The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests span over 3 million acres of Colorado wilderness, with elevations ranging from 5,800 to 14,000 feet. Weather patterns vary dramatically across seasons, with summer temperatures typically 70-85°F during days and dropping to 40-50°F at night. Winter brings heavy snowfall, particularly at higher elevations, making many campgrounds inaccessible from November through April.
What to do
Fishing access points: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park's North Rim Campground offers nearby fishing opportunities. "The greatest camping experience a family could possibly have! We go every summer and camp (in a tent) for about 10 days. The weather is perfect and the trout are plentiful!" according to Hannah K.
Creek exploration: At Big Cimarron Campground, you can access the river just 30 yards from most campsites. Joe J. reports, "Little paths take you the 30 yards or so to the Cimarron River, where I caught a bunch of rainbow trout. Tall trees, a lovely circle of sky above, and even the mosquitoes were down the night I was there, July 14th."
Hiking trails: Ponderosa Campground in Curecanti National Recreation Area offers trail access with varying difficulty levels. "This is a really sweet campsite… With a few sites up top when you enter that overlook the creek and adjacent Ridge, and then many more sides down by the creek," notes Farah C.
What campers like
First-come, first-served options: The North Rim Campground offers a more remote camping experience for those who arrive early. "Beautiful but small FCFS campground. Do your research on which Black Canyon Park campground you'd prefer before starting your drive, as the east and north campgrounds are at least an hour and 45 minutes apart," advises Jordan L. "I arrived right at 1 to make sure I could get a spot the Friday of Father's Day weekend. By 5:30, all the spots were full."
Privacy between sites: Ridgway State Park's Dakota Terraces Campground offers good spacing between sites. Kathi V. notes, "The spacing of the sites is ample and most of the sites have covered picnic tables. Inside the park there are some nice hikes around the Reservoir."
Year-round yurt camping options: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests area offers multiple yurt camping locations that are accessible in different seasons. "Ridgway is a very well kept park with beautiful views, lots of amenities, and conveniences. Clean bathrooms, laundry, firewood and ice all available at the campground and very reasonably priced," shares Kristin K.
What you should know
Limited cell service: Be prepared for connectivity gaps throughout the region. At Cedar Creek RV Park, "Wifi and T-Mobile service are good. Park is clean and front desk people are friendly and helpful," according to Kathy J. However, most forest and park campgrounds have minimal to no service.
Wildlife precautions: Bear activity requires proper food storage in designated boxes at many campgrounds. Jordan L. mentions, "There is (limited) WiFi at the ranger station but zero service anywhere in the park or campground, so plan ahead... there are bear boxes for each site as well as two clean vault toilets and a dumpster."
Seasonal water availability: Water access varies by campground and season. At Ponderosa, Greg L. reports, "There are three loops to this CG. Upper loop has most ponderosa trees, middle and lower loops are more open shrubs campsites. $20/$10 senior. Access is about 7 mi of graded gravel road with some washboard."
Tips for camping with families
Covered picnic areas: Several campgrounds offer covered tables for protection during frequent summer rain showers. At Dakota Terraces Campground, Kristin K. reports, "Most sites have a covered picnic table which was very helpful during the frequent light rain showers. My kids enjoyed the rock climbing nearby."
Playground access: Riverbend RV Park & Cabins provides amenities specifically designed for children. "Such a peaceful campground during shoulder season. The river and pond are were very nice to sit by and observe nature. The Canada geese families were fun to watch," notes Mary F.
Seasonal activities planning: Family-friendly activities vary significantly by season throughout the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. Joseph from Riverbend RV Park says, "My girlfriend and I took a trip to Utah in January and found ourselves in a snowy Montrose en route to Moab. We booked a spot here and were greeted kindly by the owners and residential campers who help oversee the campgrounds."
Tips from RVers
Elevation considerations: Higher elevation campgrounds require temperature planning for RVs. At Ouray KOA, Todd G. shares, "After surviving towing the airstream up Red Mountain pass, we pulled into the KOA and couldn't be more happy. Our site backed up to a stream that sounded wonderful with running water."
Site leveling requirements: Many campgrounds have sloped sites requiring leveling blocks. At Dakota Terraces Campground, Ursula notes, "Stayed for just one night at site 55. Needed all our levelers as the site is sloped downhill. Windy in the morning."
Campground access roads: Road conditions vary significantly throughout the region. Jordan L. cautions about North Rim Campground: "The campground is down a long dirt road, it was well maintained but be prepared to be in a remote location."
