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Pike National Forest offers several tent camping options near Deckers, Colorado, including Matukat Road Dispersed Camping and South Platte River Corridor. These areas provide primitive tent sites with varying levels of accessibility and amenities. Dispersed camping is available throughout much of the surrounding national forest land, with designated areas typically marked by established fire rings and cleared tent pads.
Most tent sites in the Deckers area feature dirt or gravel surfaces with minimal improvements. Dispersed camping areas like Matukat Road typically include fire rings but lack drinking water, toilets, or trash service. Campers must pack in all water and supplies and pack out all waste. During summer months, fire restrictions are common throughout the region, so tent campers should check current regulations before planning to have a campfire. The South Platte River Corridor offers more established tent sites with toilets and trash service, though fires are not permitted in this area.
Tent camping in the Deckers area provides excellent access to fishing along the South Platte River and hiking on nearby trails. Sites at higher elevations offer cooler temperatures during summer months, while areas along the river provide water access. Tree cover varies significantly between locations, with some sites offering ample shade and others situated in more open terrain. Weekends typically see higher visitation, especially during summer months. One camper at Matukat Road Dispersed Camping noted, "Rock fire pits, wood around. No water, garbage, nor toilets. Cool temps, road in is rough go slow. Nice shady trees." The area is known for interesting rock formations that tent campers can explore during day hikes from their campsites.
"Rock fire pits, wood around. No water, garbage, nor toilets. Cool temps, road in is rough go slow. Nice shady trees. First few spots you encounter left, then right seem ok."
"We drove a couple of miles up the decently maintained dirt road and found the second dispersed camping spot and decided to set up our roof top tent for the night. "
"It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
"Had a nice little hike around the area. My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"Cell service- none (t-mobile) Firewood- none Camp host- none Water - non Toilets- port a potty Fire ring- yes No leveled tent sites- generally flat land."
"Trash and Port a potties are provided. Site is right next to the Platte River. Picnic Table and Fire Ring is provided per site. Very relaxing, great views , and respectful neighbors."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"Downtown Deckers has an intersection with the river and plenty of parking for fishermen or those wanting to grab a bite at the restaurant."
"great campsite near the river with lots of space and trees"
"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."
"Some have pre existing fire rings. Would definitely come back."
"Most spots are taken by the weekends but if you’re fine with a more sloped spot, there can be some open ones for late arrivals."
"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."
from $40 - $87 / night
Check Availability"I recommend not attempting road with 2WD… seems quite rough in spaces. Having the extra support made me feel better. A bit of an incline but I found plenty of space to set up my tent!"
"Found a great little campsite and had a fox as a neighbor! Only downfall was there was broken glass everywhere 😔"
RangerBathrooms were very nice and clean. Lots of sites with minimal privacy. Pretty packed and noisy in October. Our site had electrical hookups and its own water. Picnic tables and fire rings available as well. Looks like a very family friendly campground. Stayed one night.
ScoutGreat spot for relaxing weekend getaway for our family. Plenty of room for the kids to explore and they even had a blow up bouncy house for them during the day. Hot tub under the stars at evening time. Very clean bathrooms!
RangerCool spot. I like there were different sized spots and a clearly marked line where a 4WD/AWD vehicle is needed and no large rigs. I found a spot that was visible by the road, but there was water access and cool surroundings. The main road was well paved, but turning into my site was a bit rough and I needed the 4WD. There were large animal (I assume black bear) prints to give that extra bit of camping excitement, but no actual sitings (one day, Juliana. One day). Some mosquitos but not overwhelming. The scenery was gorgeous. Definitely a bit desert-esque but it was legitimately perfect weather in mid September. Cool creek rocks and a stunner of a sunset. Would absolutely return again. No numbered sites. Toilets about 1/4 mile beyond the drive through boulder.
ScoutLake Wellington is a beautiful family and dog friendly campground just about 90 minutes from Denver. There are 75 sites, and even when it's pretty full they are decently spaced out that you don't feel too on top of other guests. We brought our dogs and a group of friends and had a great few nights, even seeing Bald Eagles mating!
ScoutI want to start on a positive because that is the type of person I am, and because this review is going to have a lot of negative. This park is a great location for sightseeing, especially if you are going to Pikes Peak by way of the Cog or shopping in Manitou. My GM and I worked hard to make the park as great as we could with the very little funding that we got. As seen in the reviews we had excellent customer service and had high standards for keeping the park clean. I was very good at my job and I loved doing the work until the new owners took over. When the park was sold, we had high hopes that the new owners would be good people and want to put real work into the park. We were very disappointed that they turned out to be money grubbing horrible people. Ken, one of the owners, treats people and his business very Trump like. He and his wife must state that they are religious more than a few times when having a conversation; I personally think this is to make themselves look good to cover the toxicity that truly lies under the surface. When they meet people, they put on a façade and lie and say whatever they think people want to hear to get what they want; proven to me by the broken verbal promises they made to me. They are not community driven; they are money driven; you can make money and still be good people, but they chose not to be. They practice wage theft just like big corporations by over working employees and under paying them; in their words“you must wear all hats”. They are the type of people that use others until they don’t need them then throw them away like garbage. I was bullied into quitting on a phone call where Ken was very disrespectful and unprofessional with me. The phone call was me trying to explain that I could no longer do the FB post due to our deferent ethical viewpoints, and he would not let me talk by saying“you are not doing your job, are you going to quit” repeatedly. I found out that I was not allowed to post about Manitou Pride parade because he said,“it is not family friendly, and the company and I do not promote the LGBTQ+ community”. I am a proud member of that community and so I should not be the one to post on FB for the company. The groundman quit a day later because of disrespect and broken verbal promises. Then a few days later my boyfriend was fired and then Sheryl the GM was fired.(I believe they were fired for retaliation) Ken only wants employees that are easy to exploit or controlled, because he is incapable of managing people without fear and bullying. He boasted that he is called the grim reaper in business, but I don’t think that is the flex he thinks it is. But yes, he was the destruction of the community we put so much work into. I also want to voice my disappointment in Dana, who Sheryl worked hard getting to be allowed to come back as an employee. Dana did great work her first summer with us, so it was a shock to see her true colors show when she started to brown nose Ken. She spread multiple rumors, I feel the worst one was about Melinda’s daughter and the things she wrote about in her diary. I also did not like how she used David, the guy that does the golfcart tours in Manitou, was nice to his face then talked so badly about him when he was not around. I truly think Jesue and her father would be ashamed of her for how she acted to get her new position.
TravelerIf you are going to camp at a lakefront spot definitely have something you can sit in else you will be attacked by flies. Super quiet during the week - got busy over the weekend.
ScoutFound a great spot a bit further in surrounded by Juniper trees and a bit of grassy patches and rock fire pit. Love the open space and secluded spots! Definitely not ideal for the cacti. Our pup ended up sniffing one and got the needles in her muzzle. 😬 Weather is pretty nice with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s
GuideOur Campsite was nice, very clean and well kept. It did seems like the sites were a bit to close together and every spot filled. Pads were level, area around the picnic table spacious. Pit toilets were clean. The dump station was very nice and easy to use. We were driving down through Colorado to view the Fall Aspen leaves. I wish we would have stayed longer at this campsite. We stayed at the Conifer Ridge loop site 46 ...
ScoutWe absolutely love Badger Flats, and even though it’s no longer free ($15/night), it’s still our go-to campground. If you don’t mind the occasional dirt bike/ATV and no services, and love a beautiful area with camp spots spread out - then go to BF.
The South Platte River flows through Pike National Forest near Deckers at an elevation of 6,700 feet, creating a diverse landscape where pine forests meet rocky outcroppings. This area receives approximately 17 inches of precipitation annually, with summer temperatures typically ranging from 45-85°F. Terrain varies from flat riverside locations to steep mountain campsites with elevation gains of 500-1,000 feet.
Hiking opportunities: Several trails extend from camping areas near Deckers, including paths that connect to rock formations. One camper at Matukat Road Dispersed Camping noted, "The rocks behind us are absolutely outrageous. There's good hiking the area as well."
Wildlife viewing: The forests around Deckers support diverse wildlife including deer, moose, and cattle on grazing lands. At Dispersed Camping - Pike National Forest Divide, campers reported, "We had a moose and deer at our campsite during the mornings so I suggest being weary of wildlife."
Mountain biking: Forest service roads around the camping areas provide routes for mountain biking enthusiasts. A visitor to Matukat Road mentioned, "Saw a few cars & mountain bikers on the road each day but nothing too noisy."
Privacy between sites: Many dispersed camping areas offer considerable separation between campsites. A reviewer at Rampart Range Area Dispersed Campsite advised, "Head down one of the many connecting service roads for better options and some peace and quiet."
Accessibility for standard vehicles: Most dispersed camping areas near Deckers can be reached without specialized vehicles. One camper at Truman's Rock shared, "We were told of this spot by Great Outdoor Adventures in Woodland Park. The fire pit was insufficient so we built a new one that we are proud of!"
Verizon cell service: Unlike many remote areas, several camping locations near Deckers offer limited connectivity. A camper at Matukat Road Dispersed Camping reported, "We had between two and three bars of Verizon service at the site but no Verizon service at the main road so it is spotty."
Variable road conditions: Access roads to some camping areas require careful driving. A reviewer at Osprey Campground warned, "The roads coming in can be scary if you aren't used to driving on mountain roads. They're narrow, with mostly no guard rails, sharp corners and dirt roads."
Limited services in town: Deckers has minimal amenities for resupplying. The same Osprey camper explained, "The nearest store is in decker, but it has no gas or air. They have a little restaurant, ice cream shop, convenience store that is very limited but does have firewood and ice along with a few other camping supplies."
Seasonal weather variations: High-elevation camping means rapid weather changes. At Rampart Range, a visitor shared, "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."
Rock exploration for kids: The unique rock formations provide natural playgrounds. At Platte River Campground, families appreciate sites that offer "great access to world class fly fishing so you can get started early in the morning."
Livestock awareness: Children should understand that cattle roam freely in some areas. One family at Matukat Road reported, "Livestock do graze in the area, we saw a herd of cows that initially we thought were bears so we had a split second of worry before realizing what they were."
Planning for noise levels: Some campgrounds experience more traffic and activity than others. A family noted at Matukat Road, "Friday night, the site welcomed a bunch of noisy and I respectful neighbors with loud music all day. But other than that we totally would be back for another trip."
Designated pull-off areas: Most dispersed camping areas have specific spots suitable for parking larger vehicles. A visitor to Pike National Forest Divide observed, "Each campsite was decently spaced and far enough from the road so that you can U turn it and it doesn't feel like you're just pulling off to the side."
Clearance considerations: Some forest roads require higher-clearance vehicles. One RVer at Matukat Road advised, "The only thing I would advise is you need some reasonable clearance to get all the way back in here."
Early arrival recommended: The best tent camping near Deckers, Colorado fills quickly during peak season. A camper noted, "Arrived mid-afternoon on a Friday and had our pick of the sites, only saw one other group setup ahead of us."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Deckers, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Deckers, CO is Matukat Road Dispersed Camping with a 4.6-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Deckers, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 66 tent camping locations near Deckers, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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