If you want to explore the beauty of Grand Lake, glamping is an excellent option. Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but Grand Lake, CO glamping is a new and unique way to do it. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Colorado glamping spot for you.
Glacier Basin Campground is currently closed for the winter 2024/2025 season. Glacier Basin Campground will open for the summer 2025 camping season on Thursday, May 22. During the summer season, all campsites at Glacier Basin Campground are available by reservation only. Reservations must be made online at www.recreation.gov, through the Recreation.gov Mobile App, or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Glacier Basin Campground is located on the east side of RMNP at an elevation of 8,500 feet. There are 150 campsites available. To get to Glacier Basin Campground, drive up Bear Lake Road approximately 5 miles. The entrance to Glacier Basin Campground is across from the Park & Ride Parking Area. Any sites that are open are listed as "A" for available; this means those campsites are available to be reserved. Any campsite listed as _ NR _ has Not Yet Released; this means that those campsites are not yet available to be reserved. A number of campsites are available to be reserved up to 6-months in advance on a rolling window. Some campsites are available to be reserved 2-weeks prior to your desired camping date. Some campsites are available to be reserved 1-week prior to your desired camping date. Group campsites are available to be reserved 1-year in advance on a rolling window. Is a Timed Entry Reservation Included with my Camping Reservation? Yes. Campers with reservations for Glacier Basin Campground have a "Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road" reservation included with your camping reservation. Your campground reservation will serve as your vehicle timed entry reservation. Campers can enter RMNP via the Grand Lake, Beaver Meadows or Fall River Entrances beginning at 1 p.m. on the first day of your camping reservation. Remember to print and bring a copy of your campground reservation with you and keep this in your vehicle. You will be asked to show your campground reservation confirmation at the park's entrance station upon arrival. When Can I Check into My Campsite? Check In begins at 1 p.m. for all campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park. What Time is Check Out? All campers must check out of their campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park by noon. How Many Nights Can I Stay at Glacier Basin Campground? In Rocky Mountain National Park, there is a 7-night limit for all campgrounds during the summer season. This means that campers can stay a total of 7 nights inside the park. This limit includes overnight stays at all campgrounds. For instance, a camper could spend 7 nights at Glacier Basin Campground or they could stay 3 nights at Glacier Basin Campground and 4 at Timber Creek Campground.
Rocky Mountain National Park has over 350 miles of hiking trails that range from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain climbs. One of the most popular activities in the park is wildlife viewing. There are excellent wildlife viewing opportunities to see elk, Mule deer, Bighorn sheep, hawks, a wide range of songbirds and more throughout the park. Rocky Mountain National Park offers some unforgettable scenic views along of the land above trees, over 1/3 of the park is alpine tundra. Enjoy incredible scenic drives along Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road.
A pleasant mix of Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, Ponderosa pine and the occasional Engelmann spruce forests the campground, offering equal amounts of sun and shade. Grasses, shrubs and seasonal wildflowers fill the open meadows. Wildlife is plentiful in the park, and while mule deer and the majestic Rocky Mountain elk are the most commonly seen, black bear, coyote, bighorn sheep and moose inhabit the region as well.
The Town of Estes Park is a short drive from the campground, located outside of RMNPs Beaver Meadows and Fall River Entrances. Dining, shopping, rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding, and golfing opportunities await. Lake Estes offers boating, sailboarding, and fishing.
$35 - $70 / night
This campground with 89 RV sites and 28 tent sites is the perfect destination for all types of camping enthusiasts from retired big riggers to families who enjoy the simple comforts of tent camping.
$20 - $55 / night
The Arapaho Bay Campground is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area on Lake Granby, southeast of Grand Lake. Visitors enjoy the area for its great boating, fishing and hiking opportunities.
Lake Granby is part of the Arapaho National Recreation Area. It offers boating, sailing, swimming and fishing. Anglers cast for kokanee salmon and a variety of trout, including rainbow, brown, mackinaw and cutthroat. National Fishing Week is held the first week of June each year. Numerous hiking and horseback riding trails are located within the Arapaho National Recreation Area, including the Roaring Fork Trail, Monarch Lake Trail and the East Shore Trail (which is part of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail).
The campground is situated on Arapaho Bay, on the eastern tip of Lake Granby, at an elevation of 8,300 feet. Afternoon thunder showers should be expected during the summer months. Due to the mountain pine beetle infestation and consequent hazardous tree removal, the campground offers little to no shade.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.
Rocky Mountain National Park's west entrance is just north of Grand Lake. With lush valleys and craggy peaks reaching elevations over 14,000 feet, visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park.
$29 - $58 / night
Green Ridge Campground is located on beautiful Shadow Mountain Reservoir, southwest of Grand Lake in north central Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its great boating, fishing and hiking opportunities.
Shadow Mountain Lake is part of the Arapaho National Recreation Area. It offers boating, swimming and fishing. Anglers cast for kokanee salmon, as well as rainbow, brown, mackinaw and cutthroat trout. A boat ramp and dock are located within the campground. The Colorado River can also be accessed from the campground. National Fishing Week is held annually the first week of June. Numerous hiking and horseback riding trails are in the vicinity, including the East Shore Trail (which is part of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail), Roaring Fork Trail and Monarch Lake Trail.
The campground is situated between the southern shore of Shadow Mountain Lake and the banks of the Colorado River, at an elevation of approximately 8,300 feet. Afternoon thunderstorms should be expected during the summer months. Due to the mountain pine beetle infestation and consequent removal of hazardous trees, there is little to no shade available in the campground. Since 2008, 3,000 pine seedlings have been planted to remedy the problem in the future.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.
Rocky Mountain National Park's west entrance is located north of Grand Lake. With lush valleys and craggy peaks reaching elevations higher than 14,000 feet, visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park.
$29 - $88 / night
$40 - $60 / night
$5 / night
At 7,500 feet, this campground is an ideal base camp for exploring the town of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Tent and RV sites.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple campgrounds, cabins, yurts, RV sites, group sites, and a guest house. From Memorial Day to early October, there are 132 campsites in two campgrounds: Reverend’s Ridge and Aspen Meadow. Reverend’s Ridge offers 38 tent sites and 59 sites with electrical hook-ups. Facilities at Reverend’s Ridge include flush toilets, shower, ice machine, laundry facilities, and a dump station. Aspen Meadow offers 35 tent sites and vault toilets. As of January 1, 2019 both campgrounds will be Reservation Only. Golden Gate also offers 20 backcountry tent sites and four backcountry shelters. Our backcountry sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis year-round. Please register for backcountry sites at the Visitor Center.
$18 - $90 / night
The Sunset Point Campground is a first-come, first-served campground located within the Arapaho National Recreation Area__on the shores of Lake Granby.Facilities: There are 25 non-electric shaded sites that will accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Each site contains a tent pad, fire grate and picnic table. Additional facilities include restrooms, trash service, drinking water and a boat ramp.Recreation: Popular activities include fishing and boating in Lake Granby, hiking, scenic driving and wildlife viewing.View a COTREX map here.
$30 - $120 / night
Scout
Good size camping sites with water and electric hookup. Clean bathrooms with warm showers available. Plenty of onsite activities to do as well. Pancake breakfast requires reservations and totally worth it. The pancakes are huge and there are plenty of mix-ins to choose from. This campsite is only minutes from Grand Lake so you can go to town fairly easily. I would come back here again.
Guide
We stayed in the Roaring Fork loop, and it did not disappoint! The sunsets were amazing, we saw a moose in the morning drinking from the lake. Plenty of trails, and being right on the water kept us busy all day. Plus we weren’t to far from Grand Lake so we made a visit there for food, and some hiking. We would definitely recommend!
Legend
We camped in Willow Creek Campground for one night this passed July 2018 on a road trip from California to Granby, CO. We camped in State Forest State Park the previous night, which was about an hour or so North of the town of Granby. We spent that morning roaming around highway 14 near SFSP looking for moose - and found two! After seeing the moose we decided to head down to the Granby area to try to find a campsite for the night - we were meeting up with family the following afternoon to check into a rental house for a wedding. As we were driving down highway 125 towards Granby, we spotted our third moose of the day! He was skittish and ran away upon seeing us approach him.
Willow Creek Campground was the first stop on our list of potential camp spots - it is a first come first served campground, and we lucked out, there were a few open sites. This is one of those areas that you need pay for both a park pass AND a campsite, but our Interagency Pass qualified for the park pass. The campsites are reasonable at $22 per night.
The campground is near a reservoir, alongside a small river. The sites are fairly primitive, with no hookups available - each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and some had a tent-pad area (ours did). Some of the sites were next to the reservoir or the river; most sites were grassy, good sized, and spread out, but there was very little in the way of trees for shade or privacy. This is an area of Colorado that has been hit by the pine beetle epidemic, so a lot of the pine trees had been cleared from the park, especially in the Willow Creek Campground itself. A lot of the trees across the river were dead and brown - it’s sad that that is such a common site in Colorado these days. There were, however, some very healthy aspens in the area around the park and the reservoir. Because there is so little shade and trees available, I would suggest bringing an easy up, if you have one. This area can get hot in the summer, and thunderstorms happen frequently enough. Willow Creek Campground had drinking water available, and had well maintained vault toilets.
At the time of our road trip, the state of Colorado was in various stages of fire restrictions/bans - in the week that we were traveling around Colorado we stayed in parks with fire bans in full effect, and some with only fire restrictions, all within an hour of each other. Willow Creek had a stage 1 fire restriction, so we were able to burn charcoal and firewood in the designated firepit in the site.
WARNING: You ARE in bear country and there were no bear bins in the campground - be bear safe and bear smart, lock all of your food and toiletries inside your car at night. I was once told by a ranger in Yosemite NP that bears can recognize coolers when peering into car windows, so we always put a towel and gear over our coolers when keeping them in the car overnight.
The campground was nice and quiet, without much noise pollution from the nearby road. The campers were all considerate with their noise levels, so it was a very peaceful stay. The park is very pretty, with lots of small trails. We found little clusters of aspen trees, and saw deer and foxes on an evening walk. I got up early the next morning to see if I could photograph any wildlife, and found the foxes again!
When talking to our neighbors, they suggested that we visit Grand Lake over Granby Lake - they felt Grand Lake was prettier, and they talked up the little village area near the lake. After we broke down camp, we drove to Grand Lake and hiked some the North Inlet Trail - we probably went a mile passed Cascade Falls, then turned around to go back. The hike is fairly easy, moderate, in parts.
The little village of Grand Lake is charming and quaint, and is reminiscent of a boardwalk. There are a lot of gift shops and restaurants along a main road, and we spent a little time roaming in an out of stores. For the rubber ducky lovers out there, Grand Lake has an ENTIRE STORE dedicated to rubber duckies called the Quacker Gift Shop! I collect rubber duckies, so I was pretty excited - they even had a Grand Lake moose “rubber duck” - I had to get him, since we had seen three moose the previous day. He is one of my favorite trip souvenirs ever!
We decided on ice cream for lunch - SUCH A GOOD CHOICE. The ice cream from Grand Lake Chocolates was some of the best ice cream of my life!
After our morning hike and visit to the Grand Lake boardwalk, we headed over to Granby Ranch, a ski resort near the rental house we would be staying in. The ski lifts were operating for visitors and downhill cyclists, so we took the ski lift up to the top of the little mountain - it was a fun ride with gorgeous views! We roamed around on some of the paths for a while, until it started thundering overhead. We raced back to the ski lifts, but they had already been shut down. The resort personnel took us to a yurt that’s used as a warming hut in the winter, and had us stay in there until some stuttle vans could come and take us down the mountain. By the time we got down to the lodge it was about time to check into our house, so we left.
CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $22/night + recreation pass fee
Plumbed Toilets: NO - vault
Drinking Water: Yes
Showers: NO
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grate: Yes
Shade: NO - limited
Cell Service: Limited
Animal Bins/Food Lockers: NO
Trash: Yes
Guide
Decent campground. Showers, bathrooms, laundry available. More “glamping” than camping
Legend
This is one of my all-time favorite places to hike and camp in Colorado. I have not yet stayed in any of the campgrounds but have backpacked to the top of the American Lakes Trail. Not only is this hike fantasticly beautiful and full of wildlife (tons of moose especially) but there is great dispersed camping along the trails. You simply cannot find more scenic and free camping in Colorado. I would highly recommended camping anywhere in State Forest State Park!
Also, there are quite a few huts, cabins and yurts that can be rented year round in SFSP!
Guide
$90 for dry camping!!?? Rip off. And YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE SHOWERS. They are for glamping sites only! The only thing good was we had a nice view. It's very difficult to get into though.
ScoutThere are community fire pits, stocked trout pond, access to the river, acres of woodland, and Colorado’s smallest bar! We love the vibe at AVR and the owners are amazing. Occassionally you can catch live music and there are several historic buildings they are restoring. We have a few friends that don’t camp which is okay because they also offering glamping, tipis, cabins, and a lodge. Trust me... one stay and you’ll be booking another one soon after!
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! The Longs Peak Lantern Glamping Tent is a great spot to escape from the city without going too far, and its a great jumping off point to visit Rocky Mountain National Park! Check them out and share some pictures you take on your trip!
ScoutThis is not 'glamping'. This is a pitch your tent, start a fire, watch the deer walk thru type campground. Beautiful views of the Rockies, trails for all levels of hiking. My only tip--bring your own TP, they kept running out. And a jacket, nights are chilly at this altitude. No trailers, RVS allowed as tiny, winding dirt road to get there.
TravelerThis place is one of my favorites. The campsites are very well taken care of. Camp host is nearby and helpful if you have any questions or concerns. Perfect location for paddle boarding, kayaks and fishing. Sites range from tent camping, Trailer, on-site Tee Pee's, cabins to glamping. They generally have resident moose that love to hang out in and around the property. Well kept playground for your Littles as well as complimentary canoes that can be used on their on-site pond. The owners are awesome and super friendly.
GuideI can't give any KOA a 5 star. It's the extreme of glamping. The only reason we stayed here cause my husband was running a marathon and hotels were booked and other camp grounds were booked. This was our last option. The people were amazing, the bathrooms super clean, lots to do for families with kids. But like I said it's just about too close to other campers. But you can see the mountains, enjoy the fresh air and go else where to have your mountain outdoor fun! :)
Ranger
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.
ScoutNice sized spaces, many sites close to the water, good wildlife sittings (moose, bald eagles, bear) beautiful large lake with Colorado River headwaters, near town of Grand Lake and entrance to Rocky Mt. Natl Park. Only thing missing is some hook-ups. We love it,
TravelerWe took our new camper here to get a full service hook up. We didn’t want to worry about anything except the systems in the camper. Later in the season we got a free day of we paid for two days. For a pull through it was only $67+tax per night.
Arcade, restaurant, mini bowling alley (free), playground, dog parks, pool, hiking trails both paved and unpaved, and a general store (our 25’ fresh water hose was too short. Needed about 29’ so it was nice to have a store on property.)
It is a huge place so I would recommend a mode of transportation like a bike. I have an electric skateboard which was perfect.
COVID shut the hot tubs down but they have them. One of the restaurants was closed either for COVID or that it was later in the season.
While we plan on camping mainly off the grid it was a real nice glamping getaway.
Traveler
We stayed here while visiting RMNP. Our campsite was great and pretty quiet, kind of tucked away from people. The pit toilets were really clean. Very close to Grand Lake for dining.
LegendGreen Ridge is a great little campground to stay at to enjoy everything that Grand Lake has to offer. Just a short (10 min) drive into historic Grand Lake to the north, with Granby 20 mins south.
Sites are mostly level gravel and feature a picnic table, fire ring, bear box, and tent pad. The campground hosts are very helpful! They keep the pit toilets clean and have firewood for sale for $9/bundle. 3 bars of AT&T LTE and 1 bar of T-Mobile on our hotspot. Both did OK with cell booster, although data speeds weren’t great.
The scenery is stunning! Go for a hike around Shadow Mountain Lake or rent canoes at one of the many shops in town. You won’t regret it.
TravelerThe pine beetle took its toll here so don’t expect shade, but you can walk to the lake and directly into RMNP.osty quiet, close to Grand Lake and the campground hosts were friendly.
GuideWinding River Resort is a hidden gem. There are plenty of campsites and a few cabins. All spaces are well laid out with plenty of space between each spot. The facilities are clean and provide everything you need for a great stay.
Be sure to book a horseback ride and get to the cowboy pancake breakfast on the weekends. (Pro tip: Bring a couple eggs for the cooks to throw on the griddle while cooking your pancakes!). If you enjoy trout fishing, be sure to explore the North Fork of the Colorado River that flows through the southend of the property. If you have a disc golfer in the group, bring the discs to play a round or three on the 9-hole course throughout the campground.
Moose have a tendency to wander through the campground toward the evening and the local elk herds like to eat with the horses. There are bear in the area, so take the proper precautions with your food and cooler storage.
Winding River is close enough to Grand Lake to get out and explore for the day and you have easy access to nearly all amenities between Grand Lake and Fraser, in case you forgot something. The cabins look great, but we have not stayed in them during our visits.
RangerWinding River is an awesome campground as a Base camp for the West entrance to RMNP as well as centrally located for visits to Grand Lake and Grandby CO-both of which are cute small towns centered around large reservoirs. The campground itself is on beautiful property and off the highway-aka-no road noise. There are two sections of the campground-the "bottom" portion and the "top area". As a personal preference we preferred the 'bottom area' with our Travel Trailer. This area has more spaced out spots with a bit more privacy but only W/E hookups. The top area is great, just a little closer spots, and no trees aka not much privacy but full hookups.
Make sure to do a visit to Shadow Mountain Lake and Grand Lake Main street-very cute area.
Traveler
Great location between grand lake and grandby, trees are young, but the whole area has this problem. The beach is amazing our kiddo threw rocks and explored all day! There is a little traffic noise in the morning and in the afternoon. I suggest a site on the “B” loop.
ScoutI went to Stillwater my first time to the Grand Lake/Granby area. The campground is well run, has plenty of hook ups and toilets. The reason for 3 stars is the lack of seclusion that I seek when camping. Also, it can be quite crowded on popular weekends. It is a GREAT location and easy access. Perfect for RV campers or family trips. Enjoy the water and the views!
GuideWe stayed at this campground for almost a week beginning of October. The weather was nice, the hosts were nice and visible, and the views were spectacular. I would imagine that this location is heavily trafficked during the summer months due to its proximity to the water and the surrounding towns.
We had decent cell service and were able to work from our trailer, which is a necessity for us. The bathrooms and water were all closed off (COVID and colder temperatures at night) which was a bummer, but we just brought water jugs to fill up our fresh tank. There were porta-potties, but they weren't always stocked up with toilet paper. In perhaps 5-10 years, the trees will be much larger and offer a lot more wind protection and shade/ privacy.
The best part about this campground was the proximity to towns such as Granby and Grand Lake. Both of these towns offered a lot of fun and interesting shops. Granby has a nice and reasonably priced grocery store, and Grand Lake has all of the little shops on the main street as well as lots of restaurants.
We would probably consider going back to this campground, but wouldn't hesitate to try out another one next time.
Traveler
Small, beautiful campsite about halfway between I-70 and Grand Lake. All sites are drive-in and fees are on an honor system. One toilet available as well as bear-proof trash facilities and food storage bins. All sites have at least one picnic table and a fire ring. Elevation is around 9700, so can get fairly chilly at night in the summer. There is a stream as well as a few trails branching off from the campsites. Would highly recommend.
Ranger
Beautiful campground with great amenities. Nice flush toilets with running water, sinks, very clean. Water available throughout the campground and solar showers and a dishwashing station. We had spotty cell service which is fine. A short hike takes you to sprague lake or the park and ride shuttle to bear lake area. The shuttle does come into the camp, but due to construction it was easier to walk over to the park and ride. If possible take the drive up through the park to grand lakes via the alpine visitor center!
GuideThis was a nice place. People were all super friendly. Pricey, but it’s private owned. Nice hiking trails super close to the campground. You can ride your dirt bikes, atvs from the campground into Rocky Mountain National Park. The town of Grand Lake was nice, typical mountain town. Breath taking views. Adams fall trail is near the town, recommend hiking. It’s pretty easy and not super long, but very cool! We saw our first and only moose while camping up there. It was super cool! They also have horse rides available for purchase and I believe dirt bikes/atvs
TravelerWe pitched a tent here for 3 nights. Excellent, very large facility next to RMNP. The tent sites are large and spaced out nicely to provide some privacy. Loved the shower and bathroom facilities, large, clean, and modern with plenty of hot water in the morning. The general store was very handy and staff very friendly. Was a great base for going out and exploring the greater area and less than 10 minutes from the restaurants and stores of Grand Lake. Unfortunately, the area is going to be recovering from last year's fires for quite some time. But will be interesting to see how things recover over time. The only knock, if you want to call it one, is the bathrooms are a little ways away from camp sites, so if you need to go in the middle of the night, it's a bit of a walk. But would highly recommend this resort and hope to be back in the future.
TravelerI’ve tent camped at Winding River Resort twice and both times really enjoyed it. It’s a little more expensive that some, but has lots of amenities that make it totally worth it. If you love real bathrooms and showers, this is your place! There’s a wonderful petting zoo area, playground, basketball courts and much more. They offer all sorts of activities such as horseback riding, ice cream social, chuckwagon breakfast, square dancing, cowboy church. Some do have an additional fee. You may bring your own horses here too! There a several lodging options including camping, full RV hookups and cabins. The location near Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park can’t be beaten! So much to do in the area. There’s a separately owned, but very convenient onsite place where you can rent ATVs, bikes and snowmobiles. There’s even a small store onsite with necessities, T-shirts, souvenirs, etc. The campsites are large and trees and wildflowers abound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Grand Lake, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Grand Lake, CO is Glacier Basin Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 56 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Grand Lake, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 52 glamping camping locations near Grand Lake, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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