Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Clifton? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Clifton's most popular destinations.
CONSTRUCTION AT KNOWLES OVERLOOK CAMPGROUND BEGINS NOVEMBER 15, 2021 AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WINTER. THE CAMPGROUND WILL BE CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
Jouflas Campground is located in Rabbit Valley Motorized Area, which is within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. There are eight sites that feature picnic tables and fire grates. The campground also has a toilet facility (non-flush). There is no fee to stay at this site. Please pack out all garbage.
Camping is NOT permitted at the Mee Canyon Alcove.
Rattlesnake and Mee Canyon provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation. Geologic features in this area include arches, spires, windows, giant alcoves and desert patina. Between these canyons are pinon-juniper covered mesas which slope downward to the Colorado River. RATTLESNAKE ARCHES: A short section connecting the top of the mesa to the bench below the arches is rocky and steep and requires extra caution - it is not recommended. From the trailhead travel 0.5 miles to an intersection. To the left takes you to an area where you can view the arches from above. To the right takes you to the Lower Arches Trail, which is 5 miles round trip (out and back). In 0.2 miles the trail splits - to the right goes to Pollock Bench Trailhead; stay to the left for the arches trail. Camping is NOT permitted within 1/4 mile of the Rattlesnake Arches Loop and along the access road to the trailhead. MEE CANYON: The trail into Mee Canyon is primitive and only marked with rock cairns. The route steeply descends sandstone layers with exposed cliffs. Camping is NOT permitted at the Mee Canyon Alcove. Leave No Trace principles:
Leave No Trace principles:
Traveler
We stayed at the tent camping spots by the river for one night on our trip back to Denver. The tents sites were widely available since it was a Sunday night but I could see it being a little crowded during peak times as the tent sites are close together (However, they only allow one tent per a site so big groups would have to rent multiple spots and this will keep things more calm and not over-packed). The tent sites have a table, fire ring, and shade cover by trees. The amenities (bathroom, shop, pool) were unexpected but very nice! I would stay here again as it is clean, not too expensive, good shade, access to the river, and close to downtown Palisades for wine tastings.
Guide
Plenty of areas for tent camping. But as for fifth wheels it’s not good.
ScoutGreat find... vineyards all around, a local brewery, tent sites on the Colorado river. The winery next door (colterris) is awesome. Small family owned great atmosphere. A truly amazing stop on our way east
GuideStopped here for the night before skiing at PowderHorn. Campground was easy to find, clean and quite. We stayed in a tent site and were the only ones there! There is a portapotty at the entrance of the tent sites but a shower/bath house in the main are which is just a short walk. The bathroom was very clean and showers hot. There is a fenced in dog run area that my pup enjoyed.
Traveler
Headed East and used this campground as a stop over. Tent sites at $22 were booked wound up with electric at $36. A bit pricey but hopefully the showers will make up for it.
ScoutNice campground, except some noise from highway. The tent sites are not free unless it is off season you may be able to get away with it. I stealth camped here in a parking spot and paid for a day pass.
Traveler
We stayed here in the tent camping spots for two nights. The restrooms were clean and the site had a light over the picnic table which was really nice for setting up in the dark. The highway noise could be a little loud at times, but generally it wasn’t too bad to get a good night sleep.
Traveler
Absolutely gorgeous spot. Grabbed a FCFS spot with an amazing view, particularly of the sunrise. No fires, which was sad for my 7 year old, but the stars were out and the weather was perfect. Only drawback was the rocky ground which made tent camping uncomfortable no matter how much air I got in my sleeping pad.
Guide
We got site 51. Apparently sometimes I can't read and it was a walk in tent site, we have a lot of stuff, luckily they had wheelbarrows you could use. The site has a clear view over a pond and to the left you can see Colorado National Monument. The sites are so well maintained, the camp hosts were at the sites next to us within 10 minutes to rake the areas. No trash anywhere. Heated bathrooms. Trash cans available. Will gladly reserve here again!
Traveler
Large designated area for dispersed camping. Ground is lumpy, I wouldn't want to tent camp. Several existing fire rings. Solid Verizon service. Lots of pit toilets in the area. Nearby roads can become extremely difficult to travel after a light rain due to slick peanut butter mud. I wouldn't come here just to camp, this is more a spot for people looking to do activities in the vicinity.
Traveler
Near multiple fishing lakes, hiking trails and just down the road from a national recreation trail. Quiet and very clean. Love the walk up tent sites up on the hill. Gives opportunity to site on the hillside for breakfast while watching the fishing in the lake in front of the campground. Great place for a weekend getaway
Traveler
Found this spot and was very happy with the setup. Like other reviews, the highway noise was a bit loud but nothing too crazy, especially really late. There were other campers spread out nicely, you wouldn’t even know they were there. The road is a bit iffy so snagging a spot at the front would be best if you don’t have 4WD (my Nissan car struggled, we had to back up & turn around). Overall great spot for tent camping! Remember to leave no trace 🫶🏼🏕️🌎
Traveler
Pioneer Campground was a great place to camp. We used a walk-in tent site. The trail for the sites was clear, clean, and the sites were the same. Bathroom was clean and did not smell at all, water from the spigot was clean and cool. Most sites were nicely shaded to provide privacy, but the one we stayed in had a beautiful view of the lake. The tent platforms were raised which was helpful. Bug spray is necessary as mosquitos are pretty rampant in June-July.
Guide
Not wilderness camping by any means, but a fun stop for a road trip for sure! Big B’s has a full restaurant (the chili cheese fries were amazing), lots of cider varieties on tap and to go. Live music some nights.
You can tent camp amidst the apple trees (literally in the rows nestled under the trees), park your rig in a grassy field with picnic tables and fire pits, or even stay in a cabin. Shower house with flush toilets near the shop. The store sells firewood.
We had fun!
GuideWe liked the setting and the campground was nice and clean. However sites were very close together and the tent sites were on top of each other. We were asked to move our site for a new camper at like 9 am even though check out was around 12. Other than that we liked the campground there is a nice playground a wonderful fishing pond and a swimming hole. There are showers however they are $1 for 4 minutes so bring your change.
Guide
Driving for a few miles along a fairly compact but slightly washed out dirt road will drop you off right at a vista above the CO river. 2WD is probably fine but low clearance vehicles will likely struggle on the occasional deep rut. There are many, many sites, both along the river and further inland. Each site has a groomed, level tent site, picnic table, and fire pit. Dry toilets nearby are well maintained. Surprised we had the entire campground to ourselves.
Ranger
Great location for visiting the National Monument. Picnic tables and fire pits everywhere, all are tent sites. Parking is available, but you can’t drive directly up to the site, it’s only a few yards away though. Stayed two nights. There’s a bathroom, it’s an average pit toilet so it’s not the best thing ever. Great place to explore, recommend hiking out to the Miracle Rock & going further up along the ridge line. Did some bouldering too, so bring your climbing shoes if that interests you.
TravelerThis place had great reviews but I’m not quite sure why? Just an big open RV lot with hook ups and a picnic table. No trees or shade in the RV lot. Maybe the tent camping by the river is nicer? Yes there is a winery and an orchard boardering the property and test the rocky outcrops nearby are beautiful- but overall I felt that $72 for a night of hookups in a parking lot was a bit of a rip off.
I will say they had a very well organized self registration board for late night arrivals without reservations and there is Cornhole!
LegendWe visited this campground because it was close to home. We had a birthday party there and camped the night. The tent sites we were in were walk in and it seemed good. The site was nice and had a fire pit and what not. Plenty of space for our tent. But as the night went on, we realized that there was a sewer treatment plant near by, the highway was too close and the light from the town was abundant. I woke up several times thinking morning had come only to find it was light pollution. I remember thinking it was eternal dawn with all the light. The smell was too much and the noise just made it that much more unenjoyable. We won't be returning.
LegendWe stayed in this area for several nights on our way to/from Moab. It’s beautiful and open BUT there isn’t camping where this GPS pin is FYI. See the Jouflas campground for specifics of where we camped. As you enter the Rabbit Valley area there is a self registration station and board with rules etc. on the right. Road to the left leads to RV/Tent camping. Road straight ahead leads to Jouflas campground and then on to Knowles Overlook Campground. Roads were a bit rough but very drivable with most any car. Kokopelli road needs 4WD/High clearance and does not have camping. There are lots of signs indicating camping in designated sites only. Area is very clean and quiet. Lovely area to stay in.
LegendGeneral: Sites ranging from tents to vans to full hookup RV to cabins. Be aware all of these options are quite pricey, ranging from $54 to$107 (not including cabins– I don’t know the price of these). We had originally reserved a site last year but had to cut our trip short; we had the option of forfeiting our money or rolling over our reservation to any date in the future, which was appreciated. We reserved our site at the end of January via e-mail and it was confirmed (and a site assigned) via phone in early February. However, when we arrived, our reservation confirmation was not waiting for us on the board with the others. There was no one at the office but Billy, a maintenance employee, was very helpful and told us we could just set up at the site that had been assigned to us.
Site Quality: Varies. In my opinion, the tent sites by the river (Site T7-9) are the best, but these are $67 per night. We were in Van Site 2 which has a short gravel driveway and lawn area, but the driveways between Van Sites 1 and 2 are so close together, that it would not be possible for both vans to have their doors open at the same time (and, of course, there would be zero privacy) Fortunately, no one was in the site next to us. Since van campers sleep (and sometimes cook, depending on the weather) inside their vans, it would have made sense to space the driveways apart with the grass area in between. Van Sites 5 and 6 mirror Sites 1 and 2. Van Sites 3 and 4 have more separation and would be more desirable but sites are assigned, not chosen. The RV sites are spaced a decent amount of distance apart.
Bathhouse: Was very clean with plenty of stalls and sinks. The door to the handicap stall was broken but I assume that will be fixed. The showers looked very clean as well, although I did not use them. The hooks are outside of the stall, which could compromise privacy. There is a vault toilet for the tent sites, although it would not be an undoable walk to the flush toilets.
Activities: There is a pool on site. There are nearby hikes listed on the website, but we did not stay long enough to check them out. Close to the small town of Palisade and the larger hubs of Grand Junction and Fruita. There are also nearby wineries.
Other: There is a laundry room and dishwashing sink, as well as a picnic pavilion. Note that the dishwashing sink was not located near the tent sites.
Although the facility was clean and well-maintained, the prices are high, and four of the van sites are too close together to make it enjoyable if all sites were occupied. Also, you will hear road noise from nearby I70 and a very loud train sometime in the middle of the night!
Guide
I arrived at this campground on top the Mesa. First I always thought the Mesa would be flat and by god it’s more than flat, it’s beautiful. The mosquitos were like mini vampires. Beside that, the Forrest and lakes were wonderful. The fishing was great. Lots of folks catching there limits.
The campsites are hit or miss if you are tent camping. Some of them are on slopes and are only good for an RV however we did sent you tents in the pull through sites. We reserved sites 1, 9, 10, 11.
Site 1 is fabulous, on the lake and great for tents or a pop up.
Site 9 is a pull through site. Has one flat spot for a tent but besides that it is next to the hiking trail and the wildlife is all around. Morning deer to chipmunks :)
Site 10 is very large for a group site per say.
Site 11 was nice and held 3 tents.
Each site has modern camp fire rings. The campground offers large wood bundles for $10.
GuideMy bf and I recently stayed at a tent site here, we arrived right at sunset and the view driving in was amazing. The bathrooms were close by and seemed well maintained. There are plenty of trails close by, so waking up early for a cool morning hike was simple and a great way to start the day. There were plenty of outlook points that allow you to overlook Grand Junction. After our hike in the morning we were able to take a short drive North East to Little Book Cliffs where we enjoyed a nice long hike to see some wild mustangs.
Overall, this site is well maintained, with plenty of activities in the area for everyone to have some fun.
LegendCampground Review: I've stayed at Island Acres a few times, three times in the last months. All three times have been different. I wanted to do a secondary review for this particular trip. We arrived mid day on a Friday and there were plenty tent sites remaining. There are only six in the whole campground that are tent only sites. We originally were assigned to number 38, which is a more desirable site, we were excited. It is shaded and back in a corner along the river. But when we arrived to our site, there was a park ranger that asked us to change to site 36 because he had a sprinkler project he wanted to finish. While we had the right to say no, we disappointedly took site 36, which has little to no shade. It has two small trees that provide minimal shade during the heat of the day. This particular weekend hit high 90's. He also informed us at the move that they forgot to give us our card back when we registered.
So we went about our trip and set up camp late in the day and there were still no other tents there. This weekend, however, was a much busier weekend then most of the others we have stayed. Therefor, more people and more chaos. One site came in and set up around 1:30 am, with air mattresses and lights shining. The site on the other side of us left around 1:30 am. So again, a lot of light shining in our tents. Beyond that, there were also people that set up outside of standard sites, which I've never seen before. They were parked in the grass and in no parking zones, which a ranger came and corrected, early in the morning on Saturday. The swimming pond was refreshing for 5-10 minutes this time of year but then you wanted to come out for a half hour or so to warm up again. We purchased a shade tent, which came in handy at the beach and our site. That evening, the crowd returned and there was a lot of really bright lights again. People coming and going super late and camping in non-designated sites. People camping in their cars with huge tarps over them in the parking lot.
We also could hear a lot of highway traffic, which we hadn't noticed in previous visits. It is a very busy highway so traffic was heard all night long. The tent sites are on the farthest side of the campground from the highway so if the noise is loud for us, it is likely loud throughout the campground.
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing The Campfire Cutting Set from Primus. The campfire cutting set is so lightweight and compact. It's easily packed along for any trip. It's made out of a nice oak that is appealing to look at and extremely functional. The knife cuts like butter. The video is cutting a raw potato and it does it with ease. Cleanup was a breeze as well. So, out of the box, it contains a chef knife (extremely sharp!) and an oak cutting board, all wrapped up in a nice prep mat that is great for packing your campfire cutting set. We loved the convenience and practicality of this set!
LegendWe stayed at the Grand Junction KOA when driving cross country from CA to NY a few years back. We drove to Grand Junction CO after a long day of hiking and tubing in Zion National Park - we arrived very late, and without a reservation. Even though it was after hours, we were able to choose a tent site then pay for the night at an iron ranger at the front office.
Our site had a patch of green grass to set our tent up on, as well as a picnic table and fire pit (that we never utilized, we just set up our tent and fell into our sleeping bags). The sites had little log fences separating the spaces.
The GJ KOA had very nice, clean facilities - having a hot shower in a clean locker room was a great way to start the morning. Wifi was available, which is always a plus.
The campground (kampground, haha) is pretty far outside of Grand Junction, and is in an industrial area, so we were initially a little sketched out and hesitant about stopping, since we were two women in their early 20s traveling alone. But once we got inside the campground and saw the layout of the grounds, we felt very safe and secure.
We were glad we decided to stop at the Grand Junction KOA, as it was a nice, clean, and safe place to stop for the night. KOAs are not my go-to type of campground for camping, but they are an easy, safe, and cheap spot to stop for the night if you don’t want to spend money on a hotel.
CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $26/night
Plumbed Toilets: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Showers: Yes (no coins needed)
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grates: ?
Shade: Yes
Cell Service: Yes + Wifi
Animal Bins/Food Lockers: NO
Trash: Yes
Legend
So we chose this campground this time around because it has a lake that you can swim in. The temps were 100 degrees during the day and exhausting. With two small children and a week worth of camping planned, we decided the higher price of a state park was worth it for the convenience of the lake. Plus, we were working on a geocaching event and needed to add to our collection, and there are 13 in the park. Granted one you have to have a boat for so we weren't able to find that one but there are boats that you can rent so if you are really interested in grabbing that one, you can without too much trouble.
When we arrived there were 4 sites available. There would have been more (we came in on a Monday) but their irrigation had flooded many of their sites. The camp host said "15 is high and dry" so we took site 15. We camp in a tent so dry is a must. On the upside, 15 has a water spicket in the site. That was nice, cold water available when ever with out walking to another location. The lake was also really near by. Just a short walk across the parking lot, a nice grassy area that had a playground and then the beach is right there. The lake didn't have a ton of boat traffic early in the week. We stayed two nights so we left Wednesday morning. The first night there were looming storms all around but nothing ever hit the park. We did the majority of our geocaching that day. While out walking in the desert (there are parts of the park that seem pretty remote, even though you are still in the park) we came across what we believe to be mountain lion scat. We learned while camping in Wisconsin all about predator scat and that it typically will contain bones and hair, this particular specimen had lots of hair and clearly looked to be feline. It was mentioned that it could also be bobcat. Either way, a larger cat of prey was in the park at some point, granted a good half mile from the campground.
So obviously there is the lake to enjoy but there are also many mountain bike trails. We walked a lot of those while geocaching. Some took us way up to some amazing 360 views. I certainly could not imagine biking up but the trail did indeed go up. There are also a couple different lakes in the park. High Line Lake is the main one but there is also Mack Lake (I think was the name of it). That lake did have people fishing but it is not a swimming lake and I'm not sure boats were allowed. The campground had some perks that we appreciated. There were flush toilets and they were relatively clean. There were also showers, granted you had to pay $1 for four minutes and every quarter after was another minute. They also were pretty clean. I don't think they get used a lot. The park claims that the fee is to help conserve water. There was a change machine on the wall outside the building so that you could change out those dollar bills for usable quarters.
The last night there we saw more looming storms around and while we were eating dinner the wind kicked up real bad, we packed up just in case and then before we knew it it was pouring and thunder and lightening. So that was interesting but it cleared up and we enjoyed a slightly cooler evening.
We also did not plan for a campfire as there have been fire bans all over the state for most of the summer. So when we arrived to find out fires were allowed, we were disappointed that our meals were all freeze dried. But, Mountain House does a good job with their freeze dried meals and we enjoyed spaghetti and chicken and potatoes over the course of the two nights. The Chicken and Mashed Potatoes had some mixed reviews but we prepared it just as the package instructed and it turned out just fine. I was apprehensive but it looked like chicken and it tasted like chicken and the texture was right. There were a few spots that may not have fully rehydrated with the water level in the package but that was user error. It could have used a little seasoning, as we do like our flavors but as is, it was not bad. It was nice to have a full chicken breast instead of just little chunks of meat here and there. The Spaghetti was spot on, it rehydrated amazingly and the textures and flavors were really good. We really enjoyed this one. I will definitely be taking more of this when we know we either need to save space, don't have refrigeration or can't have a fire. It was well worth the purchase. Over the course of the week we ate this one several times. We also had the Biscuits and Gravy for breakfast. This one has been a little hit or miss and because we only had one pouch for three of us we also cooked up some mashed potatoes and paired together were actually quite amazing. It stretched out the biscuits and gravy and added very little cost as small packets of instant potatoes run about 98 cents at walmart. One thing we really appreciated about Mountain House is that their cook times usually run 8-10 minutes. We tried another brand and the cook time on it was 15 to 20 minutes for every 5000 feet of elevation. So the meal we cooked up later in the week was supposed to take 30-40 minutes due to being at nearly 10,000 feet. So Mountain House has the cook times down and they are much more convenient.
Overall, our campsite was spacious, our neighbors were friendly and the lake was refreshing. Definitely will return in the dog days of summer.
LegendAdd $9 daily for Colorado State parks. Full hookups (near I70/some road noise), and Electric only, and, Tent
Pit long-drop toilets (fly haven)
Lovely park on banks of Colorado river. Friendly hosts & park rangers. Close to town and various wineries. Nice mountain drives. Definitely repeatable
Data. T-mobile 5G excellent Verizon. Very good ATT. Pretty good Cricket voice ok, no data Absolutely NO Visible
Tent camping near Clifton, Colorado offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. With well-maintained facilities and beautiful landscapes, campers can enjoy a memorable experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Clifton, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clifton, CO is Grand Junction KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 26 reviews.
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