Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Estes Park, CO

You must first stop at the base to check in this is where very friedly people checked us in explained the bear behavior and bear safty. The site have bear boxes. We then paid the 9 dollar a day use fee . When we reserved we had already paid 43 dollars a day for dry camp. This is my only reason for 4 stars instead of 5. There is a short drive over a tall hill to a valkey with 3 camp grounds. Hermits hollow, Bob cat and kruger equestrian . Hermits hollow is better for small rigs and tents. Some sites are not level but all are nice. Bob cat is better for your midsize rigs and seems a bit more managable. Kruger equestrian is for hourse trailers. There is a great hike up to the top of kruger rock thats not to hard. Your not far from Estes Park a tourist town that has shops food and fishing.

The campground is located along a river with walking paths. There are some shade trees but some of the sites are very sunny without any shade. Sites are very close together and a bit noisy. We did not have any shade at any time of the day making our site very hot. There are lots of amenities and music on the weekends during the summer. The location is not too far from Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park.

Boyd Lake State Park provided an opportunity to explore Rocky Mountain National Park over a week’s stay. It is about an hours drive from Estes Park on very winding roads. There are some parts of the park that have more trees than our site had. Bathroom was clean although the power outlets didn’t work. Did not use lake. The adjoining town of Loveland has everything you could ever ask for as far as food and shopping.

My wife and I spent a week here.  We enjoyed seeing the kids playing in the playground and riding around the park on their bikes.  Nearly every day a deer would come munch on the greenery right behind our rig.  The staff were super friendly and I believe we received good value for our payment considering the prices and sold-out state of other nearby parks like Horsetooth Reservoir.  The campground is right on the banks of the Big Thompson river which does provide a soothing background for those fortunate enough to have sites on its banks.  The roads and campsites are dirt, and a little messy after a rain storm.  I think more attention could be paid to mowing the weeds of campsites between users.  The laundry facilities were underwhelming as well; there wer two broken washing machines while I was there, and I spoke to a permanent resident who stated that they don't do their laundry in the park because of the poor availability of the machines.  The facilities were clean.  It can be suddenly and very windy here, so most campers did not use awnings.  The campground is about 35 minutes from Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Forest, two excellent destinations for anyone coming for a vacation.

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.

Good Sam’s RV park with full amenities. We booked a water/electric online, but got bumped up to full hookups. Beautiful river going beside many of the sites. Newer bathrooms. Huge park with playground for kids. Our site was very wide and open, but we might just have been lucky. Most are tree covered sites and not packed in. Dog park. About 45 minute beautiful drive to Rocky Mountain National Park entrance.

My husband and I were pleased with this campsite! We celebrated our 1 year anniversary here!

The campground is small in size but each site was equipped with everything you needed. The bathroom was one of the cleanest campsite bathrooms we’ve ever seen and there was no trash spread on the grounds. Very clean. The view of the mountains was incredible even with the downpour of rain and heavy fog. We stayed in a #vanlife camper van so getting wet and staying warm wasnt and issue for us. 🙂 Because you’re well in the mountains, id definitely suggest packing several tarps for ground and roof cover if you’re using tents! I missed out but my husband and other campers saw a large moose just 2 camp spots away from our spot!

This campsite is situated along the CDT so you can imagine just how beautiful it is. It has a lot of different hiking trails for exploring and photography!

Estés park and RMNP are not far from the campground at all which was a HUGE plus! Before we camped, we hiked the Dream Lake/Emerald Lake trail in the park. The views along this hike are breathtaking—my camera and i were very pleased!

Pets are allowed at the campground and there was a water spigot outside of the bathroom. No fires were allowed during our stay due to fire danger.

We will definitely be camping/exploring there again!

I’m a mountain girl! Like grab your back pack and hike in! Then we had kids and splurged on a camper... and now this place has me over here laying pool side... drink in hand, head over heels about glamping. Seriously I loved this so much. They have an amazing pool! Bowling alley, arcade, restaurant, bars (yes more than one!) they had live music, they have fishing, and dog parks, bike rentals, daily trash pick up from your campsite, firewood delivery, play grounds, golf carts... it is a little close together with out any trees of coverage BUT the pros far (FAR FAR FAR) out weigh that one con.

Definitely a gorgeous area, but the Pets Allowed designation is misleading. RMNP has serious restrictions on dogs inside the park, like not letting them on any trails. If you intend to stay in a campground, and never leave it, then no problem. But if you want to hike, you'll need to have a plan for your furry friend. It gets very hot in any vehicle, because of the intense sunshine, so you absolutely cannot leave your pet in a vehicle, unless you are able to leave the A/C on for them. They also must be on leash at all times. There are lots of dispersed camping areas in CO, so I wouldn't go here if I want to take my dog camping with me.

We enjoyed our stay at Moraine Park. The only downside was a lack of privacy. The campgrounds were very close together with little shade. Aside from that, it was great! There is a shuttle within the campground. The rangers were very nice and helpful! This is the closest campground to the Estes Park entrance. I highly suggest making reservations, they were completely packed but there happened to be a cancellation so we lucked out! $26 per night (including a dog if you brought yours, be aware they are not allowed on any trail in the park)

I wanted to stop into this area after exploring a few campgrounds designed more so for tent campers in the area. I noticed some of these spaces were not ideal for those wanting to bring their RV and have amenities and that really was something that I know many of the people I know really look for when finding their locations for travel. Loveland is a little further away from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park but it offers many great things to those wanting to explore the area and still be within comfortable distance of the park itself. The RV Resort is designed for both larger and smaller rigs and offers a variety of comfortable amenities for campers of this style. 

There are 4 basic styles of offerings at this location including full hook up, oversized full hook up, premium and premium back up sites. These prices range from$56 to$65 for base single night stay. They do offer both weekly and monthly rates as well for those really wanting to enjoy the area. 

Something which I have found very common amongst these style of locations is that while they do offer base charges which do not include tax there are many times additional fees depending on certain amenities. This campground was no different with additional charges for parties of over 4 people, extra vehicles or pets. Additionally they do have a sizable$20 dump fee, I found this to be quite high, especially considering there is a free dump station only a few miles up the way at another facility which allows campers or passers by alike to use their dump station. 

Something nice is they do offer a Good Sam discount if you belong to the affiliated program which is a few dollars off the price of nightly stay. 

Additionally amenities include a pool and mini golf which were quite nice and a clubhouse with several really cool things inside. They have a playground for the kiddos and a dog park for the furry family.

 Overall the park itself seemed to have wide roadways for navigating and though for my personal taste the sites are located pretty close together they were pretty typically placed for an RV style park. Unlike several parks I have encountered in the area and others, this place did not have the long term stay option readily flagrant and while they might offer it you do not see people who look like they have moved in and allowed their area to become homely and run down. Quite the opposite, the grounds were very clean and inviting, everyone was very friendly and nothing looked like a“there goes the neighborhood” moment.

Less busy than the Estes Park campgrounds

My friend and I have camped here twice, and we love the location. The sites aren't sitting on top of each other, and some spots feel relatively secluded. It is within a few miles of Estes Park, so we k=hike during the day and dash into town for a drink with our dogs in the afternoon. It is also within an hour of Boulder, and two hours of Denver, so it doesn't leave us driving all day to get there and back.

The Kruger Rock Trailhead is inside the campground, and it is a nice hike with an amazing view of the Rockies and Estes at the top. Bring your crayons - there are two trailmarkers on the trail that you can do rubbings of.

Estes Park Jellystone Campground is everything you’d want in a campground in the Rocky Mountains! Minutes away from NP entrances and Estes Park, yet totally secluded in the mountain wilderness.

We got a site furthest away from the entrance / highway, up a steep road (Yogi’s “Hey Hey Highway”). The sites are small and close together, but the surrounding beauty more than makes up for it.

Super friendly staff and lots of activities for the kids. My teens even had fun here! Will definitely return!!

Estes park is definitely worth the visit, it's absolutely beautiful. and who doesnt love camping somewhere beautiful?

A lovely wooded campground literally on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park - we even saw moose from the back window of our RV!  Options for everyone from cabins, to FHU RV sites (limited and not the ideal locations, but still nice), water/electric sites and tenting areas.  Even Conestoga wagons!  There is horseback riding on site and we loved watching the horses run in and out each morning/evening and you just have to cross the road for a pretty hike along the Colorado River in RMNP (no dogs on the trails).  We camped with our Great Dane - very dog friendly with bag stations around the park.  Friendly and helpful staff, a small shop with supplies and souvenirs, a cute little petting zoo with goats, sheep, and pigs.