Idlewild Campground

Stayed two nights with my sons. Grabbed one of the walk-in sites Friday at 1pm.

Pros: Availability (one of the only sites in Winter Park), beautiful surroundings

Cons: Right next to the highway so traffic (trains at times) can be heard at all hours of the night, most walk-in sites don't have a tent pad

This was a nice campground situated really close to Winter Park and Fraser. The mosquitoes can get pretty bad, definitely bring some bug spray.

The sites were somewhat small, you definitely won’t be getting a larger camper in any of them. For the reserved sites you also need to go down a one lane dirt road that is moderately steep and rutted. Most of the first come first served sites are quite close to the highway and not as quiet. The sites by the river are nice and the river lulls you to sleep at night.

There is good cell coverage in the area, I had 3 bars of 5G with T-Mobile while staying in site 19.

Campsite #18 was perfect for my group of 8 people. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. This campsite was away from almost all the other sites with the most privacy. Site #18 is on the south side of the campground located along the Fraser River which has a nice sound to it. The site also sits on the Fraser River trail that is paved and runs into town. Site #18 is conveniently located about 100 ft from the outhouse. This is a paid campground. 

Campsite map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3838641.pdf

$22 a night with many campsites. We got there around 3 pm and there were a few campsites left with varying layouts and proximity to the amenities. We had no problems and didn't need 4x4 to get there.

Some spots are close to the road so heard the traffic all day and night. It’s first come so that’s nice some spots don’t fit a tent. Host are great people. Restrooms are clean.

We were looking for a nice campground for one night that was first come first serve. This worked out perfect. they have areas you can refill water and toilets. It is a little close to the highway but we didn't mind that. it was quiet and everyone was super friendly and the toilets were clean. The river was nice and the kids got to play near it and check it all out and hike around. I will defiantly come back.

I love this site! It’s about an hour from Denver. Great first come first serve. By a creek, we saw a variety of wildlife including deer and a moose. Has some trails around. It’s free, first come first serve, nice flat ground for tents. Just outside of winter park if you need to run to town. No amenities.

Extremely convenient to Winter Park activities and close to downtown. Right off of the main highway into town so it is quite noisy compared to other campgrounds in the area. Set in the woods, no real views of the nearby mountains. No water onsite, portable restrooms only. Would recommend some of the other campgrounds in the area over this one due to noise and proximity to the highway. Specifically, Saint Louis Campground has amazing views (although it is a bit further away from town), but is secluded and offers a most rustic and remote camping experience (while still only being 15 minutes away from amenities).