Best Tent Camping near Howard, CO

Tent campers near Howard, Colorado can find diverse options ranging from established sites with basic facilities to remote dispersed camping areas in surrounding public lands. Browns Canyon Dispersed offers primitive tent camping with several rocky fire rings in an open area bordered by bluffs, while Phantom Canyon Road provides numerous secluded tent sites tucked along a creek with mountain views. The nearby Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area offers walk-in tent sites at Vallie Bridge Campground for those preferring more established locations.

Most primitive tent sites near Howard require self-sufficiency as amenities are minimal. Many dispersed camping areas like Browns Creek South have no water sources, toilets, or trash facilities, requiring campers to pack in all supplies and pack out all waste. Fire rings are typically rock-built by previous campers rather than metal installations. A camper noted, "The sites are pretty unmanaged, fire rings are at most of the well-used spots." High-clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing remote tent sites along forest service roads, particularly after rain when conditions deteriorate. Phantom Canyon Road's tent sites often fill quickly on weekends, making weekday arrivals advantageous.

Tent camping areas around Howard provide exceptional access to solitude and natural features. Sites along Road 240 offer tent campers proximity to alpine lakes and hiking trails. The terrain varies from wooded shade to open areas with mountain views, with elevation changes affecting temperatures significantly between day and night. One reviewer described their experience at a tent site as "absolutely beautiful area, we pulled in on a Friday evening with thunderstorms all around." Sites near creeks are particularly prized for the ambient sound and access to water for filtering. Many walk-in tent locations provide greater separation from neighbors compared to vehicle-accessible sites, creating more immersive wilderness experiences. Wildlife sightings are common, with several campers reporting evidence of bears and coyotes near their tent sites.

Best Tent Sites Near Howard, Colorado (41)

    1. Vallie Bridge Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

    2 Reviews
    Coaldale, CO
    4 miles
    +1 (719) 539-7289

    $28 / night

    "Amazing to be right on the river but camp sites are pretty close to one another. Not much sun cover (camp map through state shows which sites have shade) and super windy. 360 views. So beautiful."

    2. AHRA Canyon Trading Post Recreation Site

    1 Review
    Cotopaxi, CO
    7 miles
    Website

    $4 - $10 / night

    "Vault restrooms. No trash on site, pack in pack out. Ramp to launch rafts, kayaks..."

    3. Browns Canyon Dispersed

    6 Reviews
    Poncha Springs, CO
    18 miles

    "Awesome location, beautiful views of the collegiate peaks and about 20 minutes away from Salida. There are lot of spots in this area (some side roads lead you to 360 views)."

    "Propane for pits were allowed but while on Colorado please don’t start a wildfire. Close driving distance to Nathrop and Buena Vista."

    4. Browns Creek (South) Dispersed Camping

    11 Reviews
    Nathrop, CO
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 553-1400

    "Big wide dispersed camping spaces. Plenty of nice hiking - especially Brown's Creek area. Great location with easy drive to Buena Vista & Salida & Mt. Princeton."

    "Stayed near the browns creek trail head. Restrooms there, along with a few temp toilets around."

    5. Road 240 - Dispersed

    11 Reviews
    Monarch, CO
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 539-3591

    "This spot is one of the best kept secrets for dispersed camping in Colorado. The road has plenty of camping spots all the way up to the lake. Most spots are wooded and offer plenty of shade."

    "There are a few tent camping spots at the bottom right before you cross the bridge."

    6. Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites

    38 Reviews
    Cañon City, CO
    40 miles

    "Driving down to this campsite I was happy to have a small car because the road is very narrow to say the least. I cannot imagine the feeling of driving a large rig here."

    "We arrived the Phantom Creek Road around 4:30pm. 10miles and 30 minutes later we found our spot."

    7. Red Canyon Park

    21 Reviews
    Victor, CO
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 269-9028

    "This was my first time solo tent camping. It went well. The space had a fire ring and picnic table. I might have been the only person at the park and it was quite peaceful!"

    "Views were terrific, whether you want something a bit more open or further into the canyon where it’s surrounded by gorgeous red rocks. I chose an open site and if you do, beware of the wind."

    8. Fooses Creek Dispersed Camping

    4 Reviews
    Monarch, CO
    24 miles

    "The creek was directly behind us and made beautiful sounds all night. There were a ton of mosquitos, but I never saw any animals or signs of animals."

    "There’s a nice little trailhead and hike nearby from the site. Keep going down the road to find sites, you’ll know you reached the end if you hit the trailhead."

    9. Mount Shavano and Mount Tabequache

    2 Reviews
    Poncha Springs, CO
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (719) 553-1400

    "The drive up access roads from the east is easy with a truck or all wheel drive after snow melt and it's not long before you're up in the gorgeous meadows with great views."

    10. Colorado Sports Ranch and Refuge

    3 Reviews
    Moffat, CO
    25 miles
    Website

    "The Colorado Sports Ranch and Refuge offers a unique blend of outdoor activities and relaxation, making it an ideal getaway for sports enthusiasts."

    "The Colorado Sports Ranch and Refuge offers a unique blend of outdoor activities and relaxation, making it an ideal getaway for sports enthusiasts."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Howard, CO

1324 Reviews of 41 Howard Campgrounds


  • Staci W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2022

    East Ridge Campground - Royal Gorge

    Pricey but beautiful

    This campground used to be free when I first found it years ago while visiting the Royal Gorge. Since the city has invested money into fixing up the campsites with fire rings, tent pads, and what seems to be pretty good county road maintenance, it’s definitely understandable why they charge a fee.

    No water is available. There are vault toilets.

    There are NO bear boxes.

    Rules worth nothing (according to the sign upon entering camp):

    1. no alcohol (that didn’t seem to stop anyone from enjoying themselves at their site)
    2. You can only stay for 72 hours per visit unless otherwise noted.

    There’s lots of hiking and mountain bike trails near the campground, which brought lots of mellow mtb riders in during my stay.

    Because of the rules/amenities, i felt the price was a little steep as others have mentioned. However it is clean, close enough to Cañon city that you can go to town if needed, but far enough away to “unplug” from the world in a beautiful location. Overall I’d recommend visiting this campsite! I’ll happily return.

  • B
    Feb. 9, 2022

    Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park

    Piñon Flats Camping

    Piñon Flats was an awesome place to camp! It has restrooms as well as easy access to hiking trails, each spot has a fire pit and a big enough dirt pad to stake down a tent or awning. Quiet hours are also nice so you won’t be hearing generators at night.

  • k
    May. 6, 2024

    Ruby Mountain Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

    Beautiful spot

    Really gorgeous camping spot with easy access to tons of different outdoor activities. Tent sites are very well maintained and very beautiful. Walk-in sites are very close to parking, I would barely consider them walk-in sites. My only complaint is that the tent pads are made of gravel and therefore extremely hard to properly stake down tents.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 28, 2021

    The Dunefield — Great Sand Dunes National Park

    WOW just WOW

    Stayed here 1 night with the backcountry permit through recreation.gov to see the stars and stay the night in the dunes. The hike in over the dune to a camp site with all your gear is frankly not easy, but it's short distance so it's manageable. Climbing in the sand is challenging with the extra weight of the pack and if the wind picks up you get whipped with sand BUT it is 100% worth it. We hiked in around 5/5:30pm at the end of the heat and were set up eating dinner around 8pm. Took a lot of breaks hiking in and went through a lot of water. In total we brought about a gallon of water each, and by the time we hiked out the next morning we were down to the last couple of ounces. Just the tent, no rain fly and using our sleeping bags as quilts was perfect in June. Even if you don't camp out the dunes are open for star gazing, and I highly recommend that. I tried hiking in both sneakers and just socks. Just socks was much better keeping your feet light and reducing cramping. Note: bugs come out at dusk so be ready with lots of spray and cover your limbs and bring good sunblock, you will get toasted.

  • J
    Jun. 23, 2025

    Rocking Chair Campground — Eleven Mile State Park

    High Winds, Rough Roads - Won't Stay Again

    The reservoir and surrounding areas are beautiful, but we don't plan to return to this campground. The roads in are so rough and created so much vibration that it was actually damaging to our A-Liner camper (with an off-road package). The speed limit is 55 and we weren't able to go much faster than 10 mph without the vibration becoming unbearable. The campsites are totally exposed with no tree cover, but it was too windy to set up our shade tent. The winds were so strong that we slept poorly; a neighbor in a tent said the wind ripped off two of his rain fly straps overnight. We chose Site 612 because the sites in that loop looked more private and spacious, but we failed to note that there was no bathroom on that side of the campground, with the nearest facilities being a short drive away. We left after the first night.

  • J
    Aug. 28, 2018

    Collegiate Peaks

    Beautiful and the people really practice leave no trace.

    I gave this a 4 star because of the crowds.I backpacked to a high alpine lake called Kroenke Lake in the Collegiate Peaks wilderness area near Buena Vista, CO in August to catch some high country Cutthroats. This is a very popular hike during the summer. Camping can be congested but there are enough trees in between spots for some privacy. The designated camp sites we kept very clean by the previous visitors. There was not any trash in or around the fire ring that I often come across in other areas. The people that have previously visited, practiced leave no trace with the exception of the designated fire ring. The scenery was beautiful with a gorgeous lake with peaks of granite in the background. All of the people on the trail were friendly and courteous. It does get congested on the weekend being so close to Buena Vista and Salida. If you go little further, you can escape the congestion. I would highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a weekend backpack trip.

  • K
    May. 2, 2019

    Mueller State Park Campground

    Amazing Facilities

    Some friends and I camped here in early October. It got a bit chilly at night, two layers, smartwool socks, a Carhart beanie, sleeping pad plus a medium temp sleeping bag kept me semi warm in our tent. The hikes we went on were beautiful and the restrooms were clean and close to our site. Because it was a last minute reservation we ended up in the RV section of the campsite so it was a little nosier than neccessary. We saw the park ranger ride through about every half hour to hour during our weekend stay. I would defintely stay there again!

  • T
    May. 17, 2022

    Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park

    Mountain beach adventure

    Campsites are compact and overlook the Dunes - we parallell parked at our site. Short hike to Medano creek and the dunes. Sites have bear boxes for food storage, picnic table, and tent pads. Not ideal for large travel trailers but great in tents, vans, or smaller trailers. Site 7 is behind a pit toilet and the breeze blows the stink at you perfectly. Most other sites seem ok.

  • Daniel S.
    Sep. 21, 2020

    Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park

    Awesome Scenery

    This campsite is located in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. A well maintained campground with asphalt roads throughout, including the campsite parking area. Each campsite includes a level dirt area delineated with a low rock wall, a large metal bear proof food storage locker, a metal fire ring with grate and an aluminum picnic table. There is no water, sewage or electric at any of the sites, although at only $20 a night that is quite acceptable. Plan to pick and reserve your site about 6 months in advance as this national park is very popular.


Guide to Howard

Tent camping near Howard, Colorado offers primitive to backcountry experiences at elevations between 7,000-10,000 feet in the central Colorado mountains. Weather varies dramatically throughout the year, with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F during days and dropping to 40-50°F at night. Flash thunderstorms frequently develop in afternoons during summer months, requiring campers to establish sites that provide natural drainage.

What to do

Hiking to alpine lakes: Road 240 dispersed camping provides direct access to mountain lakes and high-elevation terrain. "Very pretty area with well maintained road. Comfortable distance between campsites, yet still many to choose from! Convenient hiking just down the road as well," notes Lydia N. from Browns Creek (South) Dispersed Camping.

Creek fishing: Several sites along Phantom Canyon Road offer streamside camping with fishing access. "We found an amazing camp site that was down a slope. We parked up top and lugged everything down the slope. It was tough but so worth it. There was 5 different camp site areas at the bottom right next to the water," reports Madi G. from Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites.

Rock climbing and exploration: Red formations surround numerous sites. "Red Canyon Park was absolutely beautiful! Campsites were very spread out, and I barely saw anyone drive by the whole time. So many fun places to explore, like climbing on rocks to see the mountains around you," shares emily from Red Canyon Park.

What campers like

Waterfall proximity: Several tent sites near Howard feature natural water features. "As soon as the road gets super rocky, you'll go up a short hill that curves right and the campsite is on the right before you take a left up another hill... The waterfall was awesome to camp by. Flowing well in early June," states Katie M. from Road 240 - Dispersed.

Isolation from crowds: Most tent sites provide separation from other campers. "This is a beautiful BLM area, free dispersed camping. Some loud generators in use when we came here but so much room we could get far enough away to not mind," explains Katie H. about Browns Canyon Dispersed.

Creek sounds: Sites near running water are especially valued for ambient noise. "Stayed right by the creek which was serene and relaxing to sleep to. We easily found a site that fit two tents," mentions Vanessa P. from Fooses Creek Dispersed Camping.

What you should know

Road conditions: Many tent sites require navigating rough terrain. "The road is definitely chunky! There were a few pretty spots before you get to all the dead trees. The one we stayed at was probably the best one in our opinion," warns Trish M. about Road 240 - Dispersed.

Insect populations: Biting flies and mosquitoes can be problematic in warmer months. "Stayed for the weekend, found a place tucked back away from the road and felt completely secluded from the world. No service, no noise, just the sound of the creek and an occasional car driving by. There is a lot of biting flies so bring bug spray if you plan to camp," advises Hayden P. from Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites.

Fire restrictions: Rules vary by season and location. "This is a fun spot to camp. Theres no good logs around for firewood but good twigs for kindle. Theres a cool tunnel to drive through too," notes Evan W. from Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites.

Tips for camping with families

Established sites for facilities: Families needing toilets should consider certain areas. "Reservation Required cpwshop.com or call 800-244-5613. Open 365 days barring severe weather. Basic sites are $28.00 A vehicle pass is required. Sites: 16 basic, walk in tent sites with a tent pad, fire grill and picnic table. There is one pit toilet," explains N I. from Vallie Bridge Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.

Kid-friendly exploration: Some areas offer safer exploration zones for children. "The road has alot of uneven terrain with some boulders. I would recommend 4WD & higher clearance - not for your standard sedan. Sites are spread apart and along the creek & somewhat level," notes Beverly O. from Fooses Creek Dispersed Camping.

Weather preparation: Mountain weather changes rapidly, especially with children. "We camped here for 4 nights in August 2020. It was so peaceful. Big wide dispersed camping spaces. Plenty of nice hiking - especially Brown's Creek area," shares Lise F.

Tips from RVers

Leveling requirements: Few sites are naturally level for larger vehicles. "Awesome location between Salida and Buena Vista. Keep driving thru the gate and find your own piece of paradise. We have a 24' RV and out spot, buried in the tall pines, was an easy in and out," advises Louise S. from Browns Creek (South) Dispersed Camping.

Road access limitations: Many roads narrow significantly beyond initial access points. "Very serene and beautiful stop. The road has alot of uneven terrain with some boulders. I would recommend 4WD & higher clearance - not for your standard sedan. Sites are spread apart and along the creek & somewhat level. The road in is a single lane so be kind & patient. Really beautiful place to boondock. No problems getting there in my 4x4 sprinter van," explains Beverly O.

Alternate sites during peak season: Finding RV sites during weekends requires planning. "As a Salida local, the sites at the base of Shavano were always some of my favorite for a quick and accesible trip. The drive up access roads from the east is easy with a truck or all wheel drive after snow melt," recommends Allison D. from Mount Shavano and Mount Tabequache.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Howard, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Howard, CO is Vallie Bridge Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Howard, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Howard, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.