Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple campgrounds, cabins, yurts, RV sites, group sites, and a guest house.

From Memorial Day to early October, there are 132 campsites in two campgrounds: Reverend’s Ridge and Aspen Meadow. 

Reverend’s Ridge offers 38 tent sites and 59 sites with electrical hook-ups. Facilities at Reverend’s Ridge include flush toilets, shower, ice machine, laundry facilities, and a dump station.

Aspen Meadow offers 35 tent sites and vault toilets.

As of January 1, 2019 both campgrounds will be Reservation Only.

Golden Gate also offers 20 backcountry tent sites and four backcountry shelters. Our backcountry sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis year-round. Please register for backcountry sites at the Visitor Center.

Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon

Great! Great! Great! Big campground but still peaceful. Not far from Denver but a world away.

Generously sized tent sites accommodate a variety of tent sizes. Be aware you cannot hang hammocks.

Bathrooms were clean. Showers cost $1. There are facilities for washing clothes and dishes and even vending machines.

There is some great hiking in the park and a couple of trailheads right out of the campground.

Heart of the Rockies

Well, sorta camping if you consider a yurt camping. This was the perfect winter getaway for winter hiking. Unfortunately there was not enough snow to cross country ski as advertised. Overall the park has nice trails and some elevation gain. It made for a nice quick getaway. 

Winter Camping

We love to backcountry camp in GGC. Forgotten Valley has some really nice spots by the river and it's a very short hike.

Dispersed Camping all the way!!! 

We stayed here in early June to avoid the chaos of RMNP and were not disappointed. The drive from Golden up into the park is beautiful and you truly feel like you are leaving the noise of Denver and the metro behind. There is no cell service anywhere in the park (for my Verizon phone anyway) which I actually enjoyed. The park is very quiet, has many beautiful trails (they arent necessarily marked the best and the maps mileages are a bit off, but made for a beautiful, longer than expected hike to Panorama Point.) Our site was very clean, the only complaint I had about our site in particular was that the fire pit was below the picnic table which was below the spot for our tent and the fire smoke overwhelmed the rest of our site due to the upwind. I did not know that we could not bring hammocks to the site so set mine up and came back to find it missing - a ranger stopped by and had put it in our tent with a note - my fault, they were very friendly about it. Beautiful and quiet campground over all with nice facilities for bathrooms and even dishwashing. Will definitely stay again over the National Park!

Campsite J - 90

Despite some harrowing switchbacks on the drive up, you are rewarded with spectacular mountain panoramic views and a quiet camp spot with plenty of shade.

The drive there is worth it

We went primitive camping here off of the Horseshoe trail head, stayed at spot 5\. It was a magical spot! You have a few options on where to pop your tent here, we chose tucked away behind the rocks, nice and snug. Plenty to explore here on and off the trails, where permitted. No water source close so bring water! Great park to see elk! Also, whent in July and weather was not bad at all.

Primitive camping for the win!

My family have stayed at Golden Gate several times. We love the showers and the electrical hookups. The sites are maintained very well but at least in Loop B the sites are way too close together. You feel like you are invading on your campers privacy all the time. We have a Dog that had a hard time settling down due to the close proximity of the other campers and there dogs. If you can get a site on the outer edge of the loop it might be better than in the inner loop.

A little too close for comfort

While the other 3 state park campgrounds we tried were still closed “for the winter”, this gem was worth the drive! Less than 25% of sites were occupied, everyone seemed to be seeking the solitude just like us. No lite music or parties. A few kids playing outside all day (I love seeing this). Bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. The trails were well marked and not busy.

Spectacular Spring Camping!

Our site had some big boulders nearby which was really cool. Beautiful hiking nearby with breath taking views. Lots of chipmunks! Great place to relax and do some yoga. Would love to go back!

Panoramic Views and Great Campground 

we absolutely LOVE golden gate canyon state park! such a beautiful space and wonderful hikes. it is well trafficked and definitely for good reason. take the raccoon trail to panorama point for a wonderful view of it all! 

amazing

Great place to get away from the hustle bustle of the city yet close enough to get there quickly

A Hidden Gem close to home

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is enormous. The options for trails are endless. Great for mountain biking or hiking enthusiasts. There are facilities, ideal for car camping or families. The park feels like it’s far from the city, but the drive is easy for a weekend camping trip! 

Close to Denver, but feels far away

Golden Gate Canyon SP is absolutely gorgeous! We loved the experience at the park, the trails are great and the views are wonderful. The drive up can be a bit breathtaking, but it can be done!

Natural Beauty Abounds

Late October is very unpredictable in Colorado for a camper who is primarily a tent camper. That probably wasn't the best formula for me to pick up a friend at the airport and head out for our first camping experience. Heading out from the airport it was brisk but do-able, by the time we had arrived at the turn off we started to notice a rapid dip in temperatures. We opted to check out Look Out Mountain before heading to the campsite and well that is when everything went sideways.

I had already reserved a space at the campsite and it was a little early to try to check in so I thought, no big deal we will get some sight seeing out of the way. Little did we know that it was about to start a random snow.

We went in and when we came out huge flakes!! The temps had dropped even more!

Long story short, my friend having never camped before was not about to start with that. I was a little freaked out but only had $18 invested.

We went ahead and drove to the campsite to see if I could get refunded and to see if there was anything worth seeing before we tried to run away from the snow. The campsite was amazing!! I wish I had found it a day earlier in fact before the snows because I had instead opted for a much less awesome site closer to the airport.

The sites were placed nicely so you would have plenty of room, the grounds were maintained to a very high standard and overall it was just very impressive. Even in the snow it was looking like a place that was just waiting to be explored.

After speaking to someone they were kind enough to refund my money, which I wasn't fully expecting but I was very happy to know they were willing to do based on the conditions. They wanted our first trip to the site to be one that left a positive feeling not a negative one so they that was very kind.

TIPS:

*   Ideal times to go here are between May and early September, anytime after that they get random weather.
*   Checkout all the things this campground has to offer during season there are a lot of educational programs designed for families.

Great Campsite Weather Permitting

Hiked about 2.5 miles into a back country shelter site. It was quiet and secluded but only a short walk from a small lake and a historical cabin site. Loved it!

Worth the hike

such a beautiful place. trails are amazing. although the sound of screaming children that pervades the campsite kind of ruins the experience.

child friendly 

if you pick a tent site it’s your best bet the electric sites are too close to RV’s 

campsite view was ridiculous!!!

Hiked one of the moderate trails, made it to some campsites that were pretty remote. Hiked uphill for about 1-2 miles so it’s hard with camping gear! Beautiful scenery though! 

Awesome hiking trails

There are a few areas at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, but Forgotten Valley is my favorite. Access to fishing at Tallman Ranch Pond, and Monutain Lion Trail leads to the summit of Windy Peak.

Forgotten Valley has 4 backcountry campsites and a backcountry shelter for overnight camping.  All backcountry tent sites and shelters are first come, first serve.  You'll need to check in at the visitor center to reserve the campsite, and pay for a park pass.

Park at the Bridge Creek Trailhead, and take Burro Trail to access Mountain Lion Trail, which leads into Forgotten Valley.

Site #15 is my favorite in Forgotten Valley.  It's settled in an Aspen Grove, and is more secluded that the other sites.

Bear lockers are available for each campsite.

The Forgotten Valley Backcountry Camping

This is a very popular Colorado State Park and campground for alot of reasons! The park has campsites for all sizes, shapes and styles of campers, trailers, tents and has cabins and yurts to rent as well. I like loop B for the pull throughs and nice spacing between sites. Loop D is a favorite as well , it’s close to the restrooms with showers and laundry. The park fills up quickly over the summer weekends ( reservations required) but I check for cancellations ... you never know or try for weekdays if you can. 

One of my favorites for local camping 

Was a beautiful drive to the park. About 30 to 40mins off I-70 depending on how you drive. Highly recommend and has become one of my new favorite spots to visit again. Has a very tucked in the mountains feel but has great facilities and was very quiet. Phone service wise Verizon was very patchy but sprint seemed to have 2-3 bars 

Very quiet and beautiful

Reverend's Ridge campground is one of our all time favorites.  Even though the campground was fully booked, the campground was clean and quiet. We appreciate the big shower houses, recycling, and the site layouts that feel big with lots of trees. There is a trailhead right at the campground that offers a great hike with beautiful scenery.

 Clean and quiet 

We visited Golden Gate Canyon in October 2020 and we were blown away with the natural beauty of this park. We stayed in Reverends Ridge Loop E Site 49. It was a pull through site, mostly level, and it easily accommodated our 20' truck still attached to our 30' travel trailer. The sites we saw were spaced apart generously. The park was quiet and family friendly. We only stayed for one night as we were passing through the area, but we would absolutely go back again and highly recommend it to others. One important note is that RVs can not enter through the entrance on HWY 46 at Mountain Base Road (we learned the hard way). The good news is the entrance is not far from there, but you may want to plan to enter off HWY 119 from the outset.

Truly Spectacular State Park

Lovely campground! Beautiful pine forest, morning sun, nice sunsets, clean campground with great facilities(including laundry, clean large shower house, electric hookups, and a dump station). Good hikes right near campground and tons of hikes in the state park. The trailhead for the gorgeous Raccoon Trail loop is just feet from our campsite. We stayed at site 6 loop A for one night in early October. Wish we were staying longer! We will return someday!

LOVE IT!

We stayed at loop A of Reverend’s Ridge for 1 night on our way to California. We were the only ones in the campground and the views are gorgeous. Fire ring and picnic table at each site. The road to and in the campground was plowed.  Pets allowed.  Tons of beautiful hiking trails. 

Things to keep in mind when visiting in the winter- water is not available, there are vault toilets near the pay area but not in campground itself. The GPS will tell you to take mountain base rd to the campground but it is closed for the winter. You need to take highway 46 to 119 to Gilpin road (see map).


Winter Camping Golden Gate Canyon State Park

We love to visit Golden Gate Canyon State Park early in the season because it is very busy all summer.  This is our second stay at the park in March, and we have had wonderful snow both times.  

  

The Reverends Ridge campground has limited sites available this time of year but is still well maintained.  The campground office restrooms were open, heated and clean.  Trash dumpsters were available as were recycling cans. The electric hookups were on. There is no water available except in the restrooms. 

  

The campsite (C-35) parking area was plowed open to exactly the width of our trailer, so with more than three feet of snow on the ground we needed to get some exercise and do a bit of shoveling so we could back in and be able to walk along side the trailer and open the door! .More snow was falling as we set up but the scenery was absolutely magical.  About 25 yards of more shovel work made it so we could find and dig out both the table and fire pit provided.  We had a warming fire going in no time.  

  

Golden Gate is a wildlife paradise and as we worked we could hear Turkeys calling form the trees.  We were also graced with the presence of four huge Moose who had taken up residency and were lounging in the snow.  In the distance we could hear the yips and howls of coyotes.  

  

Snow graced us for the first of our Friday to Sunday stay, but warmer temperatures  arrived Saturday afternoon and the great daytime thaw and evening freeze common to Colorado mountains in springtime began in earnest.  This made for some cautious walking around the snow piled nearly everywhere. 

  

One of the great things about this park is the winter activities available on the many trails, and the added benefit of Nederland, Black Hawk, and Central City Colorado being within easy driving distance for some small town amenities if desired.  This is a great park, and my wife is wishing to visit when there is no snow!   😎

Early Camping in the snow!

Very nice and well maintained. Bathrooms where nice and clean. Camp sites where well maintained. 

Beautiful 

This campground is very close to the Denver / Boulder area so it is easy to get to for me.  The kids enjoyed camping here.  There are most of the basics and the restrooms are clean.  The only negative I have to say is that it is closer to home and the city than I prefer to be but other than that it was great.

  

The parking is a bit of a bear so keep that in mind.

Very Close to Denver / Boulder

This site has it all! It made camping easy with restrooms with showers, ice machine, vending machines, sinks to wash dishes, and a fire pit with a grill! Can also buy firewood for a cheap price and the site has a gas station nearby!

Amazing and Easy!

Great place to RV camp with a good amount of hookups and showers/bathrooms on site

Really nice facility 

We stayed here for a quick overnight so did not have time to enjoy the park.  Very well kept with nice clean bathrooms.  Showers take quarters so come prepared if you plan to shower.  Sites all looked level with nice fire rings and picnic tables.

Very nice sites and we'll kept

This has become one of our favorite places to camp. Very quiet. Evenings are cool.  Plan on making a fire. ￼There are lots of trees if you like shade. Stay away from the A loop – it ￼is small and tricky to back in.  Panorama point is a must see.