52 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Buena Vista's cabin lodging options include rustic accommodations with varying levels of amenities. BV Overlook features cabins within walking distance of hiking and biking trails, with full access to campground facilities including showers, bathrooms and a lounge area. Arrowhead Point Resort provides cabins with electrical hookups and convenient location to outdoor activities. "Very friendly staff & clean park," noted one visitor regarding the nearby Mt. Princeton RV Park & Cabins. Most cabins include picnic tables and fire pits, allowing for outdoor dining and evening recreation while enjoying mountain views.
Rustic cabin rentals often include basic furnishings but vary significantly in comfort level. Some feature limited insulation and minimal heating, as evidenced by one visitor's experience: "We stayed in a cabin that had a 2-inch gap between the bottom of the door and threshold. The heater was more like a hair dryer and didn't warm the cabin." Other locations like Cottonwood Hot Springs Lodge and Campground provide more comfortable cabin experiences with proximity to natural hot springs. Reservations are typically required, especially during summer months when availability becomes limited. Most cabins accommodate pets for an additional fee.
Most cabin rentals provide beds with mattresses but require guests to bring their own bedding, pillows and towels. Kitchen facilities vary from none to basic microwaves and mini-refrigerators. Arkansas River Rim Campground and Rafter's Roost cabins offer nearby access to drinking water but typically lack in-cabin plumbing. Firewood is available for purchase at most locations, though fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Basic groceries and camping supplies can be found at campground stores, with more extensive shopping options available in downtown Buena Vista. According to one camper, "The camp store was well stocked with firewood, camping supplies, a s'mores bar, cold drinks and lots of Colorado made items."
"There are hiking/biking trails right off the road from the campsites. Each site is quite spacious and each has a picnic table and fire pit with a grill top."
"We stayed in the Harvard tiny home, which had three full size beds in it. Two of the beds were up lofted, and those were more comfortable."
from $40 - $180 / night
Check Availability"Great location just 5.5 miles from Buena Vista downtown. Nice spacious sites (for RV) woth full hookup. Quarters required for showers. No fenced in pet area. Great spot to stop! Stayed 2 nights."
"So much nearby activities to do. I was able to get some great hiking in as well as go to the Cottonwood hot springs one night. Cathy at the front desk was so hospitable and even made cookies."
"We came up to ride the trails around Buena Vista and stayed here. The rates were fair and the campground was immaculately kept. The staff was friendly."
"Very convenient off the highway, but then you get highway noise. Clean campground, very nice owner. We didn’t used the facilities so I can’t speak for that."
from $28 - $60 / night
Check Availability"Stayed by the entrance and got some good views. The road getting down was a rough but I made it in a campervan just fine. Beware of a big black bug that could sneak up on you at any moment!!!"
"Clean site, close to town and minutes from the Arkansas River. The facilities felt brand new and the staff was very friendly/helpful. Outdoor shower is great for cleaning up or washing dogs."
from $50 - $185 / night
"We stayed here 5 nights Sun-Fri while doing work/school and enjoyed exploring Buena Vista in the evenings!"
from $75 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $45 - $169 / night
Check Availability"This park (which comes up quickly on the stream side of US-50, eastbound or westbound), is historically located on a former 180-degree turn of the old narrow-gauge railroad. It is right on the S."
"They have a nice camp store, WiFi that works, golf cart rental, a playground, kids games, a community area (even host occasional concerts) fishing, and a river running through."
from $40 - $60 / night
Check Availability"This campsite is a couple miles outside of Salida. Along the river it offers beautiful views and immediate access to the river. The camp host is friendly and the campsite is very well maintained."
"This CPW campground is right off Highway 50 and is easy to pull in and out with a trailer. For how busy the campground sites and roads are, the campground is surprisingly quiet."
from $28 - $90 / night
Check Availability"Nice to have a private shower after being out on SXS all day. And nice cozy 2 bedroom cabin. Kitchen and small couch area. A campfire area too."
"This is a nicely equipped park, very popular with the OHV crowd. Great access to many miles of forest service roads. The lake is just down the hill. The laundry and showers are clean."
from $27 - $65 / night
Check Availability
TravelerGreat location just 5.5 miles from Buena Vista downtown. Nice spacious sites (for RV) woth full hookup. Quarters required for showers. No fenced in pet area. Great spot to stop! Stayed 2 nights.
ScoutThis campground is an absolute dump run by dishonest crooks. We stayed here in October on a night that it got below freezing and snowed. We were put in a cabin that had a 2-inch gap between the bottom of the door and threshold. The heater was more like a hair dryer and didn’t warm the cabin. It was 40 degrees in the cabin so we didn’t sleep. The floor crunched while walking on it and the platform bed was metal. When we got off the bed there was a loud bang. When we tried to get a refund from the owners she blamed us and said the problem was we didn’t understand rustic cabins. We have stayed in rustic cabins in the cold months for 10 years and never experienced this. There are many places in Buena Vista…take your business elsewhere.
RangerThe camp staff was all very friendly. We had a nice site with very easy hookups! There are hiking/biking trails right off the road from the campsites. Each site is quite spacious and each has a picnic table and fire pit with a grill top. The view is AMAZING and the hiking trail was worth the effort to get even better views of the mountains from a higher elevation. The town of Buena Vista is quaint and has options for gas fillups and groceries. I would stay here again!
LegendWe stayed in the Harvard tiny home, which had three full size beds in it. Two of the beds were up lofted, and those were more comfortable. The third bed on the ground floor was very hard and lumpy, we gave my dad our extra pillows to put over the rough spots. But if you were booking to just use two beds (two couples or two singles) it would be fine. The bathroom is very compact, but the clean and nice hot water. The kitchen is fully functional, plus a BBQ and picnic table on the outside. The grounds were quiet and we had plenty of space away from neighboring visitors. Tongs of hiking trailheads and rock climbing was within a half hour drive.
LegendJust going to start by saying that camping is not why people come here -- it’s for the waters! The spa offers numerous pools and tubs at varying temperatures so you can find your joyful spot– be sure to check out the cold plunge pool as well.
The RV spots are on one side of the large parking lot, with the hook up spaces in the middle, with non-electric spots running around two of the outside sides. We were in one of these spots because we run completely on solar to save money. There are zero trees around the lot so sunshine was plentiful.
The bathrooms were clean, modern and nice, as was the small, shared kitchen where we could do dishes. In addition to camping the resort offers hotel rooms, private yurts, tipis, conference rooms and other hotel services. In addition to the soaking being included in the price, so was a buffet style breakfast and dinner. The food was delicious, and veggie/ organic friendly. The whole experience was very reasonably priced and relaxing!
There’s a lot of hiking nearby, in the mountains to the north, west and east- but definitely a drive away. We didn’t check out the walking path in the spa, but they did offer yoga classes in the yurt as well as private massages services and a host of other spa treatments.
There aren’t a lot of nearby towns that offer larger grocery stores, Crestone has a small co-op grocery as does Buena Vista, so if you are planning on cooking for yourself, come prepared.
GuideThis is a great spot if you want to camp and have some fun and conveniences all in one place!
Location is great and is close by to Mt Princeton Hot Springs, rafting on the Arkansas River, hiking, and the town of Buena Vista.
Pros:
Cons:
My kids think this is the world’s greatest campground, which overcomes any negatives!
GuideHad a great time here. So much nearby activities to do. I was able to get some great hiking in as well as go to the Cottonwood hot springs one night. Cathy at the front desk was so hospitable and even made cookies. Nice big facilities and even have fire pits and wood for sale. The Wi-Fi speed was not really great so I went into town and sat at the blend coffee shop for a few hours to get some work done. Downtown Buena Vista is super cute with lots of great places to eat. I was able to go hike bear lake and walked around twin Lakes with my dog. Would definitely come back. 
LegendI was hoping to go here to see some people launching their white water rafting, however that was not the case when I was visiting. Despite being open year round there was not a lot of activity going on when I was there in late October during midweek. The surroundings were amazing, however I opted to not stay because a cold front was coming in to push through some snow, probably the reason why people where not rafting.
The sites for camping were nice, there were many campgrounds to choose from along the area and sites were large and spacious. Most importantly they were reasonably priced at only $18. Part of what makes these camps be able to not close their doors seasonally is their vault toilets, with no running water at camp they do not have to worry about pipes bursting or issues relating to this so camp can keep going.
Sites are equipped with traditional picnic table, fire ring and grill and there is a changing area at the campground too just to get out of the gusty winds and provide a bit of shelter for getting cleaned up each day.
The Salida campground does have a boat ramp and launch right beside camp and fully backs up to the river itself so you have amazing views from any campsite. You really can't lose with this place!!
TIPS:
Come prepared there is limited cell service here and no store on site so you will be needing to go to town if you forget anything.
Check weather conditions, though open year round you will want to prepare if cold fronts are passing through as this area is already a bit cooler being so close to the waters edge.
GuideThis park (which comes up quickly on the stream side of US-50, eastbound or westbound), is historically located on a former 180-degree turn of the old narrow-gauge railroad. It is right on the S. Arkansas, which has browns and rainbows for skilled and licensed anglers. Pull-throughs & back-ins are generously spaced with ample shade. Full hookups, but weak & limited wifi, though adequate for email & non-streaming. Restrooms/showers/laundry very clean & well-kept. Good showers, but the timer-controlled lights may leave you in darkness while you're in there (not saying how I know this). BONUS INFO FOR TENT CAMPERS: Ask about the tent sites all the way down by the old powerplant pond. Absolutely idyllic. About 20 mins. to Salida, 50 min. or so to Buena Vista.
Cabin camping near Buena Vista, Colorado offers rustic to modern accommodations at elevations between 7,000-8,000 feet. Overnight temperatures can drop significantly even in summer months, with readings below 40°F common in August. Many cabin rentals provide access to hiking trails and Arkansas River activities, with most requiring advance reservations during peak season from May through September.
Explore mountain biking trails: At BV Overlook, you can access trails directly from your cabin. "We visited Buena Vista mainly to mountain bike and we loved that you can ride right from the campsite onto the trails," notes one visitor who appreciated the convenient access for day adventures.
Soak in natural hot springs: Several cabin rental locations provide access to therapeutic mineral waters. Cottonwood Hot Springs Lodge and Campground offers pools with varying temperatures. "The Hot springs were beautiful. The pools varied in temps so you could go from one to another easily. They were large enough to fit a lot of people," reports one camper.
Gold panning opportunities: Some cabin stays offer unique recreational activities. One visitor at Middlefork RV Resort noted, "We got to do a little fishing on the stream fed trout pond, but most of all got to take in the South Park region which was great."
Digital connectivity: For those needing to work remotely, BV Overlook offers reliable internet access. "We needed a place with WiFi or strong cell reception so we could work remotely on Friday before hitting the trails. BV Overlook has both! AT&T had strong 5G coverage and the starlink internet reached all the way to our campsite," explains one digital nomad who stayed there.
Easy river access: Many cabin campers appreciate locations with water features nearby. At Arkansas River Rim Campground, guests enjoy river proximity. "There's a nice path down to the river. We enjoyed our stay at this quiet campground," shares one reviewer who valued the riverside location.
Well-stocked amenities: Cabin sites typically offer additional conveniences. "The camp staff was all very friendly. We had a nice site with very easy hookups! There are hiking/biking trails right off the road from the campsites," reports a visitor at Arrowhead Point Resort.
Temperature fluctuations: Mountain cabin camping means preparing for cold nights regardless of season. "Tent camped in August and woke up one morning at 38 degrees," reports one camper at BV Overlook, highlighting the need for proper sleeping gear even in cabins with minimal insulation.
Shower facilities vary: Some cabin locations charge for shower use. At Arrowhead Point Resort, "Quarters required for showers," notes one camper, while another mentions the facilities were "super clean."
Site locations and privacy: Cabin placement affects your experience. A visitor at Arkansas River Rim Campground noted, "You will need to ask if sites are available with trees that will accommodate your setup," suggesting some sites offer more natural screening than others.
Playgrounds and activities: Some cabin locations offer child-friendly amenities. A family staying at BV Overlook noted, "A wonderful place for families, a nice playground and on Saturday night we had an ice cream social."
Proximity to town services: Monarch Spur RV Park & Campground offers family-friendly amenities with town conveniences nearby. "It has everything. Full hookups to tent camping... a nice camp store, WiFi that works, golf cart rental, a playground, kids games, a community area," shares one family who stayed there.
Weather preparation: Families should prepare for rapid weather changes. "It's at over 8000 feet and the views are amazing. We can see snow," notes a visitor at Monarch Spur, indicating that even summer visits require warm clothing.
Site access considerations: Some cabin and RV locations have challenging approaches. "It was getting late so we tried Middlefork RV Park. The sites are all gravel, ours was nice and level. You can get either full hookups or water/electric only," explains one RVer about their experience.
Cold weather preparations: RVers using cabins during shoulder seasons should prepare for freezing temperatures. A visitor at Taylor Park Trading Post advised, "The temps were getting below freezing at night. The morning we left it was 23 degrees so protect your water lines."
Local supply access: Plan for supply runs with local stores in mind. A Taylor Park Trading Post visitor mentioned, "Grocery store is a 3 minute walk away and cell signal has been great," making it convenient for extended cabin stays requiring regular resupply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Buena Vista, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Buena Vista, CO is BV Overlook with a 4-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Buena Vista, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 52 cabin camping locations near Buena Vista, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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