Colorado campground advise..

[oakmandan]

Hello all, my wife and I are planning a fall trip to Colorado. We are looking for advise on nice campgrounds. We want to stay near Colorado Springs and maybe the Estes Park. Any advise would be GREAT.
Thanks, Dan

[Lauren]

As usual, I agree with Ken 100%.

[4runnerguy]

What are you planning to do out of Colorado Springs? Unless you have something specific you want to see there, I'd recommend heading up to Salida or Buena Vista. Much less traffic, better scenery, and more aspen groves if you're here when the leaves are changing (mid to late September).

[dennis1949]

We stayed at Mountain Dale. A little far out but would stay there again

[Thom02099]

Denver Transplant wrote:
Mountain Dale is very nice. We've been there several times. North side is mostly full time residents and the south side is used for actual campers. Its a good base for going to Canon City, Royal Gorge and Colorado Springs. Its about half way between them.

Also Mueller State Park is good for Elk, but in the fall it can be cool as the park is at 9000 ft. You might even get some snow.

North of there there is Golden Gate Canyon State Park - also high (8,000 ft).

One other spot that may not be open in late fall is Brainerd Lake Recreation Area - its even higher at 10,500 ft and generally closes in mid October. You want a site in the west loop. The east loop had a micro burst a few winters ago that knocked down all of the trees.

All these locations are popular and you will need reservations, especially for weekends.

Just for clarification...

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is northwest of Golden CO. It can be accessed from the east (CO 93) or from the west (CO 119). Accessing the campground from the west outside of Black Hawk is the way I usually go. Reverend's Ridge is the campground there, open all year with one loop available after the season as walk in. It's more convenient to Estes Park than to Colorado Springs.

Pawnee Campground in the Brainerd Lake area closes in early September. It's walk in only all season -- reservations are not available. It's convenient to Estes Park, as it's outside of Ward CO, about a 35-40min drive south of Estes Park on the Peak to Peak Highway.

[Denver_Transpla]

Mountain Dale is very nice. We've been there several times. North side is mostly full time residents and the south side is used for actual campers. Its a good base for going to Canon City, Royal Gorge and Colorado Springs. Its about half way between them.

Also Mueller State Park is good for Elk, but in the fall it can be cool as the park is at 9000 ft. You might even get some snow.

North of there there is Golden Gate Canyon State Park - also high (8,000 ft).

One other spot that may not be open in late fall is Brainerd Lake Recreation Area - its even higher at 10,500 ft and generally closes in mid October. You want a site in the west loop. The east loop had a micro burst a few winters ago that knocked down all of the trees.

All these locations are popular and you will need reservations, especially for weekends.

[Cheryl_B]

I spent about 7 weeks in the Springs area this past Fall. I didn't make reservations and just went by whatever campgrounds were with Passport America and then stayed as many days as they could fit me in. It wasn't the best way to go about it, but I had no definite plans so I had to be flexible.

Foot of the Rockies is a decent park and the spaces are large. It's nothing fancy, even though it's called a "resort." No restrooms, pool, or anything other than free wifi and a laundry room. They have a nice view of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, but you have to strain your neck to see it sometimes.

Goldfield RV park is not too bad either. My first impression was negative but then it grew on me. It's a glorified parking lot but the spaces vary depending on the area of the park you're in. They have free wifi, I think cable tv (I don't have a tv so I don't make note of those things), a laundry room, bath house, and it's in Old Colorado City.

There's another one in that same area but just down the street. They aren't with Passport America and they aren't the cheapest but they are pretty decent. There is a brook that runs along it. Fountain Creek, I think is the name. They sell propane (just an FYI for when you're in the Springs and are looking to fill up.)

I spent time in Walmart parking lots in between the campgrounds and I can tell you that they are growing less and less hospitable because of the problem with the homeless there. People living in their cars and leaving piles of garbage in their wake when they drive out of the parking lots. It's sad and they are ruining it for people who are more conscientious about how they leave their imprint.

It's a very busy time to be in that area so if you can make a reservation, you might be much better off. I wish I could give you a glowing report on one of the campgrounds I spent time in but they aren't anything to crow about.

Enjoy your trip! So much to see and do there and Fall is so lovely.

[patperry2766]

X2 on Mueller SP.

Mountiandale is also another nice park that we have stayed at. Both are in bear country so it will take a little bit of a different camping strategies. We were at Mountiandale a couple of years back and we were walking to the showers one evening...we saw a nice big steaming pile of bear scat.

[oakmandan]

Thank you all for the information. If you ever need info on Iowa or Michigan campgrounds, I can help!

[fanrgs]

In the Colorado Springs area, we like the state park campgrounds. Cheyenne Mountain State Park is very close to the city, Ft. Carson, and the Cheyenne Mountain NORAD Tunnel (if you get tour reservations well in advance). It doesn't have large trees, but some sites are well-screened by small trees and bushes. It has 32 FHU sites if you are planning to stay for a while. We stayed there during the Colorado Springs Balloon Festival and had a great nighttime view of the city from our rear picture window.

Farther from the city, but a state park with a spectacular mountain setting, is Mueller State Park on CO 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek. No FHU sites area available, just tree-shaded, 30/50A electric sites with separate water and a dump. This is one of Colorado's most popular state parks, even in the fall, so reservations are a must.

Both parks are open year-round and reservations are available on ReserveAmerica HERE.

[craig7h]

We were in Estes Park this past fall,3rd week in Sept. We went there to experiance the Elk Buggling and it was well worth it. As much as I do not like KOA's we stayed at the one in Estes. It made a great base camp to not only see the city but to enter RMNP at both sides.

Yes its like all the other KOA's tight sights. Need to make reservations WELL in advance.

[Thom02099]

H E R E - Estes Park is a previous post on Estes Park. I'm up there frequently and this information is based on first hand experiences.

This is information on commercial campgrounds. There are USFS CG to the south of Estes Park, but none in the immediate EP area.

Also, you mentioned a fall trip. Do you have specific dates or months in mind? The season in Estes Park is relatively short. Closures begin in mid-September and in a few cases may go to late October.

There are also 3 CG inside RMNP, which are very popular, and for good reason. They put you in the park for the true Rocky experience. Reservations are a must, as sites go quickly. There is a 180 day window, so if this interests you, choose a date and figure out the 180 window date and make a reservation.

[2oldman]

Advice: CO Springs