Chapman Campground And Group Camp, near Meredith, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. With a mix of tent and RV sites, it’s perfect for campers who appreciate a little privacy and the beauty of nature.

This campground is all about the great outdoors, featuring clean pit toilets and fresh drinking water, but don’t expect any frills like showers or electric hookups. Visitors rave about the spacious sites, many of which are shaded and provide a great view of the night sky. One camper noted, “There was lots of tree cover for protection from the elements,” making it a cozy retreat.

Outdoor activities abound here. You can fish or paddleboard at the nearby Chapman Reservoir, and hiking trails are just a stone's throw away. Wildlife sightings are common, with ospreys, deer, and even the occasional fox making an appearance. As one happy camper put it, “The fishing was fair in the Res and we caught 2 nice browns in the river.”

If you’re planning a visit, keep in mind that reservations are recommended, especially during peak season. The campground hosts are friendly and dedicated to keeping the area clean, ensuring a pleasant stay for everyone. Whether you’re here for a quick getaway or a longer adventure, Chapman Campground offers a peaceful slice of Colorado’s stunning wilderness.

## Overview

 Situated above the Ruedi Reservoir, Chapman Campground sits at the base of a wide valley adjacent to the Fryingpan River in White River National Forest. Sites are surrounded by lodgepole pine, and several are at the river's edge, offering an ideal setting for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation.
## Recreation

 Flowing through this campground is Fryingpan River, renowned for its fly fishing. Downriver, below the campground and Ruedi Dam, large rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout are plentiful in an area nicknamed the \"toilet bowl.\" Here, the fish feed on mysis shrimp, a small freshwater shrimp stocked in the lake. The stretch of river from the dam down to the confluence of Fryingpan and the Roaring Fork River has been designated as Gold Medal Waters by the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Special regulations in this area include fishing only with artificial flies and lures, and releasing all trout except brown trout, with a limit of 2 fish over 14 inches. Chapman Reservoir is also an option for anglers wanting to cast lines in at its shore. Motorized watercraft is prohibited on Chapman Reservoir. A horseshoe pit and volleyball court encourage game playing. A nature trail can be accessed from the site.
## Facilities

 Chapman Campground has 84 standard sites suitable for tents, trailers, and RVs. The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water located in Loops F, G & H. Electrical hook-ups are not available. Trash and recycling collection is provided.Chapman Group Site has one site available for reservation. There is no electric hook-up but potable water is available withing the campground at the fill station spigots. The Group Site facilities include: hardened parking for campers and passenger vehicles along the access road into the site. The site has 6 regular fire rings and 1 group size rock fire ring, 1 pedestal grill, 5 food lockers, 7 picnic tables, and a horseshoe pit.Vehicles must stay on the main road or pull outs. Vehicles are not allowed to travel into the woods. All camping in the woods must be hand carried. 
## Natural Features

 In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting 8 wilderness areas, 4 defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges and bull elk bugle at dusk. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan. These species, along with many others, depend on surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams, and diverse forests to live. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (801) 226-3564.
## Charges & Cancellations

 Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

Chapman Campground And Group Camp - White River NF

Are you in need of a campground near Meredith, CO? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Meredith camping trip.

Meredith

The Best Camping Near Meredith, Colorado

We've been going to Chapman for years - its a great campground for families and has lots to choose from. Hiking, Backpacking, Fishing, 4-Wheeling.  If you have a long-ish rig or are not good at backing up - stay away from loop C.  Loop D along the creek have great shade but are close together.

Great campground!

Great campground for families

We camped here in late fall last year, a few weeks before closing. Chapman is huge, 80 something sites I think. We were the only ones there! So many nice campsites to choose from. You can camp on the Frying Pan River or on Chapman Res or in the forest. The fishing was fair in the Res and we caught 2 nice browns in the river. Great views everywhere and silence except for the river and the birds made this a perfect 2 days camping.

Chapman Perfection

We reserved campsite #49\. It was about 100 ft from the Frying Pan River. We fell asleep to sound of rushing water- so peaceful. Not much shade but there was a picnic table, fire ring, and bear box at the site. The campground hosts were very friendly. You can swim and fish in Chapman Reservoir. No motorized boats allowed. There were a few people jumping off the dam into the reservoir. Only about an 8 ft jump. There is a small store in Meredith, 10 min away, in case you forgot any essentials. Ruedi Reservoir is about 15 minutes away and motor boats are allowed. This area is absolutely breathtaking!!!

Beautiful and serene

We didn’t make a reservation, but managed to find a campsite near the reservoir with enough room for our portable kitchen, tent and a nice shaded spot for the hammocks. We will be going back!

Busy, but a great spot to explore

Reservations recommended and much needed for this popular campground. It’s well worth it though because the hiking biking fishing paddle boarding and all other outdoor activities abound from Chapman. 
Any of the loops has something to offer. You will not be disappointed at this great campground! 

Words can’t describe

Stayed here for two nights. We were about a 1 min walk from Chapman Reservoir. Walked down there a few times and caught a bunch of little rainbow and cutthroat trout - they were very eager to take flies. If it wasn't so far from Denver, it would definitely be one of my regular camping spots.

Great spot

It's been a few years, but we camped at the very Western-most camping spot &amp; enjoyed it greatly - very close to creek &amp; quiet. I would not have wanted one of the other camping spots. They are a bit close for our tastes. Wish we could have spent more time than one night. We plan on going back!

Beautiful, Peaceful, Away.....

Chapman Campground is an awesome little place to get away. There's a huge variety of sites that will accommodate almost any camper except for large RVs. The tent sites tend to offer plenty of shade and separation from your neighbor, with water and toilets easily accessible from most locations. The reservoir is small, but an awesome place to escape and do some light paddleboarding or fishing. We saw quite a bit of wildlife during our short stay, ospreys, marmots, foxes, deer, and plenty of fish and other birds. The cherry on top were the **amazing** campground hosts who were wonderful, friendly, and on top of keeping things clean. Will definitely be back!

Hidden Gem

We stayed one night because that's what our schedule allowed. However, this campsite seemed great and we would've loved to have stayed longer! 

We had site 31. It was right next to the vault toilets (but they were very clean and the smell was unnoticeable). Our site was also only a 30 second walk to the reservoir which was great for fishing and paddle boards! 

There was lots of tree cover for protection from the elements. But, it still offered a great view of the night sky. 

This was a last minute, spontaneous camping trip because we needed to get away from our first responder lives for at least a night. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to book a night for July 3rd with only a day and a half of notice. 

We'll be going back when we have more time. I'm looking forward to catching more cutthroat trout! 

Stayed 1 night on July 3rd

This remote campground might pose some access challenges for larger rigs. Clean pit toilets, no showers, no laundry. Fresh drinking water and dumpsters are available.  No dump station in campground. Mixture of river and non river sites. Plenty of room and privacy between sites.  No mobile phone coverage, no wi-fi, no amenities within 30 miles of the campground. 2 campground hosts on site. Small reservoir lake nearby for fishing and canoeing. Hiking and fishing nearby. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bear box. 

Remote, off grid camping in the mountains

On the whole you visit Chapman to enjoy the backcountry experience and to get away from everything.  If you camp there for a few nights it gives you great access to hiking trails in both the Holy Cross and Hunter Frying Pan Wilderness areas.  Relax by the small lake which is enjoyed by any craft without a motor and people fishing.  

Best Hikes:

Shorter ones - Sawyer Lake, Chapman Lake, Frying Pan Overlook

Longer ones - Lyle Lake, Tellurium Lake, NY Lake, Eagle Lake

Great place to bring the whole family as it can be enjoyed by all ages.  

It is only open during the summer and into early fall, which is my favorite time to visit as it is less crowded.

Photos of Chapman Campground And Group Camp - White River NF

Real photos from real campers