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Water

Established Camping

La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel

La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel, near Canon City, Colorado, is a scenic spot that offers a rustic camping experience with a touch of comfort. With electrical hookups available, it’s a solid choice for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors without completely roughing it.

This campground is known for its beautiful surroundings, with visitors often highlighting the stunning views and the peaceful atmosphere. Many campers appreciate the clean restrooms and the friendly campground hosts who respect your space while being available if you need assistance. As one happy camper put it, “Loved the setting and the short walk to Lake Isabel,” making it easy to enjoy a day by the water.

For outdoor activities, you’re just a short stroll from Lake Isabel, which is perfect for fishing and kayaking. Some folks have mentioned that the fishing is best from the dam area, so if you’re into that, it’s worth checking out. Just keep in mind that the path to the lake can be a bit of a workout, especially if you’re hauling kayaks down the stairs.

While the campground has its quirks, like the close proximity of sites and some limitations on parking, the overall vibe is welcoming and laid-back. Whether you’re camping with family or just looking for a peaceful retreat, La Vista Campground has a lot to offer for a memorable outdoor getaway.

Description

National Forest

PSICC

Overview

La Vista Campground is situated in a meadow overlooking the west side of the 40-acre Lake Isabel. It is set along the Frontier Pathways and Historic Byway in the Wet Mountains along one of the Colorado Birding Trails. Lake Isabel is one of the few lakes in Colorado developed purely for recreation purposes. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the lake attracts many campers who come to hike, canoe, fish and spend time bird watching. St. Charles Creek flows near the campground and offers additional fishing opportunities.

Recreation

Lake Isabel welcomes non-motorized boating and fishing. Brown and brook trout are stocked in the lake and the St. Charles headwaters reap brook trout. Visitors can enjoy hiking, bicycling or motorcycling on either the Snow Slide Trail and Cisneros Trail. The 15-mile Cisneros Trail, also open to ATV riders, leads to the heart of the Wet Mountains, through forests and open, wildflower speckled valleys. Along the way, the trail connects to St. Charles Trail, which heads to St. Charles Peak.

Natural Features

Shady pine and aspen trees are scattered throughout the campground. At 8,600 feet, the area enjoys cool summer days, a welcome relief from the heat in the plains far below. The Pike and San Isabel National Forest includes over a million acres of wilderness and over half of Colorado's mountain peaks that reach above 14,000 feet.

Nearby Attractions

A nearby lodge provides paddle and rowboat rentals, groceries and a restaurant. Golf courses are about 15 minutes away.

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.

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Location

La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Pueblo, go 25 miles south on Interstate 25 to exit 74. Drive west 18 miles on State Highway 165. Turn into the main entrance at Lake Isabel Recreation Area, then turn right into the first campground on the right (about 1.25 miles).

Address

SAN CARLOS RANGER DISTRICT 3028 EAST MAIN STREET
Canon city, CO 81212

Coordinates

37.9844444 N
105.0594444 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Firewood Available
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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6 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 3, 2023

Beautiful Setting!

Loved the setting and the short walk to Lake Isabel as well as the empty picnic area across the creek. Campground hosts were super friendly but respectful of our space and our pups who are learning to camp. Very nice people, clean restrooms and easy access. We were in #28 which looked more private in the pics, but turned out to be great. Were there the first week of August - surprised there were no bugs! Great spot close to home in Colorado Springs!

Site28
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel by Karen L., September 3, 2023
Reviewed Sep. 14, 2020

Mountain Remote

Beautiful scenery but accommodations were lacking. Camp hosts were not very helpful with hands on camp site issues. No water and no WiFi or cell service at all!

  • Review photo of La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel by Patsy W., September 14, 2020
  • Review photo of La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel by Patsy W., September 14, 2020
  • Review photo of La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel by Patsy W., September 14, 2020
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Feb. 29, 2020

Good campground for access to Isabel Lake.

I agree with previous review, but would add we parked near dam off highway and loaded our kayaks in at dam. Much easier, and fishing best at that half of lake. Fly rod with a floating white fly works great. Just let it sit.

Reviewed Aug. 25, 2019

Beautiful scenery in quiet campground

I stayed in this campground in mid July for 3 nights.  The campground is pretty rustic but clean. It does have electrical hook ups which made it nice for our dog to enjoy a air conditioned trailer when it got hot during the day. The sites are a little close together and positioned so it you have a trailer where your awning comes out is in direct view of the other campers. Also we brought our kayaks to enjoy the Lake. The only kicker is you are not allowed to park where the ramp is to walk your kayaks down to the lake unless you rent them from them. So you have to use the many flights of stairs that wind back n forth all the way down to the lake. They are lined with rail road ties sometimes stacked 5 high.   So you have to lift your kayaks above the ties as you walk down. If you have a heavy kayak is almost dangerous of injury.  I feel like if they have a ramp you can walk them to if you pay for the campground you should be allowed to park your vehicle there to do so.

Reviewed Jul. 9, 2018

Peaceful and clean

This campground has electricity, clean vaulted toilets, and potable water. You can not hook water directly to camper though. It is within walking distance to Isabel lake. Isabel lake has great fishing.

Month of VisitSeptember

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel?

    La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel allows vehicles up to 45 feet.

  • Does La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel does not have wifi.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel?

    There are 31 campsites at La Vista Campground - Lake Isabel and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts