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Best Tent Camping near Commerce City, CO

1,401 Reviews

Several dispersed tent camping areas surround Commerce City, Colorado, within a short drive to Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park. Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area offers primitive tent camping near Nederland, while Dream Canyon provides free tent sites with mountain views. Allenspark Dispersed Camping features higher elevation tent sites for those seeking cooler summer temperatures, and Ceran St. Vrain Trail offers stream-side tent camping with trout fishing opportunities.

Most primitive tent sites have minimal amenities but typically include established fire rings. The majority lack drinking water, toilets, and trash receptacles, requiring campers to pack in water and pack out all waste. Bear activity necessitates proper food storage in many areas, with some sites providing bear boxes. Road conditions vary significantly—Gordon Gulch and Winiger Ridge require high-clearance vehicles, while other areas like Allenspark are accessible with standard cars. A visitor commented that "given that this is so close to Boulder, a ton of people come here" to Winiger Ridge, resulting in occasional overcrowding on summer weekends.

Terrain at these tent camping areas ranges from forested sites with partial shade to open meadows with mountain views. Sites along creeks are particularly sought after, with Ceran St. Vrain Trail offering spots "right next to the stream" with "ample room for lots of tents." Early arrivals on weekdays provide the best chance for securing prime tent sites, as most areas operate on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations. For those seeking a more established experience, Sawmill Hiker Campground offers walk-in tent-only sites with picnic tables and vault toilets, described as "an excellent beginner foray into backpacking" by one camper. Hermits Hollow Campground near Estes Park provides wooded tent sites with bear boxes and fire rings within a short drive to Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Best Tent Sites Near Commerce City, Colorado (58)

    1. Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area

    54 Reviews
    Nederland, CO
    38 miles
    Website

    "So the Gordon Gulch dispersed camping area has around 15 numbered sites that are ok... but if you keep driving further down 233.1 you will find many more unnumbered campsites."

    "Prior campers have left some trash, bullet casings and obviously neglected to dig cat holes. After a quick clean up, the site was fine for my purposes."

    2. Winiger Ridge at Gross Reservoir

    24 Reviews
    Eldorado Springs, CO
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (303) 541-2500

    "Came here for my birthday a few years ago, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking—mountains, lake views, the whole deal!"

    "Stayed at campsite 18, had great views and nice weather, no water though but there is a lake down the road. 4x4 Required as roads were rough"

    3. Dream Canyon Campsites - Dispersed Camping

    22 Reviews
    Nederland, CO
    33 miles
    Website

    "However, proximity to Boulder is a huge plus if you are looking for a quick and easy get away."

    "Was desperate to find "something" after driving 11 hours that day, and normal paid camp grounds were full. HOWEVER I was pulling a smaller trailer, and that turned out to be a real issue."

    4. Bear Creek Lake Campground

    3 Reviews
    Morrison, CO
    24 miles
    Website

    $34 - $40 / night

    "Nice big sites, open space without a lot of trees, beautiful views, clean restrooms, showers (pay for) water fill stations, dump station, several restrooms."

    "Super close to Denver and offered through the City of Lakewood. The sites are for tent/RV and have electric hookups. Beautiful area."

    5. Allenspark Dispersed Camping

    28 Reviews
    Allenspark, CO
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 295-6600

    "Our spot was near the creek, the sound was beautiful. The only downside was absolutely no cell service."

    "Fire ban was in effect when we went, but lots of fire circles available otherwise. Bring bug spray, the flies are bold."

    6. Sawmill Hiker Campground

    2 Reviews
    Arvada, CO
    25 miles
    Website

    $12 / night

    "This semi-primitive campsite requires a permit from the Open Space Office of Jefferson County, CO. The permit is free, however you must pick up the permit in person at their offices."

    "Great hike in campground. It was our first hike in and we loved it! Spots aren’t too close to each other and there’s great views!"

    7. Aspen Meadows Campground — Golden Gate Canyon

    8 Reviews
    Black Hawk, CO
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (303) 582-3707

    $28 / night

    "Nice spot with a metal fire pit (good for stage 1 fire ban), picnic table, and tent pad. Tent pad was big enough to squeeze two 3-person tents and a 6-person tent (barely)."

    "This site is surrounded by pine trees, aspens and boulders. Parking is a bit tight and the some of the sites pretty steep. Dude's Fishing Hole is within walking distance."

    8. Hermits Hollow Campground — Hermit Park

    25 Reviews
    Estes Park, CO
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 577-2090

    $35 / night

    "Best place to camp in Estes Park/Northern Colorado! Wooded sites mean privacy from your neighbors and shade during the day. Vault toilets are very clean, well kept."

    "Very conveniently located, only a short drive into Estes Park. Lots of trails for hiking and biking in the park. Each campsite had a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring."

    9. Fall River Reservoir Dispersed Camping Trail

    18 Reviews
    Empire, CO
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (303) 567-4382

    "I first camped in Colorado last year with a friend and we chose this dispersed due to it being close to travel too- yet still dispersed. I’ve come back 4 other times to camp here!"

    "Was mostly quiet and there’s a nice little trail around the lake. Plenty of spots for tent camping too."

    10. Ceran St. Vrain Trail Dispersed Camping

    8 Reviews
    Jamestown, CO
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (303) 541-2500

    $1 / night

    "My son and I joined a friend from Longmont and headed to this trail to camp for a couple days."

    "We went here with our 2 dogs for a quick overnighter-only about 45 minutes outside of Boulder. It was a Sunday morning and the lot was almost full when we got there around 9am."

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Commerce City, CO

122 Photos of 58 Commerce City Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Commerce City, CO

1401 Reviews of 58 Commerce City Campgrounds

  • Florian J.
    Jul. 5, 2021

    Buckingham Campground

    Great location, sites next to creek, but very busy

    We came here in early July to hike up South and North Arapahoe Peaks (and Diamond Lake for warm-up). The sites are nice right next to a creek, with very few mosquitos. Make sure to stay close to the designated areas (fwiw, Rangers monitor the site). No campfires were allowed and they are no fire rings, so I assume that the fire ban is typical rather than the exception. Bear-proof food storage is provided at each site.

    We made it up the dirt road in our little Honda Fit but that was touch and go at times, and required some careful driving. 99% of the cars at the campground and trailhead were 4x4s. 

    The location is great with plenty of trailheads right next to the campground. But that also means that site is very busy. The trailhead parking fills up as early as 5am. It wasn't much of an issue in terms of loudness, but it does mean that the only two restrooms are also used by hundreds of hikers each day …

    There are no trash bins (i.e., pack out whatever trash you produce), there is no drinking water (except for the creek if you have filters), all sites are walk-in though parking is just a few meters away (one is ADA accessible with parking right next to the site). With Google Fi (Spring) we had no cell reception (we lost signal even prior to the start of the dirt road, so many miles before the campground). Sites are in the shade below trees, and there are picnic tables.

    Overall, I'd visit this place again, just because of the convenient access to amazing trails and scrambles. Trails to Diamond Lake (10km out-and-back) and Arapahoe pass were quite busy, but not unpleasantly so. The trail up to the Arapahoe Peaks (13km out-and-back to South Peak) was *much* less busy though we still saw about 8-10ish groups throughout the day (took us 2:10h up to South Arapahoe Peak, about 30-40 minutes to traverse to North Arapahoe).

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2021

    Kelly Dahl

    Stark

    Sites:  46   20 sites FCFS

    Reservation:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

    Sites that fit tent, trailers, RV's

    Open Mid May - Mid Oct

    Firewood from camp host, picnic table, fire ring/grill, bear box at tent sites, pit toilet, water, trash, no electric, hookups, dump station or showers

    Sites are very small

    Great sightseeing to check out.  Several historic mining towns and some great hiking trails.  Views of the surrounding mountains are totally amazing.

    AT&T and Verizon service but it is spotty.

    The Mountain Pine beetle is decimating the forest and it is so sad to see.  The forest service is working very hard to keep up with the removal of dead trees and it is creating expansive open area.  The plus side of the removal is for solar.  They are also removing the stumps thank goodness.  Be very careful while walking in the forest for falling limbs or trees.

    Directions:  About four miles south of Nederland, Colorado, on Colorado Highway (CO) 119, watch for the entrance to Kelly Dahl Campground on the east side of the highway at mile marker 22.

    LNT

    Better than when you found it

    Stay safe and happy travels

  • Mike S.
    Oct. 12, 2018

    West Chicago Creek

    Great place to stay, but Mt. Evans is 10 miles away

    I love this place. The campground is full every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day due to reservations made at recreation.gov up to 6 months and more than 48 hours in advance, and being so close to metro Denver.

    The campground has 16 sites; 4 Walk-In, 1 host and 11 are reservable. Check in after 2:00 and check out by 1:00. If someone has a reservation, like a hotel, their site is held until 1:00 the next day because of the Forest Service rule that the campsite must be occupied the first night and they could have had delays.

    The campground is at 9600’ and the last mile of the dirt road is a bit rough, but I have seen low profile cars and 42’ Class A motor home with a towed vehicle. Well water normally supplies the campground to faucets, but has not been productive the entire 2019 season and there are vault toilets. Each site has its own bear box and fire ring. The creek is less than 100 meters from the campground and fishing this year was poor... water level was low. Lots of great hiking and climbing in the area. About a 40 degree difference between day and night. During the fire ban, dispersed camping is limited to just a few areas so the campground is a great place to stay and you might still be able to have a fire in the fire ring. Privately owned cabins can be seen as you walk through the woods. Hell’s Hole Trail is a few hundred yards from the campground. I’m looking forward to going back there as host next year.

  • Jessica K.
    Oct. 13, 2018

    Sawmill Hiker Campground

    Easy Backpacking Experience

    My husband went to this campsite with a group of Scouts and took me and our 1 year old a few weeks later. I had never been backpacking up until this point because I was always intimidated by the experience. This was an excellent "beginner" foray into backpacking!

    This semi-primitive campsite requires a permit from the Open Space Office of Jefferson County, CO. The permit is free, however you must pick up the permit in person at their offices. Be prepared with a valid ID. This is a popular campsite for Scout Troops, so calling ahead for availability is a great idea.

    There is an exact address available on the website and at the Open Space Office that you can put into your GPS and drive straight to the parking lot of the trailhead.

    My husband and I came in through the West Trailhead. It is a 1 mile, easy hike. The first 1/3 of a mile is dirt, the remainder is gravel. It is fairly hilly, but easy enough that we actually opted to push our Jogging Stroller with our kid the entire way (which is very doable) whilst wearing our backpacking gear.

    The campsites are well maintained and quite spread out from one another. So although there was a group of scouts, a group of friends, and a bigger youth group who all hiked in, it did not feel crowded or noisy.

    We brought our dog, as pets are allowed on a leash. We set up our tent on the graveled pad at each site and boiled up some soup on the provided picnic tables. The website as of 2018 will tell you that fires are permitted in the designated fire rings, however a permanent fire ban has recently been put into place (which is too bad!) and all the fire rings and wood piles have been removed from the area - so really, NO FIRES ALLOWED. The pit toilets are very accessible and clean. It is technically Bear Country, so bear boxes and trash cans are provided for the overall campground.

    My favorite thing about our particular campsite (site 15) was the view. At night you can see all the city lights of sprawling Denver, but then have a perfect view of the sunrise in the morning. Witnessing the sunrise from this spot will always be one of my favorite memories. Seriously so amazing!

    We hiked out the next morning, simple as that, but realized we had misplaced our car keys...after 2.5 hours of searching and walking back and forth between the campsite and our car, we found our keys in the bottom of our tent. So really, if I could offer one piece of advice, always know where your keys are! Despite this incident, the location was great and the experience worthwhile! And I feel like it gave me a good taste of what to expect when backpacking in the future, which is exactly what I was looking for.

  • William C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 5, 2023

    West Chicago Creek

    Quiet Campsite

    Quiet campground- especially early in the season.

    $22/night; Firewood bundles on-site for $9.

    Each site has a picnic table and a bear box for food storage.

    Bathrooms were clean. Sites are smaller and very close together. Little privacy if visiting during a busier time.

    Sites 7, 9, and 11 have trails that connect back to Chicago creek just a short distance away. Hiking trails are close by to nearby forests land. No cell service.

  • PThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 2, 2022

    Buckingham Campground

    Beautiful setting, busy trailhead

    What an awesome site! Bear boxes and concrete picnic tables. There are only 5 campsites here and one is handicapped only. That and the next site, where I stayed, are right off the dirt road. There are 3 more sites past the barrier which are more secluded but require schlepping your stuff farther.

    Fourth of July trailhead is busy and parking fills up fast in the morning. The hike is breathtaking in beauty; the wildflower covered mountain meadows are glorious! It’s possible to backpack in and stay in the rough. I met several groups who’d done just that. Buckingham campground, however, makes a great base camp if you prefer, like I do, car camping.

    No fires allowed, of course, but a Ranger once told me as long as it has an off switch it’s okay. I brought my gas ring and was pleasant warm drinking tea and listening to a light rain hitting the awning as twilight turned to night.

    The one consistent drawback was airplane noise every few minutes. There’s a flight path right above. While I saw plenty of people in the trail the campsite was secluded and quiet, especially at night. Dogs on leash are welcome and there’s a vault toilet 😀

  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 8, 2020

    Buffalo Campground

    Great Campground for Hikers and Bikers

    This campground is set a couple miles down road 550 after all the free recreation area campsites.

    The sites are pretty close together but there are well maintained pit toilets as well as a dumpster on site for trash. The surrounding area is filled with hiking and biking trails, including the Colorado Trail. 

    The campground is over 7k feet of elevation and a lot of trails intersect so make sure you keep track of where you are and what trail you are hiking on for the day. Not many are loops on their own. 

    There are a couple pit toilets places throughout the campground. Clean fire rings and picnic tables at all the sites. 

    Keep your eyes out for ticks and mosquitos. We found a couple of ticks on the dogs after they ran through the tall grass and the creek. 

    Across the road is a creek that is great for water hangouts and light fishing. We were here in May and the weather was about 70 during the day and 35-40 at night with plenty of shade and wind protection. It has sites for RV’s, tent, or van stay.

  • Cara W.
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Castle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake

    Private but Crowded

    Beautiful lakeside camping just outside of Denver. Campsites are a bit close together, but great for groups! No hookups here but you have bathroom facilities and a visitor center where you can buy firewood. Campfires allowed in the fire pits. If you have an RV beware quiet hours from 10pm to 8am, no generators allowed. Lake is perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing and you will most likely have phone service if you are with AT&T or Verizon. Many day use areas, however vehicles and individuals are charged. For campers, if you bring more than one vehicle you will be charged daily for any additional ones. No drinking water is available, you must bring your own. Dirt roads to the lake are rough and narrow. Close to Deckers for incidentals. Intersects with the Colorado trail for hiking and biking and close to the Colorado River for tubing!

  • Kristin D.
    Aug. 7, 2018

    Buffalo Campground

    Spacious sites, great trail access

    Love this place. I’m a new mountain biker and it’s currebtly my favorite trail system to ride. There’s currently a fire ban in most of Colorado, and Buffalo Creek is included. We just got creative with a small lantern so it felt like we were sitting around a fire.🔥The sites are very full on the weekends being so close to Denver, so a few people asked to share. The signage isn’t always clear, make sure you only camp where there’s a site number or it’s a $1K fine! It’s a favorite place, but don’t tell everyone! 😂

Guide to Commerce City

Dispersed camping is the primary option around Commerce City, located at 5,164 feet elevation in Colorado's Front Range. Most sites require 4x4 vehicles to access due to rocky terrain and unpredictable weather patterns common in the region. Camping spots range from forested areas in the mountains to open spaces with creek access, all within a 45-90 minute drive from Commerce City.

What to do

Hiking to water features: At Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area, visitors can explore multiple trails. "There is a great 1 mile loop that ends at the north west side of the lake. I took a hammock with me and planted myself on one side of the lake's perimeter, overlooking a nice section of the reservoir," notes one camper about nearby Gross Reservoir.

Fishing opportunities: Winiger Ridge at Gross Reservoir offers fishing for various trout species. According to a visitor, "The reservoir holds browns and cutthroat as well as some other species. Had a successful time fishing." Bring a life vest as they're required for anyone on the water.

Mountain wildlife viewing: Keep your camera ready for wildlife encounters. "Moose visitors at dawn and evening, and hungry bears scavenging for food at night is a common occurrence," reports a camper at Gordon Gulch. Another camper mentions, "We saw a huge moose close to camp" at Fall River Reservoir.

What campers like

Seclusion from crowds: Dream Canyon Campsites offers privacy just outside urban areas. "This is the place my friends and I go to just for a night away from everything. It is just out of reach of the city and far enough away where we can find some peace and quiet," a reviewer notes.

Accessible wilderness: Many appreciate the proximity to urban areas while still feeling remote. "Leaving around 6pm on a Friday night from Denver took about 60 minutes from central Denver to the campsite," states one Gordon Gulch camper. Another adds that Fall River is "a really cool camp area... a perfect escape from society."

Night sky views: Allenspark Dispersed Camping offers exceptional stargazing opportunities. One camper shares their experience: "The stars were AMAZING and the sky was perfectly clear. Lots of firewood around—we brought our hand saw and cut enough felled wood to last until around 4am."

What you should know

Early arrival crucial: Weekends fill quickly at most dispersed sites. "Get there early! It's a campsite close to Denver and Boulder, so spots can fill up quickly with people wanting to escape the city for the night/weekend," advises a Gordon Gulch visitor.

Vehicle requirements: Many sites require appropriate vehicles. At Fall River Reservoir Dispersed Camping Trail, "This trail does require some 4x4 action to get to the top. Lots of rocks, bumps, and pools of water to travel through to get anywhere."

Prepare for wildlife encounters: Animals are common visitors. One camper at Ceran St. Vrain reports: "We were about to go to bed around 11pm when our dogs started barking. My wife went to quiet them down and when I shined my head lamp toward the tent I saw a mountain lion perched above where we were camping on some rocks about 30 feet away."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Commerce City, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Commerce City, CO is Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area with a 3.6-star rating from 54 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Commerce City, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 58 tent camping locations near Commerce City, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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