Best Tent Camping near Cripple Creek, CO

Several tent campsites dot the landscape surrounding Cripple Creek, Colorado, offering diverse camping experiences within Pike National Forest and nearby public lands. Red Canyon Park provides primitive tent camping with sites situated among striking red rock formations. Rampart Range Area offers dispersed tent campsites at higher elevations, while Phantom Canyon provides more secluded options along a scenic byway.

Access to tent sites varies significantly across the region. Red Canyon Park features dirt road access that most vehicles can navigate when dry, though some sections become challenging after rain. Most tent campsites include basic fire rings but limited amenities. Vault toilets are available at some locations like Red Canyon Park and Shelf Road Sites, but not at all primitive areas. Campers should bring sufficient water supplies, as drinking water is unavailable at most dispersed sites. The 72-hour stay limit applies at several locations including Red Canyon Park.

Tent camping in this region offers exceptional solitude, particularly at sites farther from main roads. Many campsites provide flat tent pads with surrounding terrain varying from pinyon-juniper woodlands to open meadows with mountain views. The higher elevation sites typically offer cooler temperatures during summer months. Dispersed tent sites throughout Pike National Forest remain less crowded than established campgrounds, especially on weekdays. Areas near Shelf Road provide tent campers with convenient access to climbing routes. One camper noted, "Red Canyon Park was absolutely beautiful with very spread out campsites. I barely saw anyone drive by the whole time, with so many fun places to explore, like climbing on rocks to see the mountains around you."

Best Tent Sites Near Cripple Creek, Colorado (36)

    1. Red Canyon Park

    21 Reviews
    Victor, CO
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 269-9028

    "This was my first time solo tent camping. It went well. The space had a fire ring and picnic table. I might have been the only person at the park and it was quite peaceful!"

    "Views were terrific, whether you want something a bit more open or further into the canyon where it’s surrounded by gorgeous red rocks. I chose an open site and if you do, beware of the wind."

    2. Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites

    38 Reviews
    Cañon City, CO
    17 miles

    "Driving down to this campsite I was happy to have a small car because the road is very narrow to say the least. I cannot imagine the feeling of driving a large rig here."

    "We arrived the Phantom Creek Road around 4:30pm. 10miles and 30 minutes later we found our spot."

    3. Lone Duck Campground and Cabins

    34 Reviews
    Green Mountain Falls, CO
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 684-9907

    $40 - $87 / night

    "Our site had grass, shade, a picnic table, and a fire ring - everything you need for a basic campsite."

    "Lone Duck Campground was a good home base for us during our visit to Colorado Springs. The campground is several miles down from Woodland Park and about the same down to Manitou and the Springs."

    4. Rocky Mountain Oasis!!

    2 Reviews
    Midland, CO
    5 miles
    +1 (303) 748-2969

    $150 / night

    5. Rampart Range Area Dispersed Campsite

    12 Reviews
    Green Mountain Falls, CO
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 553-1400

    "Honestly so many spots some trash I picked up. But nothing to crazy. Lots of self made fire pits"

    "Some people left trash, which is annoying. Views are great. Rough road getting there though"

    6. Shelf Road Sites

    2 Reviews
    Victor, CO
    9 miles
    +1 (719) 269-8500

    "There are vault toilets that are clean and have toilet paper. One vault toilet part way on the hike to the walls did not have TP."

    "Wonderful access to Shelf climbing. Very peaceful."

    7. Phantom Canyon

    5 Reviews
    Penrose, CO
    14 miles

    "I’m a rooftop tent camper and the views are amazing but was hoping to be close to the water and isolated from other campers."

    "It is in a canyon so you won't have any cell phone signal, though I had my Starlink set up and it worked flawlessly. We will go back, and I hope to get that spot before any other!"

    8. "Glamping" Pike's Peak Camping Spot- Reservation Only Site

    1 Review
    Midland, CO
    9 miles
    +1 (719) 400-9283

    $99 - $150 / night

    "Camp site has everything you need without the hassle of pitching your tent and packing it up."

    9. Dispersed Camping - Pike National Forest Divide

    9 Reviews
    Woodland Park, CO
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 636-1602

    "There are a lot of dirt bikes and atvs driving during the day however I didn’t find it overly disruptive."

    "Restrooms at base of road. Found our spot 2.5 miles up the road, definitely needed AWD."

    10. Wye

    4 Reviews
    Manitou Springs, CO
    13 miles
    +1 (719) 636-1602

    "Has fire rings and picnic tables. Closed for good, apparently because of bears, but far down the road so it’s very unlikely you’ll be bothered"

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Tent Camping Reviews near Cripple Creek, CO

1424 Reviews of 36 Cripple Creek Campgrounds


  • Staci W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2022

    East Ridge Campground - Royal Gorge

    Pricey but beautiful

    This campground used to be free when I first found it years ago while visiting the Royal Gorge. Since the city has invested money into fixing up the campsites with fire rings, tent pads, and what seems to be pretty good county road maintenance, it’s definitely understandable why they charge a fee.

    No water is available. There are vault toilets.

    There are NO bear boxes.

    Rules worth nothing (according to the sign upon entering camp):

    1. no alcohol (that didn’t seem to stop anyone from enjoying themselves at their site)
    2. You can only stay for 72 hours per visit unless otherwise noted.

    There’s lots of hiking and mountain bike trails near the campground, which brought lots of mellow mtb riders in during my stay.

    Because of the rules/amenities, i felt the price was a little steep as others have mentioned. However it is clean, close enough to Cañon city that you can go to town if needed, but far enough away to “unplug” from the world in a beautiful location. Overall I’d recommend visiting this campsite! I’ll happily return.

  • k
    May. 6, 2024

    Ruby Mountain Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

    Beautiful spot

    Really gorgeous camping spot with easy access to tons of different outdoor activities. Tent sites are very well maintained and very beautiful. Walk-in sites are very close to parking, I would barely consider them walk-in sites. My only complaint is that the tent pads are made of gravel and therefore extremely hard to properly stake down tents.

  • J
    Jun. 23, 2025

    Rocking Chair Campground — Eleven Mile State Park

    High Winds, Rough Roads - Won't Stay Again

    The reservoir and surrounding areas are beautiful, but we don't plan to return to this campground. The roads in are so rough and created so much vibration that it was actually damaging to our A-Liner camper (with an off-road package). The speed limit is 55 and we weren't able to go much faster than 10 mph without the vibration becoming unbearable. The campsites are totally exposed with no tree cover, but it was too windy to set up our shade tent. The winds were so strong that we slept poorly; a neighbor in a tent said the wind ripped off two of his rain fly straps overnight. We chose Site 612 because the sites in that loop looked more private and spacious, but we failed to note that there was no bathroom on that side of the campground, with the nearest facilities being a short drive away. We left after the first night.

  • K
    May. 2, 2019

    Mueller State Park Campground

    Amazing Facilities

    Some friends and I camped here in early October. It got a bit chilly at night, two layers, smartwool socks, a Carhart beanie, sleeping pad plus a medium temp sleeping bag kept me semi warm in our tent. The hikes we went on were beautiful and the restrooms were clean and close to our site. Because it was a last minute reservation we ended up in the RV section of the campsite so it was a little nosier than neccessary. We saw the park ranger ride through about every half hour to hour during our weekend stay. I would defintely stay there again!

  • d
    Dec. 27, 2024

    Oil Well Flats

    Great views

    Did the shelf trail from cripple creek to canon city. Was good place to camp for the night quite a few spots, flat, big. Amazing views! Incline getting up to isn’t bad, TT’s might have some trouble. Everyone else should be fine.

  • 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.

  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2019

    Swift Puma Heights Campground — Cheyenne Mountain State Park

    Easy to get to, not the most secluded

    We stayed at this campground in order to help out with the Xterra Race that was taking place the next day. We reserved two walk in sites (30 and 34) and it was easy to find them. The walk in sites are between 20-40 feet form the parking lot and on a slight (and rocky) hill. There was plenty of privacy by way of shrubs so it felt secluded even though the sites are right next to each other. 

    You can only set up tents on the tent pads in the sites so that was a little challenging being that we needed to sleep 10 and could only fit 1 tent per site. But we were able to make it work. Also, the ground is very compact, so stakes were hard to get into the ground and we had to tie off our guy-lines to the bushes to keep them in place during the night.  

    Keep in mind that you are on a military base area so you will hear TAPS periodically throughout the day and night. Campground is open year-round 

    It has:

    51 Full Hook-Up sites 

    10 Basic Tent sites 

    Coin operated showers and laundry (Seasonal; These amenities are for active campers only.)

    Overall the sites were great. Bear food lockers and water at each site. The firepits were large and well ventilated. The bathrooms were super clean and accommodating. Lots of trails and ranger led events happening to keep you (and your kids and dogs) entertained.

  • 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 Cripple Creek

Pike National Forest surrounds Cripple Creek, Colorado with camping options ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. The area features pine forests interspersed with aspen groves and mountain meadows. Overnight temperatures can drop below 40°F even in summer months due to the high elevation, requiring campers to pack warm clothing regardless of season.

What to do

Rock climbing access: Shelf Road Sites provides direct access to climbing areas. "The Banks campsites are perfect if you're climbing at Shelf Road. You can hike from the campsite. There are vault toilets that are clean and have toilet paper," notes Alice C.

Fishing opportunities: Several sites offer access to streams and small lakes for fishing. Trout fishing is particularly popular at some locations in spring and early summer when water levels are higher. Remember that Colorado fishing licenses are required and can be purchased online or at sporting goods stores in nearby towns.

Crystal hunting: The red rock areas contain mineral deposits worth exploring. One visitor to Red Canyon Park mentioned "AMAZING crystal finds here," though they also cautioned about "cacti mats everywhere and not safe for pets/dogs."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings provide the best opportunities for viewing deer, small mammals, and birds. "We saw one more camper drive by the entire weekend. Other than that, it was completely quiet and we felt nice and secluded," reported Taylor B. about their winter camping experience.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Many dispersed camping areas offer substantial separation between campers. At Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites, one camper found "a place tucked back away from the road and felt completely secluded from the world. No service, no noise, just the sound of the creek and an occasional car driving by."

Winter camping opportunities: The area offers year-round camping possibilities for those prepared for cold weather. "We came mid February and arrived to a bit of snow. We saw one more camper drive by the entire weekend. Other than that, it was completely quiet," shared one visitor about their experience.

Geology exploration: The distinctive red rock formations provide unique exploration opportunities. "There are some really cool rock formations - but only to look at unfortunately as they are on private property. However, there are plenty of rocks to scramble up on for a view of the formations that are public," noted a camper.

Stargazing conditions: Minimal light pollution in dispersed camping areas creates excellent night sky viewing. "Stunning views of the canyon and great star gazing. Just get there on a weekday or all of the off-the-road spots will be taken up," advised Matthew L.

What you should know

Weather considerations: Mountain weather can change rapidly, with significant temperature drops at night even in summer. At Rampart Range Area Dispersed Campsite, one visitor reported: "The place was pretty windy when we were there and next day we woke up with few inches of snow. Nothing of that down in town."

Road conditions: Many camping areas require driving on dirt roads of varying quality. A camper at Red Canyon Park noted, "The dirt road was easy for our loaded down Subaru to handle," while another mentioned "major dips in the roads" that challenged larger vehicles.

Wildlife precautions: Bears are active in the area, requiring proper food storage. One camper advised, "BE SMART ABOUT FOOD! We did have a bear encounter as we were driving out of the park."

Limited facilities: Most dispersed sites lack water sources and restrooms. Vault toilets exist at some established areas, but campers need to bring all necessary water. "Spaces feel very clearly mapped out so you know pretty quick if you are parked in a designated spot. Signs say that you can stay for up to 72 hours."

Tips for camping with families

Site selection for children: Look for campsites with natural barriers that prevent wandering toward roads. One family at Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites found "an amazing camp site that was down a slope. We parked up top and lugged everything down the slope. It was tough but so worth it... Highly worth the hard work as you're secluded from the road and have a lot of tree coverage for hot days. Also great to utilize this if you have young children who like to wander."

Bug protection: Insects can be problematic during summer months. "BRING BUG SPRAY! Mosquitos were a bit annoying but DEET helped," recommended one camper. Another mentioned "biting flies" being particularly troublesome: "The worst and only bad part was the insane amount of biting flies. It was unbearable at times."

Historic features: Several areas contain remnants of mining history that can interest children. The drive through Phantom Canyon includes "cool tunnels to drive through" as mentioned by visitors, providing educational opportunities about the area's gold mining past.

Water recreation: Some campsites provide creek access for shallow water play. "There was 5 different camp site areas at the bottom right next to the water," noted a family that camped near a creek, providing natural entertainment for children.

Tips from RVers

Site leveling needs: Many dispersed sites require leveling equipment. At Rocky Mountain Oasis!!, campers reported needing to use leveling blocks on uneven ground: "We went quite a ways in and found a site for our campervan. Needed leveling blocks but saw several occupied sites more level."

Road clearance considerations: Some access roads have significant dips requiring higher clearance vehicles. "There's major dips in the roads," noted one camper, while another mentioned: "It took us three attempts to get our overweight 2-wheel drive van up the hill and back onto the road. There are a lot of loose rocks."

Space limitations: Larger RVs face significant challenges on many roads leading to dispersed camping areas. A camper observed: "The road is dirt and goes for 7+ miles if you keep going to exit the park a different way... Cars and campers cannot make it past a certain point."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cripple Creek, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cripple Creek, CO is Red Canyon Park with a 4.4-star rating from 21 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 36 tent camping locations near Cripple Creek, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.