## 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. 
## Facilities

 The campground offers single-family sites, a few of which are wheelchair accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Wheelchair accessible vault toilets are provided. Firewood is sold on-site. Parking spurs are gravel.Sites #1, and 14-17 are \"walk-up\", first-come, first-served sites. All other sites are reservable.Site #2 is used by the host from mid-May to Labor Day weekend, after that\_\_it is available as a \"walk-up\", first-come, first-served site. 
## 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. 
## 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 &amp; 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.

Mount Princeton

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.  

Great Canyon Campsite  

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.

Nice National Forest Campground 

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

Nice, shaded, along water

Great location on the water with clean bathrooms! Would definitely recommend.

Great location and very peaceful!

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.

Mt. Princeton 

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. 

True Mountain Paradise

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