Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Aguilar, CO

As I start this, the manager Crystal is a very polite and wanting to make your stay is comfortable. The high point of my stay.

If I was told sooner that my service dog was just considered a pet to the owners, I would have canceled my trip to here. It was three days when one of the owners made what I consider as a put down of me as well as my service dog. If I was told sooner than the three days, I would have canceled my trip all together and gladly lose only $20, instead if I canceled on that day I would have lost nearly $450.

Ask any veteran if their service dog is only a pet. For those who do not realize this, but a veteran and their service dog is just one entity. The service dog being considered a pet is like telling someone with an artificial limb if that part of the vet is a"pet". The service dog is a part of the veteran and has specific duties to that veteran and is trained to do those duties to assist the veteran.

My service dog has 8 specific jobs to help me live my life, he is never to be considered just a"pet" as I had been told. This is sent out to my brothers and sisters on just how unwanted we are going here, as well as The Lodge@ San Isabel Lake and Aspen Acres.

Realistically, all I wanted was some sort of acknowledgement that it was an honest mistake in saying that, but when there is silence that screams louder than what words could ever say.

The Raton KOA is conveniently located off I-25 in Raton, NM. The campground offers of a mixture of back-in and pull through sites that are a mix of mostly live gravel and dirt. Most sites have 20/30 amp service, water, and septic hookups, although less expensive sites with fewer amenities are also available.

The campground offers a fenced in dog park where the pups can run off leash. There is also a nice grassy walking path around the perimeter of the property with trash cans and dog waste stations positioned every 100 yards.

The campground owner, Grant, is great to work with. He helped us get setup with the park WiFi and was super responsive to any questions we had. Don’t forget to ask him for the WiFi access code when you check in!

We found this place as a last resort after being unable to find good free spots near the dunes. Ended up being private and beautiful! After doing some research, I found an article saying a state fishing or hunting license was interchangeable for a Swa permit. Still not confirmed, but we didn’t have any problems. It was fairly windy at night but the wind was better during the day. There is a bit of trash throughout the area surrounding the reservoir and our dog got into something that made her sick, so I recommend keeping a close eye on your dogs here, especially dogs that like to get into things they shouldn’t.

Spent two nights here and loved it. One hound dog in the adjacent site made her presence known, but otherwise a quiet place. Fall colors crept down the mountainside. Crisp in the morning (40 degrees).

The campground was clean, older but well maintained. It is very much residential though. The neighborhood is very loud. Dogs have been barking for hours. This is out of KOA control but rather annoying.

They have 10 tent spots. Great view of the water. Some sites have trees. All have picnic tables and fire pits. Has toilet and bear proof trash containers. Lots of sunflowers. A few different places to hike or enjoy a walk with sweetie. Dogs welcome on a leash.

Awesome camp ground. Dog friendly. Not many spots so get there early. Dirt road isn’t that bad. Couple of pot holes but Made it fine with my Subaru Outback. The hike from where we camped was maybe a quarter of a mile. LOTS OF BEARS so do pack and camp accordingly. No water, no bathroom.

This was our first time camping since moving to Colorado. We found this spot while out exploring Breckenridge earlier this summer. Spots are first come, first serve tent spaces so the earlier you get there, the better. We arrived at 8:30am and found a spot but the rest filled up shortly after. Most of the spots have excellent views of the lake. Be sure to check Summit County's website before heading out there regarding their fire restrictions. There were a good bit of mosquitos so definitely pack bug spray. Pack out what you pack in...and then some to help keep the area clean (unfortunately lots of previous campers/hikers seem to forget clothes, pillows, food trash, dog toys, cigarette butts and other crap). There are no trash cans, running water, facilities, or phone service. Bear cannisters are not required for this area but the local ranger station highly recommends keeping all food packed away in your vehicle or hanging from a tree. The ranger I spoke to did also warn that the land has mixed ownership with the Forest Service and Colorado Springs Water and Summit County and that camping should only be happening on FS land. Lots of good little hikes nearby to do. The Quandary Peak trailhead is also nearby if you want to tackle a 14er. Unfortunately the only wildlife we saw were birds but last time we were out there we saw pikas and marmots. This will probably be our go to spot from now on just because of how nice the views are. Oh and the road up can get pretty steep and sketchy so go slow, watch out for the giant potholes, and be sure to make space for other cars, especially if you decide to continuing driving up to the dam (past the first parking lot area). That section of the road gets very narrow. We drove a Kia Soul (FWD) and were fine but I had a coworker damage the front end of her low car on potholes out there.

I stayed in this campground in mid July for 3 nights.  The campground is pretty rustic but clean. It does have electrical hook ups which made it nice for our dog to enjoy a air conditioned trailer when it got hot during the day. The sites are a little close together and positioned so it you have a trailer where your awning comes out is in direct view of the other campers. Also we brought our kayaks to enjoy the Lake. The only kicker is you are not allowed to park where the ramp is to walk your kayaks down to the lake unless you rent them from them. So you have to use the many flights of stairs that wind back n forth all the way down to the lake. They are lined with rail road ties sometimes stacked 5 high.   So you have to lift your kayaks above the ties as you walk down. If you have a heavy kayak is almost dangerous of injury.  I feel like if they have a ramp you can walk them to if you pay for the campground you should be allowed to park your vehicle there to do so.

Okay. First the good. This campground is perfect if you are going to hike Quandary Peak the next day. There are more than a few dispersed sites on the south side of the lake. Very pretty. When driving down the dirt road to Blue Lakes from highway 9 watch for a left near the end of the Blue Lakes road. Take this left to reach the sites. The road is a bit rough, a two wheel can make it but there’s only room for a car going one way and you’ll probably bottom out, this road eventually dead ends near the end of the lower lake. The other option is keep straight on the original road and then park at the day area and hike in so you don’t have to deal with your car on that road. Also if you want to go in and out a few times to pick up supplies, go to Breckenridge etc, better option. However if you have a 4x4 then you can go back and forth on the road where you can park next to your site. Best time to arrive is before 4pm. Weekdays should be no problem finding a site, not sure about the weekends. The Bad. This place is tourist central and you won’t have any peace during most of the day with hoards of people walking all over the place. Cars are also driving on the two roads on either side of the lake up until 11pm with the lights shining into your tent. The campsites aren’t as clean as they should be. There is also what looks to be a site where two people are living there with two dogs. Next time I’m bringing a tool to pick up garbage and toilet paper etc. NO BATHROOM OR OUTHOUSE. My recommendation is take the first sites before the road goes along the lake. Easier in and out with more privacy.

Colorado State Parks are expensive. We had a VERY basic site with communal water & vault toilets for $28 + $9 day fee. Nice picnic tables & fire rings though. Way too close to the highway — noisy! Plus helicopter overhead made sleep difficult.

Family has been coming for years. The family has property in Colorado city and we still love to come to local mountain! Great fishing, clean, quiet, & plenty of space

As is typical of Colorado State Parks, Trinidad Lake is clean, well thought out, and beautiful. With the Sangria de Christo Mountins as a backdrop, it’s a nice place from which to base camp and explore. And if you’re there during the monsoons, expect a rainbow or two and the sweet smell of piñon and Sage.

We stayed for one night while passing through. This is a great park with beautiful views of the Spanish Peaks. Our site had electric hookup and a dump station is also available. We used ATT for our cell + internet needs (didn't try Starlink since our stay was short). This was our first time in Colorado and we'd definitely stay at this park again

Ashley here with The Dyrt. This 5 acre private land is a great spot to pitch your tent for a night. Located right outside of the town of Alamosa Colorado. Give them a try and leave your review here!