Best Equestrian Camping near Oak Creek, CO

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.

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!

The 7 campsites at East Marvine Campground were surprisingly empty in mid-July and the neighboring Marvine Campground was only half full.  Site 1 is a pull-thru near the restrooms.

Open late-May to late-October 

First Come First Served

$20 per night +$5 for horse corrals 

50ft max RV length

The big attraction in the area seems to be the East Marvine Trail and Marvine Trail that leads into the Flat Tops Wilderness.  Very popular for pack trips.  We saw quite a few horse trailers in the area.

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.

This campground was less than half full.  Trailhead for East Marvine Trail and Marvine Trail is not far from the campground entrance.  Both trails lead into the Flat Tops Wilderness and are popular for pack rides.  Horse corrals are available at the trailhead and nearby East Marvine Campground for an additional $5 / night.

This was our first stop on a week long road trip from Colorado Springs to the Oregon Coast and, honestly, we could have just hung out there and saved all the miles.

It was a such a beautiful area mid September. All the leaves were changing, it was cool and misty, the view was spectacular, yes it was rough as hell to get there, but totally worth it if you’ve got the rig for it.

My only note for the area was that there were a lot hunters walking through and around our camp, but everyone was polite and respectful.

If you’re looking for a camp spot with lots of close activities this is the place. Great fishing, paddle boarding, close hiking trails. We went late July and there were tons of mosquitos, but other than that it was great. If you’re looking for more secluded camping there are dispersed sites all up and down the dirt road.

Limited sites...about 40 I think. Good fishing.

We prefer using our higher ground clearance camper.

Perfect to relax and unwind. Hiking, fishing, wildlife are great!

Watch out for the bears!! :)

One of the best campground my family and I have gone to. Tent sites are set back and space and trees separate sites.. 2 great lakes that are stocked (3 kids + 1/2 hr = 12 trout) within walking distance... The chipmunks were alittle intrusive but my dog was fully entertained by them.

Great location and great fishing. Clean campground with good amenities.

Many nice sites ,all first come, first serve. There are quite a few sites that are pretty private. Also , there are some Lakeside sites. Fantastic scenery and beautiful sites. Short drive to tails which can be accessed from campground via feeder trail. The Grand Mesa is pretty. Wild flowers and mosquitoes this time of year. Mosquitoes will be gone sometime in August they say .

After seven miles of washboard road down FR900 and CR7 out of Yampa, you arrive at Bear Lake about 9,700 feet. The entire campground (43 sites) is first come first served with no reservations. The sites have good separation between them and most of them are really good sites. They have single sites for $10/night, $20/night for a few double sites and $30/night for the triple site. Make sure you bring bug spray because the mosquitoes are brutal! I would definitely recommend this campground to anyone that enjoys some seclusion and privacy.

We visited this campground and lake the middle of June 2016. The campsites were clean and easily accessible. The fishing was great from the bank and also from a float tube. We are going back this month.😊

Great base camp for all the activities around you. Good hiking and fishing near by. Absolutely stunning views when you are at the reservoirs. Bring your kayak if you have one! There are no views of the lake from the sites but some of the sites have nice views of the mountains. The campground is nice and the sites are spread out which was great. We had tons of mosquitos which is the only reason I am not giving it 5 stars. Even with the mosquitos, we would go back!

There are multiple campgrounds in this immediate area that all surround Yamcolo Reservoir, Bear Lake, and Stillwater Reservoir. There are 3 established campgrounds (Bear Lake Campground, Horseshoe Campground, & Cold Springs Campground) as well as many dispersed campsites with established fire rings. We stayed in Site #15 which was right next to a bathroom and just on the other side of the reservoir wall. There are many trailheads for hiking, 4x4 routes, small boat ramp, and plenty of hammock trees. Tree coverage can be hit or miss depending on what site you manage to snag. Phone service is minimal, practically non-existent. The sites are clean and well kept (even during Covid-19). Yampa is a 15min drive for anything that was forgotten and you can also snag firewood on the way in. I’ll absolutely be returning to camp here again!

We drove in on a Sunday at 5:00 pm and they had 2 vacancies. Loved our site! Nice host, quiet campground, and friendly fellow campers! Highly recommend!

Although not very large, this campground offers great outdoor enjoyment! The sites are well laid out with good space between them allowing for a bit of privacy. There is a creek that runs through many of them and they are all set up as expected with picnic tables and fire rings. The best part of this campground is the hiking and fishing possibilities all around you! The vistas were stunning and the cool weather in the area for summer was a welcome break from the heat. We will definitely be back!

A friend and I stayed here a week ago and it was a perfect situation for us. There’s a nice convenient store with tons of snacks, ice, alcohol, and a gas pump. We are not skilled campers by any means, but we felt very safe staying in our tent here. It is also very close to multiple trailheads at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. (Within 10 minutes) I would definitely recommend this site for people looking for a cheap/safe site to reserve, with nice facilities, clean restrooms, and a good central location with lots of options for hiking.

Nice secluded sites up here. Out of the way. Great for ease to hike or bike to Rabbit ears or on the Devide trail. Lots of trails break off of this area. Road is super rutted and rough at top. Not recommended unless you have higher clearance vehicle.

Dry Lake Campground is a very small place. There are only 7 or 8 sites and one is occupied by the camp host. All sites were occupied when we arrived but the host was gracious enough to share their site with us. There is no water or showers available, only toilets. The mosquitos were out, so I would definitely be prepared for that. There is plenty of small wood available if you are willing to search but I would recommend bringing firewood if you can. The location is beautiful! Be sure to visit Strawberry Park Hotsprings only a few miles away!! This is the best Hotspring in the state and you will not regret it!