Best Tent Camping near Granite, CO

Recent Tent Reviews in Granite

1876 Reviews of 60 Granite Campgrounds

• 

  Connor M.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 30, 2024

  Portal Campground

  Seclution and Tranquility along with adventure

  Portal campground is a very secluded off the beaten path campground. There are number of designated camping spots on the way to the reservoir lake that include fire rings. The road is a high-clearance road that is fairly rutted out with tight turns and very small sections to pass people. I didn't see a single RV/trailer and most everyone was driving a 4Runner, Tacoma, or Jeep. 

  Keep in mind that the campground at Portal is 10,500 feet so if you aren't used to the altitude or familiar with altitude sickness you'll want to do a little research before camping here as it's a long bumpy drive out. 

  All this being said, Portal campground is a beautiful place to camp and has pit toilets available for use. We camped here in Early July and it was pretty busy but were able to snag a spot by the Lake. This is definitely worth the trip!

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 20, 2024

  Kirby Gulch

  Worth the Rough Drive

  Kirby Gulch is a fantastic spot for anyone seeking a peaceful, off-the-grid camping experience near Grant, Colorado. Situated off Route 1038, this dispersed camping area offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and easy access to outdoor activities like hiking and wildlife watching.

  The campsites are well-spaced, providing plenty of privacy, and the area is generally clean, thanks to considerate campers. Since it’s a dispersed site, there are no amenities like water or toilets, so make sure to come prepared. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for accessing some of the sites, especially after rain or snow.

  What makes Kirby Gulch truly special is its tranquility. You can enjoy the sound of the wind through the trees, the crisp mountain air, and dazzling stargazing at night. It’s also a great starting point for exploring nearby trails or simply soaking in the serene environment.

  If you’re comfortable with primitive camping and leave-no-trace principles, Kirby Gulch is a hidden gem worth checking out.

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 15, 2024

  White River National Forest Heaton Bay Campground

  Lakeside Bliss at Heaton Bay

  Heaton Bay Campground, located near Dillon Reservoir in Colorado, offers a stunning lakeside camping experience with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. The campground is set in a picturesque location, making it a perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy water activities, hiking, and enjoying the serenity of nature.

  The sites at Heaton Bay are spacious, well-maintained, and equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, providing a comfortable setting for both tent campers and RV travelers. There are flush toilets and potable water, but no hookups for RVs, so keep that in mind when planning your stay. The campground is nestled among tall pines, providing some shade and a peaceful atmosphere, though there are few trees at some sites, so be prepared for full exposure to the sun.

  One of the biggest highlights of Heaton Bay is its proximity to Dillon Reservoir, where you can enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing. The campground is also just a short drive from the popular town of Dillon and the many hiking opportunities in the area, including access to the nearby Swan Mountain Trail and many 14ers.

  The only downside is that during peak summer months, the campground can be busy, as it’s a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Be prepared for crowds, especially on weekends. The nights can also get chilly, so it’s essential to pack warm layers, even in the summer.

  Overall, Heaton Bay Campground offers an excellent lakeside camping experience with a perfect balance of nature, water activities, and mountain views, making it an ideal spot for a Colorado getaway.

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 15, 2024

  Portal Campground

  Aspen Escape by the Lake

  Nestled just outside of Aspen, Portal Campground offers a serene and scenic retreat in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. With its proximity to the Roaring Fork River and sweeping views of surrounding peaks, it’s a perfect spot for campers seeking both tranquility and adventure.

  The campground features well-maintained sites surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery, providing ample shade and privacy. Each site comes with a picnic table, fire ring, and nearby vault toilets, making it a comfortable, rustic camping experience. The sound of the river nearby adds to the peaceful atmosphere.

  Portal Campground is an excellent base for exploring the Aspen area, with plenty of hiking, fishing, and wildlife watching opportunities. The famous Maroon Bells are just a short drive away, and there are several trails nearby offering breathtaking views and alpine scenery.

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 7, 2024

  Forest Road 272 Dispersed Camping

  Spacious Mountain Views with a Few Cow Visitors

  Coordinates: 38.702830,-106.160280

  This dispersed camping area offers stunning mountain views, spacious sites perfect for large groups, and easy access to excellent hiking trails. The September weather was ideal—cool and crisp without being too cold. While the site feels fairly secluded, beware of grazing cows from local ranches that wander through; be sure to secure food and belongings you don’t want damaged. Dog owners should be mindful of cleanup, as cow and dog waste can be an issue. There are two porta-potties onsite that are cleaned weekly, but campers must pack out all their trash to maintain the area’s natural beauty. Overall, it’s a fantastic spot for those looking for a peaceful escape with plenty of room to spread out.

• G

  Greg P.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 24, 2024

  Bear Lake Backpack Site

  Belle of Colorado @ Tourquoise Lake

  Originally quite nice, tent camping, clean area, nice sites, water available, bathrooms, and access to fishing. Weekends tend now to religious services... :( Been 4 times but now prefer less commercial/church interuptions. RV crud makes for noisy generators, bouncy houses, karaoke... :( Some people swim. Boating. Good perimeter trail, biking allowed.

• c

  chris R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 28, 2024

  Twin Lakes Dispersed Camping - Site 2 West

  Nice little spot

  Drove straight to the back, not many others camping. Can hear a few cars passing in the distance and not a ton of tree coverage but a great spot nonetheless

• F

  Fred E.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 24, 2024

  Three Rivers Resort & Outfitting

  Great location with easy access fishing

  Great location with full hookups for RVs. The description mentions back-in sites only, and while our electric hookup was conveniently on the same side, we had to run our water and sewage lines underneath the RV since those hookups were on the opposite side—this seems to be the case for all sites. The campground is perfectly situated at the intersection of the Gunnison, Taylor, and East Rivers, making it ideal for fly fishing. They offer cabins, RV sites, and long-term housing options. There's a small store with basic items, beer, and merchandise, plus a fly shop in the same building. There's also a restaurant, though it was closed during our stay, and coin-operated laundry facilities. Overall, a great stay!

• 

  Jordana P.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 19, 2024

  Mount Shavano Dispersed Camping

  Beautiful views and great privacy

  I stayed here for 1 night of car camping and will definitely go back. I only went about 4 miles in on the rocky/rutted road (vs the 5 miles that the directions say) and thought the sites were great. I stayed at a big site on the right with beautiful views and a fire ring. Aside from hearing some (maybe - not sure) coyotes at night, I wasn't aware of any other wildlife. I was in a 4Runner and my friend that I was with was driving a Highlander. As another poster commented, I saw a small sedan in one of the sites but wouldn't drive way out in anything but an SUV or truck. I have AT&T and had 2 bars of service.

• 

  Leah K.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Twin Lakes Overlook Dispersed Camping

  Great Camping Spot

  This was a great camping spot. There are several campsites by the water and other campsites, not by the water. The campsites are kind of close together, but not terrible. I went early on a Friday and got a beautiful spot by the water. By the end of the day, all the sites around the water were full. So if that's important to you, be sure to get there early. There were still plenty of other gorgeous campsites, not by the water available all weekend. There are also hiking trails located here. One of which is called "Interlaken Trail." It's about a 5 mile hike total and takes you to a "Ghost Resort" called "Inter-Laken" that was abandoned around WW1. You can even go inside one of the buildings, and there are Historical Marker plaques that talk about the abandoned resort. The signal is great so I had cell service and data the entire time. Highly recommend!

• e

  elizabeth M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Boreas Pass Road Designated Dispersed Camping

  Stunning views and close to town

  I came on a Sunday afternoon before Columbus Day and there were plenty of spots open. Super close to town and stunning views.

• 

  Courtney D.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Bruno Gulch Dispersed

  Loved it!

  Not super busy! Lots of open spaces when we arrived around 6pm.

• 

  Conner

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Boreas Pass Road Designated Dispersed Camping

  <15 min from town, great views, 2WD just fine

  I came in October when the aspens and birch still had some leaves . Beautiful colors on bareus pass

• 

  Conner

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Breckenridge Overlook

  Sleep in car only - park on the edge of a cliff with breathtaking views

  Just one mile further up the road or so you will reach Destinated camp sites which I prefer.

  Although I saw 5 camp cars parked on the side of the road (this is a Monday night) facing the cliff that night and like 2 the next morning when I left for work. I was jealous a little bit of their views

• 

  Alice S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 3, 2024

  Twin Lakes Dispersed Camping - Site 1 West

  Not Bad

  The road up to the campground is pretty rough for the first 100 ft or so but then it gets a lot better. Quite a bit of space but no privacy. I would definitely not suggest for large rvs. I’m in a van and didn’t have much problems at all.

• Z

  Zu Y.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Valley Mobile RV Park

  Great Management campground

  The host, Margaret and her husband and few others working very hard to maintains this campsite.

  Shower room have heat and hot water, environments are so peacefully and pretty,  shops are close by, hot springs, rafting, nearby, my favorites is cottonwood lake!

• 

  Dwight R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Pennsylvania/India Creek

  Hard to get to, beautiful valley

  The FR611 is narrow and requires a high clearance vehicle. I had to go to 4LO multiple times. I went up Boreas Pass and turned down FR611 which made it down hill most the way. The spot it self is open enough for multiple vehicles had three old fire pits. Very pretty spot but no fall colors all pines in this valley.

• 

  Dwight R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Twin Lakes Dispersed Camping - Site 2 West

  Late Sept Fall colors

  We had a blast with this spot, arrived late at night and woke up inside an aspen grove. There is a lot of hiking trails and some cool spots to visit down by the lakes.

• 

  jsbeezg

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2024

  FR 48 Dispersed Camping

  Road is CLOSED!

  The road has been closed and there is no longer access to this camp area.

• t

  tommy S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 30, 2024

  Spruce Creek/Crystal Creek Designated Dispersed Camping

  Autumnal leaf-peeping and star-gazing

  Site 4 featured 3 well established campfire rings, one with a lean-to. The three spots are separated enough to enjoy with seclusion, also had plenty of parking. There are a number of easily accessible trails nearby. Surrounded by pines there weren't a lot of Aspens turning for the season visible from camp, but the hikes in the area led to some beautiful vistas and meadows that afforded opportunities to see seas of leaves turning. This site required AWD and good clearance to get to, but well worth it and offered a good out of the way camping experience and great star gazing opportunity as there was a new moon when we went, so saw plenty of shooting stars and the milky way!

• J

  Jordyn B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 29, 2024

  Hoosier Pass Dispersed Camping

  Overall nice spots

  We stayed one Saturday on Hoosier and we were able to find a spot. Not super private and lots of off leash dogs but beautiful walking trails!

• h

  hercules N.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 28, 2024

  Red Sandstone - Primitive Dispersed

  Beautiful, but a little busy

  Went out late on a Friday night. My timing was wrong to get a good spot, but I was hoping there would be at least one spot left, unfortunately all the established sites I could reach were taken! I couldn't get more than a few miles up the road, the first few were manageable in my Impreza but having a higher clearance vehicle is definitely ideal. I was able to find a spot to pitch my tent for the night, but it was far from level or smooth. Still, incredible views of the stars and absolutely gorgeous to see the Aspen leaves changing!

• 

  Leah S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Boreas Pass Road Designated Dispersed Camping

  Beautiful & Easy

  We stayed on site 21, arrived around 5pm on a Thursday night and it was amazing! We were shocked the site was still available, a couple other sites also had great views but 21 was definitely impressive. We read the previous reviews which made it easy for us to find. Sunset was beautiful, it was quiet and peaceful, and the moon lit up the entire area. Each site had a stoned fire pit and there are marked site numbers. The road up was busy with people leaf peeping so drive carefully, as of Sept 19th aspens were bright yellow and leaves were changing beautifully.

• 

  Stacy T.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Boreas Pass Road Designated Dispersed Camping

  Easy to get to, beautiful scenery

  Easy to get to from metro Denver and it's super close to Silverthorne. Dispersed camping sites are still somewhat close together. We could definitely hear other campers around us talking and such. The road to get up was easy (we stayed in #9 - not sure about the ones farther up the road). I had to come in later as I had a work appointment, so I drove up in my Jetta to meet up with my husband. If my little Jetta can make it, almost any car can! Timing wise, we were up Sept 21 & 22 (2024) and the fall colors were GORGEOUS.

• T

  Tarryn T.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 21, 2024

  Boreas Pass Road Designated Dispersed Camping

  Busy AF

  Hard to find a spot. Even in shoulder season. Was busy 3 weeks ago too. Nearly no privacy. Nice view, but hardly worth it.

• 

  Tyler S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Spruce Creek/Crystal Creek Designated Dispersed Camping

  Spruce Creek Camping

  Great campsite overall! You park and then walk to your site which is set back and surrounded by gorgeous trees. Lots of flat ground. It did get very chilly here, so beware! Also, lots of moisture in the air. The fire pit was fantastic!!

• S

  Sam W.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Collegiate Peaks

  Out there but not too far

  Went with the family and had a great time. We got a site because of a cancellation and, unfortunately it was next to the bathroom. Didn't bother us though. It was our first trip using our new popup and it was def a learning experience. That all being said we were able to hit up Mount Princeton hot springs AND visit the St. Elmo ghost town. By the end of the trip the kids were begging to go back asap.