The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Curecanti National Recreation Area. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Curecanti National Recreation Area, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
$24 - $34 / night
"Our campsite was number 7 (on a clearing surrounded by a creek with a few other campsites). Campsites are close in proximity, but we had awesome campers around us who we befriended."
"You are in close proximity to other campers as is usual in a BLM or NFS campground. Not an issue really. There is a rodent issue at the camp."
$20 - $34 / night
"We had deer around our campsite (we had to have our dog on a leash because at that time of year the deer have babies and get fiesty."
"I'd like to correct a couple of misconceptions that might be coming from faulty info here or in other listings outside the recreation.gov system."
"Didn’t say pet friendly on the reviews but my dog and I found a nice little secluded campsite off to the right and down a less jagged road. Be careful."
"Great location right next to the park! There are plenty of sites and the views are beautiful. Entrance was slightly rutted so make sure you can off-road just a bit!"
"Many of the sites are shaded by the trees and the nearby creek provides soothing background noise during nights. Trails near the sites are very accessible. Views are gorgeous."
"We arrived at Soap Creek Campground around noon on a Friday in mid-July and found several wonderful sites to choose from."
$30 / night
"This campground is west of Gunnison, Colorado across from Blue Mesa Reservoir. No cell service, but they have free wifi. The wifi is slow and when it's busy doesn't work well."
"It is a great place to explore from into the many surrounding popular locations."
$20 / night
"This is a really sweet campsite… With a few sites up top when you enter that overlook the creek and adjacent Ridge, and then many more sides down by the creek."
"If the lake is low you have to hike lots of deer and clean spot"
$24 / night
"Yes it's multiple big open parking lots, but there is a lake with shore access, a boat launch, and clean facilities. "
"Great view of the lake! Basically two glorified parking lots with picnic tables and fire pits, but they had the cleanest restrooms I’ve ever seen at a campground! I’ll be coming back."
$30 - $150 / night
"The campground is very convenient location for the lake and rivers. Nice service of coffee and a few microwaved food options. It has a nice game room also. "
"From the moment we stepped into the lodge to check in, we were greeted with the bright smiles of the owners. They escorted us to our site to ensure it was to our liking- wow!"
$20 / night
"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."
"Driving through Colorado in the fall there is nothing which can compare. "
RangerThis campsite is just west of Gunnison, CO and east of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It is in the Curecanti National Recreation Area where there are multiple campgrounds and dispersed camping sites. This review is on the Curecanti Creek campground on Morrow Point Reservoir. You can locate this campsite on the map in this link https://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/maps.htm . This campground is alongside the Gunnison River in a canyon; it is beautiful and perfect for SUPing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. This is a free campsite and is not reservable, so come claim your spot early in the day/weekend.
First thing you should know is this is a pack in or boat in campsite. When I camped here, I parked at Pioneer Point and hiked the Curecanti Creek Trail down the canyon to the river. The trail from the top to the water is just under 2 miles. It is a beautiful trail that follows Curecanti Creek. Be aware that there is a 900 ft elevation change from top to bottom; the trail is steep. The group I went with managed to hike with all our gear; none of us are avid hikers but are in our 20s. I wouldn't recommend bringing small children along, but I do recommend bringing your dog! If you want to boat in, I know that you can launch any type of car top boat at Pine Creek (refer back to that map).
Once you get down to the river there is a small campsite and very small beach area. There is room for maybe 2 tents. There is also a bear box, fire pit, and apparently a vault toilet according to the NPS website, but I don't recall there being a bathroom. Our group was too big to fit at the campsite, so we went back up the trail about a mile because there is actually another campsite up the trail that has a fire pit with a grate, a picnic table, and enough room to fit 5+ tents. I definitely recommend stopping at this campsite if you have a large group, it's a shorter haul with all your gear. This campsite is to the left of the trail and to the right of the creek. There is also another campsite called Blue Creek (refer to that map again) across the river from the first campsite I mentioned. That one is right on the river and had more space; probably enough room for 3 tents. I'm not sure what else it had because I never went over there. You would need to haul down a boat to get across the river to reach that one though.
I do recommend bringing some type of boat/raft/floatie so that you can explore the canyon. We hauled down an inflatable paddle board and paddled to Chipeta Falls (on the map) which is just east of the campsite on the river. Although the water is cold, it is calm and easy to paddle or swim in. Overall, this campsite is a little work to get to but the beauty is worth it! Not to mention, the stars at night were awesome for star gazing.
TravelerThe Gunnison KOA is in a beautiful setting with large trees that is about 75 yards from the river. The spaces are generously sized, although the camping sites could use power outlets. They are very kid and pet friendly; and have a dog park. There is a friendly donkey who roams the grounds, so make sure your 4 legged friends are okay around bigger animals. The bathrooms are clean and functional. The same could not be said for the dishwashing station that is outdoors. It is in horrible condition, including a dripping faucet. Also, be aware that you are very close to the river and there is a mosquito and moisture problem. Even with these minor problems, this is still a great place to stay.
GuideGreat place to camp in Colorado to avoid weekend crowds. Wide open, off the beaten path as far as Colorado goes.
RangerThis campsite is great if you want to do Telluride on a budget - it's free. It's right next to the town and is used a lot for Telluride's summer festivals. Its more than a campground it is also where a lot of town events are held and also has sports venues. There's also grills, bathrooms, picnic tables, a dog park, and a pond. Unless you're at a festival, the campground isn't where you will want to spend your time though. The campground is very close to Bridal Veil Falls, a huge free fall waterfall. You can drive or hike up to it, and climb around on the rocks and get blasted by cold water from the falls. It's huge. There's also a bunch of awesome hikes around Telluride - the San Juans are my favorite part of Colorado.
TravelerThis is the most beautiful RV Camp in Colorado. We come every year.
GuideWe usually boondock, but stopped here for a change. Great sites, lovely staff, dog park, great BBQ, band at night ... really a top notch KOA.
TravelerWe spend three days here between some disperse camping in the region and could not say enough good things. The staff were extremely friendly, this sites were clean, dog park great, river amazing, and location to Montrose perfect.
The laundry rooms was clean with new equipment.
The Wifi was five stars which is rare in most RV parks. Super fast speeds.
We will be back!
GuideDrove out with some friends from Kansas in early October this year and the views and weather was Amazing! Campsite has “fees” through an honor system so you no host to worry about you come and camp as you go here. Place has fire pits bathrooms! One of my favorite spots to camp in Colorado so far.
GuideThis was such a magically beautiful location. The aspens were amazing, the surrounding forest, flowing river and waterfalls, and sweeping mountain scapes were breathtaking. Why only two stars? Well, first off, our campsite seemed too perfect to still be open, and it was. Unbeknownst to us, we were the only place for miles that you can get cell service, so we had 20-30 “visitors” a day drive up to our little round about spot to get a phone call or text out. That’s more people I see a day than even my own neighborhood and far more than I want to see on my outdoor exhursion.
Ok, so we picked a bad spot.... but every place we hiked and drove was overrun with cattle. Within an hour of our arrival and set up, cows began to wander over, pooping all over the place. Cows were EVERYWHERE- all the way up to Silver Jack reservoir and further. That made the flies worse than normal. They were the only “wildlife” we saw in four days... 15-20 at a time... hundreds overall. In all of my years camping in Colorado, I’ve never experienced this. Every camper we encountered complained about it. I loved the views, but I’ll never be back to camp.
Discovering pet-friendly camping options near Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado allows you to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry friends. Here are some excellent campgrounds that welcome pets and offer a range of amenities and activities.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Curecanti National Recreation Area is Elk Creek Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 33 reviews.
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