Cold Springs Campground is located on the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest, north of Blackhawk on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway/Highway 119, in north central Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its scenic and off-road driving, and nearby hiking and fishing opportunities.
Recreation
The surrounding area has many great hiking trails. There is an easy hiking trail out of the campground for families with small children. In addition, the short, but steep Vista Trail climbs just a quarter-mile but rewards hikers with spectacular views of the vast Mount Evans Wilderness Area and valley below.
Scenic driving is available along Highways 119 and 72, known as the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. Numerous creeks, rivers and lakes in the area provide fishing opportunities. Off-road enthusiasts will find many jeep roads in the vicinity.
Facilities
There are 38 sites in the campground. Sites 1 through 5 are pull-over's with wooden retaining walls. You climb several steps to reach the picnic tables, fire rings and tent pads. These sites are not suitable for RVs with slide-outs. Sites 9 & 11 are pull-over's which also will not accommodate large RVs or slide-outs.
Each site has a picnic table and fire ring or grate. The maximum vehicle length that can be accommodated is 40 feet. Most sites are shaded and the interior roads are gravel. Water hydrants, tent pads, vault toilets and trash service are provided. There is a playground for small children.
Natural Features
The campground is located in a mountainside aspen and lodgepole pine forest, at an elevation of 9,200 feet.
Nearby Attractions
The historic mining town of Central City is nearby. Popular events held in the town include Lou Bunch Day and the Central City Opera and Jazz festivals.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is just seven miles away. The scenic park offers over 35 miles of hiking trails. Mountain biking and horseback riding are allowed on some trails. Every stream and pond in the park is open to fishing.
ADA Access: N
No hookups but spacious level sites! Clean bathrooms and water spouts throughout the campground. Lovely views from the lookout right within the campground… really rewarding to stumble upon. Wish I could have stayed longer but was there for the very last week before season close. I didn’t make a reservation so I paid cash in the ranger box. No working ATMs in the area so be sure to bring some if you’re paying that way. Oh, also! A moose came right up to my campsite on my last night!! Luckily I was in the van so I could observe it safely. Soooo cool! Super nice camp hosts. Cool drive up to campground.
Great campground, close to Denver and Golden Gate Canyon. It is right next to a fairly busy highway, so it can get loud with traffic and motorcycles. But, the campsites were clean and nice in the bathrooms were spotless. There's even a small overlook trail in the campground. No hookups for RVs or trailers. But that is fine with us! Camp hosts were super nice.
This campground is a great central location to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and Black Hawk/Central City area. The sites are super secluded and you really feel like you are in the forest. The only downside is the highway noise. Try to pick a site as far away from the highway as possible.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…even you.” -Anne Lamott.
We hadn’t planned on camping this weekend but discovered a last minute cancellation for one night over Labor Day weekend . Lucky us!
It’s an hour from Denver and you avoid I-70 traffic so it proved to be an awesome 1 night escape.
Loved the shady sites and mountain views. In a month, this place will be ablaze with aspens changing color. Camp host was friendly with stacks of firewood for sale.
The only drawbacks were the playground onsite, which attracted families with very loud shrieking kiddos and road noise from 119. So next time we need a quick reset from the week, we will look here first, will pick a site away from the road and playground.
We had a blast and thanks to this site we plan on doing much more camping. Good tent sites, clean bathrooms, fire pits, and fun trails.