Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Orchard, CO

I wanted to stop into this area after exploring a few campgrounds designed more so for tent campers in the area. I noticed some of these spaces were not ideal for those wanting to bring their RV and have amenities and that really was something that I know many of the people I know really look for when finding their locations for travel. Loveland is a little further away from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park but it offers many great things to those wanting to explore the area and still be within comfortable distance of the park itself. The RV Resort is designed for both larger and smaller rigs and offers a variety of comfortable amenities for campers of this style. 

There are 4 basic styles of offerings at this location including full hook up, oversized full hook up, premium and premium back up sites. These prices range from$56 to$65 for base single night stay. They do offer both weekly and monthly rates as well for those really wanting to enjoy the area. 

Something which I have found very common amongst these style of locations is that while they do offer base charges which do not include tax there are many times additional fees depending on certain amenities. This campground was no different with additional charges for parties of over 4 people, extra vehicles or pets. Additionally they do have a sizable$20 dump fee, I found this to be quite high, especially considering there is a free dump station only a few miles up the way at another facility which allows campers or passers by alike to use their dump station. 

Something nice is they do offer a Good Sam discount if you belong to the affiliated program which is a few dollars off the price of nightly stay. 

Additionally amenities include a pool and mini golf which were quite nice and a clubhouse with several really cool things inside. They have a playground for the kiddos and a dog park for the furry family.

 Overall the park itself seemed to have wide roadways for navigating and though for my personal taste the sites are located pretty close together they were pretty typically placed for an RV style park. Unlike several parks I have encountered in the area and others, this place did not have the long term stay option readily flagrant and while they might offer it you do not see people who look like they have moved in and allowed their area to become homely and run down. Quite the opposite, the grounds were very clean and inviting, everyone was very friendly and nothing looked like a“there goes the neighborhood” moment.

My family and I stayed here for one night in a 34' travel trailer as a reward from crossing Kansas. :) We knew what we were getting into - a tight family campground, so we weren't disappointed in that regard. It's actually a little hard to write this review because there's such a mix of pros and cons. I think listing them out will be the best strategy.

Cons: 

- VERY close to the interstate. Take a look at a satellite map view so you will come prepared. The road noise is ever present, and if you can tune it out you will be a much happier camper. We were able to sleep ok with it, but it was a constant in our experience.

- Proximity to your neighbor. This is the way it is with KOAs, but it did feel strange hooking up utilities within arm's reach of your neighbors having dinner.

- Wifi. They advertise it, but it was so slow that not once was I able to successfully load a single webpage. Verizon is also not strong here.

- Cable. They had hook-ups but quality was too poor to watch.

- The hot tub was closed with no indication when it will open. 

Pros:

-The playground was pretty awesome, large and with multiple things to climb on for kiddies.

- They had a pool and kiddie pool. Both are small, though.

- The game room is really nice! (see pics)

- Pizza and ice cream on site.

- Affordable laundry. $2.50 for wash and 50 cents for 8 minutes for the dryer.

- Clean and tastefully decorated bathrooms and showers.

Other:

- Pancake and sausage breakfast on the weekends for $6.50.

- A BBQ restaurant run by the campground.

- 40 minutes to Denver. 

- Dog park.

Overall, not a bad experience, just not spectacular.

We stayed May 5-7, 2021. We travel in a small camper, and our dogs. Place was very quiet and mostly empty. Bugs were mostly not a problem this time of year. We did find a few ticks.

We had an amazing time at St. Vrain State Park! We pulled in on Friday and stayed till Sunday and even though we live right the road it was nice to get the camper out and enjoy the weekend with our two dogs. Bathroom facilities were pretty clean and well kept (no soap in the main building with the showers though). Fishing was a blast caught about ten rainbow trout in a couple of hours. Walking trails throughout the whole park saw lots of birds including bald eagles, ducks, blackbirds, etc. The campsite was fantastic they have both electric only and full hook up but every site has its own covered picnic table, concrete parking pad, and fire ring with a cooking platform. Very dog and family friendly and on the way out there is I even a dump station for the small price of 35$ a night it was well worth it.

Booked this one last minute and it was worth it. Woke up to a nice crisp walk in March with the dogs. Walked along the frozen lake to find sever groups out I’ve fishing. It was fun to watch and get good pictures. No water or dump at site. Only electric hookups 30/50

From the previous review, I’m not sure if you can still camp here, but it’s a great place to visit regardless! There’s a beautiful, large lake with swimming and kayak, paddle board and canoe rentals. They also do stand-up paddle board yoga and ukulele lessons! There’s also a section that allows dogs to swim and run around off-leash. The staff are super friendly and helpful.

This is just an electric site only. It has bathroom and showers that take quarters. The sites are black top and pull through. They could be a bit more spread out, but it’s not terrible as each door faces the back of the others camping. There’s picnic tables and a fire ring at each site. There appears to be laundry facilities as well, but they show as closed for the season. The bathrooms are clean, but could use new dryers and soap dispensers. Overall a nice stay. Quiet and lots of open space to bike or walk the dogs.

We stayed in Pelican camp grounds (#86). Easy pull-through, clean spot, large metal picnic table with large fire pit and grate. Each camp spot in Pelican has an entrance to lake although a rocky step before water. There is a small beach at the end to put your kayaks, rafts, boards in. You have to walk through that camping spot but that’s the pros/cons of that last space. You are allowed to enter water anywhere.

Dogs are allowed anywhere as long as on leash, including beaches.

Never went to the main beach. The marina was stocked with a variety of things but not a lot of quantity. Plenty of wood and ice. Friendly staff. Fires allowed!

Biggest complaint- SOOOO MANY GNATS!!!! I mean more than we have ever seen anywhere. The gnats issue almost made this a 3-star review.

Basic “at large” camping here with vault toilets and dumpsters provided but NO POTABLE WATER. Suitable sites for tenting, van and RV parking lie along the verge of the reservoir high water line. Generally a quiet camping area but big RVs translate to loud generators that run all night when it’s warm and the A/C units are running. Birding is good here most of the year even during goose season which opens the first Saturday in October (Herons, grebes, white pelicans, ducks and peeps). It’s possible to SUP or kayak here, even as late as October with easy launching near the dam; late season creates a wide sand flat on the southwest end of the reservoir that is pleasant to let the dogs romp on

We were coming from Nebraska and heading West in a Ford F-150 pick up truck pulling a 22 foot travel trailer. We stopped in Sterling, CO to fill up gas. If you are taking road 14, just know that it is at least 60 miles before the next gas station, so plan accordingly. We left Sterling heading west on highway 14, until we got to county road 129 where the pavement ends and we headed north into the grasslands. We simply followed the Google maps directions to get all the way to the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead parking lot from there! It was pretty easy, honestly! The roads are all gravel, so just take your time. They were pretty well maintained, due to the industry traffic that goes through there. We came across a couple of eighteen wheelers. The gravel was pretty compacted and seemed pretty safe. There are several areas to pull off, and if you are pulling a trailer, or you have a big rig, there is a loop parking lot at the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead that you can turn around in if you need to. The picture of me and the dog is standing on County Road 110 just before you get to the parking lot for the trail head. Our camping spot was one of many flat areas off of road 110 that you can pull off on, as long as it is 300 feet or less from the edge of the road. Our spot was before you get to the trail head, but if you pass the parking lot and keep going up the hill on Pawnee Buttes Trailhead Road, there are tons more spots to camp up on the ridge about a quarter mile or so. There are a lot of cows, but they are shy, curious animals. We had our pit bull with us, and we didn’t feel threatened. Just make sure that if you go through any gates while wandering the grasslands, you shut them behind you. There are no garbage facilities, so please LEAVE NO TRACE! There are some vault toilets in the parking lot.

Loved this spot! Stopped on my way east through NE Colorado for the night and watched the sun set over the buttes. Absolutely lovely. Can see the windmills in the distance but I don’t mind that. Found a spot tucked in right off the road. Easy camping and a lovely spot for a night or two.

All sites have great access and close to the ponds. Variety of fish in the ponds. They allow ice fishing as long as the ice is safe. Some traffic noise if you are on the east side of the park due to proximity to I 25. Best to get a yearly Colorado access pass.

Long drive from Nebraska and got to campground around 4pm.  Had reserved site on drive.  Glad I did, because when I got there, they had already filled for the night.

Accessed site and set up my tent under the small (very, very, very small) tree/bush on the grass/gravel side of the site.  The parking area was quite large and allowed me to spread out and do a repair (again) to a burnt out headlight.  

I was able to get my bike out and do a quick ride around the area, even going over to Mariner Point.  Great views and excellent conditions to ride.  

Headed out to the local area to get some groceries and returned to cook at the site.  The other campers were very nice and had nice conversation and a couple beers with the nearby sites.  This was the 5th campground in 7 days on a solo tour, so was nice to have people around.

The next morning I was able to get up at a late 630am (after several 5am wake up calls in other campgrounds) and get in a 10 mile bike ride before making some breakfast and breaking camp.  My site was totally packed and ready to roll by 9am on my way to Wyoming.

This is on my shortlist of places to return to in Colorado.

Falcon’s Landing RV Park 648 NE Frontage Road Johnstown CO 80534

Ph: 970-800-1569 Email: falconslandingrv@hotmail.com URL: falconslandingrv.com

Family owned and operated. They have a great long range plans for the improvement of the park with added amenities. Great progress has been made in cleaning up the park and making it more inviting. Most of the older trashy campers have left. There still is a fair amount of long-term campers but their spaces are looking much better and their campers are in better condition for the most part. all the spaces have full hook ups and there is room for big rigs. Our camper is a 42 foot fifth wheel. There is a laundry, clean restrooms and showers and mail service. There are not a lot of amenities for children at this point but those are in their future plans. This campground is actually located on the east edge of Loveland Colorado and on the east side of interstate I 25 and just south of Highway 34. For being next to the interstate, it is a very quiet campground with lots of trees and plants.  A great place to stay while visiting the Rocky Mountains. They are not really geared for overnight camping but I’m sure they would accommodate if they had an open space. Their rates are reasonable and they seem to stay full most of the time time so it is best to call ahead and reserve a site. We stayed here in November and December 2020 And again now since April 1 and will be leaving mid June.

While traveling through Colorado I wanted to check out some of the many campgrounds available that have unique features.    The state is filled with options for travelers looking for everything from the average to the unique for sure.     I wanted to find something which was right on target for a tent campers while also providing a great budget friendly option near Greeley.   That is when I stumbled upon Missile Site Park located only a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Campground Review:

Full Video Review. CLICK HERE

The park itself is open year round however camping does not officially begin until June 1st.    Regular season at the site runs from June to October, during which time all facilities are open for usage, this includes a bath house with running water and an RV dump site. 

So what is there to do when it is not open you might ask?   Well the thing that makes this site unique is that throughout the year you can visit a very special and unique portion of the site, the missile silo site, used during the cold war.   

Constructed originally for usage in 1961 and deactivated in 1965, the site was one of four sites which were used as a part of the Atlas E program in Weld County.     Now just a few hundred yards from the campground, you can take tours by appointment of the facility and see some of the many items which explain the cold war, the contribution the site played and the history surrounding one of the most tumultuous times in the United States.  And best of all it is FREE!!

If you do happen to visit during the regular season, you can have a front row seat to some of the most amazing views of the valley and flatlands surrounding the Greeley area with a mountain view in the distance.     Sites are $20 for tent campers or RVs and amenities include the raw basics:   picnic table and grill.     But one advantage of staying here is that you have great outdoor spaces to spread out in, spaces are relatively well spaced so you won’t be right on top of your neighbor and will be able to enjoy placing up to 2 tents on the spaces.

One of my favorite things about this campsite was that picnic tables are all covered.   During the heat of summer this could prove to be essential since there is no water at the property available for individual campers.    

One downfall of this site however is that there are no reservations available for the spaces. First come first serve can be tricky depending on time of year, so arrive early if planning on camping at the location. 

For Booking Information For The Missile Site CLICK HERE

Tips:

• Remember to bring your ball or horseshoes!   The site has great outdoor spaces for families to enjoy activities together.
• Call ahead for tours of the missile site.    While tours can be scheduled Monday through Friday if you are only going to be staying a single day, make sure you book your tour in advance to align with your trip.  I tried to book a tour same day and they could not accommodate me.

Product Review:

Full Product Review CLICK HERE

I wanted to check out a variety of sunscreen options to help me along all of my adventures and had the opportunity to check out the Stream 2 Sea Tinted Sports Sunscreen while on this adventure as a Dyrt Ranger.     I was very eager to test an option which could provide coverage and options for me to use as an alternative to wearing tinted moisturizer or makeup.   While I realize this isn’t a concern for all campers, for me this is a big one, I wanted something which would blend well or could stand alone on days I wasn’t feeling like rocking a full face.

Upon opening the packaging I was a little afraid of the coloration, it looked quite dark despite being considered to be a natural tone.     Maybe in my head my version of natural is a bit more pale than others.     

I first performed a patch test on my arm and hand, something I recommend anyone do when trying a new product on their skin.   Though the ingredients are much more natural than your typical sunscreens you find, it is always best to try a small area first before applying to the entire body.

When doing the test, I noticed that the coloration of the product still was looking a bit darker than my skin when applied, however after a few moments of allowing it to set it started to blend down much closer to my actual tone.    

The lotion was not as thin to apply as many other sunscreens I had tried, it was easy to move on the skin but didn’t feel tacky and quickly absorbed into the skin leaving it moisturized feeling but not oily or greasy.     I allowed it to continue to sit for 20 minutes before finally determining that I would now try it on my face, this is a face and body product.

I put it on my face without makeup and noticed it allowed me to have a sun kissed glow look without actually having had any sun.   It did not have a hard blend line at the jawline or in any areas which might not have been rubbed in as well.   It seemed to match my tones and create an even canvas.     

The sunscreen is destined to be water resilient and can last up to 80 minutes in hard sweat or water.    I noticed that after 80 minutes or normal activity it was still holding in tact and hadn’t become runny or discolored.   I did notice over time that after reapplying since I wasn’t really being “sport” active that it did feel a bit oily in my naturally more oily areas.     

I would definitely feel comfortable using this sunscreen by itself or under my make up, however I would probably not wear a full coverage foundation which tends to be heavier on the skin if using this product below.    I also would stray away from moisturizing my skin within hours of putting the lotion on my face.   

As for my body, I found this to be perfect product for evening out my tones on my shoulders and arms and while my arms were exposed all day I did not experience any burn despite this only being a SPF of 30.   Usually I am having to use a much higher SPF in other products to not worry about burning.

***UPDATE***  Overall I would rate this particular sunscreen a 4 of 5 stars because it is a little dark when first using.    I liked how durable it was but also found it to be over time a bit heavy when layering every 80 minutes as directed.     I wore this several days while traveling through the state and noticed that on my face specifically it did start to combine with my natural oils and create less coverage so it had to be reapplied.   By the end of the day I was wiping off a considerable amount of product onto my make up wipe  even when not wearing any make up and this started to reflect in my skin quality when wearing over the span.  I would definitely recommend for a day at a time of wearing but not as an every day product for someone with combination skin on their face.   My body did not experience the same issue and because it is less oily I had no problems.

TIPS:

• While they do have a larger size I would suggest sticking with the 3 ounce for travel, not only is it TSA approved for beach destinations but it is also the best size for keeping in your bag for your destination.     They also have a small 1 ounce version great for a smaller bag or for your day to day.
• Remember reapplying is important to keep consistency of product especially when being active.    Every 80 minutes a quick once over will be enough to keep your product in tact and protect you against both UVA and UVB.

You can reserve spots online for camping, but you still need a day pass to enter. Ends up at roughly $45 but it's quiet, well maintained and easy to navigate. A great stayover or extended stay.

We saw some negative reviews, so weren’t sure what to expect, but thought it was great!  We were in 25’ van in Site 87 Pelican Campground.  Campground faces east and has a great view of the lake.  The van created shade in the afternoon, but there’s no shade in the morning.  Other camp sites had more trees, but then the view isn’t as good.  Trade offs!  Vault and flush toilets in each campground, but no soap dispensers to be found, so carry your hand sanitizer!  Important detail - showers are coin operated (50 cents for a few minutes).  We skipped the shower, but quarters could be important if you’re into cleanliness!  Roads in/out are rock/sand, so a little rough in spots, but there were all kinds of campers who seemed to manage just fine - vans, pull trailers and big rigs.  We like to relax by the lake, but didn’t check out the beach or any of the water sports, so can only say that it was a great place to stay for a couple of nights just to get away.  Road gravel bikes from camp in the morning (OK riding, but not great - maybe better when there hasn’t been as much rain), relaxed and watched the water in the afternoon, and enjoyed the Dark Sky Community vibe at night.  Perfect for what we needed!

The camp site we had was close to the lake. We left a day early because of tornado warnings. Other than that we had a great time

Getting there: Located out in the plains South of Pawnee National Grassland near and a bit NE of Ft. Morgan off I-76 

Check in and staff: We made an online reservation, entered and camped. We were on the far Southern side of the campground, which is much larger than it looks. Later we discovered the Visitor Center as we were leaving. The ranger there was very nice and helpful. 

Amenities: Water is available, as are dumpsters. Roads are dirt/gravel and can be uneven in places, but not bad at all. Power available as well. 

Bathrooms: clean, well kept. On the southern side near our site there is a single toilet, no shower. Those are located in the area near the visitor center, a long walk from where we were. They were reasonably clean, but we did not use them. 

Site: Lakeside, on the Southern end of the campground. Cannot recall the number!

Comments: It was quite windy when we were there. On the other hand, no bugs!

I have had some good experiences here and some not so good. I’ll start with the bad first. There are insufficient trashcan and dumpsters here so often that the beaches are trashed. Also, there have been times I’ve camped here and the water smelled like cattle manure. My only assumption is the local agriculture dumps into the water that feeds the lake. After driving 40 miles from the nearest city - a smelly lake was not what we had in mind. The good: this is basically what you want it to be. Inexpensive campsites where people are friendly and the amenities are fine. When the water is clean and you can swim on a sunny day it’s a great time.