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Best Tent Camping near Cowdrey, CO

784 Reviews

Tent camping options near Cowdrey, Colorado include both established campgrounds and dispersed sites with varied terrain and amenities. Walden Reservoir Dispersed Camping offers free, primitive tent camping with drive-in and walk-in access, while BLM North Sand Hills Campground provides established tent sites with basic facilities including toilets and picnic tables. Vic & Sigrid Hanson Memorial Park in the area also accommodates tent campers with walk-in access and some amenities.

Most tent sites around Cowdrey feature minimal facilities, with many lacking drinking water, showers, and hookups. Walden Reservoir sites are completely undeveloped with no toilets or tables, requiring campers to pack in all supplies and pack out waste. BLM North Sand Hills Campground provides vault toilets and allows fires, though firewood is not available for purchase. The terrain is typically open with limited tree cover, making for exposed camping conditions. A visitor commented, "Better for campers/cans as there isn't much privacy for tent campers. Not enough trees for bathrooms so you may want to bring a hide-able set up."

Primitive tent camping areas near Cowdrey offer spectacular views despite challenging conditions. The landscape is primarily open with little shade, making for excellent stargazing but potentially uncomfortable daytime temperatures. According to feedback on The Dyrt, "Amazing views but lacks tree coverage. Tons of ants but nothing bit me. Smells like sage and fresh air. Quiet as can be." Bug activity is frequently mentioned in reviews, with mosquitoes, gnats, and ants being particularly prevalent during summer months, especially at Walden Reservoir. Many backcountry tent camping sites experience significant wind, so secure tent stakes are essential. The surrounding area provides access to hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and wildlife viewing, with several trailheads serving as jumping-off points for deeper wilderness exploration.

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Best Tent Sites Near Cowdrey, Colorado (43)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Cowdrey, CO

784 Reviews of 43 Cowdrey Campgrounds

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2021

    Dowdy Lake Campground

    Reflections

    Status: Open year round 

    Reserve mid spring through September 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov 

    weekend reservations recommended 

    70 sites including 10 walk-in tent 30 sites year round $24.00 tent sites $32.00 electric $64.00 double sites 

    Vault toilets, water during season ,tent sites have bear boxes, picnic table, fire ring/grill, trash no sewer or water hookups The campground has beautiful Ponderosa Pines but the Pine beetle is beginning to take its toil. 

    The back loop closes early fall. all sites have electric except the tent sites. There are 5 double sites. The campground can accept various size rigs. The day use area with a boat ramp and pit toilet with a nice size parking lot. There were a lot of people fishing from the shore. The lake is beautiful with small islands and rock formations. The road to and in the campground is gravel and rather dusty. Potholes 

    Directions: Drive 21 miles north of Fort Collins on US Highway 287. Turn left (west) onto the Red Feather Lakes Road (County 74E) and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right (north) and travel another mile to signed campground entrance on the right.

    LNT

    Better than when you found it 

    Stay safe Happy travels

  • Amanda M.
    Aug. 7, 2018

    North Michigan Campground — State Forest State Park

    Gorgeous Rocky Mountain Camping - North Michigan Campground

    We found State Forest State Park on a whim this past July 2018. We were on a road trip from California to Colorado for a wedding in Granby, CO. We were camping in Utah at Dinosaur National Monument, but due to the smoke from a nearby wildfire and the high heat of the summer, we decided to cut our stay one day short, and head over to the Rockies a day early. We wanted to be fairly close to our final destinations, Granby then RMNP, but wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been before. My boyfriend and I are both animal lovers, and our dream was to finally see a moose on this trip out to Colorado. In researching moosey areas on the internet, we found the Moose Visitor Center at State Forest State Park. We figured that a place with a Moose Visitors Center was as moosey as it comes, so we reserved a site online and headed out to Colorado.

    It was late afternoon when we arrived, but since we had already eaten, we didn’t have much to do besides set up our tent and sleeping pads for the night. Getting to the campground and visitors center is easy as they are both right off the highways 41 and 14, but it is quite a drive to get to, in general. The scenery is so pretty, that we did not mind the drive to or from SFSP. North Michigan Campground is right by a lake, it is pretty.

    The sites are primitive - each site had picnic benches and a firepit, but at the time we visited there was a Stage 2 fire ban in place, so we couldn’t have a campfire. The fire ban included the burning of wood and charcoal - using a propane stove was OK.

    There were pit toilets, and they were well maintained. The sites appeared to have once had more in the way of trees and shade, but it looks as though SFSP was hit by the pine beetles, like so much of Colorado. It’s sad to see the destruction the beetles left in their wake, and fewer trees mean less privacy and less shade for tent campers. We would have had a hard time setting up extra tarps in case it had rained that evening. Bringing an easy-up or canopy would be smart in the summer to protect against sun and heat, or a passing thunderstorm.

    WARNING: You ARE in bear country and there were no bear bins in the campground - be bear safe and bear smart, lock all of your food and toiletries inside your car at night. I was once told by a ranger in Yosemite NP that bears can recognize coolers when peering into car windows, so we always put a towel and gear over our coolers when keeping them in the car overnight.

    We packed up early and arrived at the Moose Visitors Center when they opened. The visitors center was educational and interesting, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. After studying some maps of the area with the rangers, we decided to try our luck driving along Highway 14 towards Fort Collins.

    We stopped at various spots along the highway, and ended up walking around the Joe Wright Reservoir for a while. Thunderheads were rolling in, and some rain and thunder started, so we decided to start making our way back towards SFSP then head down to Granby, our next stop. We were around Cameron Pass and had given up on seeing any moose when we saw traffic slowing and cars stopped alongside the road - there were two young bull moose snacking by a small river on the side of the road! We pulled over, turned our hazard lights on, grabbed the camera, and jumped out to see our first moose. The moose seemed unconcerned by their growing audience, and continued to chomp away on their lunch - there was a small ravine between the moose and their human audience, so neither moose nor humans felt threatened.

    According to the staff at the Moose Visitor Center, there are only about 1,000 moose in the entire state of Colorado - and here we stumbled across two moose at once! We were ecstatic, and so happy we made the impromptu, unplanned trip out to State Forest State Park! We returned to the Moose Visitors Center to share the experience with the rangers (they record the specifics of moose sightings in the area on a board), and the ranger gave us a high five for spotting our first ever moose.

    I would like to return to the area someday to hike, I imagine the nearby trails must be goregous!

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $18/night

    Plumbed Toilets: NO - pit

    Drinking Water: Yes

    Showers: NO

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grates: Yes

    Shade: Limited!

    Cell Service: NO

    Animal Bins/Food Lockers: NO

  • Judy B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    A quiet oasis in a busy park

    Aspenglen is located just inside the Fall River Entrance Station.  Once you have entered the park it is the first left that takes you down to the Aspenglen campground.  There are a few more trees in this area, so you are more likely to find shade.  There are some sites that are specifically for tents and others that accommodate small to medium RV's.  There are no hookups for electricity or water and cellphone service is mostly non-existent.  The sites are spaced more widely apart than at Glacier Basin.  There are bear boxes to store your food, fire rings, and tables.  Three loops, and some walk-in sites compose the layout.  There was a host at the campground.  They did sell firewood near the check-in post.

  • Isabelle K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 13, 2018

    Upper Chipmunk Backcountry Campsite — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Amazing backpacking campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park!

    I had the fortune of being invited along on a backpacking trip this past weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park. I say fortune in particular because obtaining Wilderness Permits for popular backpacking destinations can be difficult during the high season of tourism at RMNP. Thankfully, my friend had reserved this permit months in advanced so we were all set for our adventure! 

    To get to this campsite, backpackers typically park at the Lawn Lake Trail Head and hike the beautiful Ypsilon Lake trail. The site is located 4.2 miles from the trailhead just past Chipmunk Lake. The hike is moderately strenuous in my opinion, and is made more difficult with a full backpack of course. The approach to the site is all uphill (2100 feet of elevation gain) but that makes the hike out quite easy as your tired legs will be going downhill the entire way! From the campsite, the hike to Ypsilon Lake isn’t far and makes for a great additional day hike once you’ve set up camp. We also pushed on to the higher Spectacle Lakes, which is a very strenuous hike which requires some scrambling and route finding but 100% worth it. From the top there are amazing views of Long’s Peak, Estes Park and the Spectacle Lakes themselves which have the most magnificently glacial blue water. 

    About the campsites-

    There are two designated sites, we stay at the one on the right. At the site there is a designated space for tents which is relatively flat and free of rocks. There is plenty of shade from the dense surrounding pines. No fires are allowed at this site so a camp stove is necessary for cooking. Bear canisters are required and leave no trace ethics should be strictly followed. I was surprised to find that this site also had access to a privy. The privy itself was decently clean and signs indicated that no toilet paper should be thrown into it, although this rule was clearly not being followed as there was a good bit of trash in the toilet. Overall, the site itself was spotless and free of any trash. The views from the site were limited by the trees, but the nearby scenic lakes offer plenty of panoramic views. This is a great backcountry camp site and a fun backpacking trip overall. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone that enjoys the solitude of backpacking and has the time to obtain the necessary permits! 

    For more info, check out this site specific informational PDF: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/upload/019-Upper-Chipmunk-2017-2.pdf

  • Jackie S.
    Jul. 28, 2018

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Quiet campground with occasion antlered visitors

    Campsites were nice sized, large food storage cabinets and the comfort station was new and cleaned well. Rangers were very helpful and happily answered questions for our kids. No electric at the campsites and no showers-par for the course at a National Park. Had a great stay

  • Lisa K.
    Aug. 16, 2018

    The Crags Campground — State Forest State Park

    Great scenery--lots of moose around!

    The 26 campsites at the Crags Campground in State Forest State Park were very basic and accessed by a road that was steep and narrow. No RVs or trailers allowed or able to make it up the narrow one lane access road, which made it nice and quiet for tent camping. Fire grills and picnic tables provided, but no designated tent pads, no bear boxes, no electricity, and only a tough to use hand pump for water in the center of the campground. As of August 2018, there was an appallingly old and poorly maintained pit toilet for the campground use--with a brand new, nice looking pit toilet complete with handicapped parking--locked and roped off with construction netting. We were visited by a moose at dinner time two nights in a row as she had unfortunately become accustomed to eating from people's unsecured trash and had a special liking for hot dogs and potato chips. Beautiful place, with neat animals, but be aware how basic it really is.

  • Marisa L.
    Jul. 7, 2017

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Amazing views

    This was our first campground stop of the summer for us. The views alone were breathe taking at this campground. Aspengen just remodeled all the bathrooms on site with running water and flushable toilets. Our tent only site was a walk-in site with the perfect amount of privacy. Site B is the least shaded on that loop but still a nice site with a fire ring, picnic table and tent pad. There are 2 huge bear lockers for all food and scented toiletries. One is located near where your car is parked the other located 10 feet from the camp pad. There's also a water pump with drinkable water located near the parking area. You'll have to purchase fire wood if you want to use the fire ring $5/bundle. Falls river runs right along the edge of campgrounds. You can't get in but it is nice to listen to at night while laying under the stars. You'll definitely see plenty of deer freely roam around the camp even in the middle of the day. Highly recommend reserving this place early in the year. Other sites on loop A are also very nice. Great site, great views, great park rangers.

    P. S. Since the campground is within the park you'll have to pay the $20/day or $30/week parking pass upon entering

  • Renae P.
    Jun. 24, 2022

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Wonderful stay

    This site had a bit of a drop from the parking to the pad which is fine, just something to know. Nicely shaded and a short drive to visitor center with a restaurant. The ranger station sells ice and firewood from 5:30-7:30 in the evening. Each site has a bear box and the rangers are very serious about their use. We saw other campers who left food unattended get a ticket. (As they should) restrooms were clean. No showers. A lovely experience

  • S
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Rob Roy Campground

    Prepare for 3 Ws- Water, weather, & wildlife.

    This wooded campground has a very narrow season. Gravel roads (starting at Albany) were snowed in 4 miles out in late May 2019, While there are gendered vault toilets (TP stocked), bring your own water for cooking and cleaning. This fact alone makes it better for RVs than tent campers like us. There are loads of sites, well spaced with fire rings and picnic tables. We got rain and small hail on the 3rd weekend in July and it got to 40 F or below overnight. Deer, chipmunks, and a bald eagle were spotted. There were mosquitoes. There is a boat ramp into the reservoir. Heavily ATV traffic. Dog friendly but must be on leash. Gunfire noted early and late across reservoir. With proper prior planning, you will probably have a pleasant experience.

Guide to Cowdrey

Dispersed tent campsites near Cowdrey, Colorado offer backcountry camping opportunities in the high plains environment of North Park basin at elevations above 8,000 feet. This region experiences temperature swings of 30-40°F between day and night even in summer months. Winter camping is possible but requires cold-weather gear as temperatures regularly drop below 0°F.

What to do

Explore sand dunes: The North Sand Hills recreation area offers unique terrain for hiking and photography. Visitors at BLM North Sand Hills Campground note, "We ended up camping not in the campground but in dispersed camping located all around the dunes. Beautiful spots with amazing views. Be prepared for wind!"

Visit local dining: Campers staying at Vic & Sigrid Hanson Memorial Park can access town amenities. One visitor mentioned, "Great restaurant on Main Street. Reasonable grocery store at gas station."

Stargazing: Open terrain creates excellent night sky viewing conditions. A camper at Sage Campground reports, "The biggest drawback to this campground is it is completely open with no trees... Excellent for stargazing."

What campers like

Accessibility: Many camping areas offer easy vehicle access. A visitor at Walden Reservoir Dispersed Camping shared, "Easy to get to. Lovely to see. Pelicans and seagulls. Flat, no trees and darned few bushes taller than sage."

Wildlife viewing: The area provides opportunities to observe birds and other wildlife. Walden Reservoir visitors frequently report seeing pelicans, seagulls, and other water birds along the shoreline.

Sunset views: The unobstructed horizons create dramatic evening skies. One camper at Walden Reservoir noted, "simple, and easy place to get to... flat awesome sunset."

What you should know

Weather conditions: Strong winds are common and require proper equipment. A camper at Beaver Creek Trailhead advised, "Beautiful views, one of our fav places. Completely free just follow the dispersed camping rules. No amenities."

Insect activity: Different sites experience varying levels of insect pressure. A Walden Reservoir visitor warned, "We showed up at night and it was very quiet, no problem finding a spot to camp. However, during the day the gnats, bugs, and ants were everywhere. Literally crawled up our boots and bodies."

Road conditions: Some access roads can be challenging for passenger vehicles. One visitor to BLM North Sand Hills Campground reported, "The roads going in there are rough and then turn to sand. Car struggled a bit."

Tips for camping with families

Choose established sites: Campgrounds with basic facilities provide more comfort for children. Sage Campground offers some infrastructure as noted by a visitor: "The bathrooms are very clean. There are fire rings, a picnic table, and tent pads in every site."

Consider timing: Bug activity affects comfort levels significantly. A Walden Reservoir camper advised, "Great place to over night, but terrible place to hang out during the day unless you have a bug net."

Pack sun protection: Limited shade requires planning for sun exposure. Most camping areas near Cowdrey feature minimal tree cover, making shade structures essential for family comfort during summer days.

Tips from RVers

Size considerations: Many dispersed areas can accommodate RVs but have limitations. RV campers at Walden Reservoir advise, "We ended up driving too far and just parking next to the lake for the night to camp. Lots of dirt trails near the lake, maybe not for camping but we showed up after driving 6 hours."

GPS reliability: Navigation systems may provide inconsistent directions to remote sites. A visitor to North Sand Hills noted, "When I got there maps took me in the wrong direction then rerouted me."

Site selection: Finding level parking requires scouting. Many dispersed camping areas feature uneven terrain that can challenge larger vehicles, making advance reconnaissance valuable when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cowdrey, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cowdrey, CO is Walden Reservoir Dispersed Camping with a 3.8-star rating from 6 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 43 tent camping locations near Cowdrey, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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