Best RV Parks & Resorts near Empire, CO

I have a 22’ travel trailer I pull behind an F150. Since this campground is inside Rocky Mountain National Park, the roads are all paved.

The campground sites are situated around one-way driving loops, which are quite narrow. Best to pay attention to which side of the loop your site is on so your trailer door doesn’t open up onto the road. I think they error on the side of caution when it comes to the size of trailer fitting into each spot. At least for mine. They said max 26’ (trailer + tow vehicle), but I’m closer to 32’ and I fit fine. That may not be true of all campsites though. There is parking very close by if your tow vehicle can’t squeeze into the site.

My site didn’t have a whole lot of trees, but they planted a bunch of small ones to try and fix this years from now. Sites were level and had lots of space. Each had a fire pit and picnic table.

There were no hookups and no cell service (Verizon). They did have trash drop offs, water for cleaning pans and dishes, and bathrooms. It was very quiet at night. Generators are allowed but only for a couple times a day during short windows.

Glacier Basin campground is just a few miles from the Bear Lake trailhead. It was very nice to stay inside the park. Vehicle passes to get into National Parks were still required when I stayed and the lines to get in were very long and slow.

Good Sam discount CO RV Parks are all more on the expensive side, but Elk Meadow is on the lower end of those around them. Great access to the RMNP(5 mins max!), as well as to downtown. Beautiful views of Longs Peak! Nearest grocery is close(5 miles away). Elk occasionally pass thru the front area which was really cool! There is also a little area next to the RV park where I think they park stored vehicles and it's a great place to walk. It's dirt, but about the size of a track. 

GUEST SERVICES= great customer service! Friendly staff anytime I went into the office; they shuffled around to accommodate out extended stay on the spot so we wouldn't have to relocate and could stay at our site the whole time we were in town. We appreciated that! 

WIFI/ CELL SERVICE= provided, but not reliable. We used our AT&T hotspot the entire time bc we work remote. Cell service was 4 bars and worked fine in the entire campground. 

LAUNDRY: Not the cleanest laundry room we've been too, but it worked. There was a soap and water station in the laundry I used to wipe down the inside of the washer(by the chlorox holder) before using. The trashcan always seemed to be overflowing with lent and trash, but again, clean enough. 

SITE: Wide roads and turns; easy to navigate throughout the campground; quiet; picnic table; spacious, no shade, needed levels on one side of our RV; dirt roads throughout so, unless it rained, it was very dusty and so we didn't open our windows as much as we wanted with the fresh mountain air. When it rained and calmed down the dust, then it was perfect to open the windows.

Gore Creek Campground is a true gem of the National Forest Service. If you are looking for a great boondocking location that is close to great trails and breathtaking views, this just might be the place for you. The entrance to the campground is ~2 miles off of I-70 Exit 180 on Bighorn Road. Only 10 minutes from Vail Village and 25 minutes from Frisco.

We stayed in Site #8, which provided plenty of room for our 22’ travel trailer and pickup. The sites each have a large picnic table and fire ring.

Pit toilets are spread through the campground and were very clean and well maintained. The campground hosts do a great job of keeping everything tidy and looking great. They also have bundles of firewood for sale for $7 at their site just inside the entrance to the campground.

I can’t say enough about this place. It’s probably my favorite spot to camp in Colorado. I almost didn’t post this review for fear of the secret getting out.

When visiting Estes Park if you are wanting to be close to all the action the KOA of Estes Park is the place to be.    Offering a midsized tent section, a large close together RV section and several cabins to provide the perfect retreat for those visiting the location is within walking distance of the lake and within a short drive of some of the best attractions of the area including the Stanley Hotel, hiking at Lily Lake or Long’s Peak and the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.   

I found this campground to be well organized, although it was less remote and did not feel like as much of a mountain retreat as many of the outlying camps of the area.     The tent area seemed a bit less bustling than the RV section as there was a bit of green space versus the sandy and clay landscape of the RV and cabin area.   

Something that really drew me into this campground was the deck spaces which offered elevated viewing of the surrounding.   It was a really interesting component which allows you to see a much larger range than the camp itself and created a unique setting for enjoying the mountain breeze on a hot day or gave a nice view of the stars at night.

This location epitomizes the idea of KOA campgrounds offering elevated services such as WIFI, Cable TV connections and a dog park.     In addition there is a store which offers a variety of items including propane and firewood.

Since I am a tent camper I really wanted to explore more of the tent area than other areas of the park.  I noticed they had both water and electric sites and electric only sites.    Each of these accommodate up to 6 people, although I would say that would make me feel a bit to crowded.     The tent camps also allow small vans or pop ups in this area.   

But here is the BIG KICKER…. The Price!!

Staying in Estes Park and being so close to everything comes at a HUGE price point.   To have all the amazing amenities you will pay $53 or $58 for a tent site.    To me this is WAY above budget and while it is a prime location the price point is not within reason for me personally.    You can stay inside Rocky Mountain National Park at a price point that is half that of this park.   You are paying here to be in the community for sure and have the access to the local shops and restaurants.   

One special feature that comes along with staying in the area but is not included in the price is one of the best features, the wildlife!    It is known that the most likely reason for a traffic jam in Estes Park comes from the elk and Moose in the area randomly hanging out in public spaces.    It is not uncommon for them to roam into camp and make their presence known grazing around on any green space they can find.   A stay here is a chance with an encounter of something which cannot be purchased in a price point.