Kelsey Campground, near South Platte Ranger District, Colorado, is a cozy spot that’s perfect for a quick escape from the city. With its close proximity to Denver, it’s an ideal choice for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors without straying too far from urban comforts.

This campground offers a mix of tent and RV sites, though it’s best suited for tent camping. Visitors have noted the clean facilities and the shaded spots provided by large trees, making it a pleasant place to set up camp. One camper mentioned, “This is a nice small campsite that is close enough to Denver,” highlighting its convenience.

If you’re into outdoor activities, you’ll find plenty to do here. The nearby Buffalo Creek trail system is a hit among mountain bikers and hikers alike, providing easy access to scenic trails right from your campsite. Just keep in mind that some campers have mentioned noise from the nearby highway, so if you’re looking for complete solitude, you might want to plan accordingly.

Kelsey Campground is a first-come, first-served location, which can be a bit tricky since many sites are often reserved. However, the friendly atmosphere and the chance to enjoy nature make it a worthwhile stop. Just be prepared for the occasional buzzing of wasps, as some campers have experienced during their visits. Whether you’re here for a night or a weekend, Kelsey Campground offers a solid base for your Colorado adventures.

## Overview

 Kelsey is one of two campgrounds within the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, about an hour's drive southwest of Denver, Colorado. Visitors enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and trout fishing. 
## Recreation

 The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is home to a 40-mile trail system most popular with mountain bikers, but hikers and horseback riders enjoy the area as well. Several trailheads are within the area, including Little Scraggy Trail, just 3 miles north of the campground. Access to the Colorado Trail and the Buffalo Burn Trail begin from this trailhead. Shinglemill Trail is also nearby. Buffalo Creek is a popular fishing stream for brook trout. The area offers great wildlife viewing opportunities for turkey, elk, mule deer, chipmunks and porcupines. 
## Natural Features

 The campground sits at an elevation of 7,400 feet in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Summer temperatures are mild and range from 75-80 during the day to 55-65 at night. The Kelsey Overlook is just north of the campground along County Road 126, offering beautiful views of the valley below. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The drive along County Road 126 southwest from Pine Junction affords magnificent views of the valleys below. Pikes Peak, at 14,110 feet, can be seen in the distance and other prominent rock formations present themselves throughout the scenic drive. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (303) 647-2366.
## Charges & Cancellations

 Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Kelsey Campground

Deckers is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Deckers. Discover great camping spots near Deckers, reviewed by campers like you.

Deckers

The Best Camping Near Deckers, Colorado

This place is easy to get to and there is a lot to do... including excellent mountain biking right out your camper door! The host keeps the campground in excellent shape too.

A small, relaxing treat!

This is a great little spot with 15 or so spots you can also reserve in advance online. The spots have plenty of shade from large trees and nice picnic tables and fire pits. We have camped here 2x, staying in spot #5 both times. Most recently 8/24/19 the wasps were so bad it was almost unbearable. As soon as we brought food out the wasps descended on us like flies. Also the well pump was virtually unusable due to all the wasps buzzing around it. The host did say the wasp problem was exceptionally bad this year. We drove to Deckers and fished and got ice cream. We will give it another try next year and hope the wasps are better.  

Neat tent camping spot. Lots of wasps

$22 for a very unlevel parking spot, a picnic table and a fire pit. The campground is very quiet midweek and is best suited for tent camping. A lot of one night camping traffic while we were there. 
Zero service on AT&amp;T and Verizon. 17mi to nearest services.

Decent getaway 

While the campsite was very clean  and easy to access, it was very noisy from the near by highway.

Most of the campsites were only 50ft apart. 

They only have one first come first serve campsite #4. Which is where I stayed. 

All of the campsites were reserved, however nobody showed up to more than half of them. Very annoying when you trying to find a campsite and it’s been booked and nobody shows up. 

I have ATT and there was minimal LTE. But could easily send and receive calls and text without any issue. 

Great campsite for easy access to buffalo Creek trail system.

This is a nice small campsite that is close enough to Denver. I stayed at site 10 and I would definitely stay there again. 

Photos of Kelsey Campground

Real photos from real campers