Rocky Mountains camping

[OSCBRADLEY]

Hello,
We are going to Rocky Mountains National Park this September. We have never been there before and in researching campgrounds it seems like the only option is private campgrounds. I was hoping for something more "National Park" style campgrounds. Are there any or is there just private ones? Would love to know your favorite campgrounds in the area and why you like it. Would also love to know your favorite hikes and things to see. We are in our early 50's and in good shape for not to difficult hikes. Our RV is a 26' Winnebago class C. Thanks!!!

[profdant139]

I agree that the east side of RMNP in September is very crowded -- but you can find solitude on the trails. As much as I hate crowds, I am glad we visited RMNP in the fall, at least once in our lives:


Click For Full-Size Image.

[Thunder_Mountai]

patperry2766 wrote:

ppine wrote:
I used to live in Colorado and went to RMNP once. Too crowded. There are so many great places in the state to wander around in.

such as?

Been to Durango area before I had RV then to Ridgway SP and Mueller SP with the camper. Always looking for good recommendations. Thanks

We lived in EP from 1980 till 2010. September is absolutely beautiful. It used to be a time for us to catch our breath after a busy summer packed with tourists. Weekends were busy with leaf lookers and elk watchers. The trails and Park were pretty much empty during the week. Now, September is just an extension of summer. It is packed with tourists and the Park is absolute gridlock. We sadly left EP in 2010 because we couldn't take the chaos that is now EP and RMNP. There are many just as nice places to visit in September. Think about Buena Vista/Leadville/Salida, Durango/Silverton, Ouray, or Lake City.

If you "must" go to EP in September, try to arrive on Monday and depart on Friday. Peak leaf time is around the third week of September.

[Thom02099]

patperry2766 wrote:

ppine wrote:
I used to live in Colorado and went to RMNP once. Too crowded. There are so many great places in the state to wander around in.

such as?

Been to Durango area before I had RV then to Ridgway SP and Mueller SP with the camper. Always looking for good recommendations. Thanks

H E R E is a good starting point for things to do in Colorado. As stated above, a lot depends on your interests. Some folks hate the cities, wouldn't be caught dead in them, but there's a lot to do in the various major cities in Colorado, both along the Front Range as well as the Western Slope and intermountain region. Colorado is not a boring state... :C

[ppine]

I like the Never Summer Range, Mt Zirkel Wilderness, Flat Tops, Grand Mesa, the central part near the Maroon Bells and especially the San Juan Mtns and the Weminuche Wilderness Area.

[profdant139]

patperry, we discovered that there is great camping all over Colorado, with the possible exception of the part near Kansas (and even that part is nice, if you like wide open sky).

The real issue is what sorts of activities do you like? Do you hike, mountain bike, or fish? Jeeping? Dirt bikes? Do you prefer boondocking or campgrounds?

We've now spent two months in Colorado (two Septembers), and I can see that there is more to do than we could do in a lifetime.

[ppine]

Get a hold some USFS maps. There is one for each forest. Take a look at them. Stop in at a Ranger District office for some advice. Then you can see the Rockies without parking lots and lines of people.

[patperry2766]

ppine wrote:
I used to live in Colorado and went to RMNP once. Too crowded. There are so many great places in the state to wander around in.

such as?

Been to Durango area before I had RV then to Ridgway SP and Mueller SP with the camper. Always looking for good recommendations. Thanks

[ppine]

After yo uget tired of the crowds, try a nearby National Forest and it will be much quieter.

[ngreen]

What for cancellations for Moraine campground online. you have to make reservations 6 months in advance to get a spot so sometimes people cancel. be sure and go to Moraine valley around dusk and watch the Elk in rut. It is amazing....but crowded

[ppine]

I used to live in Colorado and went to RMNP once. Too crowded. There are so many great places in the state to wander around in.

[OSCBRADLEY]

Thom02099 wrote:

OSCBRADLEY wrote:
Hello,
We are going to Rocky Mountains National Park this September. We have never been there before and in researching campgrounds it seems like the only option is private campgrounds. I was hoping for something more "National Park" style campgrounds. Are there any or is there just private ones? Would love to know your favorite campgrounds in the area and why you like it. Would also love to know your favorite hikes and things to see. We are in our early 50's and in good shape for not to difficult hikes. Our RV is a 26' Winnebago class C. Thanks!!!

There are 4 CG inside RMNP; Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, and Aspenglen are all on the east side outside of Estes Park. Timber Creek is on the west side outside of Grand Lake.

The problem is that September is a very popular time to be in Rocky and will have been fully reserved by now. AND...Glacier Basin closes right after Labor Day, so it's not available for most of the month.

Timber Creek on the west side would be the best bet as it is all first come/first served; reservations not accepted. And your class C is small enough for most of the sites there. It was originally built in a forest area with some size limits, but the trees have been cut down due to beetle kill a number of years ago.

There are some USFS CG outside of Estes Park to the south along CO 7/72, known as the Peak to Peak Highway. Might be able to find a reservation in one of those, but keep in mind that they start to close about mid-September. Olive Ridge, Peaceful Valley, and Camp Dick are all CG to consider depending on when in September you plan to be out here.

The commercial RV parks/CG will likely be fully reserved or close to it, for September. Look into Estes Park Campground at Mary's Lake; it is operated by the Town of Estes Park Recreation and Parks Department and is the lowest priced of all of the commercial CG in the area ($47/night for FHU). There's also W/E sites there as well as dry camping. Common water and a dump station there as well.

Over on the west side by Grand Lake, there's 3-4 USFS CG in the area that may work for you. They are Stillwater, Green Ridge, Sunset Point and Arapaho Bay around the lakes in the area. There's also a few commercial CG/RV Parks on the west side as well.

Thom02099--THANK YOU for all that info!! I was not expecting anything so complete!! You have given us lots of research to do 🙂

[OSCBRADLEY]

profdant139 wrote:
We stayed at Timber Creek for several days -- the west side is nice, but there is a lot more to do on the east side of the park. I guess that is why it is so crowded (and also because it is closer to Denver). I did not want to go to the east side -- I hate crowds -- but fortunately I was "persuaded" by DW.

We had to stay at Mary's Lake -- as RV parks go, it was pretty good. We had a great time on the east side -- I am glad we went, even though it was so busy.

For whatever it's worth, here is our blog post:

RMNP in September

Thank you for that info, I hate crowds as well :)....will definitely be reading your blog!!

[profdant139]

We stayed at Timber Creek for several days -- the west side is nice, but there is a lot more to do on the east side of the park. I guess that is why it is so crowded (and also because it is closer to Denver). I did not want to go to the east side -- I hate crowds -- but fortunately I was "persuaded" by DW.

We had to stay at Mary's Lake -- as RV parks go, it was pretty good. We had a great time on the east side -- I am glad we went, even though it was so busy.

For whatever it's worth, here is our blog post:

RMNP in September

[Thom02099]

OSCBRADLEY wrote:
Hello,
We are going to Rocky Mountains National Park this September. We have never been there before and in researching campgrounds it seems like the only option is private campgrounds. I was hoping for something more "National Park" style campgrounds. Are there any or is there just private ones? Would love to know your favorite campgrounds in the area and why you like it. Would also love to know your favorite hikes and things to see. We are in our early 50's and in good shape for not to difficult hikes. Our RV is a 26' Winnebago class C. Thanks!!!

There are 4 CG inside RMNP; Moraine Park, Glacier Basin, and Aspenglen are all on the east side outside of Estes Park. Timber Creek is on the west side outside of Grand Lake.

The problem is that September is a very popular time to be in Rocky and will have been fully reserved by now. AND...Glacier Basin closes right after Labor Day, so it's not available for most of the month.

Timber Creek on the west side would be the best bet as it is all first come/first served; reservations not accepted. And your class C is small enough for most of the sites there. It was originally built in a forest area with some size limits, but the trees have been cut down due to beetle kill a number of years ago.

There are some USFS CG outside of Estes Park to the south along CO 7/72, known as the Peak to Peak Highway. Might be able to find a reservation in one of those, but keep in mind that they start to close about mid-September. Olive Ridge, Peaceful Valley, and Camp Dick are all CG to consider depending on when in September you plan to be out here.

The commercial RV parks/CG will likely be fully reserved or close to it, for September. Look into Estes Park Campground at Mary's Lake; it is operated by the Town of Estes Park Recreation and Parks Department and is the lowest priced of all of the commercial CG in the area ($47/night for FHU). There's also W/E sites there as well as dry camping. Common water and a dump station there as well.

Over on the west side by Grand Lake, there's 3-4 USFS CG in the area that may work for you. They are Stillwater, Green Ridge, Sunset Point and Arapaho Bay around the lakes in the area. There's also a few commercial CG/RV Parks on the west side as well.