Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Olathe, CO has a lot to offer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Olathe is surrounded by family-friendly activities. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Olathe, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
A camping trip to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park makes for a beautiful getaway for sightseeing, stargazing, and hiking. The park protects the most dramatic section of the Gunnison River Canyon; no other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths of Black Canyon.
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Perched on the South Rim of the Black Canyon, this campground is surrounded by scrub oak forests and sits atop ancient hard rocks. Deer, grouse, bears, and bobcats are known to frequent the area.
Visit the Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Head upstream to Curecanti National Recreation Area to enjoy water recreation on Colorado's largest reservoir.
$34 / night
Official NPS North Rim Website The North Rim campground is remote and has 13 sites dispersed among pinyon and juniper trees. Sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Elevation: 7767 ft (2367.4 m). The ranger station is open intermittently in the summer and closed in the winter. In the summer, maps and newspapers are available on the ranger station porch. The ranger station also has a self-pay station for the park entrance fee and a self-registration kiosk for wilderness permits.
$20 / night
This is the most popular campground at Ridgway, located on the top of a mesa covered in Pinyon pine and juniper trees. Offering campsites 80-187, it is also part of the Dutch Charlie area of the park. RV campsites have electric hookups and shared water and there are 10 walk-in tent sites. The dump station is located down the hill at the entrance to the Dakota Terraces Campground.
All campgrounds offer: Restrooms; also, during the high season, showers, laundromat (coin operated), snack machines and a change machine in a Camper Services Building A playground Additional restrooms Hiking and biking trails
Situated among mature cottonwood trees along the Gunnison River, this campground has six campsites, including one ADA accessible site with an adjacent accessible fishing pier. Site amenities include a boat ramp (non-motorized watercraft only), shade structures, picnic tables, fire rings and a vault toilet. Camping is free with a 7 day/6 night maximum stay length. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please contact the Montrose Public Lands Center at 970-240-5300. __
$15 - $32 / night
The Potholes Recreation Site, located 12 miles up Escalante Canyon, offers picnic tables and shade shelters with several designated overnight camping sites nearby.
The RV Park offers 30 RV sites and 4 Tent sites, all providing water, sewer and electricity. The sites provide 20, 30 or 50 Amp services.
All sites are private and well defined. The park offers a diversity of shade trees and grassy areas, together with 1285 feet of Gunnison River frontage, all contributing to the welcoming setting to travelers and guests.
The Inn is reminiscent of the days of “Route 66” – both in its pleasing appearance and its prominent location, fronting U.S. 50 as it intersects the Gunnison River. There are eleven spacious motel units containing kitchenettes and varied accommodations with up to three full sized beds. Also, a cozy cabin offers a weekend getaway for you and that special someone.
The East Portal Campground is located within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but is adjacent to and only accessible from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The campground is located at the bottom of the canyon, along the Gunnison River. It is a small campground of 15 sites (10 are tent-only), shaded by box elder trees. East Portal is closed in winter, when the Bureau of Reclamation closes the East Portal Road. Elevation: 6526 feet (1990 m). NOTE: Black Canyon of the Gunnison charges a $30 per vehicle entrance fee which you will pay upon arrival (or purchase in advance ). The park also honors interagency passes for entry (e.g., senior, access, Golden Age, 4th grade, etc.).__
East Portal offers plentiful shade and nearby access to the Gunnison River. Spectacular views of Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Curecanti are abundant.
$20 / night
A camping trip to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park makes for a beautiful getaway for sightseeing, stargazing, and hiking. The park protects the most dramatic section of the Gunnison River Canyon; no other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths of Black Canyon.
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Perched on the South Rim of the Black Canyon, this campground is surrounded by scrub oak forests and sits atop ancient hard rocks. Deer, grouse, bears, and bobcats are known to frequent the area.
Visit the Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Head upstream to Curecanti National Recreation Area to enjoy water recreation on Colorado's largest reservoir.
$34 / night
Official NPS North Rim Website The North Rim campground is remote and has 13 sites dispersed among pinyon and juniper trees. Sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Elevation: 7767 ft (2367.4 m). The ranger station is open intermittently in the summer and closed in the winter. In the summer, maps and newspapers are available on the ranger station porch. The ranger station also has a self-pay station for the park entrance fee and a self-registration kiosk for wilderness permits.
$20 / night
This is the most popular campground at Ridgway, located on the top of a mesa covered in Pinyon pine and juniper trees. Offering campsites 80-187, it is also part of the Dutch Charlie area of the park. RV campsites have electric hookups and shared water and there are 10 walk-in tent sites. The dump station is located down the hill at the entrance to the Dakota Terraces Campground.
All campgrounds offer: Restrooms; also, during the high season, showers, laundromat (coin operated), snack machines and a change machine in a Camper Services Building A playground Additional restrooms Hiking and biking trails
$15 - $32 / night
The Potholes Recreation Site, located 12 miles up Escalante Canyon, offers picnic tables and shade shelters with several designated overnight camping sites nearby.
Traveler
Stayed for 4 nights in early Oct 2024. Nice little campground with large bear boxes for food storage. I felt it's at a good location to venture off each day from.
Not too many sites, had leveled tent areas, pit toilets, deer went through the campground adding to the nice views there and a river by it.
The cons were there's no trash disposal there you need to go up the road to the other campground to get rid of it, cars were constantly going by looking for a campsite which was constant noise into the evening and they went really fast making the campground road not feel very safe to walk along, not the flattest of parking spots if using a rooftop tent or car camping without anything to level with
Enjoyed the place.
Scout
Tent camping is pricey but the amenities r almost with it. Close to black canyon and in town food and booze with in walking distance. What more could u ask for. A pool, they got that.
Traveler
We loved our stay at the South Rim Campground. It was the perfect spot to explore the national park and take in its stunning views. The drive down towards the East Portal Campground was amazing and led us right to the beautiful Gunnison River, where we enjoyed some great fly fishing. Highly recommend
TravelerWe had an amazing stay at Basecamp 550. The campground’s location is perfect, with easy access to Ouray, Montrose, Telluride, and other nearby areas. The amenities were excellent, including quarter-operated hot showers and laundry, restrooms, Wi-Fi, full hookups, and a clubhouse with coffee + tea, kitchen access, and a great workspace. Our site had a beautiful view and was right next to a ranch where cows would come right up to the fence. The communal fire pit was a nice touch, and the private, fenced-in setting made us feel safe and comfortable. They also offer glamping tents and casitas on the property. Highly recommend!
Scout
This is my second time here and it is always such a great experience. I don’t even want to brag about it because I want to keep it to myself.
Scout
As locals, we love the North Rim of BCNP. It's closed from November through April/May. Can be surprisingly cold in May with temps below freezing. Lots of interesting fellow campers as many are big wall climbers from all over the globe. The nature trail in the campground offers nice viewpoints. The trail to Explanation Point is a level and very beautiful 5k hike, BUT no dogs. Same goes for Green Mountain trail past the point. The SOB trail starts from the road near the campground and is a difficult route dropping a few thousand feet, rocky, and steep with poison ivy to greet you near the bottom. Rewards are in store for the hearty hikers with great trout fishing a super river access. Campground is tight for spaces, some are not pull through. Gravel biking during winter closures on the roads in BCNP is full of wildlife and wonder.
ScoutAs part of Crawford Lake State Park, this campground offers great water access to a small reservoir for SUPs, motorboats and sailing. Decent fishing in the spring with some northerns, bass, and crappie. Excellent walking trails and a sandy swimming beach plus two boat ramps nearby. Rarely full capacity, it's a nice relaxing place to hang. The town of Crawford is right over the hill with a great coffee shop, ice cream parlor, and restaurants. Good jumping off spot to visit the North Rim of the Black Canyon NP (one of the gems of Western Colorado and much less visited than the South Rim near Montrose).
Scout
This campground is a gem as other reviewers have cited, BUT the road in is dangerous when wet as there is a lot of exposure off the edge. An AWD would be ok but still dicey on the downhills. The fishing platform is really a good addition for those physically compromised. Brown and rainbow fishing (rainbows should be immediately returned to the river). Very peaceful and out of the way. Can be used all seasons as it rarely gets snow.
Ranger
Stayed in spot 18 which was close to vault toilets, but they were stinky and full of bugs. Very buggy in general, not all are mosquitos but there are some of those too. Sites 1, 2, 4, 18, 21, 23 were all decent looking with some shade in the afternoon and relatively level pads. Lakes in area, one adjacent to campground and one that is down a trail to a day use area that is covered by the camp fee. Good spacing between sites. Some have electric. A little warm for July, probably 80 degrees in afternoon. Lots of aspen trees in the area might be good for a fall visit. Bear cans available for trash.
Ranger
Stayed in site 5 Loop A which is right on the river. Could hear and see trains going by occasionally on the other side of river. Sites are pretty well spaced out and have a good shade structure over the picnic table. Lots of flying bugs and it was hot in early July. Have electric hookups but still quite warm. Flush toilets were okay, nothing special. Also have to buy a CO Park Pass, so thats another $10 on top of the reservation fee.
Food aside: Ate Kikkoman teriyaki rice noodles and Kalua pork, yum!!
Scout
It is a little bit of a maze of roads, some are gonna need vehicles with higher clearance, careful not to commit too much on a road if you're unsure about your vehicle's offroading capability. If you get to a site, most have room for 1/2 vehicles and tents. Beautiful trees, each spot feels pretty secluded from others. Plenty of downed trees for firewood if fire danger is low. Will definitely come back.
Traveler
Found this spot and was very happy with the setup. Like other reviews, the highway noise was a bit loud but nothing too crazy, especially really late. There were other campers spread out nicely, you wouldn’t even know they were there. The road is a bit iffy so snagging a spot at the front would be best if you don’t have 4WD (my Nissan car struggled, we had to back up & turn around). Overall great spot for tent camping! Remember to leave no trace 🫶🏼🏕️🌎
Guide
Some of the roads were really rutted out, but we were lucky and everything was dry so we were able to get thru in my forester. There are some spots at the beginning of the property but there are more if you follow the dirt road back another two miles or so. Beautiful views, quiet and secluded. We did find a few deer legs left behind, so keep an eye out for Mountain Lion
Scout
Easy to find BLM land with decent roads and lots of spots. I stayed here 3 days and never saw or heard another person. It’s only 5 miles from the North Rim of Black Canyon National Park. Crawford is about 8 miles away and has some restaurants with good home cooking.
Scout
Friendly staff. Clean restrooms and showers
ScoutVery friendly staff. Easy access
TravelerVisited the first week of October 2024. Had beautiful weather, no bugs and few campers. Sites are dirt so I can see it be being messy when wet. Only few sites at entrance for larger campers. We got into with a Bean teardrop np.
Traveler
We stated here one night arriving without a reservation. The office was closed and no one was answering the phone but we were able to register for a site online. That worked reasonably well and we had a quiet relaxing evening. The RV sites are all on gravel but there is a large grassy area near the office. The site is on the edge of town but was fairly quiet.
Nice clean laundry and restrooms. Good base for exploring Black Canyon NP.
Traveler
This place had great reviews and lived up to them. Nice and quiet area along the river with plenty of shade and grass. The manager was very friendly and helpful. Close to town but it mostly a small farming town with few shops or restaurants. There is nice trail along the river to stretch your legs.
GuideKathy (the owner) was awesome. Cedaredge is a great little spot, really quiet. Not a big RV park, don’t bring truckloads of kids and your off road vehicles. Really happy with what we had here.
TravelerGot in pretty easy on a Tuesday at noon. The place was full by the evening. Access to a nice trail just under 4 miles. No cell service.
Guide
Location is all I can Say. Every direction you look is beautiful, onsite restaurant is great, drinks are good, sites level, might need a little updated showers and bathroom to match price. While area is a 10 of 10. Wish we would’ve stayed much longer.
TravelerStayed one night on the way to Colorado. Super easy to find right off the highway and plenty of spots. I was the only one there when I stayed. Highway noise isn’t too much of an issue but I did have some loud and strong winds all night.
Ranger
We got a FCFS campsite here around noon on a Tuesday. The campground was full by late afternoon. We did a quick loop behind the campground on some harder trails. There are many more trails nearby. We had a lovely view site with views of the valley and mountains. Would stay here again. Very clean vault toilets. Steve, the camp host, was super nice and helpful.
Traveler
We stayed here for 1 night after visiting Orvis Hot Springs and it was perfect for what we needed. We camped on a flat pull off right after the bridge about 2 minutes before the pin. Great sounds from the flowing river. We arrived at the 10p so just went for something easy. On our way out we saw some cool spots down below by the river.
Guide
Has both tent and rv sites and facilities were very well taken carry of and clean.
Traveler
Beautiful campsite surrounded by aspens and views of Wilson and Sunshine peaks nearby. Clean, quiet, right off of highway 145 but little road noise at the campground.
Camping near Olathe, Colorado, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're pitching a tent or rolling in with an RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping around Olathe, CO, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RV enthusiast seeking comfort. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Olathe, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, Olathe, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 228 campgrounds and RV parks near Olathe, CO and 50 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Olathe, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Olathe, CO is South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 62 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Olathe, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 50 free dispersed camping spots near Olathe, CO.
What parks are near Olathe, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Olathe, CO that allow camping, notably Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
