$25 / night

Camper submitted image from Pawnee Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Pawnee Campground - 2

Nature

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Water

Camper submitted image from Pawnee Campground - 4

Roads

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Facilities

Established Camping

Pawnee Campground

16 Reviews

About

National Forest

Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG

Overview

Pawnee Campground is located in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, off the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, 35 miles south of Estes Park and the main entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, canoeing and hiking opportunities.

Recreation

Brainard Lake is a popular destination for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. Long Lake, Red Rock Lake and Left Hand Reservoir are nearby. Several trails in the area provide access to the adjacent Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. Hiking is allowed on all trails; mountain biking is allowed outside the wilderness area. Rock climbing, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are often available, weather permitting.

Facilities

Natural Features

The campground lies at the foot of the Continental Divide, next to 25-acre Brainard Lake and the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area at an elevation of 10,350 feet. A scenic forest of spruce and fir trees covers the area. Summertime temperatures are warm in the day and cool at night. Afternoon thunderstorms are common.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Nederland is 14 miles south of the campground, offering grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, gas, a bank and a post office. Rocky Mountain National Park's main entrance is 35 miles north in Estes Park. With lush valleys and craggy peaks reaching elevations higher than 14,000 feet, visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park. Estes Park is a full-service community. Dining, shopping, rafting, fly-fishing, horseback riding and golfing opportunities are available there. Lake Estes offers boating, sailboarding and fishing.

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.

Reservation Info

Reservations can be made from up to 180 to a minimum of four days in advance of your arrival to the campground.

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Location

Pawnee Campground is located in Colorado

Directions

From Denver, travel north on Interstate 25 to U.S. Highway 36 West to Boulder. Continue on Colorado Highway 119 (Canyon Boulevard) for 22 miles to Nederland, then go north on Colorado Highway 72 to Ward. Turn left at the sign and travel 5 miles to Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

Coordinates

40.1314556 N
105.5670611 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Market
Trash
Picnic Table
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE

$25

/ night

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

(877) 444-6777

Donna F.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 19, 2022

Gorgeous area!

We love this campground! Moose loop is wooded, elk loop not so much. However, there are great views from the elk loop. We especially like the walk in spots. You have to get on the web site early (like months in advance) to get a reservation. However, when we there this week, there were many empty camp spaces, so keep checking the web site if you want to camp. My favorite spot in Colorado. The views from the lake and the hikes are so amazing!

SiteMoose 16

Month of VisitAugust

Fabio O.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 9, 2021

Great Camp at 10K Feet

This is a very nice campground. There are a lot of trees around but avoid sites 1-14 since there is not much shade. Bathrooms were very clean. There a few lakes around bad the river where you can fish. Camping in September was a bit cold at night. Recommend to be prepare for the cold. There is a lot of moose activity. We will come back.

Site16

Month of VisitOctober

(10) View All

Lauren

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 17, 2021

Not accurate

Says these are first come sites on recreation.gov but got there and told i had to have a reservation. American Land and Leisure campgrounds suck.

Month of VisitSeptember

Ronda C.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 6, 2021

Beautiful forested campground

Pawnee Campground is situated near Brainard Lake and many of the trailheads for the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The campground is well maintained with the sites nicely placed and spaced within a forested landscape. Note: The Moose loop has sites with the most trees, the Elk loop has lost many trees on the campsites, both loops are surrounded by forest.

Site30 Moose loop

Month of VisitSeptember

(8) View All

Thomas W.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 17, 2021

Great spot up high in the mountains!

Stayed one night up here in the mountains. Fantastic place! At 10300ft altitude, you begin to feel the thin air. One problem, the Recreation.gov website lists plenty of spaces as first come first serve. That’s far from the truth. When we got there, there was only one spot left to take which in return wasn’t even showing as available on the website. The host was super friendly and tried everything he could to make room for us so we could stay. Ended up in a double site for which we had to pay double, but it was better than driving all the way down again. Also, be aware that you need to have a timed entry pass to even enter the area! The guard was kind enough to give us a 30min temporary pass so we could check out the campground, but other people were turned away that just wanted to get in to hike. You have to drive back to cell service to make an online reservation, because apparently it is illegal for the guards to do that for you. They have WiFi, you have zero cell service. Brilliant system!

Site12

Month of VisitAugust

(17) View All

Rachel T.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 16, 2021

Brainard Lake Camping

We stayed here for two nights, in site 32, which is a double site. Be aware that the Moose loop has lots of excellent trees, but there are none in the Elk loop. The trees help create a buffer between campsites. The vault toilets were really clean, and the campground is beautiful.

Its a short walk from the campground to Brainard Lake and several trailheads. We saw a couple of moose during our stay too. Overall this is one of the best campgrounds in the area - highly recommend!!

Site32

Month of VisitAugust

Natalie R.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 8, 2020

Be the first on the trails!

The Pawnee campground is one of the best for those who like to get on the hiking trails early, but don't want to stress about the crowded parking lots! This campground has some of the best access to hiking trails anywhere in Colorado. The campground is standard- clean bathrooms, access to water, etc. but the views and location are what set it apart from all others. Being able to enjoy your morning coffee at Brainard Lake with moose- unbeatable!

Be sure to book ahead though, this site fills up fast!

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

Erik S.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 7, 2020

Beautiful location but some campsites are barren due to pine beetles.

Pawnee is a scenic campground located north of Nederland and south of Estes Park. It’s much closer to Denver than many of the other places I’ve been camping. Reservations are required. Almost half of the campsites are not very good though because so many dead trees were removed that there’s no shade or privacy at those campsites. I got a glimpse of the walk-in tent sites and they look ok. The best campsites with some shade and privacy are 13, 14, 32, 35, 37 and 39.

Month of VisitSeptember

Chad L.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2020

Rocky Mountains at their best

This is the best campground. Stunning sights. Beautiful hiking trails. And friendly park service and staff.

Fred B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2020

Roosevelt National Forest

Just north of Divide Colorado. Drive straight north from the one light, no turning, go until the road ends, about 10 minutes out. Lots of sites developed for being dispersed camping. This is the trail head for ATV riding so there is a parking lot at the start with a lot of traffic. That is where the vault toilet is as well. Nice area, just a lot of ATV traffic going through.

Thomas B.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 9, 2020

On top of world (almost)

This campground is in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area in the Roosevelt National Forest. In any case, it’s a beautiful spot. Note It’s a pretty easy drive from Boulder, although the construction on the road up the canyon makes for a slow trip. Plus there can be a wait at the gate, which is regulated to make sure the parking areas don’t overflow. You can’t make reservations like up at Rocky Mountain NP. I’m sure it’s very crowded on weekends. Note that having a campground reservation doesn’t save you from waiting in line. We walked by Brainard Lake and then up around Long Lake, about 6 miles altogether. All pretty flat. There were lots of other people, but it didn’t seem overcrowded. Nearly everyone on the trail was wearing masks, or pulled them up as they passed others. The views are absolutely breathtaking, as was the altitude (10,600’).

(17) View All

Karl G.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 6, 2019

Standard Campground, but Excellent Hiking

Brainard Lake Recreation Area has some really great hikes to alpine lakes, and Pawnee campground is the place to stay if you want to be the first person on the trail. Overall it is your standard large campground - the sites have grills, fire grates, picnic tables, bear boxes, and are fairly close to one another. The campground also has clean restrooms and you can book your site online.

There are a lot of moose in the area! I have been here twice and I have seen moose both times. Once was just along the road, and the other time I saw 2 moose while I was hiking to Lake Isabelle. Also, the Lake Isabelle hike is one of my favorites - I recommend coming here just to do this hike. It is helpful to stay at the campground the night before because the trailhead parking lots fill up quickly.

Month of VisitOctober

(9) View All

Marty L.

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 3, 2019

Excellent in all respects

Excellent stay - camp is at Brainard Lake recreation area and one of our all time favs ! Clean vaults excellent hosts and cleanest sites - many things to do including hikes on multiple trails and kayaking on lake or just looking for moose and casually relaxing. Reservations very difficult to get but if you get in - enjoy it’s excellent . Moose loop nice with trees - Elk loop has some sites with no trees or shade due to wind storm years ago. Our site 9’was partial shade and site 11 was also shaded.

Site9

Month of VisitSeptember

Lisa H.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 15, 2018

Beautiful campground in Indian Peaks Wilderness at Brainard Lake

Pawnee Campground is a basic, no frills campground with a fantastic location next to Brainard Lake. The most incredible lake hikes are within easy access of the campground. At nearly 11,000 feet the terrain is alpine, and wildlife is abundant with fish, birds, deer, moose. TIP: BOOK AHEAD. The campground fills up at 100% every day of the short season (End of June, Begin of July). Walk up is available, but you're lucky if you can get a site. 48 sites, 8 are walk up, 4 are host sites. Site 25 was awesome! Great for meteor shower viewing.

From their website:

Natural Features:

Recreation:

Brainard Lake is a popular destination for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Anglers cast for rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. Long Lake, Red Rock Lake and Left Hand Reservoir are nearby.

Several trails in the area provide access to the adjacent Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. Hiking is allowed on all trails; mountain biking is allowed outside the wilderness area. Rock climbing, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are often available, weather permitting.

Facilities:

The campground offers several single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Nearby Attractions:

Ward is the closest town. NO cell service, NO WIFI. There is a payphone at the teeny general store. The town of Nederland is 14 miles south of the campground, offering grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, gas, a bank and a post office.

Rocky Mountain National Park's main entrance is 35 miles north in Estes Park. With lush valleys and craggy peaks reaching elevations higher than 14,000 feet, visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park.

Estes Park is a full-service community. Dining, shopping, rafting, fly-fishing, horseback riding and golfing opportunities are available there. Lake Estes offers boating, sailboarding and fishing.

Activities and Amenities

Within FacilityCampfire Rings
Canoeing
Cross Country Skiing
Drinking Water
Firewood
Fishing
Hiking
Host
Kayaking
Lake Access
Mountain Biking
Parking Area
Picnic Area
Rock Climbing
Skiing
Snowshoeing
Tables
Trailheads
Vault Toilets

SiteSite 25

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

Sam F.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 20, 2017

Lakes in the Clouds

Many peaks reachable with only moderat inclines. Picturesque lakes nestled in between each. Spent the night in a hammock by Lake Isabellle, sunrise was worth the hike!

SiteLake Isabelle

Month of VisitJuly

Neil S.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2017

There's a reason this is the most popular campground in CO

Scored a walk-up site by dumb luck, worth the effort. The campsites are nestled close to Brainard Lake and have a good amount of privacy built in with pine trees providing a nice amount of separation. The staff at the gate as well as the host family were all very nice and helpful. The scenery, hiking, and vibe are all top notch, you will not be disappointed. No hook ups for RVs, so roll in prepared. Sites were clean, didn't use the vault toilets, but judging by the rest of the grounds, I suspect they would be in good shape. High country views and hiking are spectacular. The place is very popular so bring your patience. Once inside you'll be glad you made the effort.

Site20

Month of VisitAugust