Best Cabin Camping near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, CO

This is one of my all-time favorite places to hike and camp in Colorado. I have not yet stayed in any of the campgrounds but have backpacked to the top of the American Lakes Trail. Not only is this hike fantasticly beautiful and full of wildlife (tons of moose especially) but there is great dispersed camping along the trails. You simply cannot find more scenic and free camping in Colorado. I would highly recommended camping anywhere in State Forest State Park!

Also, there are quite a few huts, cabins and yurts that can be rented year round in SFSP!

We stayed here for 2 nights in one of the Cabins in December. There is no electricity, bedding, or running water, but there is a propane heater that looks like a wood burning stove that casts a great ambiance. Our cabin also had plenty of coat racks, a snow shovel, and a table. We stayed in Cabin 6, and walked though 2 feet of snow 300 ft down a hill (larger hill than expected) with all our stuff to get settled in. As we approached, the propane stove was already going and the cabin was warm and inviting. We used string lights (solar powered) to provide light (there is a dim solar powered light in the cabin as well). We brought 0 degree sleeping bags in case the heater was not enough, but it was toasty warm inside and we ended up hot. The cabins are right on the edge of the reservoir (which is drained as of Dec 2021 but still beautiful in the snow). Cabins 1-3 (cabins 1&2 hold 15ish ppl for large groups, cabin 3 is ADA) are closer to the road and look like they would not have such a long walk in the snow. During my search, it looks like they also allow primitive camping in the winter for $18, but I didn't see which area this would be in, the cabins are on the north side of the lake. Daily vehicle fee of $9. The experience was incredible, we were completely alone and enjoyed great stars and beautiful sunrises. Highly recommend for a unique winter camping experience (sure it would be great in the summer as well but likely way more crowded). Be sure to be prepared for cold temps!

Fee box at entrance with all current information.

"Reservation Only" 800-244-5613 or cpwshop.com or come to the Moose Visitor Center Campground is very open. Gravel sites with picnic table 

Electric $36.00 plus reservation fees Basic and tent $28.00 plus reservation fees Dispersed $18.00 plus reservation fees Small cabins $90.00 Large cabin $120.00 Yurts & Huts $80.00-$275.00 Backcountry no charge 

The park encompasses almost 71,000 acres. You will find a visitor center 187 campsites for RV and tent and over 60 dispersed sites, 15 cabins and yurts, boat ramps and 94 miles of hiking trails. There are all types or recreation throughout the year.  The park forest is being decimated by the Mountain pine beetle so the dead trees are being removed. This leaves a very stark deserted look. It is very difficult to observe the devastation that the state of Colorado is dealing with.

LNT 

Better than when you found it 

Stay safe and happy travels

We stayed in cabin #3 and it was an awesome experience! We had room enough for 4 people and 3 dogs and didn't feel like we were on top of each other. The gas stove kept us nice and toasty all night long! 

There are 4 cabins. Ours seemed to be the smallest sleeping 5. The largest cabin can easily hold 30 people. 

The bathroom was a pit toilet, which was up the hill and farthest from our cabin so it was a chilly bathroom run in the middle of the night. 

We spent a lot of time sledding and snowshoeing and we were basically the only ones out there. There was another large group in the bigger cabin but we barely saw them until they left on Sunday. 

The beds were plastic coated so it was easy to throw a sheet over them and sleep. The Couch was a bit gross, not sure if the cover gets washed much. There were shelves to hold food and an outdoor picnic table in the room to cook on.

Rudest management and worst customer service I've ever experienced. Would give 0 stars but that's not an option. In January we booked a cabin for our family for 5 nights at the end of July. We were then contacted this week(2 months later) saying they've decided to do a construction project and can no longer offer the cabin we booked. They asked if they could move me to a tent site since they had no other cabins available. I advised we don't have a tent, that's why we booked a cabin. They then told me that they had a cabin but it was only available for 2 of the 5 nights we had booked and asked if I wanted that. The other"great" option was they could just cancel all together(with full refund, as if that was them doing me a favor) and we could find somewhere else. Well, at this point I've lost 2 months and the majority of places are fully booked due to a large baseball tournament happening this same week. So, I agreed to take the 2 night so that I could at least have something while I looked for another place. I was then informed that the cabin they were moving us to was$100 more per night and they could not adjust the price(even though this was completely their doing). When I asked to speak with a manager I then had the great pleasure of speaking with General Manager Bob Junker. Bob began to get very rude when I asked if there was anything they could do due to the incredible inconvenience they caused us. He acted as if this was a bigger inconvenience to him than us and initially threatened to cancel even the 2 nights in the more expensive cabin they moved us to. He proceeded to tell me that they can get full price for the"premium cabin" they were moving me to and had no reason to give it to me for our original cabin's price. At this point in the conversation I asked to speak with his boss to which he said"No" and stated he can make whatever decisions he wants and ended the conversation. You'd think that would be the end but the story gets better! After attempting to contact the owners of the campground to lodge a complaint I received a call the next day from good ole Bob saying they were just going to cancel my reservation all together and hung up. I guess my call to the owning companies office made its way back to him‍ Thanks Bob for the incredibly horrendous customer service! Really well done! I hope you're proud of yourself for ruining our trip and making that extra couple hundred bucks! Here's to hoping you're not actually the owner and they eventually decide to get rid of you for causing their sales to decline by losing customers.

Cute little place, very quiet and pretty. Creekside cabin, with fire ring and picnic table. 

BYO toilet paper, just in case ... we had 1/2 a roll. 

Cabin is definitely showing its age, though the four-burner electric stove and the white fridge-freezer work just fine. It has three sinks, two showers, one toilet, plus a long outdoor laundry line.

We were there with our Girl scout troop (six 13-year-olds). The picnic table and the large kitchen table were great for meals and crafts, such as tie dying shirts, making scented candles, etc. 

The kitchen has plates, bowls, mugs, forks and glasses/cups. You may want to bring a measuring cup, spoons, knives, napkins, sponges (for washing up). 

DONT FORGET TO PACK OUT ALL OF YOUR TRASH. The two groups before us didn't; what jerks.

We drove 12 miles from this cabin to hike to Crater Lake; it's pretty country. Dusty roads, loads of stars, other little creeks nearby.

Right outside of Steamboat Springs is Steamboat KOA. This campground has so many perks. Not only is there a beautiful Mountain View but it also has the Yampa river running through it. It has Rv sites, cute cabins, and tent sites. The Rv sites are separated in areas by what you need(electric, water, sewage). The RV sites each have picnic tables and a fire ring. There are regular cabins and deluxe ones which both include tables and fire rings. The tent area is located across the river and is so peaceful. There is a general store, putt putt, propane fill, a small dog run, bikes for rent, swimming in season and the city bus comes to take you to town for free. Although it is located right off the road, it was still peaceful and I felt safe. My favorite part about this campground is the fact you can stand on the bridge or sit by the Yampa River and enjoy the beauty and sounds, and watching people fly fish.

We stayed at North Michigan Campground. The campground is beautiful. We had site 221 which is right above the water with it's own little trail going down to the reservoir. From what I've seen, I think this is one of the best sites available. Bring bug spray! Also, there is no water directly in this loop of the campground so make sure you fill up near the cabins before driving up.

This is a wonderful campground on Michigan Reservoir. It’s busy for sure, but never in a way that deters me from visiting. There are cabins to rent, which are fun too. Fishing, hiking, off-roading, kayaking or canoeing, or simply sightseeing - there are big mountain vistas to enjoy. There’s a ton of beetle kill in the area, so that hurts the views a bit, but that’s pretty typical in this area.

This is one of our favorite campgrounds in Colorado. We make a habit of visiting the week after Labor Day. The crowds are gone and the campground is peaceful. Amenities as small boat rentals remain open. The local deer migrate into the campground. A site on lake’s edge is usually available. Fall’s morning fog greet you in the morning. Outstanding mountain and lake views suttound your campsite.

To say we love Beaver Meadows would be a huge understatement. We spend just about every other weekend there all year long - winter and summer. We got married there in 2014 (as our photos show) and it was beautiful. The outdoor wedding area is amazing and right by a river. The reception hall for after is so cool with giant windows so you can look out in every direction on nature and you celebrate your big day. Ever since we've been hooked. They had cabins, condos, lodges, and camp spots so every guest had a place to stay the night.

When you pull around the corner and into the valley it takes your breath away every single time. Lush green fields, ponds, stunning mountain backdrops, wildlife, horses running free, people fishing and riding horses. It's a playground for adults and kids and it's only an hour from our house in Fort Collins - we can't stay away. They have a yummy restaurant too so we never even bring food - we just eat there.

In the winter we go snow tubing (12 + runs with a lift) and stay in one of their little heated cabins which is so cozy but also provides all the amenities of home (kitchen, bedrooms, entertainment, etc). We love to go up before a storm and watch the snow start to fall. In the spring and summer we are up there camping along the river all the time. Each site is unique so we like to change it up each time - we go hiking, horseback riding, and fish in the stocked ponds! There are some unique fish in there - really neat. In the fall we like to go up and do the "river walk" - a series of paths and bridges through tall foilage that feels like your in a different world. Watching the leaves change is awesome in the fall - compares to any drive you can do in the state - soooo many aspens.

If your looking for a romantic weekend with the significant other or a family vacation with the kiddos - I would highly suggest making the drive up - I bet you will fall in love with it just like we did and won't be able to stay away.

I stayed a week here for a backpacking trip in July last year. It was absolutely beautiful! I especially enjoyed the American Lakes trail up to Michigan and Snowy Lakes. That amazing landscape will forever be a special place to me. They were doing a lot of work while I was there, preparing for a potential fire and recreating a trailhead. I saw more heavy equipment along the Kelly Lake trail than I would have liked but such is life. The staff at the info desk are really helpful and local. They helped me plan my trip and answered a lot of questions for me. You are allowed to camp off trail (.25 mi) so you can pick your campsite really well. I unfortunately found a few old fire pits along the way but I didn't have to pick up garbage after anyone. I'm considering going back with my family to stay in one of the yurts or cabins scattered throughout the park. Highly recommended!

We stayed at the Steamboat KOA for 2-1/2 weeks on a business trip and greatly appreciated the solid Wi-Fi. The setting is idyllic with mature trees and the beautiful Yampa River running through it. The first half of our stay we were in the original Campground with a center, gravel, pull thru, #71. Then, moved to #31 a back-in site against the fence and away from the road. Although it was smaller, we personally liked #31 better. It had more privacy then the larger open center one. The park opened a new section for Memorial Weekend doubling the size. The new area added 27 paved RV lots as well as 10 deluxe cabins and 14 improved tent sites. They had a large friendly staff, working nonstop who took care of everything!! Every arrival received a person golf cart escort to their site. The general store is well stocked, there’s movie nights and a playground for the kiddos. All the facilities were clean and well maintained. By the end of our stay we felt like family thanks to Lance, Ruth and Beth.

We've stayed at the Steamboat Springs KOA multiple times over the past couple years for many reasons. It's close enough to downtown Steamboat, right on the Yampa, and has plenty of things to do for the whole family. There is a small pool, updated miniature golf course, trike rentals and the Yampa running through the campground.

I love the ability to ride into town to the mountain bike trails on Emerald Mountain. On your way back from the amazing singletrack, be sure to stop at Taco Cabo to grab to-go grub and head down the road to Storm Peak Brewing for a cold barley pop with your amazing takeout.

Some of the RV spots are close to each other, but the park is quiet overall. Across the bridge over the Yampa River, there are plenty of tent spots. The facilities are clean and there are plenty of showers to keep all campers clean.

This is by far our favorite campground in the Colorado State Park system. It’s great for families because you of the swim beach and marina. The views are spectacular. Don’t miss the homemade fudge.

Colorado does a great job with their parks and this is no exception. Stayed here spur of the moment booking two nights prior to the stay. It’s a large facility and when we booked, for a midweek stay, there were 11 sites available, one with power. We had a large site with great views of the mountains and if we stood on our tippy toes we could see the lake.

We’ll be back aiming to snag one of the sites with lakeside views.

We found State Forest State Park on a whim this past July 2018. We were on a road trip from California to Colorado for a wedding in Granby, CO. We were camping in Utah at Dinosaur National Monument, but due to the smoke from a nearby wildfire and the high heat of the summer, we decided to cut our stay one day short, and head over to the Rockies a day early. We wanted to be fairly close to our final destinations, Granby then RMNP, but wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been before. My boyfriend and I are both animal lovers, and our dream was to finally see a moose on this trip out to Colorado. In researching moosey areas on the internet, we found the Moose Visitor Center at State Forest State Park. We figured that a place with a Moose Visitors Center was as moosey as it comes, so we reserved a site online and headed out to Colorado.

It was late afternoon when we arrived, but since we had already eaten, we didn’t have much to do besides set up our tent and sleeping pads for the night. Getting to the campground and visitors center is easy as they are both right off the highways 41 and 14, but it is quite a drive to get to, in general. The scenery is so pretty, that we did not mind the drive to or from SFSP. North Michigan Campground is right by a lake, it is pretty.

The sites are primitive - each site had picnic benches and a firepit, but at the time we visited there was a Stage 2 fire ban in place, so we couldn’t have a campfire. The fire ban included the burning of wood and charcoal - using a propane stove was OK.

There were pit toilets, and they were well maintained. The sites appeared to have once had more in the way of trees and shade, but it looks as though SFSP was hit by the pine beetles, like so much of Colorado. It’s sad to see the destruction the beetles left in their wake, and fewer trees mean less privacy and less shade for tent campers. We would have had a hard time setting up extra tarps in case it had rained that evening. Bringing an easy-up or canopy would be smart in the summer to protect against sun and heat, or a passing thunderstorm.

WARNING: You ARE in bear country and there were no bear bins in the campground - be bear safe and bear smart, lock all of your food and toiletries inside your car at night. I was once told by a ranger in Yosemite NP that bears can recognize coolers when peering into car windows, so we always put a towel and gear over our coolers when keeping them in the car overnight.

We packed up early and arrived at the Moose Visitors Center when they opened. The visitors center was educational and interesting, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. After studying some maps of the area with the rangers, we decided to try our luck driving along Highway 14 towards Fort Collins.

We stopped at various spots along the highway, and ended up walking around the Joe Wright Reservoir for a while. Thunderheads were rolling in, and some rain and thunder started, so we decided to start making our way back towards SFSP then head down to Granby, our next stop. We were around Cameron Pass and had given up on seeing any moose when we saw traffic slowing and cars stopped alongside the road - there were two young bull moose snacking by a small river on the side of the road! We pulled over, turned our hazard lights on, grabbed the camera, and jumped out to see our first moose. The moose seemed unconcerned by their growing audience, and continued to chomp away on their lunch - there was a small ravine between the moose and their human audience, so neither moose nor humans felt threatened.

According to the staff at the Moose Visitor Center, there are only about 1,000 moose in the entire state of Colorado - and here we stumbled across two moose at once! We were ecstatic, and so happy we made the impromptu, unplanned trip out to State Forest State Park! We returned to the Moose Visitors Center to share the experience with the rangers (they record the specifics of moose sightings in the area on a board), and the ranger gave us a high five for spotting our first ever moose.

I would like to return to the area someday to hike, I imagine the nearby trails must be goregous!

CAMPSITE SPECS

Fees: $18/night

Plumbed Toilets: NO - pit

Drinking Water: Yes

Showers: NO

Picnic Table: Yes

Firepit: Yes

Cooking Grates: Yes

Shade: Limited!

Cell Service: NO

Animal Bins/Food Lockers: NO

This campground is part of State Forest State Park but used to be a KOA.  As we understood (from talking with the park rangers), the State Park bought the rundown KOA and is doing repairs as they can.  The campground is on Park Property.  

The good:  The scenery is unbelievable, truly exactly how Colorado is portrayed in movies and dreams.  You will probably see wildlife-deer and moose are common.  The fishing in the park is awesome.  The sites are well spaced a very level.  You have privacy and lots of room to roam. 

The bad:  The bathrooms/showers were rundown from the leftovers of the KOA.  The State Park is a haul to get to.  There are no real towns of any significance nearby.  Be prepared to come into this park and stay here for the weekend!  

No hookups but the views are worth it!

Word to the wise-we were there in late June and we saw about 6 inches of snow overnight.  It was cold!

For those looking for dramatic scenery and endless wildlife, State Forest State Park should be at the top of your list. This is one of my favorite places in Colorado for hiking, backpacking, backcountry skiing and of course, camping! The campgrounds in the park are wonderful and offer plenty of amenities, this review in particular though refers to my experiences with the dispersed campsites in the park and my winter camping adventure near Montgomery pass. According to their web site, there are over 60 dispersed camping sites throughout the park. Due to the winter season of our trip in particular, we were snowshoeing to our campsite and didn’t go too far into the park. We approached along Montgomery Pass and camped at approximately site #416. This is a high elevation site and there was plenty of snow, so there was no access to toilets that we could find. However, there were toilets at the trailhead which were still open during our trip. Overall, I cannot express enough how wonderful this park is and all of the campgrounds and dispersed sites are very well maintained. For those looking for well maintained and scenic campgrounds, there are 4 awesome campgrounds to choose from. Those looking for more of an adventure should check out any of the dispersed sites throughout the park. Note that camp fires are not allowed in the backcountry. Also, this park is home to a large population of moose, and visitors should educate themselves on safety precautions specific to these giant and beautiful animals!

Stay tuned for my reviews of their campgrounds which are coming soon as well.