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Established Camping

Mount Princeton

Mount Princeton, near Nathrop, Colorado, is a picturesque campground that offers a true escape into nature. With sites that sit alongside the rushing Chalk Creek, it’s a prime spot for those looking to unwind and soak in stunning mountain views.

This campground is perfect for tent campers and RVs, though keep in mind there are no electric hookups or showers. Visitors have praised the peaceful ambiance, with one camper noting, “The creek was rushing so hard you could hear it and it was very peaceful.” Fire rings and picnic tables are available, making it easy to enjoy meals outdoors and gather around the fire at night.

For adventure seekers, Mount Princeton is surrounded by a wealth of outdoor activities. Hiking trails lead to breathtaking waterfalls, and the nearby ghost town of St. Elmo is a must-see. Plus, if you’re in the mood for relaxation, the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs are just a short drive away, offering a perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring.

While some campers have mentioned the lack of cell service and Wi-Fi, this only adds to the charm of disconnecting and enjoying the great outdoors. With its beautiful scenery and tranquil setting, Mount Princeton is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Description

National Forest

Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

Overview

Mount Princeton Campground is located in beautiful Chalk Creek Canyon in central Colorado. This popular facility is within 4 miles of a private hot springs resort, making it an ideal location for rest and relaxation. "First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there. Someone may get there before you. This is a popular campground and is normally full starting on Friday, sometimes as early as Thursday, so plan accordingly.

Recreation

Stream fishing is best above Cascade Falls, about 2 miles west of the campground. Nearby Chalk Lake is heralded as a great family fishing lake with rainbow, brook and brown trout. Nearby ATV/UTV and 4X4 rides include Mount Antero, Baldwin Lake, Tincup Pass, Hancock Pass, Pomeroy Lakes, Hancock Lakes.

Natural Features

The campground is situated at an elevation of 8,600 feet in Chalk Creek Canyon, which gets its name from the soft, white, chalk-like kaolinite canyon walls. Kaolinite is a clay mineral that was deposited by percolating hot springs. A stand of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir offers partial shade in the campground. Chalk Creek can be accessed from the campground. It flows 27 miles eastward from the Collegiate Peaks before joining the Arkansas River. Chalk Lake is about a__mile west of the campground.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

Nearby Attractions

Take a day trip to the historic ghost town of St. Elmo, just 15 minutes from the campground. An old saloon, county courthouse and many other historic structures remain from the days of its mining glory. Rock hounds come to the area in search of quartz and aquamarine. The city of Salida and Town of Buena Vista are only a short drive away where visitors can enjoy unique restaurants, shops, and art galleries. The area boasts more than 100 miles of Arkansas River to raft, fish, float or kayak, as well as fifteen 14,000 ft. mountains. Visitors can choose from recreational activities like hiking, biking, ATV/UTV riding, kayaking, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, ziplining and swimming.

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

Mount Princeton is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Buena Vista, Colorado, take Highway 285 south to Nathrop. Turn west on County Road 162 and travel 7 miles to the campground.

Coordinates

38.7141667 N
106.2227778 W

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Access

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

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

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

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

9 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 31, 2021

Beautiful High

Sites: 17 

Fee: $22.00 per night $7.00 day use 

Reservations: 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov 

Open: Mid May- Mid Sep 

Check out 12 PM Prior to Memorial Day, sites may be FCFS but water and host might not be available. 

Fire ring, picnic table, tent pad, pit toilets, doggie poo bags, bear box, no showers, electric hookups This is a beautiful campground and you just can't go wrong on this mountain. The surrounding mountain views are just amazing. The creek is cascading along the rocky creek bed and is the perfect way to zen out. The ghost town of St Elmos intriguing so make sure you head up to the top of the mountain to check out a Colorado ghost town.

LNT

BTWYFI 

Safe travels

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 31, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 31, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 31, 2021
  • (20) View All
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Beauty on the Mountain

Fee: $22.00 Day use fee $7.00 There is a self service tube available 

Check out 12:00 noon Quiet time 10:00 pm to 6:00 am 

Fire ring/grill, picnic table, tent sites, pit toilets, doggie poo bags, some bear boxes Pads and road have a base of gravel 

Before Memorial Day weekend the sites may be FCFS, but host and water may not be available. 

During peak season you may reserve by calling 800-444-6777 or on line at recreation.gov No showers or electrical hookups are available. There are two handicapped-accessible toilets. Water is by way of a handpump 

Mt. Princeton Campground is located in the Chalk Creek Canyon and not only is it a beautiful drive but you have St Elmo to look forward to. St Elmo is a ghost town from the 1800's. The mountains are just beautiful. 

Directions: From Buena Vista travel south on Highway 285 for 7 miles then turn right on County Road 162 and travel west, passing the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort then 8.5 miles to campground 

LNT

 Better than when you found it

 Stay safe Happy travels

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by N I., October 18, 2021
  • (20) View All
Reviewed Jul. 13, 2021

True Mountain Paradise

Mt. Princeton Campground is a primitive campground. There is no water, electric, or dump station available. You can fill your rv with water in Buena Vista at the water works office. As for dumping you either have to drive to Salida and dump at their sanitation department or you can pay to dump at a local rv campground in Buena Vista. If you want electricity bring a generator.

This campground does have vault toilets and a drinking water ONLY faucet. The camp host also has firewood for sale.

We stayed in site #7 and behind it was the Chalk Creek. It was rushing so hard you could hear it and it was very peaceful.

No cell signal or WiFi.

Beautiful campground that we will return to in the future.

Site7
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Kassi S., July 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Kassi S., July 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Kassi S., July 13, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Oct. 17, 2020

Mt. Princeton

Very nice small campground. We stayed in site #11 the creek was behind it. It was the off season and we pulled in on a Sunday late Adams stayed till Friday. No need for reservations in late September. Lots of hiking and site seeing. Be sure to check out the hot springs. All the sites were level and very easy to get into with my small trailer.

Site11
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Lisa H., October 17, 2020
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Lisa H., October 17, 2020
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Lisa H., October 17, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Sep. 6, 2019

Great Canyon Campsite

The campsite is west of Nathrop Colorado in the Chalk Canyon. It’s one of three National Forest Service campgrounds in the canyon. The other sites at Chalk Canyon and Cascade are each a mile or so along the same canyon highway. Princeton has a camp host and and great facilities like the other camps. Each sites has a picnic table and fire ring. The sites have some privacy depending on the location. The creek runs along the sites on the south side of the camp. The sites are best suited for tent campers or small vans. The views from Princeton are incredible. The camp was full in the summer peak. So, reservations are highly recommended at this site.

  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Steve & Ashley  G., September 6, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Steve & Ashley  G., September 6, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Steve & Ashley  G., September 6, 2019
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2019

Nice, shaded, along water

This is a pretty campground which sits beside rushing waters.  I didn't run in to bad mosquito issues which was nice, however I may have been covered up.  The fire, food, peaceful stay and friendly company was a nice break from the electrical devices we so normally plus into.  Have stayed here 2 or 3 times.  Enjoyed all but 1 when our tents got inundated with storm waters.  We packed up, headed in to Salida for the rest if the stay.  Otherwise, it is a great lil place.  Hiking, playing in creek and visiting the river water, grilling out and enjoying friends and family in front of the fire.  Life is what we make it.  

Vaulted toilets- idk maybe 3 around campground

Trash receptacles 

The road to get here did get washed out as well once.  It was driveable by the time we left camp.  

Fires ok in designated rings

Firewood for sale until host runs out.

Food in Buena Vista is about a 35 min. Drive out.  A closer gas station and truck stop are about 15 mins. Out

SiteA few
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Stella C., August 28, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Stella C., August 28, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Stella C., August 28, 2019
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 30, 2019

Nice National Forest Campground

This campground is located right next to Hwy 162, which goes from Nathop to St. Elmo, along the banks of Chalk Creek. Thought right next to the road, there was surprisingly little road noise to disturb the peace and quiet. Part of that is due to the nice sound of the creek drowning out all but the loudest of noises.

The location is ideal for lots of outdoor activities. There are nearby hiking trails to nice waterfalls, fishing in streams and lakes, Jeep roads into the high country, sightseeing in old ghost towns, and whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River. You are also just minutes from Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, great for a relaxing soak.

The campground itself is in a mixed aspen and pine forest with vault toilets, water via a pump well, and trash dumpsters. Most sites are reasonably level, with nice tent pads for those who like to rough it, and with decent privacy from other sites. The host sells firewood for $7/bundle. It was well-maintained and pleasant. I would definitely camp here again.

  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Mark R., May 30, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Mark R., May 30, 2019
  • Review photo of Mount Princeton by Mark R., May 30, 2019
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2018

Dispersed camping

Camped here the night before hiking Mt Princeton.

Road up was not easy, but the spots are easy to find and helpful for getting an early start the next day

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Mount Princeton?

    Mount Princeton allows vehicles up to 45 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Mount Princeton?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Mount Princeton, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Mount Princeton?

    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 Mount Princeton. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Mount Princeton, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Mount Princeton?

    There are 19 campsites at Mount Princeton and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts