Elbert Creek, near Leadville, Colorado, is a solid choice for campers looking to immerse themselves in nature while being close to some of the state's most iconic peaks. This spot offers a mix of tent and RV sites, with plenty of trees providing a sense of privacy and a peaceful atmosphere.

The campground is conveniently located right at the base of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, making it a prime location for those eager to tackle these famous 14ers. Visitors have noted that the sites are well-spaced, each equipped with a fire pit and room for multiple tents, which is perfect for groups or families looking to enjoy a night under the stars.

For those who enjoy a bit of water fun, Emerald Lake is just a short hike away, and the area is known for its beautiful scenery. Campers have mentioned the clean facilities, including a vault toilet and a water pump, which adds to the convenience of your stay. As one visitor put it, “The campground was sparsely populated... but started filling up rapidly by Thursday,” so plan accordingly if you want a quieter experience.

While the road can be a bit bumpy, it’s manageable for most vehicles, and there are dispersed camping options nearby if you prefer a more rugged experience. Whether you're here for the climbing or just to soak in the natural beauty, Elbert Creek is a great spot to set up camp and enjoy the great outdoors.

## Overview

 This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Elbert Creek — Psicc

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Leadville, CO has a lot to offer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Colorado camping adventure.

Leadville

The Best Camping Near Leadville, Colorado

If you are thinking of hiking Mt. Elbert I strongly suggest that spending a night or two would be the best way to do it. The climb takes a solid 4-8 hours and spending the night before helps adjust to the altitude change for any out of towners. The Elbert Creek campsite is a great place to stay before the hike. Wake up first thing in the morning and hit the trail without having to do with often overcrowded parking a the trailhead. The campsite itself is good. Located near water obviously given the name) and is surrounded by high peaks and lots of pine. 

Highest Peak in Colorado

We stayed at the upper campsites past the trailhead, so I am not 100%sure if it is still considered part of the campground.

Expect it to be much colder than surrounding areas. The campground is at the base of the mountain- and weather reflects that.

The views are really something else. Breathtaking overlook of Twin Lakes and Hope Pass.

Wish fire pits were more established for safety. The people before us didn't seem to care as much about fire safety, and there was charred wood scattered around camp.

Gorgeous views!

We spent a night here prior to hiking Mount Massive via the N. Halfmoon Creek Trailhead approach. The sites are in overall great condition and offer standard campground amenities. We arrived fairly late on a Friday night during the summer and there were still plenty of sites available. Staying here prior to hiking one of the two highest mountains in Colorado, Elbert and Massive, is a great option as you can get an early start to your hike without a long drive to the trailhead and it allows your body to acclimate to the high altitude a bit. We ended up staying the night after hiking as well and left our tent and some belongings set up, nobody seemed to mind at all and it was great to come back to our base after a strenuous hike. The only downside of this campground is the traffic. Due to the proximity to popular 14er trailheads and the road leading to them, there are cars driving up and down the road at all hours of the night and morning. This didn’t bother me whatsoever, however light sleepers may want to bring some ear plugs and/or a sleeping mask for the passing headlights and noise.

14er Basecamp

We spent one wet Saturday night at Elbert Creek Campground, site #7. All of the sites were pretty spacious which was very nice. We arrived around 9am Saturday morning and there were 2 spots available at that time (early August). Site 7 was conveniently located right next to the vault toilet...however there was a LOT of road traffic as hikers looking to summit Mt. Elbert were looking for parking all along the road at all hours of the night. Most of the other sites were further from the road and Elbert Creek could be heard and seen very easily. There is a campgrounds host that stays in a neighboring campground. Bring your own firewood. 

Wet Weekend

Perfect location if hiking either of these two mountains. Great tent sites and multiple spots per campsite. As good a camping spot relative to a 14er trailhead as you can get. Cannot day enough good about this campground. Highly recommended. 

Massive or Elbert Climbs 

Elbert Creek is locates at the base of two trailheads: Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. Both are great 14ers with beautiful views. The campground is nice with good distance between each sites and plenty of trees. No reservations are required, all sites are first come first serve. A water pump is available, but the water needs to be treated before drinking. Firewood is not available at the site but I was able to find some at the entrance of the Forest Rd. Both mountains are popular hikes so expect people to arrive around 4am to begin their hike. 

Elbert Creek Site 1

Super clean and accessible sites with easy access to the Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive trailheads. There’s a water spicket across from the Elbert trailhead in the main campgrounds that was a lifesaver. 

Dispersed camping sites were a life saver! 

There is plenty of camping away from fee area down the road. my buddy and I were planning to do Mount. massive form the North Half Moon Lake Trailhead. I have a tiny chevy hatchback that handled the road pretty well. We made it past the Elbert Trailhead, but were about 1.5 miles short of the Halfmoon Lake Trailehead. 4-WD/high clearance is ideal, but not necessary. We dispersed camped along the road at an existing campsite with a fire ring and the area was perfect.

Beautiful

Elbert Creek Campground is a perfect spot for those looking to climb Mt. Elbert. It is situated directly across from the trailhead. The trailhead for Mt. Massive is just up the road. There is also a beautiful lake, Emerald Lake, just a short half mile hike from the campground.

The spots are spaced out and each has plenty of room for multiple tents. Each spot has a table and fire pit. There are a handful of spots that can handle smaller RV’s. We tucked out 25ft Lance 2185 away just fine into spot #9 and still had room for multiple tents.
There is a Vault toilet as well as a water pump. Sites are $20 a night or $10 with a National Park Access Pass.

The campground was sparsely populated mon-we’d but started filling up rapidly by Thursday and was packed all weekend. If the campground is full there is a plethora of dispersed spots along the road so I wouldn’t worry about finding a place.

Be prepared for cold and wet weather even in summer months. I’ve been snowed on here in June and our last day during our July trip it was cold and rainy

Had a successful summit push with a team from The Warriors Keep. Will definitely continue to use this campground when we’re in the area.

Excellent spot for climbing.

This is a bout 1 mile from the half moon campground and is equal in every way.  There is a large open area big rigs can easily fit into which can also accommodate some groups. Go past the open area and there are several more sites each with a fire ring that offer more privacy.  It’s 15 minutes to the Mt. Elbert trail head if that is what you are looking for.  If not kick back and enjoy this beautiful National Forest.  Your close enough to Leadville to make excursions into town.  The area is well kept, one fire ring had a couple beer boxes in it but everything else was very nice.  The only exception is a fire ring right in the middle, there was quite a bit of broken glass around it, so I would avoid this site.  That truly was the exception though, if I’m in the area again I will be camping here.

Access is by gravel road which has a few potholes and rumbles but nothing that any car couldn’t handle.  We pull a 30’ trailer with a pickup and it was easy.  There are several sites along the road close to the creek on the way to the site as well, there were mostly tents in these but a few were large enough for small motorhomes or trailers.

If you go please leave it cleaner than you found it, I would hate to lose this gem.

Such a great spot 

Sites look spaced out. Alot of them backed up to a nice sounding creek thou its not the most accessible topo wise. 
 
Somewhat nice if you aren't bothered by traffic and idiots. The 14ers bring in tons of nighttime traffic 2-4am so try to get as far off road as possible. These sites fill up with moderately dumb rednecks with ATVs they mostly use to go to dinner in town. Many of these ATVs will sit in the road until you pull a crossover  off road for them to go by. This means the daytime traffic on the one lane road is very annoying. If you try to pull over for someone, people from both directions pass you and punish you for being nice. Expect the travel time to double during peak camp arrival times. 

We saw some weird groups building pirate themed rubbish piles/forts at different campsites. Not sure id bring my friends and family here for a relaxing weekend but if you need a Basecamp for a hike it'll work. 

Road was very passable with 8 inch clearance and road tires but you'll need to drive with half a brain or you'll def bang your under carriage. We heard a couple Ford expeditions knock the heck out of their under carriage. 

Beware, some real toolbags will park in the middle of the road so they can go hike. We had to scrape our car on branches to get around a couple.. i hope no one messed with their tires... 

Tons of sites along this road

Great campground at the base of MT. Elbert/Massive. This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Colorado.

Great campground at the base of MT. Elbert/Massive

I went here with my boyfriend and some family and it was so peaceful. All the trees on the campground make you feel like there really isn’t anyone else nearby. The best part is Twin Lake is only a short drive away. Great Lake for kite flying too!

Beautiful Place

There is a ton if Dispersed camping.  Other campers were friendly but there is a lot of traffic.  Last time we were there the road was closed right before the pond.  The pond area does have tables and a vault toilet.

Photos of Elbert Creek — Psicc

Real photos from real campers