Top Tent Camping near Fort Collins, CO
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Best Tent Sites Near Fort Collins, CO (53)
1. Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area
Nederland, Colorado48 Reviews•81 Photos•1313 SavesFive miles north of Nederland, National Forest System Road (NFSR) 226, commonly known as Gordon Gulch, turns east off of Colorado Highway 72. NFSR 226 intersects other forest roads: NFSR 314, 228, 233 and their off-shoots. There are 15 numbered, designated campsites scattered along the road system within 1.5 miles east of Highway 72. Camping is permitted in designated sites only. Take care when driving in this area. Snow and mud can persist through most of the year. The free Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System (NFS) routes open to motorized travel and is available online and at the Boulder Ranger District offfice.
Streams; treat water for drinking.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
2. Allenspark Dispersed Camping
Allenspark, Colorado21 Reviews•54 Photos•931 SavesWith a few exceptions, dispersed camping is allowed on National Forest System lands. Restrictions protect resources, minimize road damage, and reduce conflicts between landowners and visitors. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days in one location. After 14 days, the campsite must be moved a minimum of three miles. Camping can then continue for another 14 days. Camping is restricted to 28 days in any 60-day period. Some areas may require the use of designated campsites, and some areas, such as Indian Peaks Wilderness, require camping permits. More than 40% of lands within Boulder Ranger District's boundaries are private property. It is your responsibility to know if you are on private or public land.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
3. Hermit Open Space County Park Hermits Hollow
Estes Park, Colorado10 Reviews•22 Photos•146 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
4. Longs Peak Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park
Allenspark, Colorado14 Reviews•37 Photos•516 SavesLongs Peak Campground is closed for the 2024 season. This campground opens in early July and closes each year in early September. Located about 20 minutes south of Estes Park on Hwy 7. This small, tents-only campground is located in a forested area that is 9,500 feet above sea level (3000 m). This campground has vault toilets and there is no water available. Campers must bring their own drinking water when camping at Longs Peak Campground.
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Trash
- Toilets
- Alcohol
5. Horsetooth Mountain - Backcountry Site 2
Masonville, Colorado1 Review•5 Photos•46 SavesThe scenic 2,711-acre Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (consisting of Culver, Soderberg, and Hughey Open Spaces) covers elevations from 5,430 to 7,255 feet. Its 29 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails connect to the Blue Sky Trail and Lory State Park trails.
The outstanding Horsetooth Rock is a familiar local landmark visible from the plains. This open space is also known for Horsetooth Falls in the spring, and for tremendous Front Range views. Drinking water is available at the trailhead. Please carry enough for your hike or ride.
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space requires entrance permits, is open year round, and is located west of Horsetooth Reservoir, 4 miles from Fort Collins and 12 miles northwest of Loveland. Horsetooth Mountain Trailhead is open 24 hours a day; Soderberg Open Space Trailhead is open sunrise to sunset.
Camping is allowed in the backcountry only at designated sites and is prohibited in the parking lot. You must register using the backcountry logbook near the Horsetooth Mountain entrance. (First come, first served.) Check in with a ranger if you have any questions.
- Pets
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Alcohol
$10 / night
6. Dream Canyon Campsites - Dispersed Camping
Nederland, Colorado18 Reviews•27 Photos•1135 SavesNOTE: Campers who build any fires face fines up to $5,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment for open fire violations.
Leave No Trace must be observed, as in any outdoor space.
In any season this area is prone to very strong dry winds that can pick up a hot coal from a campfire that has lain dormant for as much as three days and ignite dry vegetation, causing horrific devastation. People from outside Colorado may not understand how tinder dry this area can be. 197 homes in this area have been destroyed by wildfires. All of these fires were started by humans.
Local residents overlook this area and if they see visible flame or smoke they will call the Boulder County sheriff. Any campers who require a campfire are recommended to disperse camp near Sugarloaf Mountain where fires are permitted.
- Pets
- Tents
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
7. Allenspark Dispersed Camp Spot
Pinewood Springs, Colorado6 Reviews•12 Photos•641 SavesFree camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days.within any continuous 30-day period. at any location within the same 20-mile radius. see Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Dispersed
8. Lory State Park Backcountry
Bellvue, Colorado1 ReviewLory has six back country campsites. All six campsites are a minimum 1 hour hike from the nearest parking lot. All campsites are now available for reservations. Remember that Lory DOES NOT ALLOW CAMP FIRES, however camp stoves are okay. All campsites are primitive and you must pack in and out all necessary items, including water.
Camping at Lory State Park is in the back country only, meaning there are no campgrounds, car camping or RV camping available. These primitive sites can be accessed by at least a 2-mile, one-way hike. The back country sites are a good training ground for Scouts and other groups who want to train for longer backpacking and camping trips. There is no water, restrooms or tent pads at these sites and fires are prohibited. Small camp stoves are permitted. Call the park at (970) 493-1623 for back country camping information.
- Reservable
- Tents
9. Winiger Ridge at Gross Reservoir
Eldorado Springs, Colorado20 Reviews•55 Photos•1150 SavesCamping is allowed at numbered designated campsites. No fee is charged. Practice Leave No Trace Principles.
Camping is limited to 14 days in one location. After 14 days, your camp must be moved at least three miles away.
Maximum stay is 28 days within a 60-day period. After 28 days, all property and people must leave the Roosevelt National Forest.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
10. Carter Knolls Campground at Carter Lake
Lyons, Colorado2 Reviews•2 Photos•37 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
Showing results 1-10 of 53 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Fort Collins
1605 Reviews of 53 Fort Collins Campgrounds
Pingree Road Dispersed Camping
Far enough, close enough
-Moderate to heavy foot traffic -Busy, mostly big groups staying at sites having their own fun but plan ahead for finding a site -Friendly and respectful people -Very well maintained sites, trails, signage, and other infrastructure -I’d recommend at least AWD but 2wd should absolutely be able to go on the main road and access most sites (2-4) wil require awd/4wd
Riverview RV Park & Campground
Great stop over
Staff were super friendly. The place did everything we needed for an overnight stay the drive in from RMNP was fantastic. Showers were clean(dated who cares, they worked. I’m not an instagrammer)
Cache la Poudre River
Employee Site
This is not a campsite this is mishawaka owned land. There is a campsite there for employees by the flags in the trees
Timber Creek Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park
Beautiful campground
Loved this campground in Rocky Mountain NP! Full of new growth pine trees. Elk wondered through on some days. Depending on site, lots of privacy. Not for big rigs, but perfect for vans, tents and smaller trailers. Bathrooms clean, flush toilets. Only drawback to this stay - the dump station was already closed down for the season. Water was available. We found a dump station down the road in Stillwater Recreational area.
Stillwater Pass
Stillwater drive
Plenty of spots available. But land and trees are decimated from fire in 2020. But hey it’s a free spot to sleep
Dream Canyon Campsites - Dispersed Camping
Super sick spot
We camped a very short walk from the parking lot. Amazing camp site with not many people around.
St. Vrain State Park Campground
Ok
Busy and right off highway
Gross Reservoir Dispersed
Great Spot, Bright Construction Lights
Overall a very fun spot if you have a vehicle with some group clearance to get to the nice sites by the reservoir. My Peak Edition Atlas handled it well. Only complaint is the damn project at Gross reservoir is a 24 hour site and the lights are ridiculously bright.
Pole Hill Rd Dispersed
Camping 10/10. Off-road Trail Extreme
I went up Pole Hill road in a 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD off-road and it took everything in me to not scrape or bottom out. Lifted 4x4 is highly recommended.
Once you get past the off-road portion, the camping is amazing.
Ceran St. Vrain Trail Dispersed Camping
Quiet with a lot of options
We parked in the parking lot and walked into the valley. After a while we found quite a lot of options with fireplaces already there. So you should mostly find something.
It is quiet, but also a popular spot for hikers so early in the morning, some people arrived. But you can camp far enough in the valley and away from the trail. Water is available if you have a purifier or filter system.
Aspen Glen
Great campsite
Beautiful campsite. Pretty remote. No cell services for about an hour down the road unless you use the emergency WiFi at the fire station in Rustic. Fire wood is available at big bend which is about 30-40 minutes back down the mountains. Camping in September got into the high 30’s. It says water is clean. When I filled my bottle it was pretty yellow so I still boiled before drinking. We were able to hear elk calls late into the evening. All together a great site.
Green Ridge Campground
Spacious and shaded
Some of these spots have a decent shade parts of the day. Decent privacy on a few spots. Maybe 10% full on a Wednesday night in September.
Stillwater Pass Dispersed Campsite
Cozy
No one around
Gross Reservoir Dispersed
Road Closed Mid-September
There is no discernible reason that the road is closed 2 miles before where this app says the site is. Internet search says it should be open til middle of November unless there is some weather or other issue. Lovely weather, locked gate.
Lake Granby
Awesome Primitive Beach Campsite
There are tons of options along the shore of the lake in this area. We kayaked into our campsite from Sunset Point campground on Labor day weekend and didn't have any issues finding a spot. There was lots of boat activity during the day but it slowed down in the evening.
Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park
In the park!
Loved the location inside Rocky. We were lucky to get two nights from cancellations and were happy even though we had 2 different sites so had to move. Our favorite was the B loop - small and quiet with very close restroom. We could hear the elk bugling and deer walked through often. The second night we were at the end of the C loop, site 42. Very large site next to the water spigot and right next to the walking path that goes a few miles towards Estes. Not a big deal, but after 3 days of hiking in the park, it was tiring to walk uphill to the restrooms and to the trash dumpster! Beautiful view of Deer Mountain and there is also a city open space at the end of the campground. Heard owls while walking here early in the morning. Hope to go back next year and stay in one spot!
Glacier Basin Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park
Everything We Hoped For!
We loved this campground for the stunning views, super clean bathrooms, and the easy access to hiking in RMNP. So many trails to choose from, either directly from the campground, or across the Bear Lake Road to the Park N Ride. Can't say enough about the views, especially if your site is in the open center area like ours was at C119. There are lots of sites with shade as well. Sites are pretty close together but since we did not take our pups (they can't go on the park trails) we didn't mind.
Very difficult to snag a reservation but daily persistence paid off and we got one night which was the last night of their season. So glad we did. Will try again for next year!
Horsetooth Reservoir County Park Inlet
Relaxing lake side near water
Sites are fairly close together strung out along the lake edge. In September, lake level is purposefully lowered about 20 feet from summer levels. None the less, you can still launch a canoe from your campsite or fish. Just need to walk down to water edge. Pit toilets. Water available. Flush heads at launch ramp (third of mile walk) and visitor center(about 2 miles) T-Mobile coverage nearly non existent with just sporadic 1 bar LTE. 5G at visitor center. Camp store across road. Fair amount of traffic on road, but not annoying.
Cottonwood Campground — Boyd Lake State Park
Conveniently close to city and lake
Calm during week. Busy on weekend. Sites are level. Few tents. Some sites better than others for tent on grass. Electricity to help keep camper cool. T-Mobile 5G. Very good coverage. Free showers and clean restrooms make this a good place to hang out near Loveland. Bike path runs past camp. Lake launch ramp and swim beach in season. Playgrounds. Could use more shade.
Standley Lake Regional Park
Nice but no privacy
If you are used to RV sites or KOA you will be ok with this. On a scale of 1-5 here are my impressions.
- Site cleanliness. 5
- Bathrooms 5. Running H20
- Convenience 2. They lock the gates at 10pm.
- Electric 1
- Water hookups none 1
Overall esthetic 2. The lake is nice. The rest of the area is well compacted dirt with some scattered trees. City/road noise 2.
Vedauwoo Wagon Road
A fine place to camp
Stayed here 2024/09/11. Easy access, well marked and well separated dispersed campsites. Good views. Only downside was distant traffic noise from I-80. Would stay here again.
Upper Chipmunk Backcountry Campsite — Rocky Mountain National Park
Peaceful with Mountain Views
Strenuous hike to Upper Chipmunk from Lawn Lake TH. Approximately 4.2 miles to the campsite. Water was not close. You will have to hike down to Ypsilon Lake then back up to the site. Overall, it was quiet no complaints but not my favorite site.
Forest Road 119
Still closed
The road is still closed
Beaver Park Reservoir - Dispersed
Quiet
It can get a little windy, don't expect to do anything with the lake other than look at it. Locals are protective of it. Drove my Class C with no problem. A truck and trailer will also get down here with ease. I don't believe a Class A would be able to find anything. But the view is beautiful. There are a few spots coming in. Keep driving until you hit the lake and there is a large open area with several spots to park.
Glacier Basin Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park
Very nice campground IN the park
3 nights starting Thursday after Labor Day. Was able to get the reservation 2 weeks ahead as it was released for use. Camping at this campground also gives you a time+ entry permit good for bear lake road. After 1 pm the first day and then anytime on following days. They have planted many new pine trees a few years ago to replace the ones destroyed years ago. Even then the shade in much of C loop is nonexistent. Thus a tarp is a good thing. Sites are reasonably well separated. In a few years as the new trees mature the privacy between sites will be good or very good. Restrooms were clean. Their time actuated lights makes the campground dark if no one is using the head. That is very good because star watching was excellent (near a new moon). Evening ranger program was held in the amphitheater each night. Hiking trail to sprague lake is about a mile with plenty of birds and other critters. We saw a weasel and a flock of turkeys. At sprague lake around 9 am the local moose goes wading to eat. And of course you are in the park, so you can drive to see elk, coyotes, pika, marmots and more. Great place. T-Mobile varied from 2 bars LTE or 2 bars 5G. Sufficient connectivity
Forest Road 332 Dispersed
Quiet with lovely views
Found a nice big spot with sun and shade and a great overlook. Was a touch concerned that it would get ATV trafficy over the weekend as it was at a junction where 3 roads jet off. However upon inspection on mountain bike, they all dead end and aren't very long, so fun for a little bike ride but not much of an ATV or dirt bike adventure.
Being towards the end we saw very few people and it was quite and serene. We did it in our sprinter camper van with 2WD and pickup.
Only issue we had was due to the nature of disbursed camping not the site or area. A car with 3 men showed up Saturday evening. In the morning one of their dogs wandered over to our site (my husband had run into town so I was alone). Owner meandered over and retrieved her, without a word. Later the 3 of them started walking up one of the roads, them one walked across and just with the dog on the rock outcropping technically on our site. He eventually went back to their site. A while later one of the walkers returned and decided to use his metal detector on the road 30 from our site and right behind where I was sitting. There was oddles of space to explore so it was creepy that's he chose to be that close to me. As I got up to walk back to my van, the second dog came running at me barking. The guy eventually called it back and it left me alone, but again not a word.
I LOVE dogs, but I'm not a fan of their humans who don't keep them within their boundaries and let them charge after "the neighbors"
Except for the creepers, it was a wonderful place
Dutch George Campground
Serene and georgeous
Amazing campsite. Plenty of spots directly next to the river and beautiful views all around.
The fishing is excellent on this stretch of water as well.
Guide to Fort Collins
Camping near Fort Collins, Colorado, offers a fantastic mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to explore.
What to do:
- Hiking and Wildlife Watching: Rocky Mountain National Park is just a short drive away. Campers love the access to trails and the chance to see wildlife. One reviewer mentioned, "Camping at Moraine Park Campground also gives you a time+ entry permit good for Bear Lake Road."
- Fishing: Many campgrounds, like Estes Park Campground at Mary's Lake, are near lakes where you can fish. A visitor shared, "We enjoyed the easy access to the Rocky Mountain National Park and downtown Estes from Mary's Lake."
- Star Gazing: The clear skies in the area make for great star gazing. One camper at Glacier Basin Campground noted, "Star watching was excellent (near a new moon)."
What campers like:
- Scenic Views: Campers rave about the stunning views. A review for Aspenglen Campground said, "Absolutely incredible. Scenery was amazing."
- Clean Facilities: Many campgrounds pride themselves on cleanliness. A visitor at Cottonwood Campground mentioned, "Clean flushing toilets and nice coin showers."
- Wildlife Encounters: Campers enjoy seeing wildlife up close. One reviewer at East Portal Campground shared, "We saw elk and mule deer in the campground on multiple occasions."
What you should know:
- Crowded Campgrounds: Some sites can get busy, especially during peak season. A camper at Moraine Park Campground noted, "It's a bit overcrowded."
- Limited Amenities: Not all campgrounds have showers or electric hookups. A visitor at Glacier Basin Campground mentioned, "Restrooms were clean, but no showers."
- Seasonal Access: Some campgrounds are only open during certain months. For example, Glacier Basin Campground is open from May 23 to September 11.
Tips for camping with families:
- Playgrounds and Activities: Look for campgrounds with family-friendly amenities. One reviewer at Estes Park Campground at Mary's Lake said, "Big playground and not crazy expensive."
- Wildlife Watching: Kids love spotting animals. A camper at East Portal Campground shared, "We saw elk and mule deer in the campground."
- Easy Access to Attractions: Choose campgrounds close to attractions. A visitor at Cottonwood Campground noted, "Only about half full on a Sunday night in September."
Tips from RVers:
- Space and Privacy: Some campgrounds can feel cramped. A reviewer at Estes Park KOA mentioned, "Neighbors are so close with about 10’ between trailers."
- Hookups Availability: Check for electric and water hookups. A camper at St. Vrain State Park noted, "Electric hook ups on North campground and some full hookups on the south one."
- Road Noise: Be prepared for some noise from nearby roads. A visitor at St. Vrain State Park said, "There is road traffic noise but becomes background noise after a day or so."
Camping near Fort Collins has something for everyone, from families to seasoned RVers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fort Collins, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fort Collins, CO is Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area with a 3.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Fort Collins, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 53 tent camping locations near Fort Collins, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.