Looking for an adventure where you can explore Fort Morgan and then fall asleep in your tent? Finding a place to camp in Colorado with your tent has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Colorado camping adventure.
Guide
Not a lot of options on I 70 east of Denver for overnight parking so opted for a KOA last minute. Easy last minute check in process. Served great for a quick in and out.
Ranger
I stayed out here for a dove hunt, and it was nice enough. Typical state park setup. Nice big fire ring in the group sites. Bathrooms are functional though definitely a little dated. Kind of odd so close to a trailer park, but it was quiet during my stay.
GuideOur spot was close to the lake. The beaches had good sand and the water was cold. Our pad had a nice fire ring and table, and electrical hookup. The park has a free to use waste dump on the way out.
Guide
The road in essentially circles the reservoir, and you just pull off where can/want to. The gravel road is well maintained. And there is plenty of room between you and your neighbor. We pulled up around 6 on a Saturday evening and found a great spot.
ScoutWe called in the early evening, booked over the phone, & had a map with directions to our site waiting for us. The site was easily accessible & the restrooms were clean & well stocked. It’s close to the interstate, but just fine for one night.
TravelerPlease don’t go here. We love it tons! There is always a place to pull in and set up.
Guide
You have to drive for several miles on some bumpy roads, but my Ford transit handled it fine. There are a couple spots with fire rings before the main trailhead, and then many options if you keep driving. Really beautiful but verrrry windy. My van rocked me to sleep every night. Overall peaceful and pretty. Also there was an adorably stubborn cow blocking the road on my way out. Really added to the ambiance :-)
Scout
This is one of my favorite places. Between the serenity, lack of bears, ease of access to water activities at the local State Park. This has been my favorite find so far!
TravelerIt's a decent camp spot. We went on memorial weekend and we were able to find a spot. His Subaru outback made it and we saw sedans get up there just fine.
Cows do use the area and may wander into your site. Cactus are a thing and it can get really windy. Our tent was staked down and we angled it so the side wasn't collapsing on us. Cooking during the wind was nearly impossible but doable with some engineering.
Neighbors were quiet and the terrain made it so that we didn't see who camped in the next spots nearest us.
It's decent if you want to get away for a day or two, wander around at your leisure, and read.
Pit toilet available at the Buttes trailhead.
Verizon service is spotty but I was still able to use maps.
ScoutI have had some good experiences here and some not so good. I’ll start with the bad first. There are insufficient trashcan and dumpsters here so often that the beaches are trashed. Also, there have been times I’ve camped here and the water smelled like cattle manure. My only assumption is the local agriculture dumps into the water that feeds the lake. After driving 40 miles from the nearest city - a smelly lake was not what we had in mind. The good: this is basically what you want it to be. Inexpensive campsites where people are friendly and the amenities are fine. When the water is clean and you can swim on a sunny day it’s a great time.
Traveler
Went last July and the campsites were clean and well maintained. Firewood & other amenities are provided as well on the other side of the lake, super convenient! Only complaint was there were so many bugs at night in the morning.
GuideLots of nice sites with fire pits. There are pit toilets at the trailhead as well. Pretty good Verizon service at most spots. My only complaint is that when I was there it was super windy!
LegendThere are bathrooms with plumbing and vault toilets. All of the leantos are set up so there is no view of the lake. My dog kept getting sanburs in her paws because they were everywhere. This is a one night place. $36 to camp
I was pummled by the wind when it was fron the north and south. The water is not individual hook up it is shared with the campsites around you.
At 8a the ranger was banging in my door to explain the water situatuon since I had hooked directly up to it. There were no other campers at the site but she felt it critical that I unhook my hose. The ranger from the previous day and campsite host never seemed to care.
GuideEasy drive to the campground area even towing a trailer. A bit dusty but at the end you can find nice grassy area (after all, it is a National Grasslands). Very windy place (hence the windmills in far distance) but we were lucky to get some breaks in between and set up the trailer to shield us against the wind. Stayed couple of nights and did the hikes to both of the “buttes”. From the second one you can get nice areal views if you climb a bit. It took us 3h in a very easy pace, lots of photo and views stops. It can probably be done in and 1h to 1.30h.
LegendGetting there: Located out in the plains South of Pawnee National Grassland near and a bit NE of Ft. Morgan off I-76
Check in and staff: We made an online reservation, entered and camped. We were on the far Southern side of the campground, which is much larger than it looks. Later we discovered the Visitor Center as we were leaving. The ranger there was very nice and helpful.
Amenities: Water is available, as are dumpsters. Roads are dirt/gravel and can be uneven in places, but not bad at all. Power available as well.
Bathrooms: clean, well kept. On the southern side near our site there is a single toilet, no shower. Those are located in the area near the visitor center, a long walk from where we were. They were reasonably clean, but we did not use them.
Site: Lakeside, on the Southern end of the campground. Cannot recall the number!
Comments: It was quite windy when we were there. On the other hand, no bugs!
ScoutThe camp site we had was close to the lake. We left a day early because of tornado warnings. Other than that we had a great time
Traveler
Good cooking grill, good fire pit, not a lot of extra wood laying around. Spacious campground
TravelerVery nice RV site with nice pull through spots! We booked a couple weeks ago and still ended up with a wonderful location! All of the sites we noticed had a lot of room so you didn’t feel like you were on top of each other. Great place for short hike with young kids. Lastly, amazing sunsets!
TravelerWe saw some negative reviews, so weren’t sure what to expect, but thought it was great! We were in 25’ van in Site 87 Pelican Campground. Campground faces east and has a great view of the lake. The van created shade in the afternoon, but there’s no shade in the morning. Other camp sites had more trees, but then the view isn’t as good. Trade offs! Vault and flush toilets in each campground, but no soap dispensers to be found, so carry your hand sanitizer! Important detail - showers are coin operated (50 cents for a few minutes). We skipped the shower, but quarters could be important if you’re into cleanliness! Roads in/out are rock/sand, so a little rough in spots, but there were all kinds of campers who seemed to manage just fine - vans, pull trailers and big rigs. We like to relax by the lake, but didn’t check out the beach or any of the water sports, so can only say that it was a great place to stay for a couple of nights just to get away. Road gravel bikes from camp in the morning (OK riding, but not great - maybe better when there hasn’t been as much rain), relaxed and watched the water in the afternoon, and enjoyed the Dark Sky Community vibe at night. Perfect for what we needed!
GuideThe roads coming in are well maintained due to all of the oil rigs that are coming in and out. Spent the night overlooking the Buttes and had a summer storm roll in. Didn't get to hike out to The Buttes because the trail was closed to protect bird nests.
GuideGreat location. Excellent facilities. Indoor picnic tables - useful if you’re on a bike and it’s raining. All sites have electric. Quiet and peaceful. Highly recommended
Guide
If you are hiking or on a bicycle, then don’t be too concerned that it’s a first come first served campground. Even if all the official pitches are taken, it’s ok to camp anywhere around the picnic area or volleyball court. No facilities other than pit toilets. As of July 2023, no potable water (there is a grocery store nearby). $11.25 per night for a single tent.
TravelerOverall, the site presents a tranquil retreat, offering peace and quietude. The constant wind is a blessing, keeping the area free of mosquitoes. The campsite features fire rings, though you will need to bring your own wood. The surroundings are characterized by lush grasslands, and the camping spots situated atop hills provide stunning views. However, the landscape is interspersed with man-made elements like windmills and oil rigs, which might detract from the natural beauty for some. The trailhead offers a water source - while not recommended for drinking, it could serve other purposes. The area includes a few trails for leisurely walks. This place serves as an excellent overnight stop for road-trippers, especially considering that it's free of charge.
TravelerThe owner on-site most days. Always work being done to improve facility. Mostly gravel sites that are level.
TravelerWe were coming from Nebraska and heading West in a Ford F-150 pick up truck pulling a 22 foot travel trailer. We stopped in Sterling, CO to fill up gas. If you are taking road 14, just know that it is at least 60 miles before the next gas station, so plan accordingly. We left Sterling heading west on highway 14, until we got to county road 129 where the pavement ends and we headed north into the grasslands. We simply followed the Google maps directions to get all the way to the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead parking lot from there! It was pretty easy, honestly! The roads are all gravel, so just take your time. They were pretty well maintained, due to the industry traffic that goes through there. We came across a couple of eighteen wheelers. The gravel was pretty compacted and seemed pretty safe. There are several areas to pull off, and if you are pulling a trailer, or you have a big rig, there is a loop parking lot at the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead that you can turn around in if you need to. The picture of me and the dog is standing on County Road 110 just before you get to the parking lot for the trail head. Our camping spot was one of many flat areas off of road 110 that you can pull off on, as long as it is 300 feet or less from the edge of the road. Our spot was before you get to the trail head, but if you pass the parking lot and keep going up the hill on Pawnee Buttes Trailhead Road, there are tons more spots to camp up on the ridge about a quarter mile or so. There are a lot of cows, but they are shy, curious animals. We had our pit bull with us, and we didn’t feel threatened. Just make sure that if you go through any gates while wandering the grasslands, you shut them behind you. There are no garbage facilities, so please LEAVE NO TRACE! There are some vault toilets in the parking lot.
ScoutAwkward placement but overall decent
GuideIt’s a bit of a drive out here over some iffy gravel and dirt roads. Was worried about bringing my 25 foot Jayco out here as it’s a standard unit. Pulled it with a one ton Ford 2 wheel van.. some steep inclines in, but did just fine.. very peaceful and quiet. Have heard the sky watching is great, but so far have had clouds and storms. I have a spot on top of a hill facing the buttes. Love it.. cows in the distance and saw pronghorns on the way in. No facilities here, only have seen the one outhouse here by the parking lot to the trails. Long way to anything including gas, so fill up and bring your own water.. even thru the tornado warnings, I’ve enjoyed my stay. Bugs are minimal probably due to the ever present wind. My AT-T service was better than in Longmont at 3 bars. No problem there. 👍
