Best Equestrian Camping near Colorado Springs, CO

This is a nice campground with a good view of the mountain. There are some nice trails from the campground and it’s close to Colorado Springs.

By far one of the nicest state parks in Colorado. Every site is huge and several pull through are on sides of the hill with sweeping view of Colorado Springs. Nestled up to the Air Force NORAD complex the nature is unspoiled all the way up the mountain. Tons of trails the only sad part is our dogs only have limited trails they are allowed on. Bear, large cats and lots of deer visit regularly (well at least the deer are regular.

Colorado Springs offers much to do and this campground is a great spot to unhook. “The Meadows” is one of the loops...all level spots here, full hook-up. Not much privacy or shade, but would still highly recommend. The park location is close to Garden of the Gods, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Pike’s Peak and more. The park offers many wonderful hiking trails...and a frisbee golf course. Convenient drive to grocery stores and restaurants.

This campground has a equestrian area and a tent camping area. The tent camping is to the right after you enter, there are two tent loops with bathrooms. Water spigots next to the bathroom. There are a few trails here, some are horse trails. Overall a beautiful spot with some shade!

This Pike National Forest campground is run by Rocky Mountain Recreation which means you'll pay a $10 transaction fee if you make a reservation on recreation.gov. It looks like some sites are strictly walk-up. Check recreation.gov to see what's available, but you can just show up if there are available sites, pay at the self-pay station, and avoid the $10 transaction fee on recreation.gov.

Every site has a picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets (rather fragrant as you walk by because of the vent pipes) and trash dumpsters are conveniently located throughout the campground as is potable water. There are no bear-proof lockers but locking up your food is a prudent move.

There are mostly back in sites but some pull through sites. Most of the pull through sites are partially protected from the road by a few tall pines and large rocks, but the pull through curve may be tight for some RVs. There are a few double sites (with double charge) if you need more space.

Manitou Lake on the edge of the campground is a popular fishing spot, and there's a trail around the lake.

Our site (#45) was rather close to the road, but the road noise was not bad throughout the park. Sites 40 through 44 are on a small loop and are probably the nicest sites even with a bit of road noise; these sites are near the trail to the lake.

In my opinion, there are two things that make this campground stand out: 1) The sites are large and not on top of each other. This campground could have twice as many sites, but it's nice that it doesn't. 2) It's a great location because you're close to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, US Air Force Academy, Cripple Creek (only if you're into gambling), lots of hiking trails...and on and on. It's close to Colorado Springs and even closer to Woodland Park. If you want craft breweries and restaurants, you'll find plenty. We enjoyed being close to a larger city after being in lots of small towns. We loved the inexpensive food at Uchenna (Ethiopian and Mediterranean), Taste of Jerusalem, and Azada Mexican as well as craft beer (Fossil Craft Beer Company and Phantom Canyon Brewing Company with ginger wheat ale, Belgian ale aged on cherries, hazelnut coffee stout, coconut/chocolate porter, and on and on) in Colorado Springs. Beer is $3 during a 3 to 6 pm happy hour at Phantom Canyon....yes!

This campground is only open between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.

Campground Review

Note: This is a military campground only, on the grounds of the US Air Force Academy just north of Colorado Springs, CO. 

My family and I stayed here a week in a 34' travel trailer.  This is a large facility with over 100 campsites. Sites are gravel and fairly level, spaced decently with little undergrowth among the pine trees. Full hook-ups are of good quality and worked with no problems. Cable is not provided and we did not check to see if our antennae picked up any local TV stations. WiFi is restricted to the office and bathhouses, and do not extend into the campground. You have the option of purchasing a MiFi transmitter for $5 a day or $25 a week, but we did not choose this option. A short walk from our campsite is a very nice playground next to the picnic pavilions. Each site comes with a grill and aluminum picnic table. Ground fires are not allowed, but fire pits can be rented for an additional fee. The laundry facility is affordable and the machines are in good condition. Now for a little bit about the area outside the campground. The Academy grounds are huge. It is a good 10-minute drive to the commissary/exchange, a 10-minute drive to the visitor center, and about 30 minutes to downtown Colorado Springs or Garden of the Gods. If you are here for football, the stadium is right down the street (I would say it is within walking distance).  There is a lot to do around here and this is a good base camp. I wish we could have stayed longer than a week. 

Oh, and just a heads up, if you are staying here in the summer expect thunderstorms to roll by every day.  The wind and lightning can be rather intense. 

Product review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. This week I tested the Gregory Avos 15 pack. Although designed as a mtn biking pack, I used it for day hiking and road cycling and found it to be a great and versatile pack.  See the video and pictures for more details, but here's a quick review of the pros:

• The numerous storage spaces, crash pad for a phone/glasses, and a separate bag for repair tools that can be clipped inside the pocket.
• The feel of the fit and adjustability of straps and back length.
• The size of the hydration bladder.
• The convenience of the bite valve. 

After hiking 6 miles and riding 10 miles, I have very few negatives, and these are just me being picky:

• The magnetic connection for the chest strap is challenging to remove with one hand. 
• The length of the hydration hose could be a little longer so I could loosen the chest strap without it pulling on the hose (I have wide shoulders). 
• The hydration bladder itself is difficult to drain completely when trying to dry it out. 

Overall, I would give this pack a 5-star review and recommend it to others who want a comfortable, well-designed, and versatile pack when playing outdoors.

My folks bought property you can ride to Indian Creek from. Love this area!!! Lots of beautiful trails, close to Denver and very peaceful. Bring your ponies, its an equestrian campground!

Cabins available and horse rings/stables available all over. Reservations needed.

Stay here a couple times a year, great amenities and lots to do with a swim beach, shore line, horses, boat ramp and model planes. Model plane field is close to the campground, can hear it early in the morning. D loop is quietest, C loop is electric only so you have to wait in the dump line, and I've found A & B loops to generally be the rowdiest. Recent construction has started of a big housing development right up against the park so get there before you're surrounded by houses!

Indian Creek was pleasant and I would return. Attractive sites available with trees and grass. Most sites are better suited for tents or vans. I was able to fit a 20 ft travel trailer, but there’s only a handful of trailer sites. No hookups. Cell service was zero with ATT and Verizon. We hiked Indian Creek, but it was very hot. You can hike a portion along Bear Creek for a few miles which was the best part. Lots of hikers, mtn bikers, and horses. The camp host did check in and was very helpful and friendly. Good option close to Denver.

Our first visit to Colorado was not a disappointment. The cooler temps (compared to Texas) was a very happy bonus for us. Hot air balloons, geocaching, hiking.... more than enough to keep us busy.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: COLORADO CAMPGROUND PIKE NATIONAL FOREST

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/colorado-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70684

Colorado Campground is one of several campgrounds less than 10 miles north of the city of Woodland Park off Route 67 in the Pike National Forest.

Situated at 7800 feet elevation, even summer nights get cool. Nearby 5 acre Manitou Lake is a trail walk away. You can toss your canoe or kayak in, but unless you are simply trout fishing, it’s tiny size doesn’t offer much variation.

Numerous foot trails lead into the National Forest, offering wonderfully quiet hikes and exploration.

There are 81 sites available, but some are adjacent to highway 67, so periodic road noise will be heard. The ponderosa pines assist in muffling highway noise.

Neighboring sites are visible across the entire campground, but they are situated in such a way that you are not directly on top of each other.

The back loop sites are larger and set deeper (Site 19, 20,21, 22, 23) which are my choice. Sites can be secured on www.recreation.gov. There are double sites which garner double fees. At the time of this review, sites are $23.00 nightly (a bit pricey for no showers or modern facilities). When there during the week, not including the host and groundskeeper, only four sites were filled. Most sites were reserved for weekends and upcoming Labor Day holiday.

No RV/Campers over 36 ft permitted. Parking pads are gravel, a few are pull-through. Sites are non-electric with no hookups…no showers Water spigots, metal trash containers and pit latrines are spaced out through the campground. Each site has one stationary picnic table and a fire pit. Most sites appeared fairly level. No specific tent pad locations.

With the towering ponderosa pines, there is ample shade.

Plenty of trails permit mountain biking as well as the paved centennial bike path that runs along highway 67 from Woodland Park 15 miles north…that you can walk, in-line, cycle and even ebike.

You have plenty of local activities to keep you busy, including the Red Rocks a couple miles south…or drive east on Rt 24 to Pikes Peak, or further into Manitou Springs for the Incline, Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Garden of the gods and more!

Just six miles south into Woodland Park offers every food or shopping option.

All in all, a nice, clean campground in a great location.

This was our second time camping at Colorado campground. It seems to meet the needs of campers of all types from the biggest rigs to the tent campers, they can all find a home here. The size of the sites, especially on the outer ring, can't be beat. We like the natural beauty in the campground and surrounding area as well as easy access to hiking.

Indian Creek is lush and wooded, while still being close to Denver. The drive in is easy, following a paved road most of the way. Great spot for car camping. The Indian Creek trail system is ideal for mountain biking or running, with access to the Colorado Trail running through it as well.

The spots are so private I had my 3 year old pee on trees the whole time. The park is clean (showers were a bit sketch but fine) and honestly a treat to camp in. All spots I saw were pull through. Hands down the best sunset I’ve seen in Colorado so far.

This campground was great! Lots of trees. Sites that were easy to access for RVs. Clean bathrooms and showers. View of Pikes Peak.