Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near La Jara? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Camp in the San Luis Valley below snow-capped mountains and surrounded by sage brush and cacti in this high alpine desert. Nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains at 7500’ in elevation, this dispersed campsite gives you magnificent views and a feeling of peaceful privacy.
Easy access to Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mt. Blanca, Zapata Falls, and Hooper Hot Springs.
This area is great for photography, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and solitude.
This place gets busy on holidays but we’ll find a place for you!
$30 - $44 / night
Located in Southern Colorado (not Nevada) in the beautiful San Luis Valley is a 40-acre homestead open for camping and glamping. We are a primitive campground. Flat RV and camper spots with 360 views. Just turn your lawn chair! All RV's and pull behinds must be self-contained. We are not offering hook-ups at this time.
Do you love animals? Well, so do we! There are horses, goats, a cow, rescue dogs and of course chickens living on the ranch. All of our farm animals are friendly and we are happy to schedule time for the kids (includes adult children) to pet and give treats. Fresh eggs will be available to purchase as long as the girls are keeping up. Potluck cookouts every Friday night are sure to provide some great memories and you might even meet a new friend or two!
Explore any part of the 30 square mile dunefield you wish; there are no designated trails in the sand. A dunes-accessible wheelchair is available for free loan at the Visitor Center. Summer air temperatures are pleasant at this high elevation, but during afternoon hours the sand surface can reach 150F degrees, and dangerous thunderstorms can develop. Plan to hike the dunes in early morning or evening to avoid heat exhaustion, burned feet, or fatal lightning strikes.
4 developed campsites + dispersed camping at 8000' with superb river fishing access just west of NM Game & Fish Recreation Area
Stunner campground sits at 9700-foot in elevation beside the Alamosa River, two miles below the top of Stunner Pass. There are 5 campsites with tables, fire pits, a vault-type toilet, and adequate parking.
There is no water supply, so plan to bring your own. Firewood is limited. Convenient trailer spaces available. The Alamosa River is nearby for fishing. Unfortunately, naturally acidic water severely limits fishing in the Alamosa River between Stunner Campground and Terrace Reservoir. Big game hunting is possible.
The ghost town of Stunner is just east of the campground. This was a mining town that failed, due to nonproducing mines and transportation problems. Parts of the town are private property, so pack out all your trash and observe posted no-trespassing signs.
Traveler
We loved this camp site! It was our first time to tent camp in Colorado and it was great. Several sites to choose from. Some have views of the dunes, some are more secluded. Bathrooms were clean. Very spacious tent site with a fire pit. Our tent sleeps 6 and we had no trouble fitting in the spot.
Traveler
A lot of people here are nosy and can’t mind their own business. Quite a bit of RVs parking in the tent sites trying to push out tent camping. Very rude. Lake is dried up.
Guide
This place seems like more of a day use area that has some fire rings and picnic tables. As best we could tell, there weren't any great tent camp sites, so we just pulled up onto a ridge and dragged a table up. Perhaps better for campers & small RV's.
That said, the lake is gorgeous and there's a great hike up the riverbed.
Guide
I’m tent camping from my car, but after seeing the tent sites that are on top of each other and zero views i asked to move to the rv overflow lot. It’s more spread out, same amenities as the rustic tent and 180 mountain sunrise views. I’m also working full time while here and the internet has been pretty dependable so far. There is a laundry and shower both for additional fee, as well as a pool for additional charge. Indoor restrooms as well. There is an area to refill on drinking water and an are to wash dishes. A bit of road noise during the day as the overflow lot has an unobstructed view of the mountains, it’s also right off the main road / highway. It was peaceful and quiet at night though so that’s all that mattered to me.
Legend
My friend and I stayed at the South Fork Campground for a fly fishing trip.
The campground seems to be primarily a RV campground with 50 sites, but they do allow tent camping with 6 sites. There is an office at the entrance and the staff were friendly. Next to the office is a community room and laundry room.
The RV sites have water and electric hookup. The tent sites do not - at least ours did not. There are restrooms with sinks, toilets and showers nearby the campsites.
The campground itself sits on the Rio Grande River which is a world class fly fishing river. When we were visiting the river was flowing fast and deep, so it was not a very productive time. We choose to fish in the mountain lakes and streams instead.
Overall the South Fork Campground is a nice place to stay for a few days or longer. The campsites were a little close in proximity for me, but I'm one that is accustomed to backcountry camping where there are few people around. The campground is a short drive to the town of South Fork where there are grocery stores, gas stations and outdoor gear and fly fishing stores.
Scout
The scenery was beautiful, but very windy at times. Also the person that stayed before me left a lot of trash in the fire pit, so we cleaned that up before the campfire. It’s also loud with the 18 wheelers driving down the main road. If you’re camping in a van or camper shell, it’s probably not a big deal. If you roof top tent camp or regular tent camping, it gets loud.
GuideWe grabbed a tent site for our small teardrop for a night and decided to stay 2. Staff was very freindly. Store had essentials including a gas pump. Only a handful of folks in the tent area and it was nice and quiet. fantastic views of the dunes and plenty of shaded sites. Bathroom in the tent sites were clean
Traveler
Clean camp, nice amenities. Dog park is a little small, but is nice to have a place for dogs. Pool was very nice. Was disappointed in our tent site as it was all gravel with brush behind us. Pics online showed nice grassy tent sites with big trees. We had dogs with us, and it sucked to only have gravel for them to sit/lie on at our site. Otherwise, friendly place!
TravelerA lot of RVs like to peep on tent campers and make snide comments. They ruin tent camping for everyone with their dog nose up your butt.
Traveler
One of the most beautiful campsites I seen. Two nights tent camping in the valley where two rivers meet. No showers but restrooms were adequate.
GuideSuper friendly staff. Tent camp parked with Sprinter RV . Great sunset view. Close to Great Sand Dunes. Super clean bathrooms and HOT showers! Bit of a walk but worth it
RangerStaff very helpful. Not much privacy, tent sites kinda wide open. Killer views of the San Luis mountains just past my fingertips.
Scout
Mostly RV sites, some tent sites. Some with no hookups, partial hookand full hookups. Awesome staff. Full bathroom & laundry facilities.
GuideSuper easy to access, very nice staff & good amenities. I pitched my tent four one night here. Tent sites are spacious & have a privacy fence between them. All wood burning fires are currently prohibited in Colorado, but there are fire pits for when they're not. I met a couple with an RV that make this camp a part of any trip this direction. They pointed out that even full this camp is still a gem.
Traveler
This spot is pretty open with room for a small rv or tent camping. Area Code It's a short drive up to Poage Lake at the top of the mountain and also a short drive to Beaver Creek Reservoir down the mountain.
Guide
This was a wonderful spot! We tent camped with our family of 4 for 4 nights. Camp hosts were awesome too! We haven’t ever done a site with no shower so that’s the only reason it didn’t get a 5 star. But! The river made for great bathing :-D
Nearby to tons of hiking spots and great outdoors experiences.
Legend
We had site 68 and 70. Site 70 had trees that made it hard for RV . I would recommend this campsite for people who tent camp. RV sites are challenging to get into and some sites have no room for tow vehicle. Campsites are close to each other. Nice to be close to Sand Dunes.
Guide
We stayed in the tent only portion.. with a rooftop tent. Problem being there are no pull in spots for the individual tent sites....just parking along the camp road. Had to pitch our rooftop tent over the parking barrier. Also, sites are right on top of each other. On the plus side the creek is pretty and loud enough to drown out the road not far away.
Guide
Park Creek Campground Rio Grande National Forest
Elevation: 8500
Directions: In South Fork, Colorado, at intersection of State 149 and US 160, take Road 160 west 7.8 miles to Park Creek campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground.
This small campground, stretches along the banks of the South Fork of the Rio Grande River among mature shade trees. Many sites are adjacent to the river. US Highway 160 is very close by so will have some traffic noise. The campground has the feel of spacious seclusion and is very cool and shady. Accessible, Tent camping, Camping trailer, Picnic tables, Toilets , Drinking water.
TravelerIt's slight hidden behind a bigger RV andodge campground. It was beautiful views from ANY tent site you got. It had bathroom n accessible showers if needed. Firewood. Friendly hosts and snacks. And RIGHT outside the entrance to see the dunes. It was awesome! Close to lakes n rivers to fish and just beautiful.
TravelerTent sites were very close together but no one was next to us. Bathrooms close but just Porta potties. Showers you have to pay. Nice place we enjoyed it but there was a screaming baby all night long. Loud neighbors were expected camping in a resort like this those. Great place to stay unless you want a more nature camping experience.
Guide
Stunning spot, lots of tent sites, room for maybe 12 campers of modest length, mine is 26' spot #9 is prime for a camper with a driver side slide/kitchen table. unknown if it's seasonal but the biting flies, primarily deer flies are beyond bearable, I survived 4 days, most other campers left after one night. The camp host is very friendly, and knows the best fishing holes.
GuideIf you can't get into the Sand Dunes campground, this is your next bet. About 15-20 minutes to the National Park, great for RV's, tent camping was tricky. Winds were insane we ended up sleeping in the car. There are nice fire pits with grates, picnic tables, and a shelter. No other shade then that, no trees. Bathrooms were nice and there was a little camp store. The lake was dried up when we went. This would not be my first choice in the area but you can reserve spots which is nice if you aren't rolling in until Saturday.
ScoutThe Hot springs consist of a large outdoor pool and a couple of smaller pools. It’s $15 to soak or half price if you camp there. The Greenhouse pool is 21+ for an additional $3. The Greenhouse is lush with plants and not as crowded as the main pool. We were in overflow camping and were treated to some amazing sunsets on the Sand Dunes. There are berms around the regular tent camping that limit your views. All the water on site comes out hot which was great for our chilly visit yet may not be as nice in the hotter months.
TravelerI stayed here on June 16 2023. I some with one of the locals there and he said they just opened the gates that morning. This spot is pretty open with room for a small rv or tent camping. It's a short drive up to Poage Lake at the top of the mountain and also a short drive to Beaver Creek Reservoir down the mountain. The road is a well kept dirt road. There was a family that drove their minivan all the way up to Poage lake. We got a little weather while there, mixture of rain and light snow.
GuideWe booked this cabin for the cheap price and didn’t even know about the on-site hot spring until we got there. It’s a bit quirky but we loved it and I am waiting for the right moment to go back. It is close to the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve and is a great option if you are open to something that is a little less “wilderness” and more of a unique glamping experience.
I use glamping lightly here.
There are also options for tent camping and RV camping on-site.
Apparently there is also a nearby spot to look for UFOs!
GuideThis site isn’t really big enough for an RV of any size. It didn't affect us, as we were tent camping, but we saw our neighbors really struggling for like an hour trying to get into their site. That said, the view of the dunes and mountains from #25 is spectacular. It backs up to the restroom (flush toilets), which was only a minor nuisance due to extra foot traffic around our site. There is a camp store in the campground with firewood and water and whatever else you may have forgotten (like jiffy pop and s’mores sticks)! All of the sites have their own bear boxes, too.
Tent camping near La Jara, Colorado, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can set up camp and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from private sites to well-reviewed public areas, there's something for every tent camper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near La Jara, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near La Jara, CO is Rabbit Hole Ranch with a 4.8-star rating from 12 reviews.
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