We love camping in Colorado Springs. That’s easy to agree on. Many of us hear the mountains calling, and, well, you know the rest. Getting outside into nature to sleep beneath the stars is part of our Colorado lifestyle. What gets a little tricky is agreeing on exactly what the best camping in Colorado looks like.
We all have our preferred style and level of required creature comforts. Does your idea of roughing it mean having to run your own generator to power your RV’s air conditioner? Do you draw the line at no flush toilets? Is a hot shower nonnegotiable? Or are you hardcore about backpacking into the wilderness with only what you can carry?
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options for all styles of camping in Colorado, and we’ve got you covered no matter where you fall on the comfort-meter. Here are our 18 favorite spots for the best camping in Colorado Springs and within a short drive beyond, about an hour in most cases. We’ve even ranked them with a Comfort Meter score of one to five camp pillows. Five pillows is the cushiest; one the most rugged. Here’s how the scale works:
5 pillows: Full-service RV hookups, showers, flush toilets and other features of civilization
4 pillows: Electrical hookups, flush toilets, running water, possibly showers
3 pillows: Basic drive-in campsites with outhouses
2 pillows: Dispersed car camping. The only amenities are what you bring.
1 pillow: Full off-the-grid roughing it, aka backpacking
With that, here’s the list. We’ll see you in the mountains.
Best Camping IN Colorado Springs
Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Cheyenne Mountain State Park gives you the best of both nature and civilization. The in-town access couldn’t be closer, but you feel far away. The gorgeous setting provides mountain and city views from a peaceful perch directly beneath Cheyenne Mountain. (Yes, you can hike to its summit if you’re up for the challenge.) And your camping options include 10 tent sites, 51 RV sites with full hook-up and two cabins with kitchenettes and bathrooms.
Location: South side of Colorado Springs, 410 JL Ranch Heights Rd.
Activities: Hiking, biking, archery, disc golf, geocaching, ranger-led programs
Amenities: Modern bathrooms with flush toilets, coin-operated showers and laundry, ADA-accessible picnic areas, ranger station and programming
Season: Year-round options
Reservations: Required, and they fill up far in advance.
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Peregrine Pines FamCamp
If you are Active Duty military or have other Department of Defense eligibility, you have access to enjoy this large campground on the scenic U.S. Air Force Academy. There are 105 wooded sites, all with electrical, water and sewage hookups. There are also 10 tent sites. Bathhouses provide showers. And you can enjoy all the recreation activities at the Academy. It is a popular spot though, and Cadets can make reservation for family one year in advance of graduation. Some sponsored guests are allowed too, so if you know a guy, you might be able to tag along for a comfy campout.
Location: 9022 Peregrine Dr., U.S. Air Force Academy, northeast of Falcon Stadium
Activities: Fishing, biking, hiking, horseback riding, golf, outdoor laser tag, bowling, more
Amenities: Full hook-ups, big rig accessible, showers, laundry, playground, picnic area, access to all USAFA amenities including golf course, fitness center, commissary, exchange and more
Season: Year-round with some restrictions during peak season, Apr. 1 – Oct. 31
Reservations: Required and available 90 days in advance for Active Duty, 60 days for all other eligible users
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Best Campsites for Accessing Pikes Peak
Barr Camp
Camping at Barr Camp is a unique Pikes Peak experience. Think of it as backpacking with a few luxuries. You have to hike 6.5 miles up Barr Trail to get there, carrying your own gear.and gaining 3,800 vertical feet along the way. All reservations include a hot breakfast, and you can choose an optional dinner prepared by the camp caretakers. You also get to sleep on a mattress in the main cabin, bunkhouse and lean-to shelters. There’s no electricity or cell service, and you have to treat your drinking water. But there’s a camaraderie from sharing the camp and trail with other adventurers. Use it to break up the difficult hike up Pikes Peak or as its own scenic destination.
Location: Barr Trail, Pikes Peak at 10,200 feet
Activities: Hiking, trail running
Amenities: Beds with mattresses in hostel-style bunks, a private group cabin or lean-tos; tent sites, composting toilets, breakfast featuring Pikes Peak Power Pancakes and optional spaghetti dinner
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Required. Book ahead for the popular spot, usually available several months out.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows, but you work for it.
The Crags Campground
Located on the west side of Pikes Peak, the Crags is a popular trailhead and hiking area. The Crags Trail leads through rolling meadows to a high, rocky overlook with excellent views. The Devil’s Playground Trail leads to the summit of Pikes Peak. A babbling creek flows along the trails near the campground. The shady, peaceful campground has 17 sites for tents, trailers and small RVs.
Location: Forest Road 383, southeast of Divide
Activities: Hiking
Amenities: Vault toilets, potable water, fire pits, picnic tables
Season: May – September
Reservations: No, these campsites are first-come, first-served.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Best State Park for Year-Round Activities
Mueller State Park
The views are spacious in peaceful 5,000-acre Mueller State Park on the west side of Pikes Peak. Explore grassy meadows, rocky overlooks and shady pine forests, and watch for the park’s abundant wildlife, including a large elk herd that keeps a seasonal residence in the area. There are 136 campsites in multiple campgrounds, plus three full-service cabins. Campsites include 99 electric sites, 22 walk-in sites, four backcountry campsites, two equestrian sites and two ADA-accessible sites.
Location: 21045 CO-67, between Divide and Cripple Creek
Activities: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, ranger-led educational programs, geocaching, hunting, picnicking with one ADA-accessible area, seasonal hunting. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding.
Amenities: Comfort Station and Camper Services Building with flush toilets, coin-operated showers and laundry, vault toilets, dump station, playground
Season: Year-round options
Reservations: Required
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Best Lake Camping
Lake Pueblo State Park
This one is all about the water. Lake Pueblo is the largest lake near the Springs, with 60 miles of shoreline. Boating and fishing are favorite activities here, and the Rock Canyon Swim Beach is a hot spot. Three camping areas offer 393 campsites, all with paved parking pads and many with electrical hook-ups. All sites include sheltered picnic tables, an important feature in this hot, open landscape .
Location: 640 Pueblo Reservoir Road, west of Pueblo
Activities: Boating, water-skiing, wakeboarding, sailboarding, fishing, biking, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, seasonal hunting
Amenities: Electrical hookups, flush toilets, showers, water faucets, dump stations, marina
Season: Year-round options
Reservations: Required
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Rampart Range Reservoir
Rampart Range Reservoir offers a mountain lake experience less than an hour away from Colorado Springs. It’s stocked for fishing, which you can do from hand-launched boats. It’s also a scenic spot for paddling a canoe, kayak or standup paddleboard. Swimming is prohibited. Two campgrounds provide basic, nonelectric campsites for tents, trailers and RVs. The sites are set in pine forest near the rocky shoreline of the lake. Meadow Ridge Campground has 19 campsites. Thunder Ridge offers 21 sites. There are five universally accessible sites between the two.
Location: Off of Rampart Range Road, less than 10 miles northeast of Woodland Park
Activities: Fishing, small boating, paddling, hiking, biking
Amenities: Accessible vault toilets, potable water, boat ramp, trash collection, firewood for purchase
Season: May – October
Reservations: Recommended at least four days in advance
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Best Campsites for Fishing
Eleven Mile State Park
Home of Eleven Mile Reservoir, this is a fishing hot spot known for its trophy catches, including brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout as well as kokanee salmon and pike. You can fish from the shore or by boat or even on the ice in the winter. The South Platte River flowing through Eleven Mile Canyon just below the dam is an extremely popular fishery. The lake is also a popular sailing and windsurfing spot thanks to frequent wind. For camping, there are 325 campsites in nine campgrounds around the lake. Rocky Ridge Campground is nestled among rocky outcroppings and trees and has the only electrical sites. The North Shore Campground offers lakeshore sites and easy boat ramp access. And you can access the 14 backcountry campsites by hiking or paddling in.
Location: 4344 County Road 92, Lake George
Activities: Fishing, boating including rentals, sailing, windsurfing, paddling, hiking, biking, birding, seasonal hunting, cross country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing, marina
Amenities: The Camper Services building has the only flush toilets and coin-operated showers. Electrical sites in Rocky Ridge, two dump stations, a few universal access campsites, one universal access picnic area.
Season: Year-round options
Reservations: Required
Comfort Meter: 4 pillows
Lone Rock Campground
This is not a campground for seclusion, but it is the prime spot for fly fishing. The 18-site campground sits along the bank of the South Platte River and its Gold Medal waters, the highest designation for trout fisheries and habitat. It’s also the only campground on the Platte that allows RVs, though there are no hookups. All that makes Lone Rock extremely popular, so you have to reserve early to get a site.
Location: CO 67, about 1 mile west of Deckers
Activities: Fly fishing, nearby hiking
Amenities: Universally accessible vault toilets and picnic tables, two accessible campsites, drinking water during peak summer season.
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Required Memorial Day to Labor Day, the rest of the year first come, first served.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Best Campsites for Kids
Spruce Grove Campground
There’s good reason this medium-size campground has become so popular. Nestled against towering rock outcroppings, the campground straddles Tarryall Creek, and the Lizard Rock trailhead provides access to the unique Lost Creek Wilderness Area. The creek is the center of fun for families with kids, providing tubing, wading and even some fishing depending on water flows. Some of the 30 basic, nonelectric campsites accommodate trailers up to 35 feet. Eight of the sites are walk-in tent sites with some across the creek by bridge; 14 are universally accessible.
Location: County Road 77, 13 miles north of Lake George
Activities: Hiking, wading, tubing, fishing
Amenities: Vault toilets, water pump, trash collection
Season: May – October
Reservations: Highly recommended. Weekends fill up six months in advance.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Painted Rocks Campground
This small, rustic campground is easy to access about 7 miles north of Woodland Park. It provides a peaceful mountain getaway with unique red rock hoodoos, especially good for a mellow nature experience with young kids. The campsites are basic, nonelectrical and good for tents, trailers or small RVs. Some are shaded by pine trees; others are in sunny meadows. Manitou Lake Picnic Area is just across Colorado State Highway 67, 1 mile by road, where you can fish, paddle non-motorized boats or SUPs, picnic or hike around the 5-acre lake. A paved bike path runs along CO-67 all the way between Manitou Lake and Woodland Park.
Location: CO-67 north of Woodland Park
Activities: Biking, hiking, fishing, paddling, picnicking
Amenities: Vault toilets, potable water, trash collection
Season: Memorial Day to Labor Day
Reservations: Reservations recommended and must be booked four days in advance. Weekends fill up months in advance. Some sites are always first come, first served.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Best RV Resorts
Garden of the Gods RV Resort
So you want to camp in Colorado Springs, as in in town, with walking access to Garden of the Gods? This is your spot. With a full range of accommodations, you can choose how you want to camp. There are more than 150 campsites, ranging from tent sites to full-service, pull-through RV sites able to handle big rigs. Or you can choose a cottage or cabin. This is no wilderness experience. It’s a basecamp for exploring anything in Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, Colorado Springs and especially Garden of the Gods.
Location: 3704 W. Colorado Ave.
Activities: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking in Garden of the Gods. Anything in Colorado Springs.
Amenities: Full hook-ups, two heated swimming pools, game room and arcade, on-site convenience store, complimentary Wi-Fi, playground, gated dog park, community fire pits, laundry
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Highly recommended
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
rvcoutdoors.com/garden-of-the-gods-rv-resort/
Lone Duck Campground
Mountain setting? Check. Nearby access to Pikes Peak? Check. Short drive to Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park? Check. Full-service RV hookups, swimming pool and fishing pond? Check, check and check. You can choose cabins or tent sites too at this family-friendly RV resort along Ute Pass, about 20 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs.
Location: 8855 U.S. Highway 24, Cascade
Activities: Fishing, swimming, games, ATV tours, hiking in nearby Green Mountain Falls, exploring Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, Woodland Park
Amenities: Full-service hookups, free showers, coin-operated laundry, heated pool, fish pond, arcade, playground, free Wi-Fi, on-site convenience store, dishwashing station
Season: May 5 – Oct. 1
Reservations: Highly recommended
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Best Dispersed Camping Near Colorado Springs
North Divide / Manchester Creek
Sometimes you just want to drive out into the mountains and set up your own camp. All you have is what you bring for your own personal nature experience. Free, dispersed camping is allowed in many national forest areas, but overuse, destruction and extreme fire risk have brought more restrictions closer to populated areas like Colorado Springs. This area north of Divide offers lots of options along four-wheel drive roads and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trails. This is an extremely popular spot for ATVs, motorbikes and other off-road vehicles. If that’s your thing, you’re in the right spot. If the dust and engine noise bother you, avoid weekends which can be very busy.
Location: Forest Service Road 357, north of Divide. You might recognize it as one of the Christmas tree cutting areas for the Pike National Forest in recent years.
Activities: OHV, hiking
Amenities: There’s a single vault toilet at the Rule Ridge Trailhead. Otherwise, it’s only what you bring or nature gives you.
Season: May – December
Reservations: None. Follow these Forest Service guidelines as well as Leave No Trace principles.
Comfort Meter: 2 pillows
Rampart Range Road
This rugged dirt road follows the Front Range north of Woodland Park for about 50 miles, eventually connecting with Colorado State Highway 67 near Sedalia. Multiple four-wheel drive roads intersect the area. You can find dispersed campsites along the road as you head north from Woodland Park. Be sure to follow these Forest Service guidelines, check for any fire restrictions and practice Leave No Trace principles as much as possible. If you go far enough to cross into Douglas County, you eventually enter the Rampart Range Recreation Area, a popular OHV area where you must make reservations for designated dispersed campsites.
Location: Forest Service Road 300, north of Woodland Park
Activities: Hiking, off-roading; fishing and paddling at Rampart Range Reservoir
Amenities: None provided.
Season: May – Dec. 1
Reservations: None until entering the Rampart Range Recreation Area
Comfort Meter: 2 pillows
Best Backpacking Near Colorado Springs
Lost Creek Wilderness Area
For backpacking or horse-packing, Lost Creek offers a unique setting filled with fascinating, granite formations. There’s a prehistoric feel, as if you wouldn’t be surprised to see dinosaurs roaming among the towering rocks. This is the closest wilderness area to Colorado Springs, containing nearly 120,000 acres with a 136-mile trail network. Multiday loops are possible, but expect some big changes in elevation. Terrain ranges from heavy forest and rushing creeks to high meadows and craggy peaks. Large aspen groves make for beautiful fall color. This is a spectacular area worth exploring, but it does get heavy use, especially on summer weekends.
Location: North of Lake George, south of Bailey. There are trailheads on every side. The easiest access points from the Springs are the Goose Creek Trailhead or Lizard Rock Trailhead, both accessible from Lake George.
Activities: Backpacking, horse-packing, hiking
Amenities: You’re on your own. Practice Leave No Trace principles.
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Wilderness permits required, but free and self-service at trailheads.
Comfort Meter: 1 pillow
Best Ranch Camping
M Lazy C Ranch
Want to make your camping trip a Western ranch experience? Bring your RV to this historic guest ranch between Lake George and Wilkerson Pass, or reserve one of their historic cabins. You can go on horseback rides and watch rodeo exhibitions.
Location: 801 County Road 453, about 5 miles north of Lake George
Activities: Horseback riding, wagon rides, archery, ropes course, rappelling, games, fishing, ATV tours
Amenities: Full hook-up RV sites, bath house, recreation center
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Required
Comfort Meter: 5 pillows
Best Camping and Mountain Biking
Kelsey Campground
This small campground has 16 basic sites for tents and small trailers or RVs. It’s an excellent spot for mountain bikers wanting to explore the 40 miles of trail in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area. The Colorado Trail also passes through Buffalo Creek for hiking, and there is prime fly fishing a short drive away in the South Platte River near Deckers or in Buffalo Creek to the north.
Location: 22208 County Road 126, north of Deckers
Activities: Mountain biking, hiking, fishing
Amenities: Universally accessible vault toilets and picnic areas, water pump. No RV hookups.
Season: May – September
Reservations: Necessary to get a site on weekends. Two sites are first come, first served.
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
Best Camping and Climbing
Shelf Road
These two campgrounds are a haven for rock climbers. Shelf Road is known as one of the best climbing spots in Colorado thanks to bountiful limestone and year-round access. The Bank offers 33 newly renovated tent sites overlooking Shelf Road. About 1.5 miles away, Sand Gulch has 17 tent sites. This is also a perfect spot for mountain bikers wanting to ride Oil Well Flats. Note that road access to The Bank is especially steep and rough.
Location: County Road 9, north of Cañon City
Activities: Climbing, mountain biking, hiking, OHV riding
Amenities: Vault toilets
Season: Year-round
Reservations: Recommended, especially for weekends
Comfort Meter: 3 pillows
blm.gov/visit/shelf-road-sites
This article was originally published in July 2023 and updated in June 2024.
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