Join the fun near Cascade. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Cascade, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Molas Lake & Campground was granted to the Town of Silverton in 1925 from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The 137-acre campground sits along the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in the central San Juan Mountains; the most spectacular peaks in the Colorado Rockies. The Campground is adjacent to the largest wilderness area in the state of Colorado, the Weminuche Wilderness.
Molas Lake Campground provides visitors with unforgettable scenery, a stocked 25-acre lake, National Forest access via the Colorado Trail, and dark, starry skies free from light-pollution.
$25 - $45 / night
Alta Lakes is a popular dispersed camping area that offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting. There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle. Trailers and RV's are not reccomended.
Haviland Lake Campground is situated on its beautiful namesake within the San Juan National Forest, 18 miles north of Durango. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and hiking opportunities in a scenic, natural setting. The popular campground is beautiful any time of the year.
Haviland Lake is an 80-acre, no-wake lake with excellent boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. An accessible fishing dock is located on the lakeshore. Anglers cast for rainbow and brown trout. A Colorado Division of Wildlife fishing license is required to fish. Several trailheads are in the vicinity. The Forebay Lake Trail begins in the campground and leads to small Forebay Lake, just over a mile east of the campground. The historic Rico-to-Rockwood Wagon Road passes through Haviland and Chris Park. Built in the late 1800s, the road was used for six years until the railway opened.
The campground is situated on the shore of Haviland Lake, among shady, towering ponderosa pines, at an elevation of 8,705 feet. Many sites have lake views and easy shoreline access. Campers are awarded spectacular views of the Hermosa Cliffs across the lake.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$45 / night
Morefield Campground is four miles from the park entrance. The 267 campsites are situated within a high-elevation, grassy canyon filled with Gambel oak, native flowers, deer, and wild turkeys. Each site has a picnic table, gravel tent pad, and fire pit/BBQ grill. A camp store offers registration, food, and camp supplies. Firewood, gasoline, showers, a coin-operated laundromat, and a kennel are located nearby. The campground is managed by park concessioner Aramark and is open between spring and fall.
Junction Creek Campground is located close to Durango, Colo., near the beginning of the Colorado Trail. Visitors enjoy the area for its excellent hiking and biking opportunities in a scenic natural setting.
The Colorado Trail, also known as the Junction Creek Trail, begins nearby and stretches almost 500 miles to Denver as it rises through subalpine forests and alpine meadows above the timberline. Mountain biking is very popular on the Colorado Trail and the Logchute Trail System, which is nearby. Junction Creek offers fishing for rainbow and brook trout. Skilled anglers may have luck near the campground, but chances improve upstream.
The campground is situated on a south-facing hillside, a quarter-mile above Junction Creek. A forest of ponderosa pine and gambel oak covers the campground, which sits at an elevation of 7,300 feet.
Haviland Lake is a 35-minute drive from the campground. The 80-acre, no-wake lake offers boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. Accessible fishing docks are located on the lakeshore. The small town of Durango is just minutes away, offering whitewater rafting, a river trail, shops and restaurants. It is also home to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$150 / night
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads.
Telluride Town Park sits at the end of the main street in Telluride making it ideal for walking access to the downtown area and nearby hiking trails. Home to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Mountain Film Festival, this park is a happening spot to camp. As far as Telluride camping goes, this location is unbeatable! Online reservations only.
Vallecito Campground is a very popular site and one of the largest within the San Juan National Forest. It sits on Vallecito Creek, adjacent to the Weminuche Wilderness. Visitors enjoy the area for its trail and fishing opportunities, which are part of a very scenic, natural setting.
Vallecito Creek offers fishing for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout. Anglers must use artificial flies and lures due to the creek's location within the wilderness area. The Vallecito Creek Trail begins at the campground entrance. This popular trail is open to hiking and horseback riding only and is a main access point to the Weminuche Wilderness. Parking is available at the trailhead. Hitching racks and a horse staging area with a loading ramp for livestock is on-site, but no overnight horse camping is allowed.
Vallecito, which is Spanish for "little valley," sits at an elevation of 8,000 feet, high in the beautiful San Juan Mountains. A forest of ponderosa pine, aspen and gambel oak trees covers the campground. Most sites are large and fairly level.
Vallecito Lake is located four miles from the campground and offers boating, water skiing, fishing and hiking opportunities, as well as beautiful scenery.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$39 / night
Molas Lake & Campground was granted to the Town of Silverton in 1925 from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The 137-acre campground sits along the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in the central San Juan Mountains; the most spectacular peaks in the Colorado Rockies. The Campground is adjacent to the largest wilderness area in the state of Colorado, the Weminuche Wilderness.
Molas Lake Campground provides visitors with unforgettable scenery, a stocked 25-acre lake, National Forest access via the Colorado Trail, and dark, starry skies free from light-pollution.
$25 - $45 / night
Alta Lakes is a popular dispersed camping area that offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting. There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle. Trailers and RV's are not reccomended.
Haviland Lake Campground is situated on its beautiful namesake within the San Juan National Forest, 18 miles north of Durango. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and hiking opportunities in a scenic, natural setting. The popular campground is beautiful any time of the year.
Haviland Lake is an 80-acre, no-wake lake with excellent boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. An accessible fishing dock is located on the lakeshore. Anglers cast for rainbow and brown trout. A Colorado Division of Wildlife fishing license is required to fish. Several trailheads are in the vicinity. The Forebay Lake Trail begins in the campground and leads to small Forebay Lake, just over a mile east of the campground. The historic Rico-to-Rockwood Wagon Road passes through Haviland and Chris Park. Built in the late 1800s, the road was used for six years until the railway opened.
The campground is situated on the shore of Haviland Lake, among shady, towering ponderosa pines, at an elevation of 8,705 feet. Many sites have lake views and easy shoreline access. Campers are awarded spectacular views of the Hermosa Cliffs across the lake.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$45 / night
Junction Creek Campground is located close to Durango, Colo., near the beginning of the Colorado Trail. Visitors enjoy the area for its excellent hiking and biking opportunities in a scenic natural setting.
The Colorado Trail, also known as the Junction Creek Trail, begins nearby and stretches almost 500 miles to Denver as it rises through subalpine forests and alpine meadows above the timberline. Mountain biking is very popular on the Colorado Trail and the Logchute Trail System, which is nearby. Junction Creek offers fishing for rainbow and brook trout. Skilled anglers may have luck near the campground, but chances improve upstream.
The campground is situated on a south-facing hillside, a quarter-mile above Junction Creek. A forest of ponderosa pine and gambel oak covers the campground, which sits at an elevation of 7,300 feet.
Haviland Lake is a 35-minute drive from the campground. The 80-acre, no-wake lake offers boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. Accessible fishing docks are located on the lakeshore. The small town of Durango is just minutes away, offering whitewater rafting, a river trail, shops and restaurants. It is also home to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$150 / night
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads.
Telluride Town Park sits at the end of the main street in Telluride making it ideal for walking access to the downtown area and nearby hiking trails. Home to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Mountain Film Festival, this park is a happening spot to camp. As far as Telluride camping goes, this location is unbeatable! Online reservations only.
Scout
We stayed for 3 nights due to the convenience of Mesa Verde NP. The GPS coordinate on Google were spot on. The driveway was a little rough and can get very pitted with wet weather. We have a 38 foot 5th wheel that had plenty of clearance. We stayed in site 9. They do recommend 30ft and under but we got lucky there was an available site.
Scout
There were about 4 spots clustered together right after the second bridge (a little over 2 miles from the main road). i took the right fork after that towards the rainbow springs trailhead and didn’t find anything else, but there might be more spots if you take the left fork after the second bridge instead. at the end of october the paid campground you pass by is closed for the season, no water and vault toilets are locked
Traveler
While kind of on the pricier side for campgrounds I really enjoyed my 2 nights there in early Oct 24. Easy access to get on the road to the cliff dwellings early in the day, flush bathrooms, tons of sites, trails nearby, a little center with a store, cafe, gas, and most importantly showers.
They let you pick your site which is nice so I got a site with a flat spot for my rooftop tent, but some sites are definately more geared to tent camping, but there are tons of site options.
Would stay again.
Traveler
Stayed for 4 nights in early Oct 2024. Nice little campground with large bear boxes for food storage. I felt it's at a good location to venture off each day from.
Not too many sites, had leveled tent areas, pit toilets, deer went through the campground adding to the nice views there and a river by it.
The cons were there's no trash disposal there you need to go up the road to the other campground to get rid of it, cars were constantly going by looking for a campsite which was constant noise into the evening and they went really fast making the campground road not feel very safe to walk along, not the flattest of parking spots if using a rooftop tent or car camping without anything to level with
Enjoyed the place.
Traveler
We had an amazing stay at Basecamp 550. The campground’s location is perfect, with easy access to Ouray, Montrose, Telluride, and other nearby areas. The amenities were excellent, including quarter-operated hot showers and laundry, restrooms, Wi-Fi, full hookups, and a clubhouse with coffee + tea, kitchen access, and a great workspace. Our site had a beautiful view and was right next to a ranch where cows would come right up to the fence. The communal fire pit was a nice touch, and the private, fenced-in setting made us feel safe and comfortable. They also offer glamping tents and casitas on the property. Highly recommend!
Traveler
Great campground just 10 minutes from Silverton. Several spots are right next to a small stream, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The vault toilet helped us conserve water, and we used the public shower/bathroom in Silverton, which was very convenient. It's also close to many hiking trails, making it a great base for outdoor activities.
Traveler
Great location, close to Durango and right across from the hot springs. Convenient gas station and grocery store less than 5 minutes away, but if you're buying a lot of groceries, I’d recommend going somewhere closer to Durango as the store across the highway is a bit pricey. Excellent access to streams for anglers
ScoutTwo nights here. Boondocks go, no water needed, but great location, restrooms nearby. Very peaceful.
Traveler
Definitely need 4 wheel drive to get up to sites, had to build our own fire pit but that was ok! The views were phenomenal.
Scout
This is my second time here and it is always such a great experience. I don’t even want to brag about it because I want to keep it to myself.
Scout
Camped at site #11. Beautiful sunset view. We drove a 4WD truck with truck bed camper with no problem. Never took it out of 2WD.
Traveler
Reasonable prices & open during the winter.
The lake is beautiful and a great trail network around the camp, good for trail running.
Traveler
Clean, hot showers and large laundry room.
One of the more beautiful RV sites, sitting along the silverton & Durango tourist train.
However given we don’t even plug in, $78 including tax is too expensive for us.
Traveler17 spots all pretty spaced out, filled up around 5pm on Sunday October 12 (but this could be due to the Indigenous Peoples day being tomorrow).
The surrounding landscape is beautiful.
We didn’t find the road too bad in our Ram Promaster, but we have a pretty high clearance.
Scout
area is pretty rocky so i would be careful with a ground tent. We stayed in our van and it was great.
Scout
Beautiful place! It's pretty easy to get into, there are more secluded places up the hill a ways but it gets kinda rough. You can hear the highway, but it's not much. Just ambient background noise. I got a spot with shade all day, so that was awesome. There was one night an inconsiderate person parked his company truck and camper as close to me as was possible with wide open space all over and ran his generator. Luckily he was gone the next day.
Traveler
Easy drive up 160 from Pagosa. Pitched the tent in the afternoon and headed to town for a soak.
Room for a couple cars and several tents. Not PERFECTLY flat for the tent-folk.
View is killer - we hit it at about peak color.
Scout
The off road trail it get to Alta lakes took us about 40-50 minutes in my boyfriends F-150. The views were amazing so neither of us really minded. We enjoyed our 1 night stay and did not struggle to find a spot
Scout
We thought it would be great to check out Tico Time last weekend, but our experience was disappointing. We had reservations for Friday and Saturday night, but when we arrived, there was no one to help us find our campsite. After driving around aimlessly, we finally found our spot.
However, the place gave off a rundown, homeless camp vibe with old camp trailers, a hippie bus, and even a car on blocks, and another trailer had two motorcycles in various stages of being dismantled.
The zip line was a letdown, and there wasn't much shade due to the lack of trees. We wished we could have gone to the river to cool off. After just one night, we decided to move on and found a better spot further up the road in the mountains north of Durango.
Guide
Newer RV park, so everything is in great shape, and the wifi is super fast, 76 mb download, and 65 upload. The only downside is that every site does not have a picnic table, but there are two gas grills at the office/club house for everyone's use. Extremely nice small town. We will definitely stay here if in the area.
Guide
We arrived at a Saturday around 3 pm and still had many opportunities to find a place. Lovley place to stay. As a toilet. I can recomment to stay there in fall.
Traveler
Very well maintained campground. Stayed in tent. Bathroom and shower new and very clean. Excellent views.
Scout
Friendly staff. Clean restrooms and showers
ScoutVery friendly staff. Easy access
Legend
The site is literally right off of hwy 160. If your gps tries to send you through residential areas or on county roads don’t listen to it.
There are quite a few available spots and most are pretty big. Roads can be a bit rough the farther back you go but it’s got large easy to access spots close to the front. It’s pretty busy but still plenty of room for everyone to have their own space.
Phone and internet connection is excellent!
ScoutWe planned to use this location as central to Mesa Verde and Durango. However we lucked out in finding the perfect stop in Mancos. The park is very clean, well run and walkable to town. We had some truck issues and they were great in letting us stay a few extra hours while we changed out our batteries. PS loved Moondog and Fenceline for food in town.
Scout
Unfortunately the gates go this campground were locked!
Camping near Cascade, Colorado, offers a mix of stunning views and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking for a peaceful spot to pitch a tent or a place to park your RV, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Cascade, Colorado, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Cascade, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, Cascade, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 282 campgrounds and RV parks near Cascade, CO and 88 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Cascade, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cascade, CO is Molas Lake Park & Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 32 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Cascade, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 88 free dispersed camping spots near Cascade, CO.
What parks are near Cascade, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 19 parks near Cascade, CO that allow camping, notably San Juan National Forest and Mesa Verde National Park.
