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Nature
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Water
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Facilities
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Activities

Established Camping

St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel

St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel, near Canon City, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape into nature. With a mix of tent, RV, and cabin accommodations, it caters to a variety of camping styles, making it a popular choice for families and friends alike.

The campground is known for its beautiful, secluded sites surrounded by trees, providing a peaceful atmosphere. Visitors often rave about the nearby river's soothing sounds and the stunning views of Lake Isabel, perfect for kayaking and fishing. One camper mentioned, “The sound of the nearby river is very relaxing,” highlighting the serene environment.

Amenities include drinking water and trash disposal, but keep in mind there are no electric hookups or showers. Campers appreciate the rustic feel, with some even enjoying the lack of cell service as a chance to disconnect. As one happy visitor put it, “That made it even better, got the chance to disconnect from the world for a few days.”

For those who love hiking, there are trails nearby that lead to breathtaking views and wildlife sightings, including deer and chipmunks. The campground also has a store and restaurant that’s received positive feedback for its improvements. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, St Charles Campground offers a great blend of relaxation and outdoor adventure.

Description

National Forest

PSICC

Overview

Nestled among aspen and tall Douglas fir trees, St. Charles Campground is in a quiet part of the Lake Isabel Recreation Area. Located on the banks of St. Charles Creek, the campground is popular with campers who enjoy the sounds of water tumbling through the shaded boulders.

Recreation

Lake Isabel is stocked with brown and rainbow trout. The accessible lakeshore path provides ample fishing spots. Brook trout can be found in St. Charles Creek. Several trails begin at the recreation area. Hiking opportunities include the Snowslide Trail and the Cisneros Trail. Both trails are also open to motorcycles, and Cisneros is a challenging ATV route.

Natural Features

The campground sits a mile west of Lake Isabel in the Wet Mountains, a beautiful range in the San Isabel National Forest. At an elevation of 8,600 feet, Lake Isabel was designed and constructed in the 1930s as a recreational haven from the dusty plains far below. Rugged mountain peaks in the area provide water for the abundant wildlife and fish populations.

Nearby Attractions

A nearby lodge offers 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

St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Pueblo, go 25 miles south on I-25 to exit 74. Drive west 18 miles on state Highway 165. Turn into the main entrance at Lake Isabel Recreation Area and drive to Forest Road 374, the second left. Follow signs to the campground.

Address

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

Coordinates

37.9811111 N
105.0655556 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

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

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.0

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10 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 15, 2024

Fall Aspen leaves.

Small park, plenty of room to relax. Trash receptacles close. Creek on the south side of park. Many pit toilet. Camp host during operation. Both times we stayed here the host was very helpful and friendly.

Site14
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Chad H., October 15, 2024
Reviewed Jul. 30, 2023

Rude workers!!!!!

Every employee working there is extremely rude! My dad and brother had a lady scream in their face when they asked her a simple question. If you want to camp somewhere nice I suggest going elsewhere.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2022

Beautifully Secluded

We have stayed at 2 different camp sites at St Charles & loved every minute of it. The sites are separated from each other with plenty of trees & space. The sound of the nearby river is very relaxing. Amenities are as expected with a secluded campground, we had no phone or internet service at all with AT&T or Verizon. That made it even better, got the chance to disconnect from the world for a few days. Lake Isabel is gorgeous & perfect for our kayaks. Can’t wait until out next trip there. Oh yeah, there’s a new owner of the store/restaurant & it’s better than in the past.

Sitedon’t remember the site #
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Rob B., August 10, 2022
Reviewed Jan. 14, 2022

Raindrops on s'mores

We had a lovely time. Spent the first day in our tent due to weather. The road was a bit washed out but the camp host was great. We didn't let the rain keep us down, and the day we were leaving the sun made a visit! Beautiful!

Site8
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Rachel O., January 14, 2022
Reviewed Nov. 29, 2021

Fall Visit.

Aspen leaves in full color. Peaceful park, great place for hiking. Camp host was great and helped us find a great spot.

SiteSite 9 by the stream.
Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2020

Nice little campground but...

We spent 2 nights in site 13 which is a great site that backs up to the forest. The downfall of this site is it is next to the vault toilet and it was very smelly. The camp host was non existent throughout the weekend. Never saw them once service the restroom and they did not give us our lake pass to provide us with access during the day. Being the weekend it was busy and they were not enforcing campsite occupancy so there were several sites with 4-5 cars and lots of extra people which led to a lot of noise. Overall I would definitely go again but only during the week and I would not stay near a bathroom again.

Reviewed Jul. 26, 2020

Secluded spot

We lucked out on a first come-first served spot on a Friday - spot #10 is tent only, by a creek and several private trails. The camp was quiet with a vault toilet nearby. We were visited by several mule deer and very friendly chipmunks. Bears are in the area, but a bear-proof locker is on the site. The lake itself is pretty developed with boat rentals and fishing, but if you drive past the group camping there is a great hike that knocked us out. Highly recommend! (July 25, 2020)

  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Kathrina M., July 26, 2020
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Kathrina M., July 26, 2020
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Kathrina M., July 26, 2020
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Sep. 22, 2019

Beautiful

The lake was beautiful! There were several trails nearby and a restaurant that was open on the weekends.
Finding wood was a little difficult but need be, the restaurant sold it for $6.99 a bundle. I definitely want to come back and backpack the Cisneros trail to see the mines.

  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Alana H., September 22, 2019
Reviewed Jun. 21, 2019

Family spot!

Family has been coming for years. The family has property in Colorado city and we still love to come to local mountain! Great fishing, clean, quiet, & plenty of space

  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Taylor C., June 21, 2019
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Taylor C., June 21, 2019
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2018

Pretty area

Nice campground above San Isabel lake. Good fishing in the lake, we rented a paddle boat while staying there.

  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Alicia S., August 5, 2018
  • Review photo of St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel by Alicia S., August 5, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel has water hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel?

    St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel allows vehicles up to 45 feet.

  • Does St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel have wifi?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at St Charles 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 St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

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

    There are 15 campsites at St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts