Amphitheater Campground

Nestled just minutes above the charming mountain town of Ouray, Amphitheater Campground is a true gem for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Surrounded by the breathtaking San Juan Mountains, this campground offers stunning views, a peaceful atmosphere, and convenient access to hiking trails, hot springs, and the iconic Million Dollar Highway.

The campsites are well-spaced, offering a mix of shade and sun. Many sites provide spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and valley below. The facilities are basic but well-maintained, with clean vault toilets and potable water. While there are no hookups for RVs, the campground’s rustic vibe is perfect for tent camping or smaller camper setups.

One of the highlights is its proximity to the Perimeter Trail, a scenic loop around Ouray, and other popular hikes like the Box Canyon Falls trail. You’re also a short drive from town, where you can enjoy the famous hot springs or grab a meal.

A word of caution: the road to the campground is steep and narrow, so it may not be ideal for large RVs. Be sure to plan for cool nights, as temperatures drop significantly due to the elevation.

Overall, Amphitheater Campground offers an unbeatable combination of solitude, accessibility, and breathtaking scenery. Whether you’re looking for a basecamp for outdoor adventures or simply a serene spot to relax, this campground delivers.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We got a FCFS campsite here around noon on a Tuesday. The campground was full by late afternoon. We did a quick loop behind the campground on some harder trails. There are many more trails nearby. We had a lovely view site with views of the valley and mountains. Would stay here again. Very clean vault toilets. Steve, the camp host, was super nice and helpful.

I did not stay here. Got up to the entrance (turnaround) to find signs warning of overall length limitations. In my case with a pickup plus tow camper I was beyond the advised maximum length—which was noted as both 29’ and 35’ accordingly.

Stayed in site 11, which had great views, and was near campground amenities. The campground is right above town so you can walk into Ouray and take the trails to the falls.

Very convenient grest sites and super acces to Trails. Stayed in May 2024

Must check in with Host. Fire wood sold at Host. Fellow campers are close but just far enough away. Great location to Ouray.

Stayed one night at this popular campground while passing through Ouray. Did not have a reservation, but the campground host, Steve, found us a good, level site for our campervan & got us registered. The site, #20, was near the end of the road leading to the overlook, and across the road from the vault toilets & water station. Small site but very private. Firewood was available for $8/bundle. Short walk to the overlook which provided a great view of Ouray below. The high cliffs around the campground were spectacular. The site had a table, lantern poll, metal fire ring and tent pad. No electric & water hookups. Unfortunately, I don't recall if we had any AT&T or T-Mobile service. Some of the campsites were somewhat close together, but couldn't see them through the foliage. The only negative at site #20 was an occasional chemical smell from the vault toilets across the road. The vault toilets themselves were clean. The site itself was also clean & well maintained; e.g., the tent pad was ranked. I feel that this campground is not suitable for big rigs; posted signs along the access road provide warnings.

Incredible views all around. Hiking trails that you can jump on right from the campground. Close to town, but just far enough away to feel disconnected.

Excellent campground, not all sites have views but the ones they do are amazing!

Absolutely wonderful experience at this site. It had awesome views, private sites, clean bathrooms, amazing camp hosts, and running water. Ouray is super close if you want to explore the town. Some amazing hiking trails and lakes are also nearby. We visited at the end of September which made for some amazing color changes in the trees. Couldn’t ask for more from a site. Loved it here.

Extremely picturesque! Campsites are fairly close together but the vibe is still pretty tranquil. Wonderful hosts. FCFS sites filled up fast at about 5.

I am literally laying here smelling the bathroom from my tent. Site 14 is a great site, but if the wind is bad- yikes. The bathrooms are so putrid I will never come back. Plenty of dispersed camp sites that offer views similar to the Amphitheater Campground. And for what it’s worth I have used tons of pit toilets in my life to know a stinky bathroom, these are on a whole new level.

We just had one night but loved it. We put our little tent into one of the more private lots (#27), about 30m from the car, which have us a lot of privacy. I woke up to stunning views of the peaks, visible directly from the tent :).

The hosts are great, the bathrooms clean, and the town is just a 5-10 minute drive. I would definitely come back.

Really close to Ouray but still feels remote. Good hiking nearby and phenomenal views

The camp host came by multiple times to chat and he was so friendly! Saw deer walking peacefully through the campground, which was very clean and large. Absolutely gorgeous and only 2 miles from town!!!

This campground is saved by being close to a beautiful area. The vault toilets were dirty and it was crowded. We were able to get a site without a reservation, but it was during the week. Near some great hikes and views. Ouray is a cute little town, but we avoided it due to Covid.

Views are stunning!! Best location to camp near Ouray as the hiking (right off the campground) is amazing! Close drive into town. Sites are nice. Some closer together than others. It gets busy so make reservations. Host was attentive.

Great campground that feels like you are remote when Ouray is just down the road. Camp Attendant was friendly and helpful and the camp was clean and orderly. Our spot was level and had everything we needed. Picnic table, big fire ring, plenty of room to spread out and never heard another campers voice.

Beautiful spot to camp. I think we got lucky that all of the spots weren’t booked. Probably the best views we had all week. Definitely check out the hiking trails in the area. Chief Ouray trail is difficult, so be prepared before you go up the mountain.

Gorgeous setting perched above the town of Ouray. Mostly tent camping although pop up tent-trailers can fit in the campsite. The campground books up quickly due to it's stunning views and location so plan early. There's only a very small grocery store in Ouray so stock up with necessary items in Montrose or Ridgeway. Pit toilets were clean, well-maintained and plentiful. There was a bear in the campground so absolutely no food in tents & the campground host said the bear recognizes coolers in cars so cover coolers with other items. Better yet, eat in town at the super fun rooftop bar at the Ouray Brewery. Can't say enough about this special gem! The campground hosts sell bundles of firewood for I think $7/bundle but we needed to dig out the accumulated ash in the firepit to get the fire to light so consider bringing a small shovel. There is potable water but no showers or sinks.

I have grew up in the area and always looked forward to spending the 4th of July here overlooking the town. this is an older camp site but it has water and toilets and is usually quite all day. From the camp ground there are day trips abound. IF you can fall is a fantastic time to visit when the trees start to turn and the crowds die down.

Above the town of Ouray with great views of the the town below and access to an awesome trail that circumnavigates the town, hitting the best sites along the six or so miles. The trail takes you to the Bathtubs, the Ice Climbing area, several waterfalls, some cool footbridges, and past the Recreation Center (where you can get showers). The campground itself was very tight with several small loops that hang on the side of the mountain. We were there about two weeks after the fourth of July and all of the vault toilets needed to be serviced. The host was aware of the problem and said he had called it in, then shrugged. In town the visitor’s center had some great information about the town and had several preprinted hiking maps for popular trails with difficulty levels noted. In town was a nice full service outdoor shop as well as several micro breweries.

Well, unless you have a big set up lol

We accidentally found this campground one night when we got a late start out of town to go camp in the mountains. It is a VERY cool campground with amazing views, of the mountains and of town, especially at sunrise and sunset... all without having to be in town!

The elevatIon is hIgh enough to keep the temperatures down. The sites are tight. There is one set of porta-pots. The views of Ouray are amazing. We saw lots of wildlife. Bears tore up our camp even though we had our food locked up.

I've been coming here since I was a kid in the 80s and saw my first moose here. Reservations are key, and sites are more private on the lower loop and without RVs. It rains here more often than other places in the state but that means healthier tree cover too (Stupid pine Beatles). It's near the town of Ouray which IMHO beats Telluride's pretentiousbess in spades which I is just over the Imogene Pass a popular 4x4 trail. An easier 4x4 trail is the Alpine Loop also nearby. Regardless of your summer mountain sport of choice, this area has it all. My son learned how to ride his bike here. The stars of the milky way on a clear moonless night is something you'll never forget from Ampitheater Campground.

This campground is up the mountain overlooking Ouray. We loved it. It was quiet and peaceful. Fairly large campground but everyone was respectful and it was extremely quiet sleeping under the stars.

During our recent trip to Ouray we finally found the luck in our favor with the Amphitheater Camp Ground. We've been to the area multiple times before and always manage to miss the reservation time frame for these site, so we end up camped in the nearby Portland "campsites" when we arrive ready to camp and the sites are full, or snag a hotel near 550 when we don't want to chance a night on a slope. After actually getting a site here, I'll be planning our future trips a bit further in advance to make sure we can get a site here.

The campground is located on a hill along the east side of the valley, giving you wonderful views of the adjacent peaks, as well as the historic town. The sites are well maintained, the bathrooms are cleaned and checked twice daily by the friendly hosts. They carry a supply of local, beetle-free firewood for the well established concrete and metal fire pits located at each site. The sites aren't the largest due to the size limitations of building a campground on a hillside, but still offer tons of privacy. In addition to the well shaded and intimate setting of the tents sites, each site has a picnic table and bear hook that are a reasonable distance from the tent pad, which is well leveled and stone/root free. Each site also has a driveway that should fit at least two vehicles easily, or a vehicle and small camper/trailer.

In addition to the great views and delightful sites, the campground has direct access to the Ouray Perimeter Trail, a short-ish (~4.2 miles to cover the entire loop around the outer edge of town) hike that follows the bluffs around the outskirts of the town proper and offers great views along narrow sections high above town, and is a short (

We camped here and had a great time. It's right by Ouray with its hot springs and gorgeous views. Lots of hiking and red dirt exploring you can do in the area. Camp ground was a good size and had clean amenities.

Conveniently located next to Ouray - limited amenities (no showers). Great views of the mountains from some of the campsites and good location to spend evenings in Ouray, head out to Silverton, or do some hiking.