Best Glamping near Gunnison National Forest

Wow! This is a beautiful spot. The lower campground is for tents and smaller RVs, but is definitely the spot to be if you can swing it! This campground has cabins, glamping tents, tent pads and spaces for RVs. We camped in spaces 17 and 18 in the lower campground right by the river. The “resorts has a rafting company, zip line, and restaurant/bar on premises.

Pros:

• Easy to access off of I-70, but you feel a million miles away
• Gorgeous scenery all around
• Very easy access to the bike/walk trail through Glenwood Canyon
• 5 to 10 minute drive to Glenwood Springs attractions - Hot Springs, Gondola, downtown shopping a land restaurants

Cons:

• Spaces are EXTREMELY close together
• The train runs by, which is very nice to see and experience as it runs through the canyon, but at 5 am, that sucker is LOUD
• It’s a pricey campground, but could be worth it if you take advantage of all the amenities and it fits in your plans

Overall, this is a great campground. I might save it for a mid-week stay or slightly off season so you aren’t stacked on top of your neighbors.

Whether you're camping or staying in one of the cabins or Yurts this place is absolutely breathtaking located in the Rocky Mountains there were many miles of hiking trails and great places to go fishing for trout they don't allow motorized boats however this place was perfect for canoeing and kayaking this is a nice little getaway with breathtaking views absolutely recommended if you were in the area or looking for a nice place to get a good dose of nature

This park has so much character that it should have it’s own tv show. There are conservation areas, trails galore, historical buildings, and a beautiful lake that is surrounded with alpine forests. 

The staff is really sweet and willing to help in any way they can. We lost our pump for our inflatable and they found us one to borrow. 

The campground is large and can accommodate a lot of campers, the bathrooms are fully equipped and clean. It was quiet at night which was surprising since you are basically in a cul-de-sac of tents and rv's. There are cabins and yurts to rent as well. They are even building (or just finished) a new section of a campground that looks like it will accommodate more rv’s and boats. It is called fisherman’s paradise.

There is also a day use area with grills and picnic tables. 

The road to get out here can be rough in bad weather but low clearance is fine to get out here. WInter excursions are probably a bit tougher and would require an all wheel drive.

Slyvan Lake State Park is located outside of the Town of Eagle, CO. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from town to the park. Upon entering, there is a multitude of activities you can partake in. Besides camping, which i will get to in a second, Sylvan lake offers excellent fishing for trout, Stand up Paddle Boarding and Canoeing; Both which can be rented there. The surrounding area offers hiking and scenic drives.

As for the camping, there are a couple campgrounds in the Sylvan Lake area as well as cabins and yurts that can be rented. Camp grounds are standard forest service spots. The each feature a picnic table and metal fire rings. As always, spots range from small to large, some having ample tree coverage and some are very exposed. There are vault toilets in the are as well.

There is a fee to use these spots which can be paid via self service area. This is a great spot for a family or anyone looking to get away and stay active. The area can get very busy in the summer so try to avoid weekends. This summer (2018) there was a lot of construction in the park and in turn it closed down some area that were normally open for camping and activities.

After a long, long day of driving, this was a true treat to pull into. As soon as we set up we ventured off to “duck island” after crossing their little bridge over the Colorado. It was truly refreshing to have trails, lots of beautiful landscaping and the Colorado river to relax with. There’sa nice pool, restrooms are clean, staff is delightful and spaces are large and inviting. Each has a fire and picnic table. Other than slight noise from the highway, this is definitely 5 star.

After a long, long day of driving, this was a true treat to pull into. As soon as we set up we ventured off to“duck island” after crossing their little bridge over the Colorado. It was truly refreshing to have trails, lots of beautiful landscaping and the Colorado river to relax with. There’sa nice pool, restrooms are clean, staff is delightful and spaces are large and inviting. Each has a fire and picnic table. Other than slight noise from the highway, this is definitely 5 star.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff, well equipped store, water play pad AND pool with jacuzzi, and a creek to walk along to where it meets the Colorado River! Gorgeous!

This is not Glenwood Springs. It is located in Silt which is several towns away. That being said, it was a clean KOA with sites right on the Colorado River.

One of the most beautiful camping experiences we've had. Camped one night on our road trip throughout southwestern Colorado. Campsites over look the canyon.

This is such a clean, comfy little RV park. It backs to the Colorado river, get hot in summer but not too hot. The bathrooms, shower pool are grounds are very well maintained. It’s my second stop here and I’d come again!

We stayed at the Glenwood Springs West / Colorado River KOA in October 2020 for one night as we passed through the area. We were really pleased with this KOA, it was clean, quiet, well-maintained, and located in a nice area (not always the case with KOA's we've learned). The staff were friendly and the sites were all level and nicely spaced out. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

The cabins are HA and have nice sidewalk paths from the parking lot. Inside a mini fridge, coffee maker, and a microwave are provided. There are 2 bunks in the back and a plastic kitchen table in the "living space." The cabins have nice patio furniture on the front porch, which was a nice touch for a State Park.  The outdoor picnic table and campfire area outside the cabin is large. The five cabins in this area are close together and you can view your neighbors but this was not a problem for us. (It would make for great a trip with extended family or friends.) One may consider the cabin pricey, but it was typical for a Colorado state park.

During our stay the bathrooms (vault toilets) near the cabins were so full of bees it was like Candyman was also staying the weekend. There are flush toilets and showers next to a small playground closer to the reservoir. A trail will take you from the cabins to the visitor center. While other areas of the park were not full during our stay, I imagine that at the peak of summer the boating and RVing is plenty.

Driving through Colorado in the fall there is nothing which can compare. Mild days and cool nights equate to perfect camping for those who are a bit adventurous and that is a term which suits me to a T!

I found myself in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison area in early October.  As I happened to be driving I noticed signs for the National Park, which otherwise I didn’t know was even there.  I took a turn and drove up the winding paved path, used my park pass and loved what I found.  It was like a dark canyon of steep embankments.  I could see for what seemed like forever downward to the waters which cut through the canyon.

I went on the short distance to the visitor center before deciding I wanted to check out the camping at this facility and when I did so I was so excited.  The campgrounds just were a continuation of the amazing views and because it was fall, the site was not full.

Sites were average size and offered great views.  It looked like mostly a tent zone which was nice, although it did look like perhaps it could accommodate an RV, though there were not any present when I was there.  

The campground had several bear boxes around, which kind of made it all seem so real about the wildlife presence in the area.  There were also a few water spouts available and vault toilets nearby.  Picnic tables were scattered and in good condition.

Something that makes this site unlike many in Colorado area was that I didn’t see any scheduled closures posted. Many sites in the state close with weather and do not offer services, this one might do the same but I saw no obvious postings to indicate such.

My site was $16, which was not bad considering the views and access to trails.  You could easily follow the roads and find something of interest is you were not wanting to hike and had a lot of information available just a short distance ahead at the visitor center.

TIPS:

• This is not a fill up station for your water reserves as water is limited at these points.
• Check out a trip down to the river if you have an opportunity, it is amazing from above but the access below displays an entire different ecosystem of vegetation and animals.
• Drive slowly on roads leading up to your turn, this area is heavily patrolled and it is easy to miss speed limit signs in the area.

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Glenwood Canyon Resort

3.9

(987)

2-star hotel

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bob shoulders

Local Guide·20 reviews

just now

NEW

Tried to camp there last week on a trip out west but I-70 was closed by the Colorado Dept of Transportation at mile marker 116 because of a mudslide. I was coming from Grand Junction and the Glenwood Canyon Resort is at MM 119 so there was … More

Pamela Johnson

9 reviews·1 photo

a week ago

NEW

Vacation | Friends

Our camper van, fortuitously, broke down near the entrance of the Glenwood Canyon Resort. The Resort staff were very helpful in finding us a mechanic to have a look at the van; however, nothing could be done on the day. This circumstance … More



Hayley Brown

1 review

a month ago

Vacation | Family

We found this place by chance and it is probably one of my favorite places in CO. The place is keep incredibly clean. The bike trail along the water can take you directly to town is beautiful. There is a river rafting place right on … More

Glenwood Canyon Resort (Owner)

3 weeks ago

Hi Hayley! Thanks for your 5 star review. We can't agree with you more, our park is a favorite place for LOTS of people!

Cori Barnes

3 reviews

a month ago

Recently we booked our family event for 120+ people at the Glenwood Canyon Resort. Due to unforeseen circumstances (an accident closing I 70), we were unable to hold our event at Glenwood Canyon Resort, so I have split the review into two … More

Glenwood Canyon Resort (Owner)

a week ago

Thanks for your review! We're sorry that the accident on the interstate caused such a disruption to your plans. We were so looking forward to hosting our first big event! To be sure, there were issues that we needed to work out, but we had our team working dilligently to make everything right for you. We thank you for your review because it helps us to ensure that all of the proper steps and communication on our part will be better in the future.



















bob shoulders

Local Guide·20 reviews

2 hours ago

NEW

Tried to camp there last week on a trip out west but I-70 was closed by the Colorado Dept of Transportation at mile marker 116 because of a mudslide. I was coming from Grand Junction and the Glenwood Canyon Resort is at MM 119 so there was no way to get there from the West. I tried to call the office but it was after 6 pm so no one answered. Found a place to plug in and called the next morning to get a refund and was told their no cancellation policy wouldn't allow me to get a refund even when the highway was closed in the canyon which does happen now and then. Their lame justification was that other people made it there last night and implied that I should have kept driving into a closed interstate highway and try to sneak through. Amazing. I lost the mobile signal while discussing and called back several times and left a voicemail but they didn't want to deal with me so this is my only option. So, unless you are willing to give them your money with no recourse when Glenwood Canyon closes, you are at risk of losing it.

I typically rate campgrounds as they fit into 1 of 5 categories. This campground will be rated as a Basecamp — grounds that offer a comfortable home base that you’re happy to return to after a day of exploring the surrounding area. Ratings for this category are based on: Value to cost: 5 Overall grounds: 5 Utility of sites (hookups, layout, accessibility): 5 Local Attraction Proximity: 4 Reservation Process/Ease of Getting a Site: 5 Amenities: 5 Customer Service: 5 Cleanliness: 5

This KOA Holiday is, by far, the nicest we’ve seen. It seems brand new with a lovely layout, nice patches of grass and room between spaces and the Colorado River running right by. In COVID times, pool areas were highly restricted, so we didn’t bother (there were tons of kids at the grounds over Labor Day weekend). They have an awesome water feature area and playground for kids too! There’s a little trail to explore the river island.

There is a nice gas station and market not 100’ from the front office. And gas prices are cheap! Front office staff were very friendly.

There was a set of bathrooms, showers and a small laundry room by us. We used neither but both seemed nice and were cleaned consistently every day. The park is very close to a few shops and restaurants in the small town of Silt. Glenwood Springs is about 20 minutes down the road... easy access to the Hot Springs. And Rifle State Park is about 30 minutes away. It’s super easy access right off 70 freeway, but no car noise.

The hookups were laid out nicely and worked well. WiFi was as good as we’ve ever experienced at a campground. We paid for a patio and enjoyed the “fancier” setup. One word of advice... if you want to book a site by the river (they look awesome), make sure you have some bug spray... mosquitos seem to be abundant closer to the water.

Campground Review: We stayed at Ward Lake on Colorado's Grand Mesa. Ward Lake sits at about 10,000 feet. So, depending on time of year, it can get a little chilly. We arrived mid morning and the camp hosts were not available. There are two campgrounds, the upper and the lower. We stayed in the lower campground. The upper seemed to house more families and had more wooded sites, the lower seemed more suited to rvs and such but we still put our tent up in the lower section. Our site said that it was a shore line site, but the lake was down something like 40 feet and was supposed to drop another 20 feet. The shoreline was a bit muddy and the rocks made navigating the area difficult for us. Other people went down and fished though and did appear to be catching fish.

Our site was a bit less shaded, which we chose because we were expecting it to be chilly. There were some great shaded spots also but we were looking for sun. It had plenty of room for our two tents (they are small but still), it had a long driveway and a picnic table along with a fire ring. The restrooms were very near by, just across the road. The restrooms were immaculate! Some of the cleanest pit toilets we've seen. No oder and very clean. The whole campground was really clean in fact. The hosts were doing an amazing job.

The chilly weather had us wanting to get moving so we found Ward Lake Trail and hiked all the way to the other side of the lake, which was beautiful! The trail was amazing, the trees were great and it made for a very scenic trail. The hike back was a little less scenic, along the shore line, the rocks were hard to navigate at times, especially with a 3 year old along. When we returned to our site, the rest of the campground had begun to fill up and the host made the rounds to collect our registrations. The fee was $18 for the night. The hosts were very friendly and sociable.

There was a wedding on the other side of the lake and by nightfall the band was in full swing. The music was pleasurable and not over powering. I don't know if weddings are common but we enjoyed listening under the stars.

Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Green Goo Pain Relief. Our green goo arrived just in time, we hit up the post office, tossed it in our bag and then headed to the mountain. I have chronic knee pain from many years of playing hockey and I was coming off a nasty fall that left my knees swollen, bruised and sore. So while hiking, they definitely started to act up. The green goo pain relief is a bit softer then many of the ointments I've used, making it really easy to rub in. While hiking, I was able to simply pull up my pants leg, rub it on, drop the pants leg and keep right on hiking. To my surprise, it took care of the pain immediately! But, and I hate to have a but, it only lasted 15-20 minutes before my knees got achy again. It didn't really have a cooling/heating effect but it did provide immediate relief. I'll definitely use it again.

A hidden gem campground! It is in the heart of Marble, a 2 minute walk to the famous Slow Groovin BBQ and a 5 minute walk to Beaver Lake. The campground host was very friendly and welcoming. The bathrooms were well kept, clean and very nice. The campground itself was beautiful, great views and each site was well spaced out. There is also a Starlink that worked great! We parked our sprinter van here for a night and ran up Crystal Mill in the morning. Great accessibility. Excited to stay here again soon!