176 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Grand Mesa region surrounding Molina, Colorado features diverse camping options spanning from high-elevation forest sites to riverside accommodations. Jumbo Campground, situated at over 10,000 feet on Grand Mesa, provides access to alpine lakes and fishing opportunities, while lower-elevation options include James M. Robb Colorado River State Park's Island Acres Section with full hookups along the Colorado River. Dispersed camping is available at areas like Pyramid Rock Camp and Twin Lake Dispersed Area on Grand Valley Road. The area contains a mix of Forest Service campgrounds with basic amenities and more developed sites with electric hookups, showers, and dump stations for RVs.
Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping availability, with many higher elevation sites like Little Bear and Ward Lake campgrounds operating only from May through September or October. One visitor noted, "Wonderful campground with roughly 20 campsites... immediate access to two beautiful lakes, endless hiking and mountain biking trails." Summer temperatures can reach 90-100°F in lower elevations near the Colorado River, while mountain sites remain cooler. Cell service varies dramatically by location, with good coverage near towns but limited connectivity in remote areas. Most established campgrounds require reservations, particularly during summer weekends, and Colorado State Parks charge a daily entrance fee ($9) in addition to camping fees.
Waterfront camping receives consistently high ratings from visitors, particularly sites near lakes on Grand Mesa and along the Colorado River. Campers frequently mention wildlife sightings, including bald eagles and bears, especially around Jumbo Campground. As one reviewer shared, "We saw bald eagles, caught tons of rainbow trout, and even had a medium size bear come through a couple of times." Highway noise affects some riverside campgrounds near I-70, though most visitors find it manageable. Bathroom facilities vary widely, from clean shower houses at state parks to basic vault toilets at forest service sites. Fire restrictions are common during dry periods, with several campgrounds prohibiting fires year-round regardless of conditions. The proximity to outdoor recreation opportunities, including fishing, hiking, and mountain biking, consistently ranks as the top reason visitors choose this area.
"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"
"They’re positioned a little close together for my liking but, the immediate access to two beautiful lakes, endless hiking and mountain biking trails more than made up for the close proximity to other campers"
"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."
from $26 - $72 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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."
"I pulled up early on a Friday morning and managed to snag a spot pretty close to the lake. Fantastic view and right next to the walking trails."
"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 very nice camp ground for tent campers, very few people, beautiful scenes and within a very short distance of good hiking."
"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"You can camp at a designated campground right on the lake, or you drive up 24 and find a lot of dispersed camping available - all the way up to the little lakes (great for fishing too)."
"While it's easy in the Chaffee County and Arkansas River area to get your dosage of mountain beauty and river time, Twin Lake gives you the opportunity to combine STELLAR mountain views and the calm of"
"There is a nice lake that you can fish on and the visitors center is just on the side of the lake. There were quite a few sites but we were tucked back a little."
"Beside that, the Forrest and lakes were wonderful. The fishing was great. Lots of folks catching there limits. The campsites are hit or miss if you are tent camping."
from $22 - $24 / night
Check Availability
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.
The Grand Mesa near Molina, Colorado features over 300 lakes within a 65-mile area at elevations ranging from 8,000 to 11,000 feet. Temperatures can drop dramatically after sunset even during summer months, with nighttime temperatures frequently reaching the 30s-40s°F at higher elevations. Camping options vary significantly from lake-adjacent sites with maintained facilities to rustic dispersed camping without services.
Fishing opportunities: 30+ accessible lakes within Grand Mesa National Forest offer trout fishing without crowds. At Jumbo Campground, campers report excellent catches: "We saw bald eagles, caught tons of rainbow trout," while another visitor noted "Sunset lake is walking distance to the campground and was a great spot for my paddle board."
Hiking access: Multiple interconnected trails span the forest and connect various lakes and viewpoints. The Twin Lake Dispersed Area serves as a strategic base for exploring. One camper described it as having "amazing views, light rain, and still my favorite forest." The area features established paths and user-created routes suitable for day hiking.
Wine tasting: Palisade vineyards located approximately 30 minutes from Molina provide a cultural complement to outdoor activities. A visitor at Palisade Basecamp mentioned "The resort may not be busy in the fall, but that just adds to the appeal of staying this season... And the best part: Colterris winery is right next door to walk to."
Lake accessibility: Several campgrounds feature direct water access, highly valued by visitors. A camper at Island Lake Campground shared: "With how close the day use area is, we were able to just strap two paddle boards and a kayak to the roof of the truck and go back and forth."
Wildlife viewing: The Grand Mesa ecosystem supports diverse wildlife. At Cobbett Lake, one visitor reported that site 9 "is next to the hiking trail and the wildlife is all around. Morning deer to chipmunks." Bird enthusiasts frequently spot eagles and waterfowl around the lakes.
Quiet atmosphere: Many campers appreciate the peaceful setting, particularly at campgrounds that restrict OHV use. As one camper at Cobbett Lake noted, "This was a quiet spot that we enjoyed. There weren't any ATV's allowed so that really helped this spot stay quiet. Some of the other campgrounds do allow them and they buzz through the campground all night, not this one."
Bug pressure: Insects, particularly mosquitoes, are frequently mentioned as a significant consideration. One visitor to Island Lake Campground warned: "watch out for the mosquitos!" Another camper at Pyramid Rock Camp found "LOTS of gnats. OFF didn't help so we ended up just sitting in the tent. After dark they went away!"
Temperature fluctuations: 30-40°F temperature drops between day and night are common. A camper at Ward Lake Campground advised: "Be prepared to put a cover on your tent as intermittent thunderstorms come up out of no where." Layered clothing is essential even in summer.
Road conditions: Access roads to some of the best places to camp near Molina vary significantly. When visiting Pyramid Rock Camp, a camper noted: "The road was well kept and any vehicle could make it. There were so many amazing spots." However, other areas require higher clearance vehicles.
Swimming options: Several lakes offer designated swimming areas with variable temperatures. At Island Acres Section, one visitor shared: "The fishing lakes, swimming lake and playground are all fun aspects my family enjoys." Swimming areas typically lack lifeguards and water clarity varies seasonally.
Tent site selection: Many campgrounds feature multi-level designs that may challenge families with young children. A camper at Palisade Basecamp observed: "Really great spot but prepare to roll. All of the tent pads seem to be at a pretty wicked slope, including ours."
Seasonal planning: School breaks align well with fishing conditions in early summer. A camper at Little Bear Campground shared: "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. So after a stressful day, we finally came to this campground and found paradise."
Space limitations: Larger rigs face access challenges at some of the best camping areas near Molina. A visitor to Ward Lake Campground observed: "The upper part is old school FS, narrow roads, small sites, lots of trees...not a good place for larger TYs or RVs. Best for tenters, Vans, small Class Cs."
Hookup availability: Electric hookups are limited to specific campgrounds, with full-service sites concentrated in lower elevations. At Island Acres Section, a camper reported: "Great little campground off of I-70. They have no hookups, electric only and full hookups. Great service with Tmobile. Enough open space for starlink as well."
Alternative route planning: Navigation apps sometimes suggest problematic routes for RVs. One RVer at Pyramid Rock Camp warned: "It was a great spot once I finally found it. Waze took me through privately owned land. Google had it right." Local forest service maps often provide more reliable routing information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Molina, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, Molina, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 176 campgrounds and RV parks near Molina, CO and 46 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Molina, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Molina, 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 Molina, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 46 free dispersed camping spots near Molina, CO.
What parks are near Molina, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Molina, CO that allow camping, notably Colorado National Monument and Gunnison National Forest.
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