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Best Tent Camping near Aguilar, CO

266 Reviews

Tent camping options near Aguilar, Colorado include several established sites with varying amenities and access conditions. Hummingbird Ranch offers tent camping with picnic tables and toilets, while more primitive options include Mountain Home Reservoir South, which provides dispersed tent camping. The Campsites at Jamail Ranch is accessible via hike-in trails only, providing a more secluded tent camping experience away from vehicle traffic.

Most tent sites in the Aguilar area have minimal facilities, so campers should bring all necessary supplies including water. Hummingbird Ranch provides toilets but no drinking water, while other sites like Mountain Home Reservoir South offer fire rings and vault toilets but require campers to pack in their own water. Walk-in tent sites at Jamail Ranch have no facilities at all, requiring complete self-sufficiency. During summer months, fire restrictions may be in place due to dry conditions, particularly at higher elevations. Tent campers should check current regulations before planning trips.

The backcountry tent camping experience near Aguilar offers excellent stargazing opportunities and relative solitude. Hummingbird Ranch features large open meadows with mountain views and has been described by visitors as having "spectacular views" with "complete freedom." For those seeking more secluded experiences, the walk-in tent sites at Jamail Ranch provide greater privacy. Sites at Mountain Home Reservoir South give tent campers access to water activities while maintaining a primitive camping atmosphere. While some sites can be difficult to locate due to limited signage, persistent campers are rewarded with peaceful settings. One visitor noted that Hummingbird Ranch was "the most beautiful site we stayed at during a 5,500 mile cross country adventure."

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Best Tent Sites Near Aguilar, Colorado (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Aguilar, CO

9 Photos of 6 Aguilar Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Aguilar, CO

266 Reviews of 6 Aguilar Campgrounds

  • Melissa L.
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Piñon Campground — Lathrop State Park

    Nice campgroup

    A little close together and close to the highway. Expect some traffic noise throughout the night. Large park with fishing, hiking and more. Picnic tables (some with shelters), fire rings and vault toilets available thoughout the tent camping site, rv hookups and playground also available.

  • c
    Jun. 21, 2021

    Yucca Campground — Lathrop State Park

    Too much $$ for too little

    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.

  • Steve & Ashley G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Blue Lake Campground - Temporarily Closed

    High Elevation Forest Camp

    We camped here two nights in July 2019. The site is about two hours west of Trinidad Colorado in the Spanish Peaks Area along scenic highway 12. The road leading to the site is about 5 miles of step gravel and dirt road with multiple switchbacks. The road is wide enough for vans and smaller campers but not the larger 5th wheels or RVs. You follow road up the mountain along the stream to blue lake a small mountain lake that is popular for trout fishing The campground is just north of the lake. The have a couple of loops with about 10 sites in each loop. Most of the sites are located along a beautiful wooded mountain stream. The high elevation of 10,000 keeps the temps down in the summer and the night sky is spectacular. The camp was full during our stay and reservations are highly recommended. A few campers were moving around each night for the odd opening. They have fire wood, water, and nice clean pit toilets. Our site number 8 was great and positioned on the trail to the lake and along the stream. You can see the mountain tops from sites 6 and 7 but they are along the road. This is a popular area for ATVs. So you may have company on the trails or around the site. The sites had a nice mix of tents, vans, and campers. We plan to come back in the fall. This is a keeper. Each site had a picnic table, fire ring and ample parking for two cars or one van. You do have some privacy between the sites. The camps along the river including 8, 9, and 10 are outstanding.

  • Madeline B.
    Sep. 2, 2019

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    It was wonderful

    My boyfriend and I took a 13 state journey this summer over the course of 3 weeks and this was one of my favorite campsites we stayed at. The site itself was quaint and very nice to tent camp in. The tent sites had raised platforms to put your tent on and the ground underneath was softer, so it wasn’t that uncomfortable to sleep on👍🏻10/10 would go back🏕 they had bear boxes to keep all your food and odorants in over night. They have wood for sale for fires, there’s showers up the road and bathrooms within walking distance of every site. The camp hosts were very kind and helpful.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2022

    South Shore Campground — Trinidad Lake State Park

    Hot and windy!

    It was hot and I was probably a little cranky when we arrived here but state parks, in general, are charging more and more and for $38 (including the required $10 Colorado State Parks day use fee), I believe we did not get much value for our money at this campground. Access to the campground is down a long, bumpy washboard dirt road. 

    The South Shore Campground has ten non-electric sites within supposed walking distance of the lake, although we did not go to the lake. Sites 101-104 and 107-109 are wide gravel driveways and 105, 106, and 110 are pull-throughs. Although sites are decent in size, there is no physical separation between them.

    There were only vault toilets (which were clean) and no showers (I had really been hoping for a shower!). 

    Each site has a bbq grill, fire pit, and covered picnic table. However, it was so windy when we were there and because of the direction the wind was blowing, the cover was useless, we had to use our van as a wind block to cook dinner, and eat inside the van. 

    One of the rules was only 3.4% alcohol allowed. Fishing appeared to be popular here and there is a path along the dam, but it is a far distance from the campground. 

    State parks used to be our go-to option, but we are finding we are using them less and less often as the prices continue to increase.

  • Steve M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 10, 2025

    South Shore Campground — Trinidad Lake State Park

    Has everything!

    Here on Monday, June 9th to avoid bad weather in NM. $28 + 10 for CO state 1 day pass ($80/yr), but trash, vault toilets, covered picnic tables, fire pits and BBQ grills, included 24 hr showers, laundry, garbage, full and self contained, ALL with lake views! Very quiet and serene, boating, kayaking, hiking, wildlife...awesome campground!

  • K
    Apr. 8, 2021

    Piñon Campground — Lathrop State Park

    Lathrop State Park has a little of everything

    We have visited this park several times, in the summer, spring and fall. The campground provides a nice visitors center, two small lakes (one non-wake), a sand beach, paved and unpaved bike trails, fishing, a kids fishing pond, trails, and electric or no-hook-up camping. The campground is divided into three loops with each loop containing flush toilets and shower facilities. A tent-only campground is situated closer to the highway, while the three loops are far from the road and provide ample star-gazing experiences. Favorite spots include 102 (has a great view of the Spanish Peaks), and site 84 (private pull-through with junipers and other short trees to block the road/other campers). I have attended several ranger programs here and hiked on all trails. Playing on the beach and picnicking is enhanced by the water stations to wash off the sand, benches, picnic tables, and shade trees. Kayaking on the no-wake lake is peaceful and fishing is abundant. Bike riding is simple and mostly flat. A fully paved trail circles the lake and is accessible by the campgrounds. A public, 9-hole golf course sits directly next to the park. The course is inexpensive and fun for an afternoon or morning. If you've exhausted all your options at the park itself, head one hour away to the Great Sand Dunes National Park to "surf" on the dunes and learn about this beautiful area. This park truly has a little of everything and while it is one of the oldest state parks in Colorado, it is well-maintained and enjoyable year-round.

  • Rachel
    Nov. 2, 2020

    Yucca Campground — Lathrop State Park

    Pros and cons of nature

    We didn’t go very far in but the park has some beautiful views, including a lake we could walk to from the campsite. We stayed at the Yucca Campground which was great and the spots were nicely spaced out. It was a little challenging to find a good flat spot to set up our tent and the spot we did find didn’t last long, it got VERY windy that night and we had to move our tent between some trees which helped a little. The bathrooms are hole in the ground outhouses and were quite smelly and loaded with flys but that’s camping for ya!

  • Kathrina M.
    Jul. 27, 2020

    Monument Lake Resort

    Beautiful start in south central Colorado

    A large campground at the foot of the southern San Isabel mountain range. When you first drive in there are secluded tent spots, then small cabins. There are many spots all around the lake, with large tenter sites on the opposite bank of the lake. We set up amongst the trees in a relatively open spot but there weren’t many campers there so it was no problem. Had a view of the lake and a vault toilet nearby (it was pretty disgusting). Clean showers/toilets on other side of lake. No picnic table on site, but it did have a box grill and a fire pit — burn ban was in effect though. A little stream nearby. Camp store, restaurant, boat rental on site. In all we were thankful for a spot in the summer with no reservations.

Guide to Aguilar

Dispersed camping options near Aguilar, Colorado range from primitive lakeside sites to high-elevation mountain camping. The area sits between 6,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation with seasonal temperature variations requiring different preparation depending on when campers visit. Winter camping requires cold-weather gear while summer brings afternoon thunderstorms and potential fire restrictions.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Mountain Home Reservoir South provides tent campers with access to fishing opportunities in a rustic setting. The reservoir allows alcohol consumption and pets, with vault toilets available but no drinking water on site. Fire rings are present but campers should verify current fire restrictions before planning their trip.

Stargazing sessions: Secluded Star Gazer Campsite Near Great Sand Dunes National Park offers prime dark sky viewing. "My girlfriend and I came here to watch the Perseid meteor shower and it did not disappoint. We had the place to ourselves and a great view of the stars," notes one visitor to a nearby site. Located in Costilla County, this single-site reservation provides privacy for optimal night sky viewing.

Wildlife spotting: Several camping areas near Aguilar provide opportunities to observe local wildlife. "Woke up to an 8-point deer munching in the bushes," reports a camper at Greenhorn Meadows Park. Early morning and evening hours typically offer the best wildlife viewing conditions across the region.

What campers like

Solitude and privacy: Camgrounds at Jamail Ranch offers hike-in only tent camping with no facilities, requiring complete self-sufficiency. One visitor simply states it's the "Best place to camp in these parts." The lack of amenities means fewer crowds and more isolation for those seeking true backcountry experiences.

Accessible wilderness: Greenhorn Meadows Park provides easy access to natural surroundings without venturing deep into backcountry. "There are a number of spots aligned below a bluff, and a large open field for additional tents. We set up in site 20, which actually was very spacious and more private than a lot of the others. Plenty of trees, a small creek, and trails," writes one camper.

Convenient overnight stops: Some sites serve as practical stopping points for travelers. "This is a wonderful gem to find! Large area to park away from others!" writes a visitor about a local ranch. Another notes, "Pulled in late to this quiet tidy little campground. It was very quiet and well kept. A very easy place to make a reservation and stay last minute!"

What you should know

Limited signage: Finding some campsites requires persistence and preparation. One visitor to Hummingbird Ranch notes, "A little hard to figure out exactly where to camp, but other than that, convenient to access and beautiful." Another adds, "Signage could be better to point you in the right direction but once you find the 'hip' signs it leads you to a huge grassy area!"

Reservation requirements: Check whether sites require advance booking or accept walk-ins. Some campgrounds fill quickly during peak seasons. "We went into the San Isabel National Forest and could not find a spot," reports one camper who ended up at Greenhorn Meadows Park instead.

Variable facilities: Amenities differ significantly between sites. At Greenhorn Meadows Park, "There are electric hook ups at your site; however the water is across the path and you need to port it to your rig." Most dispersed sites have no facilities whatsoever, requiring campers to pack in all supplies including water.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Aguilar, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Aguilar, CO is Camgrounds at Jamail Ranch with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Aguilar, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Aguilar, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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