Thunder Ridge, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a scenic campground that offers a peaceful escape with stunning views of the Rampart Reservoir. The area is surrounded by tall pine trees, providing a nice bit of shade, and the sites are spacious enough for both tents and RVs.

Visitors rave about the breathtaking scenery and the abundance of wildlife, including deer and rabbits. The campground features clean vault toilets and communal drinking water, making it a comfortable spot for your outdoor adventures. One camper noted, “The views are exceptional and the elevation makes for a guaranteed cool night's sleep.”

Getting to Thunder Ridge involves a bit of a bumpy ride, but many find the journey worthwhile once they arrive. There are trails nearby that lead to the reservoir, perfect for a leisurely hike or a day of fishing. Just remember, there are no electric hookups or showers, so come prepared for a true camping experience. 

While some campers have mentioned the road conditions, the overall vibe is friendly and welcoming, with hosts who take pride in maintaining the campground. Whether you're looking to unwind or explore the great outdoors, Thunder Ridge has a lot to offer.

## Overview

 Thunder Ridge Campground, located above the Rampart Reservoir, is one of two campgrounds within the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area. The campground overlooks the reservoir, which is popular for fishing. Boating and hiking are also common activities for campers here. The campground is located on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, due north of the popular Pikes Peak. The peak has an altitude of 14,110 feet and is America's easternmost peak reaching over 14,000 feet. 
## Recreation

 Rainbow and mackinaw trout are plentiful in the reservoir and hikers can enjoy the trails in the area. Rampart Reservoir Trail is nearby. Rampart Reservoir Trail extends for 14 miles and is open to hiking and mountain biking. 
## Natural Features

 The campground overlooks the Rampart Reservoir in a ponderosa pine forest at an altitude of 9,200 feet. The surrounding terrain includes a mix of grass meadows, spruce, Douglas fir and aspen. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs offers tours, and a visit to the quaint town of Green Mountain Falls makes a great day trip. 
## 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.

Thunder Ridge

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Green Mountain Falls, CO is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Colorado camping has to offer. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Green Mountain Falls. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

Green Mountain Falls

The Best Camping Near Green Mountain Falls, Colorado

It is a nice place there its close to the resivor almost close enough to walk. If you have a boat its easy to get to the boat dock. I been canoeing here and its a great training place for beginners.

Close to the Resivor

Perfect place for a quiet weekend away near CO Springs.

Highlights:
- Quick path from campground to reservoir 
- Very friendly camp host
- Campground sites are all very roomy. Ours was wonderful and looking around other people's were too.

Welcoming and quiet

Thunder Ridge is your standard National forest campground, all sites have a fire pit and picnic table, the CG has vault toilets and trash service available and water is available by a few centrally located spigots.  Facilities are clean.  The sites themselves are nicely spaced apart and it is not too big of a campground.  There is nice trail down to the water or you can take your vehicle a short 3-4 minute drive to Rampart Reservoir.  This is a popular CG, so book early.  It is at the very south end of the Rampart Range Rec area just above woodland park and nearby Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Wilderness.  There are lots of activities nearby for all from hiking, fishing, to great mountain towns to visit and the attractions of Manitou and Pikes Peak.

Great Reservoir Views

This campground is very close to the shore which makes it easier to carry a kayak or a paddle board. The set up is surrounded by tall pine trees that provide shade really useful during this month of July.  Spots are quite spacious and the camp is very clean including the bathrooms. 
This is one of the most relaxing camps I have visited. Highly recommended!!


Quality Campground

We stayed for three nights at the Thunder Ridge Campground inside the Pike National Forest. This campground has tent and RV sites, but no electric. Water is communal access and the campground is served by two vault toilets. There is a well-marked trail access to the Rampart Reservoir. 

A WORD OF WARNING: Do not attempt to access this campground if you do not have a decent suspension system or shocks. The forest service road that takes you to the Pike National Forest areas is a poorly maintained dirt road that will make your teeth rattle. However, the camping was worth it! 

Great Host, Clean Grounds, Great Views

The dirt road to the camp is very bumpy and takes about 15-20 minutes to traverse. Once you get to the camp the roads are paved and a lot smoother. When you arrive you will be greeted with a beautiful campground. The camp host, Eric was awesome. He helped us out with getting directions, gave us advice with starting a fire, and he always waved hi and smiled when he drove by on his 4 wheeler. It was a scenic stay and not too far from civilization, perfect for new campers.

Very friendly

Camped here twice. One time we woke up to elk calls; another we got woken up by disrespectful neighbors. All in all a great site with a nice hike to the lake.

Good weekend spot

First off it is in the middle of nowhere, so it is quiet. The views are breathtaking. The walk around the lake (12 miles) is awesome and gorgeous. The site does not have any hookups, it does have toilets. 

Amazing views

This campground is so close to home, which we love. Views are exceptional and elevation makes a guaranteed cool nights sleep. We are sprint/T-mobile and we had coverage, which is unusual for the area. 

Great campground to escape the heat.

Campsite had good view, clean bathrooms &amp; firewood/host available. The drive up to the site is pretty rough but doable in my small car. Do not use the location in Apple Maps took us to the wrong side of the mountain use coordinates provided or worded directions on the website. 

Great view & clean sites

Awesome campground. It is a long road to get up to the site but worth it! Great views and awesome little hike down to the reservoir. Would definitely stay again. Vault toilettes somehow felt extremely clean and smelled… nice??? Cheryl, the campground host, cleans them multiple times a day and takes great care of the whole campground. I didn’t have a reservation but pulled up at 3pm on a week day and there were 2 sites open. Would recommend a res, but you may get lucky. Must make res 4+ days in advance. 
***plow was on the road august 10, 2022 smoothing and filling in the pretty gnarly divots that everyone is talking about on the road up to the site. Much better and easier to drive now :) I had some cell service at my site, 7.. enough to send texts and use internet, but other parts of the campground, I lost service completely. (I have Verizon). 
Firewood available for $8. 
Definitely some harmless wildlife rummaging around at night (deer, rabbits, etc). Enjoy! 


Great campground- roads smoothed august 2022

Awesome views of the rampart reservoir. Lots of deer and other wildlife in this area.

Photos of Thunder Ridge

Real photos from real campers