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Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

540 Reviews

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, CO has a lot to offer. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland campgrounds just for you. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Map showing campgrounds near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, ColoradoExplore the Map

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (106)

    1. Big Creek Lakes Campground

    6 Reviews
    Cowdrey, CO
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 723-2700

    $20 / night

    "Great spot for car camping in Colorado except its distance from Denver. It’s a trek! Takes at least 4 hours (that’s if you’re lucky). Lots to do."

    "Big Creek Lakes Campground, Colorado (close to Wyoming border): camping here is only open for 3 months out of the year: June, July & August."

    2. Dutch Hill Campground — Steamboat Lake State Park

    27 Reviews
    Clark, CO
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 879-3922

    $28 - $36 / night

    "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."

    "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."

    3. Six Mile Campground

    4 Reviews
    Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, WY
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (307) 326-5258

    "...on six mile road near the CO/WY border. We did the float on the North Platte River. This is a minimal campground near the river with nothing more than a vault toilet."

    "Potable water a walk aways...may need 3 hands to operate. Excellent hiking opportunities."

    4. Dispersed Camping in Routt National Forest

    4 Reviews
    Cowdrey, CO
    13 miles
    Website

    "After deciding to take a weekend rafting trip along the Wyoming/Colorado section of the Platte River, we planned to just find dispersed camping options within the surrounding National Forest area."

    5. Pickaroon Campground

    3 Reviews
    Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, WY
    13 miles
    Website

    "There's a trailhead nearby for Douglas Creek Trail. This is a Wilderness and it is wild. We saw Marmots, Big Horn Sheep, and other wildlife."

    6. Sunrise Vista Campground — Steamboat Lake State Park

    12 Reviews
    Clark, CO
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 879-3922

    $28 - $36 / night

    "Nice, quiet site with mountains all around. Walking distance to the trail around the lake. Beautiful view of Hahn's Peak!"

    "Lots of access to restrooms & potable water. Lake & shower access is about a mile away drive or 1/2 mile walk on a trail."

    7. Seedhouse Campground

    4 Reviews
    Clark, CO
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 870-2299

    $26 / night

    "Perfect campsite for being remote but still close to some conveniences if you would like. I stayed with my group of 7 from Thursday 7/23 to Sunday 7/26."

    "Great place for a getaway, minutes from multiple hiking trails or streams for some fly fishing.  Stop by and visit the store in nearby Clark.  "

    8. Pearl Lake State Park Campground

    6 Reviews
    Clark, CO
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 879-3922

    $28 - $90 / night

    "Camping along Pearl Lake is a dream come true. It's a quiet lake, surrounded by mountains and forest, perfect for paddle boarders."

    "Right on the lake, good amount of space between spots, close to Steamboat. Bathrooms were clean, camp hosts were nice."

    9. Middle Fork Elk River Camp

    2 Reviews
    Clark, CO
    17 miles

    "Great camping spot near Elk Run River and surrounded by the Rockies. It's a pretty big spot with two sides, so there could be two camping spots or one big one."

    "It was amazing to come back to our camp spot after hiking the Mount Zirkel Loop trail all day, only being 3 miles down the road."

    10. Lazy Acres Campground and Motel

    4 Reviews
    Encampment, WY
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (307) 327-5968

    $42 / night

    "Easy highway access,but virtually no cell service with Verizon. The campground provided WiFi was decent. Leroy runs a tight ship at the camp, but it’s worth it."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

64 Photos of 106 Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

540 Reviews of 106 Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland Campgrounds

  • Liz B.
    Jul. 17, 2019

    Big Creek Lakes Campground

    Great spot for a long weekend

    Great spot for car camping in Colorado except its distance from Denver. It’s a trek! Takes at least 4 hours (that’s if you’re lucky). Lots to do. Great fishing, beautiful hiking trails to a water fall, and trails for the RZR near by.

  • Isabelle K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2018

    Primitive Sites — State Forest State Park

    Dispersed Camping at American Lakes

    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!

  • Kelsey U.
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Freeman Reservoir Campground

    A Secret Gem!!

    We hit this place coming from the northern Colorado border with Wyoming on a Sunday night. I've grown up and camped in Colorado my whole life, this place was 10/10, and one of my favorite spots ever! With hiking, biking, and fishing, you could spend some time here!

  • Phillip G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 13, 2025

    Big Bend

    Quiet, cozy and assessable. Great for kids, pets, and river access.

    Brought my son for his first camping trip and arrived without a reservation at 12:15 on a Friday. One tent spot remained. Spacious and far enough from the road to have some peace (albeit the stretch of road is a straightaway where folks pass so there is car sound still). Far enough away to avoid a more “loud crowd.” Found closer to Ft Collins. Four or five river access points and great for kids to run, play and get into the water (wider stretch of the Poudre). Great for relaxing and enjoying the wide open space. The section from the road to our site was about 300-400 yards, so plenty of space to walk, play and bring pets. Sites are closer to the trees.

  • Isabelle K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 27, 2018

    Chambers Lake Campground

    Fall camping by the lake

    This is a beautiful campground located along hwy 14 near Fort Collins. I brought my family here for some car camping last fall and was not disappointed by the campground itself, and the nearby dispersed camping along Hohnholz Lakes Road. We checked out the campground and were impressed by it’s cleanliness, well-appointed campsites and general amenities. This is especially nice to see in campground that has such a limited opening season, as we somewhat expected it to be somewhat neglected as we were visiting at a time so close to when they close for the season. 

    Although the campground was nice, we actually opted to camp alone the Hohnholz Lakes Road just outside of the campground, which offers beautiful dispersed camp sites above the lake. We did this because we had 2 large dogs with us and figured having more space would be appreciated by the other campers and the dogs! The sites up here were even more scenic than within the boundaries of the campground, but still offered plenty of well cleared areas to set up tents, ample parking, and well-made stone fire pits.

    I would highly recommend both the campground itself and the surrounding dispersed sites when the road conditions allow (summer and early fall).

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 19, 2023

    South Delaney Lake

    Mosquito breeding ground zero

    First, SO many mosquito! They were biting through our jeans. This multi lake site has multiple vault toilets that may be just shy of a mile walk. Once we managed to get out on the lake to SUP, they follow you for hundreds of feet.  The center of the lake was nice n chill. A no wake zone lake, so the 2 fishing boats were no bother to our manually powered craft.
    Many dogs off leash with little concern for those of us with leashed dogs.
    Nice mountain views, and some wildlife, saw an otter. Though we heard much more through the night, the heavy steps and gutterall sounds nearby. Too dark to see from within the safety of our tent from mosquito swarms, so we didn't risk it to see what was just beyond our bear fence.
    No firepits/grates. Circle some rocks and there ya make it.

  • Joseph
    Aug. 31, 2020

    Meadows Campground

    Solid Walk-In Campground for Easy Resting

    I was wandering from Yellowstone/Tetons en route to Colorado Springs when I reach a necessary point for rest. After trying my luck near Steamboat, I glanced through FCFS campgrounds close by and found Meadows. It’s just off the highway, really easy to bypass if you aren’t paying much attention, but it upheld as a quite space to rest. Even driving in at 1am, there were plenty of spaces available. 

    The grounds includes a bathroom facility and spaces for both tent and RV camping. The grounds is relatively inexpensive for the beautiful space that it is located. Definitely saved me from getting to restless on the ride through.

  • Rosina A.
    Aug. 8, 2019

    Big Creek Lakes Campground

    9,000 feet elevation camping

    Big Creek Lakes Campground, Colorado (close to Wyoming border): camping here is only open for 3 months out of the year: June, July & August. It's camping at over 9,000ft elevation and requires for you to be extra prepared for snow even in the summer months, bears, mountain lions, mosquitos, aggressive horse flies, leeches, strong winds, thunder storms and altitude sickness. They do provide water which tastes fresh like newly melted snow. You can boat, fish, even hunt at some spots with a permit, hike, and swim at your own risk (can be cold, leeches, snakes). It is truly beautiful up here and the drive up the Poudre river makes it worth it. You can also spend the day rafting down the river or fishing.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 14, 2024

    Encampment River Campground — Bureau Of Land Management

    Riverside Camping

    $10; $5 with senior/interagency pass. Camped in site 8 on Oct 12, 2024; in my opinion, this is the best site. Short walk to his/hers vault toilets in day use area. Trash cans nearby. Site was level & accommodated my van. Area for setting up tent. Hammock camping possible. We'll water pump located near entrance to campground next to site #2. Picnic table and metal firering on site. Overall, the campsite was clean. Good separation between sites. Some trees and foliage between sites. Site was mostly shaded. Encampment River was behind the site. Hiking trail nearby. Liked this campground. I would stay here again. Campground was well maintained, and the vault toilet was clean and stocked. Very weak T-Mobile and AT&T service.

Guide to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

Camping with your furry friends near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the great outdoors together. With several pet-friendly campgrounds available, you can enjoy nature while ensuring your pets have a great time too.

Tips for camping with dogs near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

Dog owners appreciate the amenities available at these campgrounds

  • Pearl Lake State Park Campground provides drinking water and picnic tables, perfect for a comfortable stay with your pet.
  • At Seedhouse Campground, you’ll find well-maintained facilities and a peaceful environment, ideal for relaxing with your dog after a day of adventure.
  • Hahns Peak Lake Campground features spacious sites and easy access to the lake, allowing for fun water activities with your pet nearby.

Pet owners like the variety of activities available

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland is Big Creek Lakes Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 6 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland?

TheDyrt.com has all 106 dog-friendly camping locations near Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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