Hermit Open Space County Park Hermits Hollow, near Estes Park, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature without straying too far from town. This campground offers a mix of tent, RV, and glamping options, making it accessible for various camping styles.

The sites are well-spaced, providing a sense of privacy among the trees, and each comes equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and bear box for your food and scented items. Visitors rave about the stunning views and the abundance of hiking trails nearby, with one camper noting, “The views are also stunning and there is plenty of hiking to do.”

While there are no showers or electric hookups, the campground does provide clean vault toilets and drinking water, ensuring you have the essentials covered. Some campers have mentioned the peaceful atmosphere, especially during the off-peak months, making it a great escape for those wanting to enjoy the wilderness without the crowds.

Just a short drive from the bustling Estes Park, you can easily explore local attractions like the Stanley Hotel or take a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer stay, Hermit Open Space offers a serene backdrop for your outdoor adventures.

Hermit Park Open Space (address: 17 Hermit Park Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517) nestles into the hills, approximately two miles southeast of Estes Park, at an elevation of 7880-8964 feet. The preservation of this stunning area is a joint effort between Larimer County, Agilent Technologies, Town of Estes Park, Estes Valley Land Trust, Great Outdoors Colorado, City of Loveland, Erion Foundation, City of Fort Collins, McWhinney Foundation, Town of Berthoud, and many more contributors . Recreation is managed by Larimer County Department of Natural Resources. Hermit Park Open Space's features include cabins, RV and tent camping, special events, reservable group use pavilion, hiking trails, wetlands, horseback riding, mountain biking and much more! The park is open March 1 to December 20, and some areas close seasonally. Entrance permits and camping fees are required.

**Please check the [Season Dates](https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/Hermit-Park/LARC/710104/campsites) tab for annual updates on site availability.**

Hermits Hollow Campground — Hermit Park

Estes Park is the gateway to Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Expect long entrance lines heading through Estes Park into Rocky Mountain but know that your campsites will be worth it.

Obviously, the best camping near Estes Park is in Rocky Mountain National Park. RV and tent camping spots go quickly in Rocky Mountain, especially in peak season, so get your reservations well in advance. If you can’t get a spot in one of the park’s campgrounds, you can utilize ample Forest Service land on the other side of Estes Park. If you’re looking for something a bit less trafficked, head towards Pinewood Springs, CO, and climb any of the numerous mountains on the way.

Estes Park

Estes Park, CO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Estes Park campgrounds just for you. Discover great camping spots near Estes Park, reviewed by campers like you.

The Best Camping Near Estes Park, Colorado

This campground is the ones that the locals go to when not in RMNP. It is in Estes but far enough away to not be inudated with tourists. It is quiet, it is roomy, it is beautiful. Truly one of my favorites.

Close Enough But Far Away

We stayed at site h34 and it is fairly secluded from the road and other camp sites. The site was clean and contained a firepit and charcoal grill. At the main office there was small snacks, ice, and firewood available. The people at the main office were very helpful and nice

Beautiful campground nestled in the hills near Estes Park. 

we had an amazing time at this campsite! our dog was able to join us, which is not the case in RMNP so it was perfect. clean, quiet, and beautiful. 

hidden gem, dog friendly 

My friend and I have camped here twice, and we love the location. The sites aren't sitting on top of each other, and some spots feel relatively secluded. It is within a few miles of Estes Park, so we k=hike during the day and dash into town for a drink with our dogs in the afternoon. It is also within an hour of Boulder, and two hours of Denver, so it doesn't leave us driving all day to get there and back.

The Kruger Rock Trailhead is inside the campground, and it is a nice hike with an amazing view of the Rockies and Estes at the top. Bring your crayons - there are two trailmarkers on the trail that you can do rubbings of.

Wonderful drive-in camping close to Estes Park

Hermits Park is a great spot to know about. Anyone coming from afar is going to search for federal and state parks, but won't know to check for county parks. This used to be a private retreat for Hewlett Packard employees (HP=Hewlett Packard=Hermits Park). It's very spread out so once you enter and stop and check in, you'll continue on a slow curvy road on to either Hermits Hollow or Bobcat Gulch for your campsite. There is also a loop of cabins which can be rented fairly inexpensively. We stayed in H-11, and it's a very large site and nicely secluded from its neighboring sites. All the sites were pretty large, and there are nice rock outcroppings and large trees throughout the park. A few sites are right up on the road, but most offer nice large lot.

In spite of the many large trees, hammocks are not allowed. It is also not allowed to have any glass containers or any alcohol above 3.2%. This is a bear area, and all food or scented items need to be stored properly. Each campsite has a very large bear box large enough to accommodate anything you'd have, including coolers.

It would be nice if the county could put water in, there are two places to fill containers/rvs-one right by the entrance and another at the entrance to Bobcat Gulch. The toilets are very clean pit toilets, and of course there are no shower facilities. Even the cabins have outhouses. If this was a joint county/state park it would be amazing-lottery money could allow for modern facilities, but what is there is very clean and well maintained. It appears they are doing construction to build another camp area between the two existing areas (June 2018).

There is a large group pavilion which would make a beautiful spot for a wedding. Another area is an equestrian camping area, and there are many trails in the park.

A well kept secret, great spot to camp. 

Loved this campground! Clean, beautiful, primitive, private. Great geographical features and nice sites. 

Great campground, wirh proximity to Estes Park, RMNP

Very nice campground. Spacious sites, fire pits, picnic tables. 

Beautiful Campground 

This campsite was pretty enough (in the woods, not much of a mountain view), but it was mostly a negative in our group's eyes. The rangers walked by LITERALLY every 30 minutes to an hour max. They will get on to you about EVERY SINGLE THING - we were a group of 40something adults with a few kids. Very well behaved - playing cornhole and other games, and just sitting around talking. They will reprimand you for having alcohol above 3.2 (seriously, is this Prohibition era??), even if you aren't drunk. They will reprimand you for your voice carrying at 9pm - Um, hi, it's the woods. Even if we are talking in our lowest tone possible, voices carry. They will reprimand you for dog being off leash even if said dog is lying passed out right next to you on the ground.They will reprimand you for basically every single possible thing. It sucked. And the campsites are quite close together, so be prepared for little to no privacy if you're next to strangers. Would not recommend, there are TONS better campgrounds out there.

Annoying rangers, WAY too strict

Nice, spaced out campsites. Campsites average prices, but they add an entrance fee to the park for each day on top of the fee. Not much for wildlife. Lots of families with screaming children. 

Decent camping!

Best place to camp in Estes Park/Northern Colorado! Wooded sites mean privacy from your neighbors and shade during the day. Vault toilets are very clean, well kept. Staff and Rangers are very friendly and helpful, very knowledgeable about the area. Other reviews mention only 3.2 alcohol, but that rule has changed! ;) Great Hiking and Views, we watched the fireworks for 4th of July in Estes from one of the trails. Large bear boxes fit 2+ coolers. It was full for the holiday week/end, but staff mentioned that there's usually a lot of availability during the week. Have stayed in the cabins in years past, they are nice with gas fireplace for heat, and gas cookers in the cabin. No bedding, but beds are large and soft. 

  

Gorgeous sunsets, so close to Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park. Hidden Gem in a busy tourist town!!

Awesome Quiet Getaway

Stayed here during our visit to RMNP and it was perfect! Very conveniently located, only a short drive into Estes Park. Lots of trails for hiking and biking in the park. Each campsite had a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. There are plenty of trees for shade and some privacy, but you are still near other campers. You must pay for the day pass each day you camp, but there is a water fill up station which is nice. The park roads are not paved but AWD isn’t really necessary. Would definitely stay here again when in Estes Park. 

Best camping near RMNP

Pros: Beautiful campground, easy to find, and good for first timers. Dog friendly.

Cons: $9 a day additional parking fee wasn’t mentioned in reservation. 
Close proximity to camp neighbors.

Overall, very nice and relaxing. Not noisy. Would recommend to friends.

 

Nice campground

Little pricier than I wanted, with a $9 vehicle fee and $30 camping fee, but comes with vault toilets, fire pit, and room for our two tents.  Definitely had good views of the Aspens changing colors 

Good campsites with good views

We couldn’t much camping around this area that was open in early April. We came across this place and stayed for 1 night. There is bear boxes and some bathroom. Sites have fire rings. 

Good stuff

Found places I didn't even know were so close. Makes reservations fast and easy. 

Access to more

Not far outside of Estes Park, but far enough up the side of a mountain to enjoy the wilderness. Sites spaced nicely apart, very well maintained, great fire pits with an attached grill grate. Moose and black bear apparently frequent but haven't caused any problems. This is our 3rd stay here, and one of our favorites.

Feel remote while close to town

Tried to get a late reservation in Rocky and couldn’t so I stayed here. It was pretty nice! Ton of spots and has some pretty fews. Sits are spread out a lot. Didn’t see or really hear anyone all night. 

Nice spot outside of the park

A lovely campground to stay at. Alot of sites. Clean bathrooms. Beautiful  scenery. Nice set of cabins to stay at as well. Nice bear boxes for your food and coolers. Plenty of wild life head into Estes Park to see the Stanley Hotel and the herd of elk move through. Spend a day in Rocky Mountain Park it's just down the road. We really enjoyed our stay!

Our stay in Colorado 

We were here mid June and it was amazing!  Quiet, clean, and beautiful.  Our spot was the very best site we have ever camped in.  Bathrooms were clean, site and firepit were clean.  H38 in Hermit’s Hollow. 

Best Spot Ever!

The camp sites were well spaced and the ample trees gave you plenty of privacy. Please note, the campground doesn’t allow trailers longer than 20’. We definitely saw longer trailers but the roads are tight with lots of tree branches so it will be hard to navigate with a big trailer. 

Beautiful location and good spacing

This is a great park. I camped in late July. With the exception of a few rain showers, the weather was great. This campground has all the privacy you would expect yet provides easy access to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountian National Forest. The Laramie County Staff that were on site were kind and helpful. I even had the chance to see some elk walk through while picking up firewood at the office. There are miles of trails within the park if you choose not to venture out to the National Forest. I will 100% be staying at this park again!  Group sites and equestrian sites are available too.

Great Site Easy Access

We stayed in the month of November of 2021. The road is okay to drive on, we took our car and tent camped. We didn’t take our camper as the switchbacks are very tight and the road is very steep. 

We stayed a couple of nights and decided to move on because the park ranger gave us a visit about 3-4 times a day. We wanted to be left alone not make friends. 

There is a little store at the bottom of the mountain and you can also fill up there. I wasn’t paying attention to see if there was a dump station. 

There is a fee upon entry. You have to pay for the nights you plan to stay and you have to pay for your vehicle to have a permit to be there. I think we spent around $30 for 3 or 4 days. We left early so i’m sure that money went back to the park. 

The park provides every spot with a table, fire ring and bear box. The bear box is for more than just food. If you have anything that smells good, the animals (not just bears) WILL try to get into your vehicle to steal it. Sprays, lotions, deodorants… etc. 

We followed some animal trails and went on a few hikes. Seen a lot of animals, but seen no sign of fresh running water anywhere. 

We were the only campers at this time of year in all 3 campgrounds. So it was very peaceful. The spaces are spread out. At the entrance to each campground there is a dumpster. So it’s not a long walk to dispose of your trash! 


We will return to this area in the future. It’s a nice quaint spot with much to do. 

Beautiful and serene

Really easy to get to and the services were spot on. The views are also stunning and there is plenty of hiking to do.

Excellent camp spots!

Lots of room to spread out but some weird regulations. 
Like only 3.2% alcohol? 



Spacious campground

Was going to camp in rocky NP but no sites left. Camped here for 3 nights and was great. Liked it more than other NP campgrounds. Sites are spread out, some have nice views, and clean pit toilets. Car fee was not anticipated but not too bad, given our circumstances. 

Good sites outside NP

The sites are spacious and far enough apart.  Not much for views but the place was clean and the staff very welcoming.  Close to the park and t-shirt shopping in Estes Park.  

Hermits Hollow is a nice place to camp near Estes, offering a quiet retreat away from the crowds.  We only stayed the night, arriving late and leaving early.  Some mule deer walked through the camp.  

  

Each site had a bear box, sturdy picnic table, and fire pit.  The site was level.

Hermits Hollow is a nice play to camp near Estes but away from the crowds.

We stayed Oct 6-7 and enjoyed our time there. It was great that it was open because Rocky Mtn National Park campgrounds were closed. It is pretty close the Rocky Mtn NP and we drove there before sunrise(ticketed entry and good for parking).

  

We just showed up and got a spot when we got there. Rangers recommended good sites. We were in Site H35 and had great views. There were very few other campers. Just pit toilets but they were clean and close by. A bit pricey ($45 I think it was, you need a vehicle pass too and pricing varies for weekends and holidays) but they had tall fire pit, bear box, and picnic table. We are tent campers but had our car set up with sleeping pads so we could sleep the two of us inside if really cold. We slept in car.

  

Wood is available for sale there too which we bought and had great fires. Price was probably average price.

  

Cell service didn't work unless you were down at the park entrance (t-mobile).

  

Drive up to site is switchbacks on dirt roads but we made it no problem with our Prius especially since there hadn't been rain.

Photos of Hermits Hollow Campground — Hermit Park

Real photos from real campers