South Shore Campgrounds at Carter Lake, near Loveland, Colorado, is a fantastic place for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors with a beautiful lake view. The campground offers a mix of tent, RV, and cabin accommodations, making it suitable for various camping styles.

Visitors rave about the well-maintained sites, which provide good separation for privacy and easy access to the lake. Many campers have enjoyed fishing right from the shore and taking in the stunning scenery, with some noting the picturesque views of the mountains in the background. One camper mentioned, “We were right on the water's edge, and the view in the morning was incredible.”

The amenities here include clean pit toilets and electric hookups, ensuring a comfortable stay. Campers appreciate the availability of firewood and picnic tables, perfect for evening cookouts and gatherings. The nearby hiking trails offer a chance to explore the area, with one reviewer highlighting a beautiful rocky hike that’s worth the effort.

While the campground can get busy, especially on weekends, the overall vibe remains friendly and relaxed. Whether you're here for a quick getaway or a longer retreat, South Shore Campgrounds at Carter Lake provides a great base for enjoying nature and making lasting memories.

Larimer County Natural Resources has over 400 campsites in a variety of beautiful locations in northern Colorado. Our campsites vary from electric and full-hookup sites for your RV to walk-in and standard sites perfect for tent camping. Information about what types of sites are available at each campground, including the maximum RV length of a site, is available on our reservations website. Please keep in mind that our campgrounds fill spring, summer and fall weekends, so plan ahead – or come during the week! We hope you have a wonderful camping trip in Larimer County!

March 1 - October 31: Sites can be reserved from 180 days to 1 day in advance of the arrival date at www.larimercamping.com or by calling the reservation call center at 1-800-397-7795. Sites that are not reserved in advance become available that day as first-come, first-served for people who are physically present at the parks. Same day reservations will ONLY  be accepted at park visitor centers during regular business hours. These sites cannot be held over the phone, nor can their availability be guaranteed prior to arrival in-person.

South Shore Campgrounds at Carter Lake

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Lyons, CO has a lot to offer. Lyons is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Lyons, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Lyons

The Best Camping Near Lyons, Colorado

This campground was better than expected--the tent sites were well spaced for privacy, and even on a busy weekend, we felt like we had our own space to enjoy nature. We were right on the waters edge, and the view in the morning was incredible, looking out over the lake with mountains in the background. There was plenty to do there on site--hiking, cooking out, a designated swimming area, and even boat rentals. The nearby town was about 20 minutes, which made for a easy grocery shopping trip. Some essentials and food items were available to purchase on site.

Clean, Open, and Quiet

I stayed in spot S18 for 2 nights. Large gravel pull through spot (as were all of the sites on this loop), with a picnic table and fire pit.  Some trees around this site providing shade on both sides, but this was not true of my friend’s site as S20. Also enough foliage between sites to give a feeling of privacy. Nice view of the lake and boat ramp. Electric hookups at site, water and vault toilets available.

Nice Spot

Good electrical hookups, easy to pull in sites which were well maintained.  A great view of the lake and we spotted an eagle amongst other wildlife.  We made this our first outing in April.  Glad the open for the season as early as they do.

Great Easy to Access Location with Great Views

A couple of spots opened up last minute so I was able to snag one and I’m glad I did. This was a campground located right on Carter Lake. We drove to the small swimming beach but could have easily brought our chairs and hung out on the lake at our campground. We had a campsite without any shade but luckily there was a cloud cover to protect us from the sun. Our site was 28 which was on the end which made it very big. 

The only wildlife we had to deal with were frogs. My husband accidentally stepped on one which freaked him out. Make sure you watch your step. 

Beautiful lake/location

Sites were well maintained and level. Good separation. Close proximity to lake and easy access. Wild turkey sitings. No fresh water in campground in April. But available nearby. Dry dump station. Toilets clean and stocked. Will come here again. 

Great sites, but few trees. 

Tent camped on a weekday. Walk-to site was well spaced from other sites and had some nice shade. Pit toilet could have been cleaner. A rowdy rv party was noisy in the day but calmed down at night. Could see it being noisy on the weekend

Lakeside views

Had a nice view of lake though up one level. The pine trees are beautiful. Upper level sites have few trees so could be hot in summer. Pit toilets very clean and seemed to be washed out daily. You can fish from shore. We took the 3 mile hike behind campground which is beautiful but rocky - wear shoes that can withstand rocks. Must return the same way so 6 miles total. The roads are narrow so did not bike. Drove to view other campsites but like South the best.

Great 2 day stay

Good spot. County was in a burn ban so no fires or charcoal grills allowed. Lake had some weird rules. You have to buy a county park pass when making reservation. 

Photos of South Shore Campgrounds at Carter Lake

Real photos from real campers