Best Tent Camping near Buena Vista, CO

Fee: $22.00 Day use fee $7.00 There is a self service tube available 

Check out 12:00 noon Quiet time 10:00 pm to 6:00 am 

Fire ring/grill, picnic table, tent sites, pit toilets, doggie poo bags, some bear boxes Pads and road have a base of gravel 

Before Memorial Day weekend the sites may be FCFS, but host and water may not be available. 

During peak season you may reserve by calling 800-444-6777 or on line at recreation.gov No showers or electrical hookups are available. There are two handicapped-accessible toilets. Water is by way of a handpump 

Mt. Princeton Campground is located in the Chalk Creek Canyon and not only is it a beautiful drive but you have St Elmo to look forward to. St Elmo is a ghost town from the 1800's. The mountains are just beautiful. 

Directions: From Buena Vista travel south on Highway 285 for 7 miles then turn right on County Road 162 and travel west, passing the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort then 8.5 miles to campground 

LNT

 Better than when you found it

 Stay safe Happy travels

I gave this a 4 star because of the crowds.I backpacked to a high alpine lake called Kroenke Lake in the Collegiate Peaks wilderness area near Buena Vista, CO in August to catch some high country Cutthroats. This is a very popular hike during the summer. Camping can be congested but there are enough trees in between spots for some privacy. The designated camp sites we kept very clean by the previous visitors. There was not any trash in or around the fire ring that I often come across in other areas. The people that have previously visited, practiced leave no trace with the exception of the designated fire ring. The scenery was beautiful with a gorgeous lake with peaks of granite in the background. All of the people on the trail were friendly and courteous. It does get congested on the weekend being so close to Buena Vista and Salida. If you go little further, you can escape the congestion. I would highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a weekend backpack trip.

Fees: $22.00 tents on tent pad only $7.00 day use only fee if not camping 

Fee station available fees are payable by cash, check or money order 

Check out 12:00 noon Quiet hours 10:00 pm to 6:00 am 

Number of sites 18 

Open mid May- end of Sept 

Picnic table, fire ring/grill, trash, pit toilet, handpump for water 

Before Memorial Day sites may be FCFS and hosts and water may not be available. During peak season dates, some sites can be reserved by calling 800-444-6777 or on line at recreation.gov

Small trailers, RV's or tents as the sites are small. If you are not able to obtain a campsite you are not allowed to camp anywhere going up the mountain but if you go on up to St Elmo you might find some dispersed camping. 

There are amazing mountain views with a beautiful stream running quickly down hill. The drive up the mountain and down is one of the best around. The trip up you may anticipate arriving in St Elmo, a 1800 ghost town. At the base of the mountain you will find the Chalk Bluffs. Some sites in the campground have shade, some do not but great for solar. 

Directions: From Buena Vista, Colorado, take Highway 285 south for 7 miles to County Road 162. Turn west on County Road 162, traveling 8 miles to the Chalk Lake Campground

 LNT 

Better than when you found it 

Stay safe, travel happy

Hecla Junction is one of my favorite sites. The campground is north of Salida Colorado on the Arkansas River. This is the busy spot at the end of the commercial river rafting run. You access the campground from the main highway along a windy dirt road. It takes about 25 minutes to reach the river and the campground which is next to the boat ramp. The campground has great facilities and well designed sites. They have a few sites with views of the river on north end of the site. Each campground site has boulders to define the site, gravel base for tents, picnic tables, and fire rings. The toilets are very clean and well maintained and a camp host is on site. The highlight here is the river. We had fast moving water this summer with class III and IV rapids. It’s a great run from Buena Vista down to Hecla Junction. If the Hecla Junction Campground is full, we counted at least 3 dispersed sites on road leading down to the river including a BLM dispersed site.