169 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping options around Mesa, Colorado center on the Grand Mesa National Forest region, home to several established campgrounds with varied amenities. Jumbo Campground, situated along Colorado Highway 65 (Grand Mesa National Scenic Byway), provides a mix of electric and non-electric sites for both tent and RV camping. The surrounding area includes several smaller Forest Service campgrounds like Spruce Grove, Little Bear, and Island Lake, most offering basic facilities with toilets and drinking water. Pyramid Rock Camp provides free dispersed camping opportunities for those seeking more primitive experiences. The region spans elevations ranging from 6,000 to over 10,000 feet, creating diverse camping environments from high desert to alpine forest settings.
Seasonal considerations heavily impact camping availability in the Mesa area, with most Forest Service campgrounds operating from late May through September or early October. Winter snow typically closes higher elevation sites, while summer brings mild temperatures even when valleys below experience heat. Jumbo Campground typically opens around Memorial Day, though early season visitors may encounter lingering snow patches. Facilities at most sites are basic, with vault toilets being standard and limited or no hookups at many locations. Cell service varies significantly by location and carrier. "A few electric sites are available, no sewer or water hookups, no groceries or gas nearby - town of Mesa approximately 15 miles north," noted one Jumbo Campground visitor.
The Grand Mesa area's main attraction for campers lies in its proximity to numerous fishing lakes and outdoor recreation opportunities. Several reviewers highlight the access to fishing as a primary benefit, with one camper mentioning "near multiple fishing lakes, hiking trails and just down the road from a national recreation trail." Wildlife viewing opportunities include potential sightings of bears, bald eagles, and various small mammals. Though sites at Jumbo Campground are described by some as being positioned somewhat close together, the surrounding forest provides natural screening at many locations. Campgrounds near water bodies tend to fill quickly during summer weekends and holidays. Most locations offer fire rings and picnic tables, though fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. While highway noise affects some lower elevation sites, those deeper in the forest provide greater tranquility.
"Great walking path along the river for evening or morning stroll. Tucked in the canyon, surrounded by cliffs."
"Add $9 daily for Colorado State parks. Full hookups (near I70/some road noise), and Electric only, and, Tent Pit long-drop toilets (fly haven)
Lovely park on banks of Colorado river."
from $26 - $41 / night
Check Availability"Located on the Colorado River. Winery’s & Distillery’s close by. Clean restrooms & laundry, a general store with just about everything you might have forgotten."
"Super clean and close to endless Colorado adventures!"
from $42 - $140 / night
Check Availability"It is a designated OHV area so no worries about people stopping you from ripping around and exploring."
"Nothing extreme or crazy with this site, you get privacy, open space and 360 views of the surrounding scenery and free range cows. Road relatively easy to pass through"
"This is a beautiful small hosted Forest Service campground just off Colorado Hwy 65 (Grand Mesa National Scenic and Historic Byway) in the Grand Mesa National Forest https://bit.ly/3iywM8z."
"Jumbo is set at at the park for Mesa Lakes. There are multiple little lakes, walking paths and hiking trails. This is also one of my favorite places to snowshoe in the winter."
from $26 - $72 / night
Check Availability"Always enjoy camping in Grand Mesa. It’s not as busy as the Front Range and most spots are easy to get to"
"We went searching for a free camping spot near Gunnison and got horribly stuck in mud on roads that were too awful for our car, even with 4wheel drive."
"Our site was hidden by trees off a short dirt drive which wasn’t too bad."
"We spent two weeks near vela resevoir. No fish but lots of mushrooms. The first trees are inoxicating. We are disappointed in the virtual take over by atvs."
"Grand mesa is the largest mesa in the world. For over 150 years cattle have roamed here. They need to go. It is time. The diversity and wildlife will slowly be destroyed and it is exponential."
"Campground Review: We stayed at Ward Lake on Colorado's Grand Mesa. Ward Lake sits at about 10,000 feet. So, depending on time of year, it can get a little chilly."
"A lush forest surrounding beautiful Cottonwood lakes 1 &4 great fishing access good for kayak / small boats ."
"Some have views,but all are so close to the lake, it doesn’t matter. Great base camp for high a fourteener or other lake hikes up Cottonwood pass."
"Located adjacent to Island Lake, this campground is beautiful, but watch out for the mosquitos! We took a non electric pull-through as a stopover for the night. Our 35 ft 5th wheel fit easily. "
"The campground is tucked away and a little hard to find. We chose it because it had electric hookup, had availability on Labor Day weekend and it was near a lake. We were on site #2."
from $26 - $190 / night
Check Availability"Although this KOA is closely adjacent to US 50 as it enters the Grand Junction area, it is spacious, super-well-kept, nicely located for access to both Colorado River bridges (29 Rd. and Hwy 50), just"
"Close to the highway, so some noise, but not enough to ruin your time. Best part if this KOA is being close to Colorado National Monument!! One of our favorite places we’ve ever been!"
TravelerWe enjoyed our 2 nights at Hawsapple campground. Unfortunately, water level was too low to access the reservoir. Our camp site was great despite all the mosquitoes. It is located by a road, but noise at night was not bad. It's a clean, well kept campground in a beautiful canyon.
GuideWhile traveling I-70, this is a nice place to spend the night with minimal hassle. Like most CO state parks, it’s clean, well maintained with a great staff. Note you will be close to train tracks, and if you are in a tent, you might notice the train in the middle of the night.
TravelerWe visited the falls and stayed at the campground in our 32’ RV for one day. Electrical hookup was appreciated as it was a hot day. 2 vault toilets provided were clean and didn’t smell but there was no sanitiser to clean your hands. Wasn’t too busy on a Wednesday and everyone at the campground was really friendly.
TravelerRight off of the main road, there are several spots to camp at. Camping areas are relatively close but they aren’t right on top of each other. There were only two other people camping while we were there
ScoutSurprisingly empty and quiet.
GuideThere are sites all along the road as pullouts with markers that show 14 day camp limit. Some are just small enough for a van while others are large enough for multi vehicle or large trailer. I had no problem finding a huge spot to park jeep and trailer.
Lots of cattle graze area but they left me alone. Wish they would rotate out of area for a bit because the smell of cattle can be strong.
Most sites are parallel and marked next to stream which is funny because of signage about not camping next to stream. Just be sure to pack out everything and if you can, treat camping next to stream as wilderness camping and pack out your bio waste too so we don’t taint the waters.
unsure if there are fish in stream so i can’t answer that. Water isn’t snow melt so it’s easy to splash in and cross as it’s not fresh melt frigid.
This area was once the largest industrialized area of Colorado in the 1900s so if you filter water, filter well. Coal mining and coke burning at a massive scale here with remnants of it everywhere.
I was able to find a spot to point starlink north and get 99.9% coverage through canyon and trees no problem. No cell service here, iPhone and Garmin in reach were able to connect to satellites for updates and messaging with SOS.
LegendAfter almost a month in the road and campgrounds of rock and dust, it’s nice to find a place with grass and shade trees. Some of the trees are looking poor and the sites are still oo close together, but it’s better than average for our current trip. 30/50 amp electric, water & sewer. Lever concrete pads. Pool, playground and clubhouse. The showers and bathrooms have recently renovated. The Internet is slow.
GuideLooks like no sites have shade. Online it says “partial shade” but it’s referring to the shaded picnic tables on site. Still a nice spot, one shower had hot water, the other did not, ice cold. But flush toilets yes. It was a nice spot but I do regret booking two nights instead of just one. No service.
GuideGot a tent site for a van. Nice shaded spots. Bathrooms are nice. Not host on site, all online. Not a big deal but the showers did have lots of bugs. I stepped on an earwig in the shower I was in & my boyfriend said there was three, huge spiders in the shower he was in. So just double check before you shower that you killed all the bugs.
Camping spots near Mesa, Colorado range from valley settings around 6,000 feet to alpine environments above 10,000 feet on Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-topped mountain. Seasonal transitions affect campsite availability dramatically, with most sites opening after Memorial Day when higher elevations become accessible. The temperature difference between Mesa and the higher elevation camps can exceed 20 degrees, providing relief during summer heat.
Fishing at multiple lakes: Island Lake Campground offers excellent fishing opportunities with one camper noting, "Sunset lake is walking distance to the campground and was a great spot for my paddle board." Another visitor at Ward Lake Campground mentioned, "Campground staff was helpful and we had a beautiful site right by the lake which is open to fishing and swimming."
Wildlife viewing: Visitors to the Mesa area frequently spot diverse wildlife. At Jumbo Campground, a camper observed, "We saw bald eagles, caught tons of rainbow trout, and even had a medium size bear come through a couple of times, who was never threatening, but looked like it was traveling along a set path to the next trout breakfast."
Hiking options: Multiple trails are accessible from campgrounds. A visitor to Cobbett Lake reported, "There are great hiking trails from lake to lake in the area." Another camper at Jumbo Campground shared, "The campground offers large wood bundles for $10" for evenings after hiking activities.
Temperature relief: The higher elevation provides cooler temperatures during summer months. At Island Acres Section one camper mentioned, "The river and ponds are nice," while another noted "The swimming lake and playground are all fun aspects my family enjoys."
Site spacing and privacy: Many campgrounds offer well-separated sites. A visitor to Little Bear Campground said, "The camp sites are spaced out enough but there isn't much for privacy. The scenery makes it all worth it though."
Accessible water features: Lakes and rivers provide recreational opportunities. At Palisade Basecamp, a camper shared, "Really great spot but prepare to roll. All of the tent pads seem to be at a pretty wicked slope, including ours," highlighting that water access sometimes comes with site compromises.
Seasonal considerations: Most campgrounds operate from late May through September. A visitor to Jumbo Campground reported, "Arrived on Friday, 5/23 and we were the first campers of the season! The camp host arrived on 5/19 and there was still 6 inches of snow."
Insects can be prevalent: Bugs are common, particularly in summer months. A camper at Pyramid Rock Camp warned, "This place was beautiful! It really felt like the wild west... It would have been 5 stars if there weren't so many nats! Bring some good bug repellent and it would be perfect."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly by location. At Island Lake Campground, one visitor found, "There is no cell service. The vault toilets seemed clean but smelled bad most of the time," while another mentioned, "Cell signal is very spotty. I could get one, maybe two bars of Verizon, but data did not always work well."
Look for amenities: Some campgrounds offer family-friendly features. A visitor to Island Acres noted, "We love this state park for fun little getaways. The fishing lakes, swimming lake and playground are all fun aspects my family enjoys."
Consider elevation changes: The temperature difference between elevations can affect clothing needs. A camper at Ward Lake Campground advised, "Be prepared to put a cover on your tent as intermittent thunderstorms come up out of nowhere."
Check site leveling: Not all tent sites are flat. At Palisade Basecamp, a visitor shared, "All of the tent pads seem to be at a pretty wicked slope, including ours," while another mentioned, "Clean. Super nice people on the phone and in person. The campground is beautiful, with the Colorado River on one side and peach orchards surrounding the rest."
Electric availability varies: Many campgrounds offer limited electrical hookups. At Jumbo Campground, a camper noted, "A few electric sites are available, no sewer or water hookups, no groceries or gas nearby - town of Mesa approximately 15 miles north."
Road conditions impact access: Some campgrounds have challenging access roads. For Pyramid Rock Camp, a visitor warned, "Do not go past the gravel road if it's rained or going to rain. Most spots were close together or just out in the open which isn't what I like personally."
Site size considerations: Check campground specifications for larger vehicles. At Island Lake Campground, a camper advised, "The campground is pretty easy to maneuver in, even for a larger camper. Be sure to take the longer road along the south side of the lake from the eastern most turn off of HWY 65 to get to the campground. The norther western route is narrow, steep and very challenging for even the smallest RV."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Mesa, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, Mesa, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 169 campgrounds and RV parks near Mesa, CO and 43 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Mesa, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Mesa, CO is Island Acres Section Camping — James M. Robb Colorado River State Park with a 3.9-star rating from 44 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Mesa, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 43 free dispersed camping spots near Mesa, CO.
What parks are near Mesa, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Mesa, CO that allow camping, notably Colorado National Monument and Gunnison National Forest.
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