Best Tent Camping near Keenesburg, CO

My husband went to this campsite with a group of Scouts and took me and our 1 year old a few weeks later. I had never been backpacking up until this point because I was always intimidated by the experience. This was an excellent "beginner" foray into backpacking!

This semi-primitive campsite requires a permit from the Open Space Office of Jefferson County, CO. The permit is free, however you must pick up the permit in person at their offices. Be prepared with a valid ID. This is a popular campsite for Scout Troops, so calling ahead for availability is a great idea.

There is an exact address available on the website and at the Open Space Office that you can put into your GPS and drive straight to the parking lot of the trailhead.

My husband and I came in through the West Trailhead. It is a 1 mile, easy hike. The first 1/3 of a mile is dirt, the remainder is gravel. It is fairly hilly, but easy enough that we actually opted to push our Jogging Stroller with our kid the entire way (which is very doable) whilst wearing our backpacking gear.

The campsites are well maintained and quite spread out from one another. So although there was a group of scouts, a group of friends, and a bigger youth group who all hiked in, it did not feel crowded or noisy.

We brought our dog, as pets are allowed on a leash. We set up our tent on the graveled pad at each site and boiled up some soup on the provided picnic tables. The website as of 2018 will tell you that fires are permitted in the designated fire rings, however a permanent fire ban has recently been put into place (which is too bad!) and all the fire rings and wood piles have been removed from the area - so really, NO FIRES ALLOWED. The pit toilets are very accessible and clean. It is technically Bear Country, so bear boxes and trash cans are provided for the overall campground.

My favorite thing about our particular campsite (site 15) was the view. At night you can see all the city lights of sprawling Denver, but then have a perfect view of the sunrise in the morning. Witnessing the sunrise from this spot will always be one of my favorite memories. Seriously so amazing!

We hiked out the next morning, simple as that, but realized we had misplaced our car keys...after 2.5 hours of searching and walking back and forth between the campsite and our car, we found our keys in the bottom of our tent. So really, if I could offer one piece of advice, always know where your keys are! Despite this incident, the location was great and the experience worthwhile! And I feel like it gave me a good taste of what to expect when backpacking in the future, which is exactly what I was looking for.

This would be a perfect first backpacking trip for beginners! Once you park, you sign in to the backpacking log to the right of the main entrance by the kiosk. The sites are first come first serve. From the parking lot, it’s only about a mile and a half. The site is off the main trail and is secluded enough so you don’t see hikers or bikers. It has a nice view of Horsetooth Reservoir and you are surrounded by the trees/rocks. There isn’t much shade coverage though. This site would be a perfect base for exploring Horsetooth rock/Horsetooth falls! There’s a wooden table about 50 yards from where you set up your tent so no need to bring chairs. There isn’t a water source close by so you’ll have to pack all your water. Also leave no trace and pack all your trash when you leave!

My son and I joined a friend from Longmont and headed to this trail to camp for a couple days. Very accessible road, lots of spots to choose from (we showed up on Thursday, it did get a little busier on Friday and Saturday). Our spot was set back from the trail, right next to the stream. Just an amazing view, ample room for lots of tents, nice fire rings and huge logs around them for sitting. Fire wood abounds but it was all a little wet still from the rains they've been getting. Some folks didn't seem to be aware of the "leave no trace" rule when it comes to going to the bathroom, which was a little gross. Overall, great experience, pretty trail views, caught lots of trout (none big enough to keep). A great getaway.

Tent sites - shared weekend with family. Drive up to unload then a reserved parking spot for vehicle. Water features abound. Because of high snow and record rainfall, most water activities were forbidden which was a huge disappointment. No camp fires allowed at any time. Large gas firepit centrally located but turns off at 8 pm which was actually before dark so that was disappointing. Flush toilets in large bathroom. Every manner of Rec opportunities: volleyball, soccer, etc. Two playgrounds, splashpad, and kid zip line. Beautifully nestled in between large rock formations. Eagles spotted a well as a troublemaking 150 lb black bear. Camp hosts friendly and very active. All food had to be removed to vehicles due to that bear visiting at night. Recommended but must understand this is a free public park so very busy but did have Quiet Hours and public is expected to leave at 8pm. Very quiet in the morning as public not admitted till mid-morning.

Came here for my birthday a few years ago, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking—mountains, lake views, the whole deal! The drive in was no joke (prepare for a bit of an adventure), and there was some construction going on across the lake that echoed over to our site. Hopefully, that’s all wrapped up by now.

Now, fair warning—there are no bathrooms, so we definitely had to rough it. If you’re up for the full backcountry experience, it’s totally worth it. Just make sure to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out everything—yes, even that.

The best part? Our campsite was huge—plenty of space for our whole group, multiple tents, and a couple of cars. With a picnic table and fire pit included, it made for the perfect outdoorsy hangout spot. Would absolutely go back—just maybe with better toilet planning next time!

This is a nice stop over campground to stay and explore the surrounding area for a while. It is still close to Loveland if you need the city vibe and necessities.

This campground has "lay of the land" (not level) sites, so some extra bracing is required. 

"Electric only" on all sites. They also have 3 "Tipis" (Teepee) sites that have electric as well.

Water is located near the three restrooms and a spigot in-between sites "29 & 31". (There is no water connection at the sites.)

The dump station is located at the "South" end of Carter Lake, about 6 miles away, at the Ranger Station booth. (I have included a map of location.) 

There are "NO' showers but have nicely kept vault toilets. (Kind of a bummer for what you pay for.)

Reservations are required and a "Day Use Fee", so heads up when you go online to reserve. (You might get lucky and drop in and see if a site is available for 1 night, if you want.) It's a bit pricey for "out of staters" but, to me, well worth it.

Verizon Cell is spotty… some days good, others..ehhh.. not so good. Not sure about the other carriers.