Best Campgrounds near Estes Park, CO

There’s plenty of space, but even at this time it gets crowded during the weekends. Lots of off roading around too.

I stayed one night and when I arrived there was a ‘road closed ahead’ sign at the entrance but there are 1-2 sites before the gate that could theoretically could be camped all year round. If you go in the winter bring some snowshoes for Johnny park road into bright trailhead. A little traffic through the night, but very light and I assume just private ranch goers, but stay vigilant as it’s in somewhat of a dead end area with no service.

I scored a site here at the last minute. I appreciate the generator-free loop and the very clean bathrooms. Great recreation on the lake and a quiet place to enjoy the Rawahs!

This is a nice, large campground in the Poudre Canyon. The hiking trail is not easy, but well worth it. I appreciate the playground and horseshoe area as well as the bathhouse with coin-op showers. Great for a longer stay, or a weekend. There is a whole loop of FCFS sites in case you don't get a reservation 6-months in advance.

We've camped at Dowdy Lake several times and each has been enjoyable. In the summer, reservations are hard to get, but the lake, the forested sites, and clean bathrooms are worth booking ahead for. Winter camping is FCFS and is a really nice if you get a "warm" winter weekend. The power at the sites is a plus, even for tent camping. The campground has a lot of outdoors to offer, between fishing, crawdad fishing, hiking, paddling, etc. Highly recommended!

This dispersed site is pretty and is close to the highway, the road seemed a little sketchy in the snow but my RAV4 AWD made it just fine to most of the sites. It snowed on me overnight and the road was still very passable. The last few sites felt just a little too sketchy for my driving skills. It was pretty empty in January, one big pile of trash that was unfortunate and a few people seemed to be there long term. No one bothered me and all the campsites were pretty clean.

I have camped here twice so far. The first time I came was a Tuesday-Friday in late Sept, and I did not see a single other person! It was fabulous. I came back with a friend in late October, and the roads were extremely compromised (2-3ft deep mud puddles) so we did not camp near the river but it was still lovely. The sites are clearly marked and easily accessible. The river area is very green, but keep in mind that the mountains in front of you have been stripped due to fire. There is some road noise audible at these sites and I’d estimate about 8-10 planes flew overhead a day.

Robbers Roost dispersed camping area near Fraser, Colorado, is an excellent spot for campers seeking a peaceful retreat close to nature. Located just outside Winter Park, this camping area offers easy access to the Rockies while still being relatively convenient to town for supplies or activities.

The campsites are well spread out, providing plenty of privacy and space to enjoy the outdoors. The views are breathtaking, with towering pines and a mountain backdrop that’s hard to beat. It’s a great base for hiking, mountain biking, mushroom foraging or simply relaxing and soaking in the fresh air.

Since it’s a dispersed site, there are no amenities like water or toilets, so campers need to come prepared with everything they need and pack out all trash. The dirt road leading to the camping area is manageable for most vehicles, though a higher-clearance option is recommended if conditions are wet or snowy.

One of the highlights of Robbers Roost is the proximity to Winter Park and stream access. You can explore the local trails by day and head into town for dining or entertainment in the evening. At night, the stargazing is spectacular, thanks to the minimal light pollution in the area.

If you’re comfortable with primitive camping and love the outdoors, Robbers Roost is a hidden gem worth discovering. Just be sure to practice leave-no-trace principles to help preserve the beauty of this spot. Finally beware of the busy nearby road, especially if you are traveling with off leash pets.

Bumpy ride up, but we were able to do it in our car SLOWLY. Absolutely beautiful place. Lots of campsite options. I was under the impression fires were allowed, as there were fire pits, but signs everywhere stating no campfires. Columbine Lake is a pretty hefty hike from the trailhead, but so worth the view. Had the entire place to ourselves pretty much all Friday. Beautiful beautiful beautiful

And in fact I believe they were KOA of the year 2023 or 2024. More expensive than we're used to, but has nice amenities. Sites level with concrete pads, fairly large. Some space between with trees. Nice metal patio furniture provided at each site(chairs, table, fire pit). Has decent showers, hot tubs, and off leash dog park. Inexpensive pancake breakfast and pizza/wings to your site are available, also an onsite store. Kind of at the top of a rise, so good views but also kind of chilly for July (60s/40s). Massive thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain two evengings (CO mountains tend to get afternoon t-storms). Communicate via text to let you know about goings on. Good radio station out of Idaho Springs KYGT 102.7 and 103.9

Great trip. Beautiful campground. Beautiful scenery

The place fills up on the weekend. I drove through most of the trail system and did not find a spot. Came back during the week and took a closer spot so as not to risk it. Trash is everywhere. Multiple poop spots are within 100ft of the fire pit with copious amounts of used tp lying around. Trees are slashed, cut, and the forest is not doing well. There are multiple long term campsites here so watch out for squatters. I stayed near the start and then a bit deeper, which prompted me to take photos. I forget the site numbers but honestly it’s not looking good in most places. At the very back are what look like a few nicer spots because they are hard to get to with a non off-road vehicle. It breaks my heart how this campground exists.

Couldn’t find any spots over the weekend. Drove through the whole campground. There is an absurd amount of trash everywhere, especially at closer campsites. There are multiple ‘long term’ campsites by the looks of the trash, gear, and supplies left out. The forest is not in good shape either.

Came back mid week and stayed at site #4 because it was close and I did not want to roll the dice on not securing a spot again.

Keeping it brief: -I thought someone had been through my campsite when I was sleeping due to things moved -I might have met the squatter at the site. Couldn’t be sure, but determined there were red flags after talking to the guy and did not want to stick around to find out -so much trash it breaks my heart

The county needs to do something about this campsite and the similar one North of Ned.