Happy Meadows, near Lake George, Colorado, is a charming campground that offers a peaceful escape right by the South Platte River. With a handful of sites, it’s perfect for those looking to unwind and enjoy nature without the hustle and bustle of larger campgrounds.

The campground features picnic tables and fire pits at each site, making it easy to gather around for meals or evening stories. Visitors rave about the stunning views and the river, which is ideal for tubing and fishing. One camper noted, “The river is ABSOLUTELY perfect for tubing!” 

For those who enjoy a bit of solitude, some sites provide a sense of privacy, although be prepared for occasional traffic from rafters. The camp host is known for being friendly and keeping the facilities clean, ensuring a pleasant stay for everyone. As one long-time visitor shared, “The camp host is always friendly and keeps each site and restrooms clean for each and every guest.”

If you’re looking to explore, there are hiking opportunities nearby, and the scenery is simply beautiful, especially during the fall when the trees change color. Happy Meadows is a great spot for a quick getaway or a longer stay, offering a simple yet enjoyable camping experience.

## Overview

 Happy Meadows Campground is situated along the South Platte River near the Eleven Mile Reservoir and Eleven Mile Canyon. Excellent fishing, tubing, and hiking await visitors. Eleven Mile Canyon is rich in natural resources and historic significance. Originally called Granite Canyon, the towering gray walls rise 500 feet above the river.
## Recreation

 World-class trout fishing is a major attraction on the South Platte. Visitors can also venture to Florissant Fossil Beds to view fossils and petrified redwoods. Eleven Mile Canyon and the Tarryall Valley offer scenic drives with impressive views.
## Natural Features

 Campsites are a short walk to the lovely South Platte, a major tributary of the Platte River that runs through Colorado and Nebraska. As part of Pike Forest, Happy Meadows enjoys abundant and varied wildlife, seven peaks above 14,000 feet, called fourteeners, and miles of great trails. 
## Contact Info

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

 The town of Lake George is just 3 miles away, offering a general store, fish tackle and bait shop,\_\_and cabin rentals. 
## 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.

Happy Meadows

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Hartsel, CO has a lot to offer. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Hartsel campgrounds just for you. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Hartsel. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

Hartsel

The Best Camping Near Hartsel, Colorado

Great for tubing!!! small campground though but awesome for a 1 day visit.

Tubing trip!

This was a quaint little campground that had good access to the river through one of the sites, and was a good location for tubers; within walking distance of good enter and exit spots. The vault toilet was very clean and well maintained and the sites are a good size. Beautiful scenery. 

Happy and Clean

The camp hosts are wonderful! A simple and small Campground.

Such a fun and peaceful Campground!

Nice campground.  Must buy firewood from campground host as they do not want wood brought in that might bring bugs that could turn the trees on the grounds bad.  
Some running water towards back end of the campground with a short lil hike down to it.  The sites are decently spaced apart and the tree coverage is nice.  
Vaulted toilets, no sinks, fire rings standard as with any of the State Park camp grounds. Clean and well maintained.  
The drive in to town is not far off.
Enjoy!



Simple and basic

This is a very small campground between a county road and on the bend of Adamans creek, only 7-8 spots with a camp host.  Each site has a picnic and fire pit, most sites are shaded but 2-3 are in the open.  There isn't much traffic on the road so it is nice and quiet.  Fishing can be done within the CG, but plenty of hiking is available at nearby Spruce Grove or you go to Eleven Mile Canyon.  Trash service and a vault toilet is available, but water is only available by a hand pump.

  

We were there the last day of the season, the campground hosts are great and the changing trees were beautiful.

Small, quiet campground on the river

Can fish in river, each campsite has a fire pit, quiet area

Small quiet campground 

Been camping every year at Happy Meadows campground for over 30 years. I absolutely love it here. The river is ABSOLUTELY perfect for tubing! Milky Way visible at night. Camp host is always friendly and keeps each site and restrooms clean for each and every guest. Highly recommend. 

Annual summer camping trip

Stayed at site 3, large but not in the river. No shade. Space in between sites, but not much privacy on the non river side. Site 6 &amp; 8 are group sites. Site 6 allows for a tent to be secluded and near the water. Be aware there will be rafters coming out of the water and through your site. Came to fly fish, but there’s a lot of traffic. Overall a pretty campground and nice host. 

Happy Meadows Site 3 & 6

Happy meadows campground. 
8 reservable spots. $20 per night. 
Right on south platte river. Amazing views. 
Restroom, water and wood for sale
Just off tarryall road in lake george. Easy access. No pull through locations for big rigs

Photos of Happy Meadows

Real photos from real campers