Best Tent Camping near Collbran, CO

General: A mix of pull-thru RV sites, back-in van sites, and walk-in tent sites. We called about two weeks prior and were happy to secure a site on a Saturday at the very end of April. This campground is located right on I70 so you will definitely hear highway noise (and occasional train noise). The sites are stacked on a hillside and as would be expected in an RV park, there is little separation/privacy between sites. The road in is a bit rough but so were many of the area roads after a harsh winter. 

Site Quality: Sites are gravel. Site 55 was just long enough for our 18-foot van to fit. Not all of the van sites had picnic tables, but our site had a table where we could set up our camp stove and we ate inside our van. It also looked like there was a gas grill that might be shared for the van sites, but we didn’t inquire about it/use it. We had a fire pit but didn’t use it. Fires are NOT permitted in the RV sites and although there was a sign indicating a fire ban, you could speak with the office to see if fires are currently permitted in designated campfire pits. 

Bath/Shower house: Was very clean and nicely appointed. Did not use the shower. 

We chose this campground knowing we would hear highway noise, but it was a convenient location for our hike to Hanging Lake the next day. Craig was very welcoming both on the phone and upon our arrival.

This campground is near the visitor center just off the rim road, about a 25 mile road from one entrance to the other. There are several hiking trails for exploring the Colorado National Monument; you could keep busy for a couple days or more, depending on how much you enjoy hiking. There is also rock climbing.

The campground has 3 loops:

• A: no reservations, open year round

• B: reservations and walkup. If you have a reservation, your site will have a "Reserved" sign along with dates and your last name. No check in is required. Open sites have an "Open" sign.

• C: doesn't show up on recreation.gov so it looks like it is also walkup. I think groups can reserve it. There are tent pads which I didn't see in A and B (but you can pitch a tent in A and B). Only tents and truck campers are allowed, and no generators are allowed in loop C.

Bathrooms seem fairly new with auto flush toilets, motion sensor faucets and hand dryers. There is potable water at various locations clearly marked with a "water" sign. No electric, water or sewer at sites.

There are a few "driveway" styles in loops A and B: back in/pull in, pull alongside and pull through. Picnic tables and grills are back among juniper and pine trees, and you can pitch a tent. I would stay in loop C if I had a tent...very nice sites.

And the views are beautiful, especially at sunset.

This campground is on NPS land, so there is a fee ($16 in season+ water/$8 off season no water) that can be paid at the nearby ranger's station on the honor system. All 13 sites are in a single loop at the end of the road on the North Rim and are all first come first served. Pinyon and juniper offer shade and some visual privacy, however sites are all close so there is little audible privacy. Pets are OK if leashed. There are nice sized BearSaver boxes at each site, plus a fire ring and large picnic table. Vault toilets and potable water are both in the center of the camping loop, where you can also find other tables and lots of shade. Chasm trail begins near the end of the loop and there are great views of the canyon a short distance from all sites. Beware: drought year, so lots of yellow jackets - they swarm vehicles in search of water! Also, water is a limited resource brought in by truck to this canyon, don't be wasteful :)

There are three sections to this campground: Osgood, Allgeier, and Mechau. Osgood and Allgeier have electric hookups; Mechau does not. Our site, 17 (Osgood), was a very large pull-through equipped with a large metal picnic table, fire ring (although there was a statewide burn ban when we stayed there), lantern hook, and bear box. There is good physical separation between the sites. The vault toilets were very clean and there is one flush toilet, located between Osgood and Allgeier, however, the showers were closed due to Covid. You hear road noise from just about any site, but it is not that bad. 

There are two options that lead to the small town of Redstone, about two miles away: a trail or a secondary road (not the highway). We made reservations for a Tuesday in September and it was a good thing we did as the campground was full. Convenient to the towns of Redstone, Marble, and Carbondale and not that far from Glenwood Springs.

We stayed in a camper van over a busy holiday and loved it! We were hoping for a peaceful getaway for us and our dog and found it at Kebler. Yes, some of the spaces are close together but everyone there made it work well. The angled spots and strategic landscaping help too. Plenty of grassy common areas to stretch your legs and your pup’s (on leash), so much so we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything by not being parked with the big coaches along the river. Even better since the large river spots had little/no natural shade (most seemed to have their own awnings that our van didn’t so no worries there I think for them). The tent spots were in a different area on the other side of the property a little away from the busier parts. They also had less shade but had level pads and but seemed closer to the bridge (and hiking). The community vibe was respectful and friendly and it was lovely to stroll about and enjoy it all. Families were out and about, playing with their children and trying different things to do. There was a little playground and some activities in a covered space like velcro axe throwing and corn hole. There were soccer goals set up at one of the grassy areas too. There was also a frisbee golf course, hammocks and picnic tables scattered around the property. A sign by the bathrooms invited camp guests to go gentle group hike if you meet at the bridge at the posted time in the morning. The general store was open during the day and had more than I expected (came for stickers and snacks, left with a game of Bananagrams and more). There wasn’t cell service but wifi worked well for what we needed. The bathrooms were clean and the water was warm. On a busy weekend you might need to use the portable toilets near the tent sites if the regular ones are occupied at a busy time. In the future, splitting the shower and toilet facilities might help with that long term, but I am not sure how hard (and expensive) that is to do in places that are tucked away into the mountains like this. We did use the coin laundry and that worked well. At the time of our visit it was $2 for the washer and $3.50 for the dryer. There was a variety of cute cabins for rent with a good range in size and cost - and some have own their bathroom and even little patio spaces. The hosts and staff were friendly and helpful, even doing trash pickup in the morning if you left it out at a certain time by your site. Kebler is in a beautiful setting, has thoughtfully-designed spaces and is carefully maintained. We would definitely come back - hopefully in a camper van / travel trailer or even just to stay in one of the cabins.

Bogan Flats is a great campground if you want to get away. Great for singles and families. Most campsites are large and allow for several families to one site. They were also semi private. The sites next to the river are the best. The sites closer to the entrance and on the river offer the best shade. My site #25 was next to the water and is an excellent spot for RVs, allowing you to drive through and park. There wasn’t a lot of shade though. At this altitude the heat wouldn’t be a big deal except the weekend we went the temps were in the 90’s. It’s about a 40 minutes drive to Aspen, 20 minutes to Carbondale (and phone connectivity), and 30 minutes to Glenwood Springs. Sleeping next to the roar or the river was wonderful. Each site offers a bear box, picnic table, and campfire rings. The vault toilets are kept clean. There is a faucet for drinking water and dishes. Its a fly fisherman’s heaven. I definitely will be back!