Best Tent Camping near Keenesburg, CO

This was my first time staying at a KOA campground and I was blown away by the amenities offered here. Upon first pulling up to the campground, I was met by a security checkpoint and was directed to the main office to register and obtain a car pass. The attention to detail and security measures were another surprise to me, as I have always been more accustomed to primitive campgrounds. As previously mentioned, I was astounded by the variety of amenities offered to guests including wifi, a pool, mini golf, a massive playground, arcade, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits and more. This all in addition to the usual premium campground amenities such as showers, laundry facilities, RV dump station, camp sinks, an office store with basic goods and snacks, etc. 

This campground is super family friendly and seems to be much more focused on offering RV sites and cabin type lodging. As I am a tent camper, my review will be focused on what is offered for those at a tent site. There are 5 tent sites, which are only available from May 1stto September 30th. The sites are rather close together but in a lovely location right along the lake. The sites cost $45/night on week days and $50/night on weekends for one or two people with a single vehicle, additional guests cost $10/night, additional car $5/night and fire ring rentals are $5/night. Tent sites include a parking spot, a raised and level tent platform, picnic table and grill. Open fires, hammocks and clotheslines are not allowed even at the tent sites. 

Overall, this campground provides a very family oriented environment with luxurious amenities. This campground would be a great option for those wanting a camping experience without having to “rough it” whatsoever. The RV sites and cabin lodging also provide unique options for those not wanting to sleep in a tent. The price for tent camping seemed a bit steep for me, but made sense considering all of the facilities offered. The location just outside of Fort Collins provides easy access to town while still allowing for a more rural experience.

Note there's a 3 day limit on tent camping.

I checked in. The wind was blowing. Too cold for tent camping. Will be back. 🎃

Nice site. Reasonably clean and flat. Electrical hookup didn't work, but I was tent camping so I didn't mind. Water was great and easily accessible.

if you pick a tent site it’s your best bet the electric sites are too close to RV’s

Tent camped on a weekday. Walk-to site was well spaced from other sites and had some nice shade. Pit toilet could have been cleaner. A rowdy rv party was noisy in the day but calmed down at night. Could see it being noisy on the weekend

Large campsites, clean bathrooms with mountain/water views just outside the city. Great no matter if you tent camp or pull a trailer. Just a short hike to the water for paddle boarding or a picnic with a view. Some people need to be in the mountains to enjoy nature but Chatfield is the perfect getaway for us.

Beautiful, but really need a compact 4x4 to get into and out of parking lot and there are tent sites only. We almost didn’t make it out with our 24 ft van (checked it out but didn’t stay overnight). Very crowded on a Saturday at 4:30pm.

First class camper services with hot showers and clean campsites.  We were tent camping in space 7.  This campsite loops is located in a mature portion of the campground with NICE shaded trees.  The Camper Services bldg was located about 50 yards away with v clean facilities and hot showers.  A vault toilet was about 20 yards away.  

The only Con to report was the heavy roadway noise pollution from nearby I-25.  In a tent, earplugs are definitely needed.

Great! Great! Great! Big campground but still peaceful. Not far from Denver but a world away.

Generously sized tent sites accommodate a variety of tent sizes. Be aware you cannot hang hammocks.

Bathrooms were clean. Showers cost $1. There are facilities for washing clothes and dishes and even vending machines.

There is some great hiking in the park and a couple of trailheads right out of the campground.

was just beautiful all the staff was wonderful and made our first in Co wonderful I would deffiantly recommend this place for sure beautiful views the yurt was awsome and we tent camped last night please come visit and see for yourself they have archery, a beach, horse stables and ring, large lake to fish, clean bathrooms and courthouses will stay again if we are ever in co again😁😍❤

Nice campground, well kept. Without a reservation you put your name on a list that they start going through at 1pm to assign sites. As someone tent-camping this is no problem, just takes some time (site assigned ~1.5hours after arrival at 13:20). But be wary if you need certain hookups. that being said, there are no ‘tent only’ sites. The minimum has electric ($26). There are 3 different areas - each has multiple bathhouses, which have coin-laundry available. Showers are coin-operated as well.

Pinewood Reservoir campground (also reviewed on this website as "Pinewood Lake" campground) is a small but well-maintained campground and has nice views of a lake and rolling foothills. There are 16 RV sites and 9 walk-in tent sites. Non-motorized small boats allowed and there is an easy hiking trail around the lake. Only draw back is you pay both a park fee and a campsite fee.

RV and tent camping options within a lovely manicured park with the beautiful St Vrain creek running through it. Walking trails and river access was abundantly available. Easy walking or biking distance to various eateries in Lyons. We stayed 2 nights but would have liked to stay for 3 or more if the #8 site we were in was still available or the other preferred end site, #9, was available. I was not impressed with the other super tight RV sites in-between, otherwise I would have given 5 stars.

This campground was better than expected--the tent sites were well spaced for privacy, and even on a busy weekend, we felt like we had our own space to enjoy nature. We were right on the waters edge, and the view in the morning was incredible, looking out over the lake with mountains in the background. There was plenty to do there on site--hiking, cooking out, a designated swimming area, and even boat rentals. The nearby town was about 20 minutes, which made for a easy grocery shopping trip. Some essentials and food items were available to purchase on site.

There are a few areas at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, but Forgotten Valley is my favorite. Access to fishing at Tallman Ranch Pond, and Monutain Lion Trail leads to the summit of Windy Peak.

Forgotten Valley has 4 backcountry campsites and a backcountry shelter for overnight camping. All backcountry tent sites and shelters are first come, first serve. You'll need to check in at the visitor center to reserve the campsite, and pay for a park pass.

Park at the Bridge Creek Trailhead, and take Burro Trail to access Mountain Lion Trail, which leads into Forgotten Valley.

Site #15 is my favorite in Forgotten Valley. It's settled in an Aspen Grove, and is more secluded that the other sites.

Bear lockers are available for each campsite.

For people who are first timers I think this park will be a great way to start. It has flushable toilets, showers and even laundry. If you forget the buns or the ketchup you can drive 10 minutes to the closest store(Walmart) or even closer the gas station. I’m not a beginner but we took some friends there for their first time and they forgot a bunch of stuff but we lived around the corner so they drove home to get what they needed. It’s kind of secluded by the trees. They have separate areas for RVs and tent camping. If you like primitive camping, quiet and don’t like to see a lot of people, then this park is not for you. I will totally recommend it for beginners or people who like their commodities and for those who can’t go a day without taking showers 😁

This campground is a bit of a mystery.    If you call ahead you are often quoted one price only to arrive and be told another.   Not sure why this is the case.    I was passing through the area and wanted to check it out, drove in and went to the area which was noted to be the “office” but did not have any luck actually speaking to a person.     There were some people at the camp who were staying there and they said the host would be returning later.   

I spent a few moments driving through the camp and checking out the location noticing they had recently made improvements to the playground and also the bathrooms.    The bath house is a small building but provides all the needs you could require when staying.   There is also fresh water at this site.   

I noticed that the sites I would be most interested in were right by the water, a gentle flowing area of the river which looked serene.    Just down the waterway there was a collection of unsavory looking RVs which looked as though they were long term campers at the site which did not maintain their locations to the same standard I would normally want for my camping neighbors.    

The tent campsites each were equipped with picnic tables and fire rings and were pretty well taken care of as a whole.  They were not much higher than the river itself so this could quickly be an area which would flood in case of torrential rains.

I stayed on property waiting for the hosts for a while and no luck which made it impossible to stay at the site.     There are no significant locations to go and spend time while waiting so after really being discouraged by the lack of ability to communicate I opted to speak to those staying there to solicit information about the location.    I had mixed reviews by campers regarding the amenities and some who were locked into a longer term stay gave less than favorable reviews which I could see to be possible when glancing around camp.

The cons seemed to outweigh the pros on my visit.   I opted to move on. 

I called in following my departure and spoke to a person who then seemed scattered on their responses, this reaffirmed the comments of the campers which I had spoken to.  It was a shame because the property had great potential.

Campground Review

This is a really big campground near Denver that is a fun excursion spot for city dwellers looking for a weekend camping trip not far from home. It’s also got boat loads of reservoir lake access to load up your boat for some water sports or fishing trips. There’s even a small beach to help you catch some rays and stay cool. The place is so large that it has a welcome center-type building that has info on more of the activities to be found around the area and in the campgrounds. There’s many bathrooms and showers, and all the ones I used were clean. There’s also some bathrooms that have laundry facilities. Quarter operated laundry and showers. I also notice ADA access sites and boat ramps. I stayed at a campsite with a group of 3 others at a tent site. We had a nice clean fire pit and plenty of space to spread out our tents. The plots are well spaced and although we were next to another group, neither felt like we were too close to each other. Don’t expect to gather much firewood so bring your own, but there’s pine needles around for kindling. I also remember seeing a variety of different birds and some bunnies, and when I awoke there were some dusty footprints on my car hood, so something was looking for scraps. There’s plenty of trash bins around, so it’s easy to leave no trace here. On a clear night, I imagine the star gazing would be pretty decent, and it’s great having some mountains and a lake as your background. Be aware you’re in a state park and there’s some fees for parking/day without the state pass, so bring petty cash.

Product Review

As part of the Dyrt Ranger program I am given camping gear to test from time to time, and during the Denver-based Cotopaxi Questival 24 hr scavenger hunt race, I was trying out Liquid I.V.’s multipack or drink mixes that are aimed to help you reenergize and replenish lost nutrients after bouts of high activity. 

Video review below

These drink mixes were such an X factor for me and I have switched to these as my go-to hydration solution over tabs and other powders. These flavors taste great, dissolve quickly in water, and most importantly work! When I was racing around with my team of Dyrt Rangers against the clock, I had to remind myself to keep snacking and drinking fluids to keep my energy up. I was driving the team around too, so I had every reason to be alert. I’d just rip open a tube of these things and add it to my water, shake up the bottle and wait a few seconds, and then start chugging the stuff down. It’s not like there’s this instant change like you are suddenly transformed into The Hulk, bursting with energy or anything like that, but you’re enjoying the taste and getting the right balance of electrolytes and sugar(and good sugars) to get you back to feeling better and rehydrated. I’m not an expert on the science part of their formula, but I can tell you it’s nice to have found an energy drink powder that’s got better ingredients, works effectively, and tastes great. They included one sampler in the mix pack that is their new lavender formula that is supposed to have the opposite effect: helping you sleep or wind down. I loved the flavor of that one too.