Castle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake, near Bailey, Colorado, is a scenic spot that offers a mix of camping experiences right by the water. With 78 sites available for tents, RVs, and even cabins, it’s a popular choice for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors.

This campground is known for its beautiful lakeside views and ample opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Visitors often rave about the spacious campsites, which provide a nice sense of privacy among the trees. As one camper noted, “This is one of the best waterfront campsites that I’ve seen!” 

While the area is great for outdoor activities, be prepared for some rustic amenities. There are no showers or drinking water available, so plan accordingly. Some campers have mentioned that the roads leading in can be a bit rough, so take it slow if you're driving in with a trailer. 

For those who enjoy a bit of solitude, the lack of cell service is a bonus, allowing you to truly disconnect and immerse yourself in nature. Just remember to book your spot well in advance, as this place tends to fill up quickly, especially during peak season. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Castle Mountain Recreation Area offers a chance to unwind and enjoy the stunning Colorado landscape.

We provide year-round access for camping and day use. Whether you’re interested in an overnight stay or just plan to visit during the day, we offer a wide variety of activities: from camping to fishing, swimming and canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, and more. In winter, activities also include ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Wellington Lake, one of our greatest attractions, is a privately-owned natural wilderness area. The 167-acre lake is managed as a trophy fishery with an emphasis on conservation. Just a short drive’s distance from Denver and Colorado Springs, we welcome all visitors looking for a relaxing mountain getaway in the great outdoors.

*Jefferson County is in a Stage 1 FIRE BAN.

**Due to extreme fire danger a Red Flag warning has been issued and NO CAMPFIRES are allowed in the park at this time.

Castle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake

Searching for the best camping near Buffalo Creek, CO? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Buffalo Creek. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Buffalo Creek and user-submitted reviews.

Buffalo Creek

The Best Camping Near Buffalo Creek, Colorado

One of our favorite campgrounds that has become an annual trip for us the last few years. There are great sites right on the water with plenty of tree shade and privacy. Great for kayaking or SUP. This campground is located a short distance from downtown Denver but makes you feel hours away. 

This is an annual trip for us

Wellington Lake was nice and clean in early May. the restrooms were well-maintained. They have a trail with waterfalls as well as a large lake. 

nice campground with lake and trails

This is not a place for a quiet mountain trip. Expect to be very close to your neighbors, have cars driving by and day use for the lake. Otherwise, it’s a great spot. The lake is beautiful, and was enjoyable. No drinking water on site, no showers, restrooms and trash are on site. Price seems high but compared to the cost of day use and camping nearby it’s reasonable. Reserve ahead, gets booked.

Beautiful lake camping 

We went to get away from all the people with fireworks that scare our dogs. It is a pretty campground and the sites are a reasonable distance apart. However, there is no camp host or anyone to keep an eye on things. The bunch of 20-somethings at the group site near us took full advantage of that. They started blaring their music and hollering at 10 PM and there was no one keeping things in check. The night before I got there they kept my friends awake until 2 AM. Last night, the thunder storms sent them in their tents/trailers about 11 PM, thankfully. Facilities such as garbage bins and bathrooms are not well maintained.

Great hiking trail up to a "waterfall". Lots of opportunity for enjoying water sports. Very dog friendly which is greatly appreciated.

For $35 a night (which to me is expensive for camping), they should offer water available at the campground and better maintained facilities. Waterfront spots are even more expensive. It was worth going to once but I am not sure I'd go back.

Not bad but needs improvement

Beautiful lakeside camping just outside of Denver. Campsites are a bit close together, but great for groups! No hookups here but you have bathroom facilities and a visitor center where you can buy firewood. Campfires allowed in the fire pits. If you have an RV beware quiet hours from 10pm to 8am, no generators allowed. Lake is perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing and you will most likely have phone service if you are with AT&amp;T or Verizon. Many day use areas, however vehicles and individuals are charged. For campers, if you bring more than one vehicle you will be charged daily for any additional ones. No drinking water is available, you must bring your own. Dirt roads to the lake are rough and narrow. Close to Deckers for incidentals. Intersects with the Colorado trail for hiking and biking and close to the Colorado River for tubing!

Private but Crowded

Wellington is a favorite, but has been getting more crowded over the years. We still live going with other families with all of our kids but I definitely recommend going earlier in the summer- the toilets get really stinky because of all of the use! Regardless, the lake is pretty and the trail is fun for hiking. Word of caution- every year I see/hear about multiple dogs going down the waterfall. No major injuries but it scares the owners. The rocks are so slick- don’t let kids/dogs try to climb through or over. Campsites are generally roomy enough. For more privacy go further away from the water.

Fun lake access for family fun

Well-kept lake campground with lakefront sites available. You must book 3 months in advance and they can fill up quickly. Firewood is available for purchase and they have many vault toilets around the sites. Great Lake for fishing, paddle boarding, etc. plus a hiking trail up Castle Mountain to waterfall. Only 11 miles to Bailey if you need extra ice or you run out of beverages :-)

Fantastic lake camping!

Tried it, but won’t be back. Beautiful setting, but way too noisy and populated. If you were going with a group to enjoy the water, then maybe. Or if you have a truckload of kids that you just want to let run wild and not worry about how much noise they make, then this is a great location. 

Kids, kids & more loud kids!!!

Wellington Lake

The campground and lake are very nice. There are several campsites that sit right on the water. There are also campsites that sit further up on the mountain. You get lake views from almost everywhere. The campsites right on the lake are kind of close but the lake access can’t be beat. If you’re looking for more privacy I would get a site up on the mountain. There are also several group sites. There are no motorized boats allowed on the lake. There were a lot of people with paddle boards, kayaks and canoes. The only downside was the road to get there. It wasn’t maintained very well and there was only room for one vehicle at some points. I would highly recommend this campground if you want to get away from it all. There is very little if any cell access.

Beautiful Area

My boyfriend and I went to this campground last weekend for the first time. Here are the Pros&amp; Cons: 

Pros: 

Beautiful lake&amp; surrounding area Water is crystal clear and wonderful to swim in, not too cold 

Great lake to swim, paddle board, kayak, fish 

Dog friendly- well behaved dogs are allowed off leash 

Area is clean 

Campsites are large and close to the water 

Great hiking 

Cons: 

THE PEOPLE. Yeah, people ruin everything. The campground was full so of course you are surrounded by people which means lots of noise. Kids screaming, all day and into the evening. The campsite next to us played their horrible rap music loud up until 10pm, It really ruined our night star gazing by the fire, especially since I HATE rap music. There is no way to just relax and enjoy nature and solitude, this place is SO NOISY. And of course there were some irresponsible dog owners with aggressive dogs that they let off leash that attacked other dogs. So bottom line: I will never go back even though its a beautiful place, its just not worth being surrounded by idiots.

Loud and crowded

Wellington lake is a perfect family camping spot for anyone who likes to fish, kayak or otherwise play in the water. The sites book quickly but are worth it. We had 2 sites, one on the water and one off and that was a great balance. The sites don't have hookups and the campground doesn't have drinking water so bring all you need. The flies were miserable when we were there and didn't seem to respond to any sort of bug spray but citronella oil seems to help a little. Make sure everything in your rig is screwed down tightly as the 10 mile road to the campground is washboard bumpy beyond belief. 

Campers paradise

This campground books up fast and there’s no question why. Water allows for paddling, kayaking, etc. and the water is calm and beautiful. Campgrounds are pretty spacious and well kept, nice and shady areas to set up as well. Midday storms are pretty common but the mornings and evenings are oh so beautiful. 

Love this spot too much! 

This is such a beautiful site and with covid rampant, it was basically empty. You could only use the lake if you had existing reservations so it was pretty open and empty. 

  

The sites were well spaced out and there was plenty of space for tents and vehicles. The staff were friendly and accommodating and gave plenty of space while checking in. You check in at the front office before you head to your site. You can't get into the campground without a reservation so it felt really safe and secure. 

  

This is a privately owned campground and there is maintenance staff on site 24-7. There is also a general store and clean bathrooms. 

  

We only spent one night here but I wish we could have stayed longer.

Expensive but beautiful Lake front camping

Currently they don't have day-use open, so there's plenty of space at the lake to set-up and spend the day playing with the kids. We stayed in a mountain site (not lake-front) and the kids loved climbing the rocks and exploring the mountain. Really friendly staff. Quiet hours are not well kept and that would be my only complaint.  No motors allowed on lake. Great for paddleboarding (rentals available), kayaking, canoeing &amp; kid's floats.

Good Campground for Social Distancing

I camped here with my mom this year, it was my second time to this campground. I love it! The lack of cell phone service and wifi (I love being without my phone) and the water right by you, it’s heaven. All that exists amid your little campground and you are free! It’s worth it!

Amazing, Beauitful, Worth the price!

This is one of our all time favorite places to stay. The key is to book way in advance as it is super popular with its close location to Denver, as well as get a spot on the water. There is no cell service, which is nice to just disconnect. Bring your SUP or kayak to enjoy the water more.

Love this place

The lake and area are gorgeous.  Without a doubt.  The lake is great for SUP, kayaking and even swimming (although a bit cold, but nothing like further into the range).  The area is heavily wooded and depending on the site you choose there is distance between the campsites.  The downsides just about make it a deal breaker however.  First, the drive it.  The road is trash.  Absolute trash.  My F-I-L drove his camper from Denver to AK and back to Denver, yet in the 10miles we were on the roads to the lake, he sustained 5x more damage to his trailer.  He had doors that fell off, skirting that collapsed and a stove burner that came apart from vibration.  We averaged less than 10mph on the road...  Next, the latrines were in bad shape.  I've done lots of camping and frankly I don't know how not-for-profit gov't run Forest svc or national park campgrounds are cleaner than this place, for the price, the could install some decent latrines.  These reminded me of Camping in the 80's.  To ensure we were prepared for the trip I called the DAY PRIOR to arriving and asked about the potable water situation.  I was told there was H20 just a few sites away, so I only packed a few gallons of emer water.  When we arrived there was a sign on the pump saying the water was NOT POTABLE...so that was a nice change :(   

  

To sum it  up:  Location beautiful, Admin of the campground, well below par.

Beautiful area but the roads and latrine

Great place to take the camper and kayaks. Kayaking, SUPs, fishing, hiking. 

Great Lakeside campsites

We camped here for the 2021 Genesis adventure race, and it was amazing! Super big campsites with access to the lake, lots of shade, and great hammock trees! The day we got there is was 70 and sunny, and the next morning it was 30 and the tent was covered in snow. That’s what we get for camping in early May! Would absolutely come back!

Gorgeous with so much to do!

This was an amazing campground. One of the rare truly lake front camp site. The water is warm and inviting. Definitely would stay here again! But be aware of a couple things 

1) The Ride In - it is a BUUUUMPY ride in. Some people said they bent their stabilizers. After this trip we need new tires on our camper.

2) There is no Wifi - zero - zilch - nana. No cell service nothing. 

3) It’s busy! It’s a great place, but it is definitely busy. 

4) it’s pricy. Like double or triple the normal price of camp sites.

The pros:

1) the spaces are HUGE and not just the group sites, the spaces are almost double the size of most places.

2) this is one of the best water front camp sites that I’ve seen!

3) they are very dog friendly. 

4) the camp hosts are very friendly!

Fantastic Family Find - But Pricey

I've camped at this place since I was a kid and it is simply beautiful. The lake is quiet, there is plenty to explore, and it's usually not crowded.
I will note that this location is maybe 20 minutes outside Bailey though.... The coordinates on here have you going clear up to Spinney Mountain reservoir!

Great view, wrong coordinates

$28 for day use! Ridiculous! Just my son &amp; I &amp; 1 vehicle. We just wanted to visit the lake &amp; hike. The hiking trail was lame for the price although the waterfall was lovely. Nice for fishing and camping, just not worth it for hiking for a few hours &amp; nowhere on the website is the price for day use. Also, the 2 men in the office complained that they were shorthanded &amp; didn’t provide a map, we found one outside on the wall. Never coming back. :(

Beware Overpriced!

My first experience was a couple of years ago (2022) I paid for three days camping . It snowed and was unable to camp….no refunds… The following year I bought 6 day passes to go fishing and only used 3. They said no refunds….. told them to keep the money and give the passes to the next three people who came in and wanted one….they said that they couldn’t do that.. So, I still tell people about how beautiful the place is…..and I also tell them that they WILL keep your money no matter what happens…. I’ll camp in the dispersed camping sites on the road that takes you to the private over priced campground….. Oh by the way…it’s catch and release. So, if you want fish for supper you better bring your own.

Photos of Castle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake

Real photos from real campers