Searching for a tent campsite near Castle Rock? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Castle Rock's most popular destinations.
Mueller's campground has 136 campsites each with a picnic table and fire ring. There are 99 electric sites, many with tent pads and 22 basic walk-in sites in Prospector Ridge (sites 55-66) and Turkey Meadow (sites 100-109) Campgrounds. Sites 12 and 22 are handicapped designated sites. You must have a handicapped placard or license plate.
Campground Amenities The Comfort Station is open year-round. The Camper Services Building is open only in summer (Mid May - Mid October) Both buildings contain flush toilets. On-site accommodations include firewood for sale, a camper services building with coin-operated showers/laundry and modern restrooms, vault toilets, dump station and a playground.
Mueller offers three group campground opportunities nestled in the aspen and conifer forest, conveniently located near the Camper Services Building.
Winter Camping: Mid October - Mid May Mueller has 29 electrical sites available within the Peak View Campground and the Revenuers Ridge Campground (Sites 1 –9, 11-13, 15-22 and 81 – 89) during the winter. The Comfort Station, containing flush toilets, will remain open. Vault toilets will be open at Outlook Ridge, Peak View Campground and across from site #87. Water is available at the outside spigot at the Comfort Station; all other hydrants are closed, so we suggest bringing your own water. The dump station is dry dump only, which means you will not have water to rinse out your equipment.
$18.00 per night Mueller State Park has 4 backcountry campsites located in 2 separate groups. Both backcountry campsite groups require an approximate 1.5 mile hike from the Black Bear Trailhead to the sites. Sites are available to reserve from May 1 through October 31st.
$18 - $396 / night
We have everything you need to have a great time in the Colorado Rockies. Tent sites, RV sites, and Camper Cabins! Relax in your shady site or take a dip in our heated outdoor pool. We also have a fishing pond, stocked with rainbow trout, a retro arcade, 24/7 lounge serving locally roasted coffee each morning, playground, and laundromat.
We’re outside the city lights at the base of Pikes Peak- 7600 feet elevation – yet our proximity to all the area’s many attractions makes us an ideal location for families looking for a summer adventure or folks just passing through for a couple of days. We strive to make every stay special. You will love it here at “the Duck”!
$40 - $87 / night
Don't want to camp in a developed campground? There are many places on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands where you can pitch a tent and practice low impact camping techniques. Dispersed camping is primitive, undevleoped, frontcountry "car camping".
Remember: when dispersed camping, no toilets, trash service, or potable water, are available. Store all food and trash securely, and pack out what you pack in. Practice Leave No Trace.
Please observe the following requirements when dispersed camping:
In some areas, dispersed camping and parking is allowed in designated sites only. Do not create resource damage by driving off-road, beyond designated parking locations, or behind barriers. Parking should be within 30' of site markers where posted. Developed sites, including trailheads and picnic areas, are closed to overnight camping and allow for day use activities only. Tread lightly, and avoid trampling sensitive vegetation. Locate your camp at least 100' from any water source. Use catholes to properly dispose of human and pet waste; bury waste in a cathole at least 6-8" deep and 200’ from any water source. Packing out human and pet waste using self-contained waste disposal systems is encouraged. Campfires are allowed at overnight sites as long as fire restrictions aren’t in place. You may gather small amounts of down, dead wood for a campfire. Use existing fire rings; keep your campfire small and always make sure it is completely extinguished before leaving. No campfires outside of designated overnight sites. BEARS and other wildlife When you go to the mountains and forest, you are in bear county. Do not leave ANY food, trash or other animal attractant unattended. Store all food and trash securely and pack out what you pack in. Failing to do so can result in a fine. Also be aware that; where not otherwise restricted, camping or leaving camping equipment at any location more than 14 days within a continuous 30 day period, and/or occupying any campsite within three miles of any prior camping or equipment location for a combined total of more than 28 days within any continuous 60 day period, is prohibited. Also, leaving camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours is not allowed. In addition; discharging a firearm is prohibited within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; or across or on a National Forest System road or a body of water, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge. Plan your trip; phone ahead for restrictions and special regulations. Contact your local Ranger District office for more information.
The Dutch Fred Trailhead is located south of Indian Creek / Rampart Range area. The trail enters into a system of 115 miles of motorcycle and ATV trails in the Rampart Range area. In order to use any vehicle on National Forest lands, it must either have a valid state license plate or be registered with the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program. Contact Colorado State Parks at 303.866.3437 for OHV registration information. Registered OHVs may be subject to fines if used where they are not specifically permitted.
National Forest
Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Part of Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Mount Herman Trail begins at a small parking area on a switchback on Mount Herman Road. This trail provides a 2-mile one-way hike to the summit of Mt. Herman.
Camping is allowed at numbered designated campsites. No fee is charged. Practice Leave No Trace Principles.
Camping is limited to 14 days in one location. After 14 days, your camp must be moved at least three miles away.
Maximum stay is 28 days within a 60-day period. After 28 days, all property and people must leave the Roosevelt National Forest.
The South Platte River Corridor near Deckers, CO has been a popular fishing location for decades. In the 1890's, Stephen Decker built a general store and later a saloon in this area. The South Platte Hotel, located at the confluence of the North Fork of the South Platte, was a popular resort in the early 1900's and was accessible only by train. The confluence provides access for fishing, kayaking, and trail use. The South Platte River is part of a 1.6 million-acre watershed that reaches from the Continental Divide to Strontia Springs Reservoir, southwest of Denver. The watershed is a recreational mecca with over 1 million acres of public lands; it provides municipal water for about three quarters of Colorado’s residents; it is renowned for its “gold-medal” fishing streams; and it is home to numerous threatened and endangered species. The Upper South Platte Watershed varies in elevation from about 6,000' to over 14,000' above sea level and contains five major municipal and several smaller reservoirs.
Ranger
Kirby Gulch is a fantastic spot for anyone seeking a peaceful, off-the-grid camping experience near Grant, Colorado. Situated off Route 1038, this dispersed camping area offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and easy access to outdoor activities like hiking and wildlife watching.
The campsites are well-spaced, providing plenty of privacy, and the area is generally clean, thanks to considerate campers. Since it’s a dispersed site, there are no amenities like water or toilets, so make sure to come prepared. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for accessing some of the sites, especially after rain or snow.
What makes Kirby Gulch truly special is its tranquility. You can enjoy the sound of the wind through the trees, the crisp mountain air, and dazzling stargazing at night. It’s also a great starting point for exploring nearby trails or simply soaking in the serene environment.
If you’re comfortable with primitive camping and leave-no-trace principles, Kirby Gulch is a hidden gem worth checking out.
Guide
If you want to get into the Park, suggest you go EARLY, EARLY, EARLY in the day. Traffic backs up all the way from the Entrance on Parker Rd to the Entrance Booth on weekends and holidays. Plan on an hour OR MORE to just get to the booth. Once the capacity for the Park is reached, you will not be allowed in.
Nice Swim Beach with brand new Bldg. Many covered Picnic sites, but again, you MUST arrive at the break of day to secure one.
Please plan to pack your trash out. Seems to be a severe shortage of dumpsters or trash cans and people leave behind huge bags of trash - or, sadly, just trash strewn around. Please respect our space!
Campground is usually fully booked all season. Reservations can be made six months out. Two week limit.
I live close to the Park and visit every month of the year.
Ranger
A hidden gem in the Colorado Rockies, Rainbow Trout Ranch offers a serene mountain retreat. With its riverside setting and towering trees, this campground is perfect for anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. The sites are rustic but well-kept, and the peaceful environment is ideal for disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of Denver. Nearby hiking trails and wildlife add to the charm.
AIM for a site along the creek. And beware of the rules. No wildfires nor swimming in the creek.
Traveler
There were a lot of options for us to pull off and camp. We had gone the day after a snow storm and the road was decent. I guess snow plows go through often since there’s nearby residential. Each campsite was decently spaced and far enough from the road so that you can U turn it and it doesn’t feel like you’re just pulling off to the side (accommodated out RTT nicely) There were great views and the pups enjoyed it.
Scout
This is a lovely campground, overlooking Colorado Springs. There are some pull through sites and many back in. The wind can be a little fierce. The showers and other facilities are clean and well-maintained, and my only complaint is the showers are more lukewarm than hot.
Scout
Very accommodating staff. Most camping grounds in the area weren’t answering their phones after 16:00, others had automated systems and others had phone numbers that weren’t valid anymore. This camping ground not only was it open until 7pm on. Saturday but they had super friendly staff that did a great job and accommodated us last minute. We called at 18:50 and arrived at 21:00 and everything was ready for us! Would definitely recommend to anyone passing by!
GuideBeautiful location. Clean, modern restrooms. Well maintained services building with showers and laundry. Nice level sites.
Ranger
The road here has some gnarly washboards. I had to slow down to a crawl at points because it was thrashing my rig around so much. There is also one turn on the road where if you’re not careful, I could imagine getting stuck. However, the views are incredible and it was well worth the effort. Cell signal from Verizon is extremely good, I am getting 5G UWB and download speeds of 180mbps. There’s some cool hills to climb and many great views.
Ranger
And in fact I believe they were KOA of the year 2023 or 2024. More expensive than we're used to, but has nice amenities. Sites level with concrete pads, fairly large. Some space between with trees. Nice metal patio furniture provided at each site(chairs, table, fire pit). Has decent showers, hot tubs, and off leash dog park. Inexpensive pancake breakfast and pizza/wings to your site are available, also an onsite store. Kind of at the top of a rise, so good views but also kind of chilly for July (60s/40s). Massive thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain two evengings (CO mountains tend to get afternoon t-storms). Communicate via text to let you know about goings on. Good radio station out of Idaho Springs KYGT 102.7 and 103.9
Ranger
Stayed in spot RV24. Easy access right off freeway and convenient to TPB start. Some nice small trails in area for easy walking. Mostly pine trees. Orderly, camp hosts seem inclined to enforce rules. Quiet.No campfire pits so no burning allowed at all and most folks seem to knock off early. Showers are available for.25/2 min with a 4 min max. Appeared old, clean.
For road cyclists: Good place to stay for Triple Bypass
Food aside: Cooked Hatch green chile sausage and added to Sprouts Hatch mac and cheese and put into burritos. Ate leftovers for breakfast. Low FQ (fart quotient).
Guide
I spent the night at Base Camp because the campgrounds North and South of Ned were full and it was dark and getting late. You have to be lucky with those ones to get one of the few good spots that are there. I have been to the convenience store at BC before and it was closer to Idaho Springs (I was going there the next day to meet a friend). $39 per night for a tent site is INSANE. I could have stealth camped and there was another spot I could’ve gone too but BC was close and I was tired. I guess that’s how they make their business. Begrudgingly it worked for what I needed.
Legend
Situated of 9,400 ft. Altitude ! Not for everyone! Clean, in the forest.
Legend
Very clean, very well maintained. Large spaces near the lake.
Guide
Not a lot of options on I 70 east of Denver for overnight parking so opted for a KOA last minute. Easy last minute check in process. Served great for a quick in and out.
Scout
Not super busy! Lots of open spaces when we arrived around 6pm.
Legend
Nice CG with a lot of amenities for kids. Large sites, good FHUs. We booked a pull through - level gravel (shame they don't rake the sites between stays). A lot of constant road noise from I-25. Great riparian area with trails outside of the CG. We would stay here again.
ScoutFinally, a nice campsite on a road that isn't horrible. There are 30+ designated, numbered, dispersed campsites on this road. Each of them have a parking area right along the road with a fire ring a short distance away surrounded by awesome rock outcroppings. The parking areas tend to be very unlevel and there are only a few that you can pull right up to your campsite. #6 had a level spot large enough for my van and the camping area just a few steps away. These are great campsites and the area is really awesome. After so many horrible roads and places closed, it was a blessing to find this spot. The road is a bit of a washboard, but that is nothing compared to most of the forest roads in Colorado. Highly recommended! Cell service with At&t in site 6 is decent. Calling is 2 bars. at least half of the sites are big rig friendly. All of the sites are 100% free.
Traveler
We camped here after a Red Rocks show. The spot is a great area. About 20 minutes off of I-70. There are many pull offs along this road that could theoretically be good camp sites. However there are “no camping” signs, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Everything is great besides that: beautiful stars, good tent site, safe parking area.
The spot we chose is a bit farther down the road than the one listed here. It’s in between the bend in the road. We parked at the pull off and walked down a small hill to find a good tent site and a fire ring.
Also be aware it’s pretty chilly compared to just a few miles up the road. It was in the mid 30s at night.
Scout
Overall a very fun spot if you have a vehicle with some ground clearance to get to the nice sites by the reservoir. My Peak Edition Atlas handled it well. Only complaint is the damn project at Gross reservoir is a 24 hour site and the lights are ridiculously bright.
Traveler
Was pretty busy, hard to find a spot at first but found a campsite across the stream that you cross a log on. Beautiful drive to get to.
Scout
The artwork on뉴토끼 webtoons is top-notch. Absolutely stunning!
GuideWanted to stay for two nights but only did two days, because a mountain lion tore a deer to shreds about a day or two prior to my arrival by my campsite and i was spooked. Had two dogs but had an eerie feeling and left early but it was gorgeous. Loads of OHVs tho
TravelerTons of level, large spots. Road is meant for ATV use, and was a fair amount of traffic throughout the day but tolerable. Hardly any at night. Restrooms at base of road. Found our spot 2.5 miles up the road, definitely needed AWD.
TravelerDrove ~3 miles along the service road to find our spot, it was the second pull off “open-area” with several fire pits to choose from. Road was a little bumpy but would be fine with a 2WD. Gorgeous, secluded spot next to the creek. No Verizon service.
Guide
Overall Nice site. Stayed one night. Too pricey for a stopover. Propane fire pit looks nice but could not use. Must have a 20 pound tank. Store was closed as we arrived at 5 pm.
Train and traffic noise as expected for location.
Lot of stuff for kids. Nice facilities. Clean park.
Traveler
From Texas, got married in Colorado two years ago and came back again this year to celebrate. Absolutely love camping and hiking, staff was friendly and everything has been clean so far. Super worried at first about hiking up to campsite but they have carts donated to help carry gear. This is one of the farther tent campsites on this side of the park and we had no issues getting there. Other than a bloody nose from elevation change. Beautiful view lots of wildlife:)
ScoutThere is no discernible reason that the road is closed 2 miles before where this app says the site is. Internet search says it should be open til middle of November unless there is some weather or other issue. Lovely weather, locked gate.
Nestled near Castle Rock, Colorado, tent camping offers a fantastic escape into nature, with a variety of well-reviewed spots to pitch your tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Castle Rock, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Castle Rock, CO is Mueller State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 54 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Castle Rock, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 32 tent camping locations near Castle Rock, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
