E
Elizabeth W.
Guide
GuideNorth Round Mountain
Great packed road into the camp. We stayed in November and had the place to ourselves. Lots of sites. We stayed back near the end of the camping area and had a beautiful sunrise and sunset.
Tent Camping near Buffalo Creek, CO
8 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Tent campgrounds surrounding Buffalo Creek, Colorado provide access to South Platte River fishing and mountain trails in Pike National Forest. Established sites at Osprey Campground offer tent campsites near water, while hike-in options like Idylease Campground in Reynolds Park require a half-mile walk to reach secluded tent pads. Matukat Road provides free dispersed camping options for tent campers seeking more primitive experiences away from developed facilities.
Most walk-in tent sites at Reynolds Park include bear boxes, picnic tables, and non-potable water access. A review noted that "campsites were nice and well established but pretty close to one another" with a half-mile hike in to reach them. Sites at Osprey Campground feature fire rings with grill grates and vault toilets but no drinking water. Tent campers should bring all necessary supplies as services are limited. The nearest store is in Decker with a small convenience shop but very limited supplies. Road access can be challenging with narrow mountain roads requiring careful navigation.
South Platte River tent campgrounds provide direct access to world-class fly fishing opportunities. Osprey sites sit close to the river where anglers can start fishing early. A camper wrote that "the stars here are incredible" but warned about road noise at some locations. Pine trees provide shade at higher-elevation tent sites like those in Staunton State Park. Backcountry tent camping options typically offer more privacy but require longer hikes to access. During weekdays, especially in spring before Memorial Day, many tent campgrounds remain uncrowded. Weather can be unpredictable with temperatures often dropping 20 degrees colder at night than in Denver, requiring tent campers to pack accordingly for mountain conditions.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Buffalo Creek (81)
1. Osprey
"Cell service- none (t-mobile) Firewood- none Camp host- none Water - non Toilets- port a potty Fire ring- yes No leveled tent sites- generally flat land."
"Trash and Port a potties are provided. Site is right next to the Platte River. Picnic Table and Fire Ring is provided per site. Very relaxing, great views , and respectful neighbors."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 / night
2. Platte River Campground
"It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
"Had a nice little hike around the area. My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
Check Availabilityfrom $24 / night
3. Staunton State Park Campground
"If you’re looking for a quick easy weekend camping trip with well maintained trails, you should check this park out. Campsites are a quick walk from the parking lot and vault toilets."
"I brought stoves no bigger than a jetboil/MSR dragonfly. Headlamps are a must. Also, we went in June and July. Check the weather."
24 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $28 / night
4. Idylease Campground
"Make reservations in person at Jeffco Open Space in Golden - those ladies are the best! Easy drive and a half-mile hike with moderate increase in elevation from parking to tent pads, numbered 1-5."
Check Availabilityfrom $12 / night
5. South Platte River Corridor
"great campsite near the river with lots of space and trees"
6. Matukat Road Dispersed Camping
"Rock fire pits, wood around. No water, garbage, nor toilets. Cool temps, road in is rough go slow. Nice shady trees. First few spots you encounter left, then right seem ok."
"We drove a couple of miles up the decently maintained dirt road and found the second dispersed camping spot and decided to set up our roof top tent for the night. "
7. Glen Isle Resort
"The river is a little noisy from the road and close to the horses. Its beautiful though Meadow spots are quieter. National Forest hiking trails within walking distance. Amazing hosts."
"There are also nearby attractions and rec activities. Up the road there is a trail head for a hike, and there’s a lot of ample fishing opp nearby."
8. Jefferson County Reynolds Park Idylease Campground
Check Availabilityfrom $12 / night
9. Dutch Fred Trailhead #679
10. South Platte Ranger District - Recreation
Drive Time
- 1 hr 2 min from Denver, CO
- 1 hr 12 min from Boulder, CO
- 1 hr 18 min from Colorado Springs, CO
- 1 hr 44 min from Greeley, CO
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Buffalo Creek, CO
245 Photos of 81 Buffalo Creek Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
OspreyM
Idylease Campground
Platte River Campground
Staunton State Park Campground
Glen Isle Resort
Truman’s Rock
Dispersed Camping - Pike National Forest DivideC
Guanella Pass Scenic Byway Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Pike National Forest Handcart Campground
Sawmill Hiker Campground
Mydnyt Mountain
Tent Camping Reviews near Buffalo Creek, CO
2357 Reviews of 81 Buffalo Creek Campgrounds
Drew M.GuideCaribou Dispersed Site 6
#7
# 7 was a sweet spot - You can get three to four tents in this spot if you tent camp.
Tons of deadfall for firewood
I was able to pick up three pieces of trash. I am saying it's a clean spot!
Super quiet - Saw a moose!
Great area! Easy to get to!
Kylee R.
RangerCherry Creek State Park Campground
Cherry Creek State Park
Bathrooms were very nice and clean. Lots of sites with minimal privacy. Pretty packed and noisy in October. Our site had electrical hookups and its own water. Picnic tables and fire rings available as well. Looks like a very family friendly campground. Stayed one night.
Kevin H.
ScoutCastle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake
Beautiful family and dog friendly campground!
Lake Wellington is a beautiful family and dog friendly campground just about 90 minutes from Denver. There are 75 sites, and even when it's pretty full they are decently spaced out that you don't feel too on top of other guests. We brought our dogs and a group of friends and had a great few nights, even seeing Bald Eagles mating!
Shannon F.ScoutPikes Peak RV Park
New owner are not good people
I want to start on a positive because that is the type of person I am, and because this review is going to have a lot of negative. This park is a great location for sightseeing, especially if you are going to Pikes Peak by way of the Cog or shopping in Manitou. My GM and I worked hard to make the park as great as we could with the very little funding that we got. As seen in the reviews we had excellent customer service and had high standards for keeping the park clean. I was very good at my job and I loved doing the work until the new owners took over. When the park was sold, we had high hopes that the new owners would be good people and want to put real work into the park. We were very disappointed that they turned out to be money grubbing horrible people. Ken, one of the owners, treats people and his business very Trump like. He and his wife must state that they are religious more than a few times when having a conversation; I personally think this is to make themselves look good to cover the toxicity that truly lies under the surface. When they meet people, they put on a façade and lie and say whatever they think people want to hear to get what they want; proven to me by the broken verbal promises they made to me. They are not community driven; they are money driven; you can make money and still be good people, but they chose not to be. They practice wage theft just like big corporations by over working employees and under paying them; in their words“you must wear all hats”. They are the type of people that use others until they don’t need them then throw them away like garbage. I was bullied into quitting on a phone call where Ken was very disrespectful and unprofessional with me. The phone call was me trying to explain that I could no longer do the FB post due to our deferent ethical viewpoints, and he would not let me talk by saying“you are not doing your job, are you going to quit” repeatedly. I found out that I was not allowed to post about Manitou Pride parade because he said,“it is not family friendly, and the company and I do not promote the LGBTQ+ community”. I am a proud member of that community and so I should not be the one to post on FB for the company. The groundman quit a day later because of disrespect and broken verbal promises. Then a few days later my boyfriend was fired and then Sheryl the GM was fired.(I believe they were fired for retaliation) Ken only wants employees that are easy to exploit or controlled, because he is incapable of managing people without fear and bullying. He boasted that he is called the grim reaper in business, but I don’t think that is the flex he thinks it is. But yes, he was the destruction of the community we put so much work into. I also want to voice my disappointment in Dana, who Sheryl worked hard getting to be allowed to come back as an employee. Dana did great work her first summer with us, so it was a shock to see her true colors show when she started to brown nose Ken. She spread multiple rumors, I feel the worst one was about Melinda’s daughter and the things she wrote about in her diary. I also did not like how she used David, the guy that does the golfcart tours in Manitou, was nice to his face then talked so badly about him when he was not around. I truly think Jesue and her father would be ashamed of her for how she acted to get her new position.
- HHeidi
TravelerCastle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake
Great spot - except for flies
If you are going to camp at a lakefront spot definitely have something you can sit in else you will be attacked by flies. Super quiet during the week - got busy over the weekend.
- aamber H.Guide
Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area
beautiful area too much trash
I was pulling a camper and couldn't make it to the higher up spots. the spots near the entrance are littered with gross trash. I cleaned my area but there's too much . Hiking around has beautiful views.
- aamber H.Guide
Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping II
wrong coorinates
Takes you to a private road. After walking around probably someone parking towards the back pinned the location Follow the coordinates on the other Gordon Gulch and its easy to find
- MMary A.Scout
Forest Road 332 Dispersed
No T-Mobile signal
Rough road but doable in a minivan. About 12 minutes from Nederland, which had a lot of good restaurants, bars, and a fair size grocery store. Saw a moose and mountain lion.
Guide to Buffalo Creek
Dispersed camping opportunities abound in Pike National Forest near Buffalo Creek, Colorado, where elevations range from 6,000 to 9,000 feet throughout the camping areas. Summer temperatures typically reach the 70s during daytime but can drop below 40°F at night, requiring campers to pack layers and appropriate sleeping gear. Tent camping near Buffalo Creek gives access to both established campgrounds and primitive sites without developed facilities.
What to do
Mountain biking trails: The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area features over 40 miles of interconnected singletrack trails suitable for various skill levels. A camper at Matukat Road Dispersed Camping noted, "We took a short trip to the Happy Meadows campground for some time in the river. It's close enough that it doesn't warrant staying at Happy Meadows."
Rock climbing and bouldering: Many camping areas have natural rock formations perfect for climbing. At Matukat Road, a reviewer mentioned, "Plenty of exploring and climbing around. Had my camera and was approached by a polite guy who said we were fine as long as we didnt take any minerals (quarts) since he owns rights to them."
Stargazing: Clear mountain skies provide excellent night viewing opportunities. A camper at Platte River Campground shared, "The stars here are incredible. However if the breeze is up it's gone chilling."
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Some areas offer more seclusion than others. At Staunton State Park Campground, a camper observed, "Sites are stretched out along two short trails. Most far enough that it makes sense to treat it a bit like backpacking so you have fewer trips to make."
Wildlife viewing: The area supports diverse wildlife including deer, moose and birds. A camper mentioned, "A signed noted moose sightings" at Reynolds Park, while another noted, "Cattle roam freely throughout the property and you can hear coyotes at dusk and dawn" at Matukat Road.
Easy access to water: Several campsites sit near streams or the South Platte River. A reviewer at Glen Isle Resort stated, "There are spots by the river and up in the meadow. The river is a little noisy from the road and close to the horses. Its beautiful though."
What you should know
Limited supplies nearby: Pack everything you need before arriving. A camper at Platte River Campground advised, "Keep in mind there isn't a store or anything close by so be sure to carry in all you need. I don't recall water on site so better to be safe and carry plenty in."
Fire restrictions: Rules vary by location and season. At Staunton State Park, "No campfires. Sites spaced out, but if you happen to get an upset baby at the next site like we did, you'll be up all night too."
Road conditions: Many access roads require careful driving. A visitor to Osprey Campground shared, "I pulled over so a local could pass me and he almost went off a steep cliff in his truck. We don't have 4 wheel drive but other times of year when snowing it would be necessary."
Weather preparation: Mountain weather changes quickly. "Denver's weather will not tell you what the weather here will be and most forecasts are inaccurate. It will be at least 20 degrees colder at night than Denver most likely so keep that in mind."
Tips for camping with families
Short hike-in options: Some campgrounds require walking to reach sites. At Idylease Campground, "It's a 0.5 mile hike in to the campsite, so plan and pack accordingly." Consider bringing a wagon for gear transport.
Bear safety: Many sites provide bear boxes. "Campsites were nice and well established but pretty close to one another. Campsites 2/3/4 are all pretty close to each-other and you can hear the other sites."
Natural playgrounds: Kids enjoy exploring the natural features. At Matukat Road Dispersed Camping, a parent shared, "Camped right underneath a few rocks and kid absolutely loved to climb rocks even with thin air in high altitude."
Weekend timing considerations: Popular areas fill quickly on weekends. A camper reported, "This camp ground is convenient and has the river right there for fishing and playing. Beware, I find this area in general very busy on the weekends."
Tips from RVers
Length limitations: Most forest service roads have tight turns and limited space. A camper at South Platte River Corridor mentioned, "Downtown Deckers has an intersection with the river and plenty of parking for fishermen or those wanting to grab a bite at the restaurant."
Parking restrictions: Many areas don't allow trailers or large rigs. At Osprey Campground, a visitor noted, "Can car/van/roof top tent camp in the parking lot, for the same nightly fee as listed on the notice board. However, no trailers."
Limited facilities: Buffalo Creek camping areas offer few amenities for RVs. A camper at Platte River Campground stated, "According to a camp host at lone rock, you can park and camp in your roof top tent in the lot for the same price. However, no trailers are allowed."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Buffalo Creek, CO?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Buffalo Creek, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Buffalo Creek, CO is Osprey with a 3.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
Buffalo Creek, CO?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Buffalo Creek, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 81 tent camping locations near Buffalo Creek, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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