Flatiron Reservoir is 47 acres of water surrounded by 200 acres of public land. It is located northwest of Carter Lake at an elevation of 5,470 feet and is part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. The purpose of this water project is to divert water from the west slope to the east slope for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower generation. Reclamation is solely responsible for power generation. The agencies jointly manage water levels for irrigation, municipal, and industry use. Recreation is managed by Larimer County Natural Resources. Flatiron Reservoir is a popular spot for fishing and family camping.

Flatiron Reservoir Campground

**Ranger Review: Humangear at Flatiron Reservoir Campground**

**Campground Review:**

Flatiron Reservoir Campground is located just outside the city of Loveland, Colorado. Situated on 47 acres of water and 200 acres of land, Flatiron offers electrical sites for $25/night and three tipis at $35/night. Reservations must be made in advance through the Larimer County Camping Reservations website. Entrance permits are also required and the cost is $7 per day per vehicle. Permits can be obtained through the admin office located just a few minutes from the campground at 1800 South County Rd 31 in Loveland. There is self-serve kiosk across the road from the admin office where permits can also be purchased.

All campsites have a view of the reservoir and Flatiron Mountain. Swimming and boating are not allowed on the reservoir, but you can bank fish or utilize the handicap accessible fishing dock. The campground also provides potable water, vault toilets, and day use areas. While Flatiron does not have a dumpsite for campers/RVs, there is one located at Carter Lake South Entrance just up the road on 31\. There are also modern restroom facilities at Eagle Campground including pay showers. You can use these restrooms as long as you have an entrance permit.

I chose one of the three tipis on this trip. Each tipi has an electrical box inside with two, 120v outlets which were perfect for charging cell phones.The tipi also includes a string of LED lights that can be turned on at night. The floor is covered by an oiled canvas cloth, but I opted to bring a tarp to put down as well. These are walk-in sites, but it's only a short distance, 30-40 feet from the parking area. Each tipi has two parking spots and an additional tent can be placed in the campsite. The tipi can accommodate up to six people. Dogs are not allowed inside the tipi, and building fires inside is prohibited. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring. There is also a campground host on duty.

Flatiron is less than an hour drive from Rocky Mountain National Park, and 15-20 minutes from Devil's Backbone Open Space. Carter Lake, located on County Road 31 is also a short drive from the reservoir and offers boating, swimming, and fishing. There is also The Windjammer Roadhouse Bar and Grill located along 31 and the Carter Lake Marina where fishing licenses, snacks, and fishing supplies can be purchased.

I've camped the last three years at Flatiron when I've traveled out West. The campground is fairly well-maintained and the campground host has always been helpful. The reservoir does offer beautiful sunrises and sunsets and has the feel of being out in the country while still being relatively close to town. It's good to note that bears do come through the campground from time to time, so it's important not to leave food/coolers/water sitting outside or in your tent or tipi. I've heard coyotes howling at night and saw a pair of bobcats crossing the road on my way back from Carter Lake Marina. It's one of my favorite spots to camp in northern Colorado.

**Product Review:**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. This time around I had the opportunity to test out a sample pack from Humangear including their GoToobs, FlexiBowl, GoTubbs, GoBites, and GoCup. [http://www.humangear.com/](http://www.humangear.com/)

1\. First off, these products are made from silicone and they're BPA and PC-Free, and they come with a lifetime warranty. Humangear also gives back to the community by volunteering their time, and donating their products. All pluses in my book.

2\. Because the cup, bowl, and GoToobs are made of silicone, they're easy to pack, flexible and light weight. Perfect to toss in a bag or camping tote without having to worry about whether or not they might break or crack. The GoCup with the press fit lid would also be a great way to carry snacks on a day hike. Just toss in your favorite granola or trail mix, pop on the lid and toss in your pack. And, the snap together Uno GoBite utensil has found a permanent home in my backpack; a spoon on one end, a fork on the other, I'll never need to use disposable, plastic utensils again.

3\. The GoToobs were perfect for storing shampoo, conditioner and lotion while camping. The lids fit snugly and I had no issues with leaks. They even have a pop up handle on the lid.

4\. EASY clean-up! One of my least favorite parts of camping is cleaning my gear. And, while I wash my plates, cups, bowls, utensils, etc. as well as possible while camping, I still feel the need to give them the once over when I get home. This wasn't the case with the Humangear items. Camp clean up was easy and they dried quickly after being washed.

I'll be taking my Humangear on my next camping trip this fall!

Great little campground. You can also rent a Teepee or Yurt to stay in. Vault toilets are available. Electric hook ups at all sites. Reservoir waterfront sites are best as these are the shaded sites. Reservoir is good for fishing but you cannot boat or swim. Short ride away is Carter Lake where you can spend the day on the swim beach or boating. Flatiron Campground is very quiet. We have stayed here multiple times with friends at multiple sites.

Small and Quiet

Went camping there in late May and lucked out with a beautiful day in between lots of rain. Friends from out of town rented one of the tipis while we stayed in a tent (dogs aren’t allowed in the tipis) on the same lot all under one price. Each lot has a nice fire pit &amp; picnic table. If your staying in a tent or RV there are many spots overlooking the water, but if you want a tipi they are unfortunately just off the water. A ranger does make his rounds throughout the day and is super nice. Heard many different wild animal noise at night in the distance, saw elk, and eagles. They do allow fishing but no swimming. Great place for an easy get away from town. Advertised as having phone reception but we found very little w both at&amp;t &amp; Verizon.

Nice quite campground w tipis 

Site 20. My Favorite. Great lakeside spots. A little close together, bu everyone was friendly. 5 minutes to Huge Carter lake, Marina, general store

Early season!! May12-16

This is a nice stop over campground to stay and explore the surrounding area for a while. It is still close to Loveland if you need the city vibe and necessities.

This campground has "lay of the land" (not level) sites, so some extra bracing is required. 

"Electric only" on all sites. They also have 3 "Tipis" (Teepee) sites that have electric as well.

Water is located near the three restrooms and a spigot in-between sites "29 &amp; 31". (There is no water connection at the sites.)

The dump station is located at the "South" end of Carter Lake, about 6 miles away, at the Ranger Station booth. (I have included a map of location.) 

There are "NO' showers but have nicely kept vault toilets. (Kind of a bummer for what you pay for.)

Reservations are required and a "Day Use Fee", so heads up when you go online to reserve. (You might get lucky and drop in and see if a site is available for 1 night, if you want.) It's a bit pricey for "out of staters" but, to me, well worth it.

Verizon Cell is spotty… some days good, others..ehhh.. not so good. Not sure about the other carriers.

Nice stopover campground.

I love Flatiron campground, and have been coming here since I was a kid. I love the outdoors, and this is a nice quiet campground. Kids enjoy finding crawdads and huge spiders, as well as watching the birds and frog hunting. Great place to make memories!

Nice Quiet Camping Ground

Great little campground we have visited twice this spring already. Visited with our RPod. There are plenty of pull through spots. Bathrooms were clean and guests were all enjoyable to camp with. Fishing was ok, caught a couple rainbows. Only one was from the previous season and was very pretty. The lake is small but is quiet. Rangers were very friendly. Online there is a two night min but call the ranger station directly and they will allow one night booking. Lots of deer, elk and turkeys.