Best Tent Camping near Carbondale, CO
Searching for a tent camping spot near Carbondale? Find the best tent camping sites near Carbondale. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Carbondale, Colorado's most popular destinations.
Best Tent Sites Near Carbondale, Colorado (43)
1. Portal Campground
26 Reviews•147 Photos•1874 SavesAspen, ColoradoPortal Campground is located eleven miles southeast of Aspen on Independence Pass Road and seven miles south on Lincoln Creek Road at an elevation of 9,400'. Campers can access some wonderful day hikes from this location as well as terrain for motorcycle riding, mountain biking, ATV riding, fishing and horseback riding, among other recreation activities. Portal Campground has 5 campsites with limited spurs. 5 day stay limit. High clearance vehicles are required and 4x4 recommended.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Picnic Table
2. McClure Campground
5 Reviews•12 Photos•69 SavesGunnison National Forest, ColoradoThe McClure Campground is located on Highway 133 on the south side of McClure Pass. The historic town of Marble is nearby and the campground sits at the head of Lee Creek. Each campsites has a picnic table and fire rings/grills. This quiet campground is surrounded by aspen that provide excellent shade during the summer and there are beaver ponds near by for trout fishing.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Picnic Table
- Toilets
5. Four Pass Loop - West Maroon to Buckskin
3 Reviews•18 Photos•60 SavesSnowmass Village, ColoradoOvernight permit required for overnight stays within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Overnight Permit Zones. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1083862.pdf
ALERT: Due to recent bear activity, bear canisters are required for all backpackers in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The famous Four Pass Loop backpacking route within Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness is an international treasure. This 26 mile (42 km) circuit climbs over four mountain passes higher than 12,000ft, past clear alpine lakes and among the rugged Elk Range peaks. Thousands of people every summer make the journey to see these sights. Make sure to plan ahead and know before you go! Early summer snowmelt makes the river crossing perilous and deep snow persists on the passes until late in the summer. Sudden thunderstorms can catch travelers exposed far from the cover of tree-line in mid-summer and snow fall returns to the high country early. Please observe all recommendations and regulations to help the US Forest Service protect this unique experience and wild landscape for all. View a downloadable trail guide: Four Pass Loop Trail Guide (PDF) View select campsite location & restrictions (PDF)
Food, trash and any scented items must be stored in an IGBC approved bear resistant container. Human food habituated bears are a threat to human safety. Visitors without approved bear resistant containers will be ticketed and required to leave. You must have a plan for human waste. Human waste bags (WAG) bags are highly recommended and are available free of charge at the Conundrum Creek and Snowmass Lake trailheads. WAG bags must be packed out. Learn more about how to use a WAG bag. If a WAG bag is not used, visitors are required to deposit solid human waste in holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet (70 paces) from water, camp and trails. Group size is limited to 10 with no more than 15 stock animals in one group. Large groups multiply impacts to the wilderness and disrupt the solitude of others. Dogs are prohibited in the Conundrum Creek Valley from Silver Dollar Pond to Triangle Pass, including the hot springs. Everywhere else, dogs must be leashed. Campfires are prohibited at all designated sites at Conundrum Hot Springs, Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and above 10,800 feet including Snowmass Lake. Campfires consume wood, accumulate trash, kill fragile alpine vegetation, sterilize the soil and scar the land. Lightweight camp stoves are recommended. Campers must camp in designated sites at Conundrum Hot Springs, Copper Lake, Crater Lake, Geneva Lake, Capitol Lake and Thomas Lakes. Everywhere else campers should set up more than 100 feet from lakes, streams and trails and use previously impacted campsites. Camp out of sight of others and away from fragile areas. As with all designated Wilderness, motorized and mechanized equipment is prohibited including bicycles, motorbikes, chainsaws, ATVs, carts, drones, hang gliders and paragliders. This equipment is prohibited to provide visitors with a primitive recreational experience and to preserve outstanding opportunities for solitude.
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- Fires
- Tents
- Group
6. Thompson Creek Campground
2 Reviews•5 Photos•43 SavesCarbondale, ColoradoThe Thompson Creek Recreation Management Area is located just a few miles southwest of Carbondale and provides beautiful, remote recreational opportunities. On the North end of the RMA is the Lorax trail, which is a popular non motorized route. In the southwest corner of the area is the Thompson Creek campground and trail, which winds along Thompson Creek to views of the rare geologic ___fin___ formations. There are 4 shaded campsites along the creek with metal fire rings. There are not picnic tables or restrooms. Must pack out all human waste to eliminate contamination of creek. There are not waste collections. Access is not recommended during wet or snowy conditions. For more information, please contact the Colorado River Valley Field Office.
- Tents
7. Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness - Crater Lake Campground
2 Reviews•7 Photos•35 SavesSnowmass Village, ColoradoOvernight stays at Crater Lake require advanced overnight permit reservations, which must be purchased at recreation.gov.
Camping at Crater Lake is only permitted in designated sites, and overnight guests are required to bring bear canisters for food storage.
WAG bags are highly recommended for human waste removal/management, but not required. If not using WAG bags, please understand and follow proper human waste disposal techniques.
- Pets
- Reservable
- Tents
$10 / night
9. Aspen Grove Campground — Vega State Park
4 Reviews•13 Photos•6 SavesCollbran, Colorado- Reservable
- Tents
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
10. SE Flat Tops Area
1 Review•8 Photos•15 SavesGlenwood Springs, ColoradoThe SE Flat Tops Area is north of Dotsero and I-70, and is primarily accessed by Forest Service Roads heading northwest off of the Colorado River Road between Dotsero and Burns. This area is part of the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District.
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
Recent Tent Reviews near Carbondale, Colorado
1069 Reviews of 43 Carbondale Campgrounds
- KKayla B.
Scout
Rifle Falls State Park Campground
Beautiful setting/easy access
One of my favorite tent camping spots, most sites are private and right along the creek. The park also provides bins to carry supplies to the tent sites which makes it much easier since you can’t park at your site.
laura S.
Guide
Redstone White River National Forest
Gorgeous, clean, quiet
Stayed in Mechau loop in a tent. Sites were nicely separated for privacy. Hosts Don and John were super friendly and had great recommendations for activities nearby! Pit toilets were probably the cleanest I’ve ever used at a campground. Towns of Carbondale, redstone, and marble are fun to explore (get the pizza in redstone). Cool off in the river just a short walk from camp!
- RRichMichelle M.Guide
Rifle Falls State Park Campground
Small but Beautiful
A small but beautiful campground with awesome waterfalls, caves, and hiking. There are 13 RV/tent sites and 7 walk-in tent sites. The campground gets crowded during the weekends with hikers and fishermen so parking can be an issue. The bathhouse has pit toilets only and no sinks. There are dumpsters and a potable water point. Great place to get away and unwind for the weekend.
- Kevin A.Scout
Glenwood Canyon Resort
Incredible tent spots
Falling asleep to the sound of the Colorado River literally 3 feet away is just wonderful, well worth the $54/night for a tent site. Great heated bathrooms, only a few minutes from town, no issues with noisy neighbors for us. Super great
- LLogan C.Scout
Father Dyer
Not a bad site
Tent camping spots didn’t really have a flat spot to put the tent (atleast the one I was in). Had to put my tent in a slope. But restrooms and camping sites were clean.
- VVanpeDiem D.
Ranger
Adam Campground
More Tent / Walk-In Camping
The stream is nice, camping area is pretty small, maybe 3-4 tent sites. Drive in camping site is rutted and I didn’t feel comfortable driving van up into it. There were a few minor red flags; a large tent was set up in the back of the site, however no one ever showed up to occupy. Also a mule deer carcass was dumped between tent sites. I ended up parking off the side of the road for the night. It is close to Sylvan Lake. I would likely not camp here again as a van camper. Could work for tent campers.
- MMeredith P.Scout
Rifle Gap State Park Campground
Walk-in sites are great
We were in a Lakeview walk-in site. This is the first walk-in site I have encountered that provided wheelbarrows. It's by far the easiest walk-in site I have camped in. There's a gravel path of about an 1/8th of a mile back to the campsites. They're relatively secluded by vegetation and hills from other campers. You can hear your neighbors occasionally, but the privacy level is fairly good. On top of the wheelbarrows, the picnic tables are covered by an awning. Overall, the walk-in sites are excellent for tent camping. I don't recommend trying to reserve an RV hookup site for tent camping because these are open sites with a lot of asphalt.
Amy N.Scout
Homestake Reservoir Rd Milemarker 3 - Dispersed
Great spot on the creek
Found a great spot on the creek. Level and had a turn around for a larger rig. Many tent sites around. Road is in good shape.
Lynn J.Scout
Oh Be Joyful Recreation Area
Oh Be Joyful
This is a small campground along the Slate River outside of Crested Butte, CO. There are bathrooms and tent sites. No utilities. Abundant hiking, fishing and mountain biking opportunities.
Kelly G.
Legend
Difficult Campground
Cozy with bike trail access
I rooftop tent camped here before hiking Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop. The campgrounds have easy access to the hike/bike trail into Aspen. Restrooms were clean, my site had shade and bear boxes and was easy to get into. I will definitely be back.
- llyndsay D.
Traveler
Dinner Station
Beautiful river, beautiful mountains
Great spot for fishing, waking up to river sounds, and sage brush Mountain Views. Lots of four wheelers/RVs so if you’re looking for something more remote and tent only this is not the place! We used it as an overnight spot for tent camping between Leadville and crested butte and that worked perfectly.
- Heather R.Guide
Rifle Gap State Park Campground
Room to move
Wonderful, well kept camp grounds! Plenty of space so you don't feel like you're camping with strangers. Clean bathrooms with showers, full hook-up sites along with tent sites. Multiple camp grounds to choose from.
- SSid A.Traveler
Sugar Loafin' RV/Campground & Cabins
Great last minute camp near Leadville
We were tent camping on motorcycles and rode into Leadville late in the evening. This campground was open (with staff) late, and were very friendly and accommodating. A very nice camp with everything we needed. They had tent pads that were flat and soft. We just barely missed the ice cream social. We will visit again.
Ashlee W.Guide
Paonia State Park Campground
Quiet Campground
Had a great stay in Spruce Campground. The sites and restroom were clean and well-maintained. There is no drinking water so bring your own. The sites are a little on the small side so I wouldn’t recommend large campers but it was perfect for tent camping. The tent pads are very large and a nice bonus. The views were spectacular!
- GGreg P.Traveler
Bear Lake Backpack Site
Belle of Colorado @ Tourquoise Lake
Originally quite nice, tent camping, clean area, nice sites, water available, bathrooms, and access to fishing. Weekends tend now to religious services... :( Been 4 times but now prefer less commercial/church interuptions. RV crud makes for noisy generators, bouncy houses, karaoke... :( Some people swim. Boating. Good perimeter trail, biking allowed.
Rae M.Guide
Ami's Acres Campground
Super Friendly and Clean
The office manager was extremely helpful and friendly. He drove by 2 times to make sure we had everything we needed while tent camping. The bathrooms were very clean and the water nice and hot. They also have a kitchen area with microwave, filtered water and a sink for dishes, which was really convenient.
- Lisa E.Traveler
Bogan Flats Campground Grp S
Fantastic week of tent camping!
My husband, 10 year old son and I just finished 6 nights of rent camping at Bogan Flats campground near Marble, CO. Our site was right on the Crystal River, and it was both huge and private. We enjoyed listening to the river as we drifted off to sleep each night.
The campground scenery was beautiful, nestled in between mountains all around. It was very green and did not seem affected by the drought in other areas. In fact, it rained all but 1 evening. The campground hosts were friendly and the bathrooms were so clean!! They didn't smell at all, which is pretty amazing for composting toilets.
We used this as a base area to visit nearby Marble to hike to the Crystal Mill, mountain bike in Carbondale, biked the Rio Grande Trail, rafted and hiked in Glenwood Springs, hiked and trail ran in Aspen. The scenery coming down 133 is stunning. We would camp here again in a heartbeat!
Tips: If you tent camp here, make sure your tent is waterproof. We had no issues, but like I said, it rained 5 of 6 nights. Some nights, it was barely a sprinkle...our last night was a downpour. This is common for the mountains in Colorado in the summer. Also, make sure you are prepared for a fire ban. We knew this ahead of time, and had a gas stove to cook our food. The last item is that there are no nearby stores other than in Carbondale near 82. So, make sure you have supplies and ice before you arrive.
Clint P.Traveler
Elbert Creek — Psicc
Massive or Elbert Climbs
Perfect location if hiking either of these two mountains. Great tent sites and multiple spots per campsite. As good a camping spot relative to a 14er trailhead as you can get. Cannot day enough good about this campground. Highly recommended.
Ashley F.Legend
Kebler Corner
River Access!
Ashley here with The Dyrt! I'm happy to welcome Emily, your host, to our platform. This property offers 9 cabins of varying sizes, 22 full RV hook-ups and primitive tent sites. Close to State Parks. Book today and leave your review here!
Ben R.RangerRifle Gap State Park Campground
Beautiful area, but expensive:/
Very nice and well maintained facilities, beautiful scenery and peaceful camping. ADA accessible, and all different sites offered. The reservation process is relatively difficult online, walk-in sites are truly walk in. You have to park and carry your stuff in around 25-50 yards. There are wheelbarrows sitting there that we think are for moving stuff, so that was a nice touch. Toilets are closed in the colder seasons, except for the larger shower houses. Most tent sites are gravel covered. The map is a little vague, the roads pictures on the map are the driving roads. It was 28/night for the walk-in tent sites, which is a little outside of our budget but we decided to swing it because we wanted to shower. Turned out that the showers cost extra, so bring cash. That was a little frustrating to find out, since we felt we had already paid for the facilities.
- MMitch K.Traveler
Bogan Flats Campground Grp S
Magic near Marble
Borgan Flats has it all. Great shady tent sites plus a number of RV sites. The Crystal River flows through the campground and you can fish right from many of the sites. Near by Marble has trails for Hiking, Biking, ATV and 4X4. Dont miss Slow Grovin' for some great BBQ!
- DDarrellScout
Glenwood Canyon Resort
Nice location
Tent sites. Small cabins and water/electric RV sites(<35’) are along the river. You do have to hike up a short hill to get to the bathroom/showers. Full hookup sites are on top of hill w/no river views. WiFi with a few. Excellent Verizon signal. Very convenient to Glenwood Springs
mark H.Traveler
Bear Lake Campground
Quiet, peaceful, spacious
One of the best campground my family and I have gone to. Tent sites are set back and space and trees separate sites.. 2 great lakes that are stocked (3 kids + 1/2 hr = 12 trout) within walking distance... The chipmunks were alittle intrusive but my dog was fully entertained by them.
Cynthia K.Legend
Carbondale-Crystal River KOA
Loved it!
This is a small KOA. The closet one to Aspen, which was our purpose in traveling to the area.
This campground has an old fashioned feel. They have cabins that look very retro, Actually only 20 RV sites, some of them on the Crystal River. A large group of tent sites & a teepee. I managed to get the last RV site for the dates I needed, so I was happy.
The river sites are the ones to try for. Saying that, sites 19 & 20 have a view of Mount Sopris. Sites 11-14 are long pull throughs & they didn't have much shade. It looked like sites 21-24 were used by employees.
The bathrooms & showers were clean. This KOA is next to Hwy 133, which can get loud. It does quiet down at night.
There's a laundry & a pool. There's no jumping pillow or dumb bikes. This is an old fashioned campground in that regard & I loved it! We camped at Carbondale/ Crystal River KOA Holiday in a Travel Trailer.
Lee D.LegendRifle Falls State Park Campground
Small park with great scenery
Rifle Falls is a very small, year-round campground (13 electric sites and 7 walk-in tent sites) but it is very popular for day use. In fact, we waited until after 6 pm on the day we arrived to walk the 1.5-mile path to see the waterfalls and caves because it was so crowded on a Sunday afternoon that it required a ranger to direct traffic. We took an additional walk there on Monday morning and it was quiet until around 11 am, when the crowds started to pick up again.
There are two vault toilets and they were not very clean, likely due to so many non-campers using them. Seven of the RV electric sites are back-in (1-3 and 10-13) and the remainder are pull-through. Not a lot of physical separation between the sites but the sites are large enough and spaced far enough apart. The tent sites are spaced a very decent amount apart with lots of trees between them and carts are provided to bring your stuff to your site.
In addition to your camping fees, an annual or day-use pass is required to enter the park (applies to all Colorado state parks).
The main draws to this park are the waterfalls and caves and both were definitely worth a stay in this park to see them.
Tommie J.RangerFather Dyer
Nice and quiet
Used Father Dryer Campground as one of our base camps while hiking a few 14ers during a week on Colorado. Found it to be clean and convenient. Vault bathrooms well maintained and tent sites were spaced far enough apart to provide privacy.
Made our early morning trip to Mt Elbert easy. If you don't want to hit a 14 er but like hiking, the campground has some great trails of its own. The Turquoise Lake Trail is a long and beautiful hike.
Will be using this campground again!
- Cait S.Scout
Sugar Loafin' RV/Campground & Cabins
Camping in Leadville, CO
Nice campground in Leadville about a 10 minute drive from town. They have a general store, water spout at each site, decent bathrooms & free showers. The tent sites are a little close together and parking is limited if you have more than 1 vehicle. Overall a great spot to camp if you are hiking/exploring Leadville.
Guide to Carbondale
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Colorado, Carbondale offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Tips for tent camping near Carbondale
- McClure Campground provides a clean vault toilet and picnic tables, making it a convenient choice for those who appreciate basic amenities while enjoying nature.
- The Upper Colorado Rec Area is perfect for those looking to combine camping with river activities, offering a beautiful setting along the Colorado River.
- For a more secluded experience, the SE Flat Tops Area allows campers to set up anywhere, providing a true back-to-nature experience without the distractions of modern conveniences.
Tent campers like these nearby activities
- At McClure Campground, visitors can explore the Crystal River trail, known for its breathtaking views and challenging terrain, ideal for adventurous spirits.
- The Four Pass Loop - West Maroon to Buckskin offers a challenging backpacking experience with stunning vistas, perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in Colorado's natural beauty.
- The Upper Colorado Rec Area is a hotspot for rafting and soaking in natural hot springs, making it a great destination for water lovers.
Tent campers appreciate these amenities
- McClure Campground features picnic tables and fire pits at each site, enhancing the camping experience with opportunities for outdoor cooking and gathering.
- The Radium Recreation Site near the Upper Colorado Rec Area offers developed campsites with clean toilets and easy access to a creek, perfect for families and groups.
- Silver Bar Campground provides clean vault toilets and a peaceful atmosphere, making it a well-reviewed spot for those seeking a quiet retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Carbondale, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Carbondale, CO is Portal Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Carbondale, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 tent camping locations near Carbondale, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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