitely day-trip from nearby Grand Junction, but camping is the best way to immerse yourself in this unique environment.

Amenities: The campground has 27 sites, plus vault toilets, picnic tables and firewood bundles available for purchase.

How to book:Ward Lake is all first-come, first-served, but nearby Cobbett Lake Campground has some reservable sites. There are also many other campgrounds on the mesa.

Where to stock up on provisions: Find everything you need in Grand Junction, the largest city in the region. It has a City Market, a Safeway, a Sprouts Farmers Market and other stores to load up on supplies. Check out the downtown farmers market on Thursdays in the summer.  

Best thing to do in the area: The mesa is ideal for scenic drives, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and paddling around on the water. If you could use a break from all the adventuring, visit one of Palisade’s many wineries, like Sauvage Spectrum and Carboy Winery at Mt Garfield Estates.