Best Camping Near Denver

There are lots of amazing places to go camping around Denver. Colorado is known for its beautiful Mountains and lakes and has plenty of state parks to explore.

We have put together this list of the best places to go camping within a few hours of Denver to help you plan your perfect trip. Keep reading to find out which campground would be best suited to you and your needs.

Cherry Creek State Park Campground

This campground is a 35 minute drive from Denver and offers year round camping with limited facilities in the winter. It is suitable for tent camping and RV camping with a mixture of basic tent sites and sites with electrical hookups – 20 amp, 30 amp and 50 amp options.

The campground also benefits from amenities like showers, restrooms, a dump station and laundry facilities. You can also purchase firewood on the campground for your campfires.

All sites need to be reserved online. Larger groups might want to make use of the amphitheater which can accommodate up to 100 people. It offers seating, a firepit and a podium and can be booked by calling the Camper Registration Office.

Cherry Creek State Park is a fantastic place to go camping because there is so much to do. You can hike, geocache, shoot, ski and go horseback riding.

There is hunting, fishing, boating, and various types of wildlife watching. You can also take part in off-roading and in the winter, snowmobiling. You will never run out of things to do, and that’s before you have even visited Denver!

Aspen Meadow Campground

Aspen Meadow Campground is located in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It is a tent only campground that is reachable by car, and is around a 45 minute to 60 minute drive to Denver.

It is quite a simple campground, but it is extremely beautiful and peaceful. The campsites are partially shaded and nicely spread out, each one as picturesque as the next. Dogs are allowed on the campground if they are kept on a leash.

Aspen Meadow benefits from vault toilets, a water pump, tent pads, picnic tables and fire rings. Two of the sites can also accommodate horses.

If you are visiting the Golden Gate Canyon State Park in an RV then you can stay at Reverend’s Ridge instead.

It has more amenities than Aspen Meadow, like electrical hookups, flushable toilets and showers, but it is not as peaceful as a larger campground. Both of these campgrounds need to be booked in advance.

If you prefer primitive camping then you can get yourself a backcountry permit and use one of the designated areas within the park.

Moraine Park Campground

Moraine Park Campground is on the East Side of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the most popular national park in the state of Colorado.

It can take up to two hours to drive to Denver from the campground, but you are in the perfect spot to explore the east side of the national park. The park has over 300 miles of hiking trails, with impressive mountains and serene lakes.

This campground is large, with 244 sites. It is open year round, with limited facilities in the winter. The flush toilets, dump station and amphitheater are seasonal, along with the sale of firewood and ice.

The vault toilets are available all year round, as well as the food storage lockers, potable water, and trash and recycling collection.

You can have fires on the campgrounds but only in the metal grates provided, and you must use fired wood rather than gathered wood. There are two solar shower stalls for guests that bring their own solar shower bag.

This is a great spot for getting close to nature. The area is known for bears, elk, deer, racoons and other animals as well as many species of birds. It is one of the only campgrounds open all year round and offers fantastic views of Longs Peak.

Belle Of Colorado Campground

This tent-only campground is found on the Eastern shore of Lake Turquoise, just over 100 miles from Denver. It gets its name from the turquoise deposits in the area along with the gold and silver mines.

The lake is surrounded by pine trees, offering shade and some interesting wildlife. The water is cool and refreshing, perfect for water sports and boating.

The campground has 19 sites that are first come first serve. It is open seasonally from May through until early September. The campground is usually quite busy on weekends, so it is easier to secure a site on a weekday.

Some of the campsites are right on the shoreline, with a picturesque view. Dogs are allowed on the campground as long as they are kept on a leash, which means you can bring your furry friend on holiday with you.

This campground benefits from picnic tables, fire rings, cooking grills, potable water and vault toilets. Each campsite can accommodate up to 8 people.

If you like fishing, this is a great place to visit. You can expect to catch various types of trout including rainbow, brown and cutthroat. There are also some great hiking trails that take you along the shoreline of the lake as well as through the forest.

Pearl Lake State Park

Pearl Lake State Park is over 3 hours outside of Denver, but it is definitely worth a visit. There are 38 campsites spread across two areas – the Pearl Lake upper loop and the Pearl Lake lower loop. You can reserve sites online, which is recommended if you want to guarantee a space.

All of the campsites have views of the lake as well as the surrounding mountains. There is forest surrounding the camp, but most of the sites are in the sun.

The campground benefits from picnic tables, fire rings, tent pads, drinking water, vault toilets and flush toilets. There is also use of showers, laundry facilities and a dump station at Steamboat Lake State Park which is very close by.

Pets are allowed on the campground if they are kept on a leash. There are also two yurts on the campground that you can rent seasonally. This campground is quiet and peaceful, and there are no RVs allowed so you won’t get any generator noise.

Rainbow Lakes Campground

This campground is around 56 miles outside of Denver. It is run by the Forest Service and the sites are first come first serve. It is a seasonal campground, open from May through to late September.

The sites are usually full for the weekend by Friday morning, so you will need to arrive early to get a space. It is easier to get a site if you come on a weekday.

There are only 18 sites and they are suitable for tents or small trailers – most RVs are too large for the sites. 3 of the campsites are tent only as they are walk-in rather than drive-in.

Each site can accommodate up to 8 people, apart from one of the campsites that can fit up to 15 people. From this campground you can hike around Rainbow Lakes and the surrounding streams. You can also explore Indian Peaks Wilderness which is popular with backpackers, anglers and wildlife spotters.

Chatfield State Park

This campground is only 30 minutes away from Denver which is ideal if you want to be close to the city. The campground is suitable for individual or group camping, and reservations must be made online.

Full hookups are available in season and some electrical hookups are available all year round. There are coin operated showers and laundry facilities on the campground.

There are 197 sites for individual camping spread across 4 areas. Each site has a picnic table and grill and is walking distance to the lake. There is access to flush toilets and drinking water.

The areas designated for group camping only have access to the shower house and bathrooms in season – they are closed in the winter. Make sure to check which facilities in each area will be open when planning your trip.

Chatfield State Park is a popular area for boating and other water activities like kayaking, paddle boarding and jet skiing. There is a large stable for horseback riding and a recreation area where dogs are allowed off the leash.

Dispersed Camping

If you prefer primitive camping then there are lots of spots around Denver where you can go off-road and choose your own spot. John Pass Road is a great option. It has a small parking lot with various dispersed camping sites coming off it.

The area is lined with aspen trees which provide shade, and the mountain views are stunning. This area is just over an hour’s drive from Denver.

Summary

These campgrounds vary in terms of size, facilities and distance from Denver. You will be sure to find your ideal campground for your trip to Denver.