Best Campgrounds near Ouray, CO

The camping near Ouray, Colorado includes a variety of locations to choose from, with options ranging from developed campgrounds to dispersed backcountry sites. Amphitheater Campground sits just minutes from downtown, offering tent and RV sites with mountain views and access to the Perimeter Trail. The Ouray KOA provides full hookups, cabins, and glamping accommodations with amenities like showers, laundry facilities, and a camp store. For those seeking a more primitive experience, dispersed camping is available at locations like County Road 14 (Dexter Creek Backcountry) and Last Dollar Road, where campers can find secluded sites without developed facilities. Several RV parks including 4J+1+1 RV Park and Ouray Riverside Resort offer convenient in-town options with full hookups and amenities.

"This was such a magically beautiful location. The aspens were amazing, the surrounding forest, flowing river and waterfalls, and sweeping mountain scapes were breathtaking," noted one visitor about the Owl Creek Pass area. Most campgrounds in the Ouray region operate seasonally from May through September due to high elevation and winter conditions. Many established campgrounds require reservations, which fill quickly during summer months. Dispersed camping areas like Last Dollar Road can have rough access roads that may require high-clearance vehicles. As one camper advised: "We drove in from Ouray side and took the long 40 min dirt road and I will say, the road was rough... I was definitely nervous about the clearance of my car and my tires, it was super rocky, definitely some muddle and big puddles." Weather changes rapidly in the San Juan Mountains, with afternoon thunderstorms common in summer and cool nights even during peak season.

Campers report high satisfaction with sites that offer mountain views and proximity to outdoor activities. The location near Ouray provides excellent access to hiking trails, hot springs, and four-wheel-drive routes. According to one visitor at Amphitheater Campground: "Views are stunning!! Best location to camp near Ouray as the hiking (right off the campground) is amazing! Close drive into town." Many campgrounds feature fire rings and picnic tables, though fire restrictions are common during dry periods. While some sites like Angel Creek Campground offer the soothing sounds of nearby creeks, others provide easy walking access to downtown Ouray's amenities. Tent and RV sites vary significantly in size and privacy, with some campgrounds offering more spacious sites than others. Cell service is limited or non-existent at many of the more remote camping areas, though some dispersed sites on Last Dollar Road surprisingly offer connectivity.

Best Camping Sites Near Ouray, Colorado (285)

    1. Amphitheater Campground

    32 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (928) 537-8888

    $28 / night

    "Best location to camp near Ouray as the hiking (right off the campground) is amazing! Close drive into town. Sites are nice. Some closer together than others. It gets busy so make reservations."

    "During our recent trip to Ouray we finally found the luck in our favor with the Amphitheater Camp Ground."

    2. Ouray KOA

    25 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 325-4736

    "The best thing about this park was the location. It is located close to Ouray and many activities in the area."

    "4 Amenities: 4 Customer Service: 5 Cleanliness: 5

    Ouray is a wonderful place... tucked away in the mountains, surrounded by peaks and pines."

    3. Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed)

    41 Reviews
    Ophir, CO
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 327-4261

    "Beautiful views of surrounding mountains and Alta lakes as well as access to the ghost town of Alta."

    "The off road trail it get to Alta lakes took us about 40-50 minutes in my boyfriends F-150. The views were amazing so neither of us really minded."

    4. Ouray Riverside Resort

    20 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 325-4523

    $50 - $99 / night

    "Need more than 2 days to explore everything, Million Dollar Highway, Trials, Ouray itself!! So many things to do. Box Canyon…..so much. Excellent foodie town!"

    "We loved how close it was to downtown Ouray and the hot springs. We stayed two nights on an extra wide riverfront side site and had plenty of room. Clean bathrooms, too!"

    5. 4J + 1+ 1 RV Park

    19 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 325-4418

    $28 - $50 / night

    "This little place is on the outskirts of Ouray, tucked into the base of the mountain (perimeter trail actually has an access point at the park)."

    "This park is within walking distance of Ouray’s most popular sight seeing. It’s only a few blocks from breweries, restaurants, and just down the road from the town hot springs!"

    6. Telluride Town Park Campground

    25 Reviews
    Telluride, CO
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 728-2173

    "The campground is bordered on one side by the San Juan River and by the park on the other side, making a tight but nice campground."

    "It's right next to the town and is used a lot for Telluride's summer festivals. Its more than a campground it is also where a lot of town events are held and also has sports venues."

    7. Elk Ridge Campground — Ridgway State Park

    33 Reviews
    Ridgway, CO
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 626-5822

    $28 - $36 / night

    "The site was big and a real short walk from the car. It was nice that the road didn't go next to the campsite like usual so it cut down on noise."

    "We were in site 123 which didn't have a great view, but plenty of space around and behind us to stretch out. "

    8. Angel Creek Campground

    14 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 240-5300

    "Primitive camping right outside outside Ouray Colorado. Imogene pass trail ends at the campground entrance. Trail into campground is a little rough but that's primitive camping."

    "It is close to Ouray but far off the grid, June is the month to go... All of the campsites are right on and or close to the water... LOTS of wildlife and deer....Did I mention the mountain views..."

    9. Last Dollar Road

    28 Reviews
    Placerville, CO
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 874-6600

    "We drove in from ouray side and took the long 40 min dirt road and I will say, the road was rough.. we made it just fine in my hyundai tuscan but I will say, I was sh*ting myself driving it!"

    "Some of the best in Colorado. I had good cell service too (working remotely). There are some larger dispersed campgrounds near the top trailhead that are more in the woods."

    10. County Road 14, Dexter Creek Backcountry

    10 Reviews
    Ouray, CO
    2 miles

    "It wasn’t hard to get up the mountain and only 20 mins away from the Ouray. Stayed close to this runoff stream that was suitable for a group walk in campsite."

    "Right next to Dexter Creek, the sound of the creek was very calming through the night! Definitely need 4wd, and it’s quite rocky so I wouldn’t recommend rent camping."

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Recent Reviews near Ouray, CO

1400 Reviews of 285 Ouray Campgrounds


  • Hillary B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2025

    Matterhorn — Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre And Gunnison National Forest

    Quick comfortable stay

    We stayed here between Telluride Town Park and Ridgway State Park. Main attraction was the fact that it had full hookups so we could reset and dump our tanks. It turned out to be quiet and beautiful, even though the sites are quite close together.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2025

    Priest Lake Dispersed Camping Area

    Beautiful spot, accessible by 2WD

    Beautiful campground, very quiet. Up a dirt road but passable with a 2WD (in Oct, no snow). The shorter route in is via the trout lake entrance- less time on dirt road. Toilet block was locked when we were there (but there’s a vault toilet up at Trout Lake).

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2025

    Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed)

    Amazing

    One of the best dispersed campsites. The road leading to the site could be rough for low clearance vehicles, but my Tacoma had no problems. The views from my site were amazing. I will definitely be returning.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 7, 2025

    Ouray Riverside Resort

    Close to town but noisy

    We normally like to stay in campgrounds or disperse camp but as we are in October in Colorado, a lot of the campgrounds were closed so we chose this RV campground. It is super close to town and has a lovely path (loop almost 2 miles) by the river. The RV park is so noisy :( So much come and go through the park which is gravel so it’s noisy, also close to the hwy which is non stop. Sadly not really relaxing to sit outside. All spots are super close and not private.

  • A
    Oct. 6, 2025

    Red Mountain Creek

    Great spot

    We have a stock rav4. We were able to get to it easily. Gorgeous scenery. Very quiet. Loved the trees and the water running by.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2025

    Haviland Lake Campground

    Quiet and private spots, some with lake view

    Right off the main road, lots of spots to choose from. Most were « first come first serve » for us. Bring cash to pay the fee. The winter rate (starting Oct) is $30. Spots are level and spacious and lots of trees to add privacy. Not too much to do but perfect for relaxing.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2025

    Junction Creek Campground

    Excellent Campground! 10/10

    One of the nicest BLM campgrounds I have stayed in. Spacious sites, super clean vault toilets, and even has electrical hookups, which is partially why I decided to stay here since I needed to top off my batteries. T electrical was shut off due to the government shut down, but was still the same price, so that sucks, but that’s not the fault of the host. Still an excellent campground.

  • Katharina J.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Dry Creek Ditch Camp off Forest Road 90

    Good for a night

    The space directly after the hairpin turn was taken so I stayed further up directly off the road, space for 2 or 3. Some traffic, but quiet at night. Exposed to wind, some trash & a firering made out of stones.

  • Ken B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Missionary Ridge Road

    Missionary Ridge Road

    The road up is fine for 2wd but holy crap it’s twisty! I have a full size pu and you definitely wouldn’t want to take anything bigger. We grabbed the second site up so not sure what’s beyond. 1-3 bars for Verizon.


Guide to Ouray

Camping near Ouray, Colorado provides access to the San Juan Mountains between 7,700 and 11,000 feet elevation. Temperatures typically drop 20-30 degrees at night, even in summer months, with afternoon thunderstorms common at higher elevations. Camping season runs primarily from late May through early October, with some sites maintaining winter operations.

What to do

Hiking the Perimeter Trail: Access this popular trail directly from Amphitheater Campground, which loops around Ouray's outer edge. "The campground has direct access to the Perimeter Trail, a scenic loop around Ouray, and other popular hikes like the Box Canyon Falls trail. You're also a short drive from town, where you can enjoy the famous hot springs or grab a meal," notes one visitor.

Fishing at small ponds: Ridgway State Park offers fishing opportunities in smaller water bodies. "There was 'lil walk down a hill to fishing in a creek and small pond from our campsite which is optimal for the fishing enthusiast," reports a camper, adding that the "nearby reservoir has space to have company over or host a party with amenities such as enough space and picnic tables."

Explore ghost towns: Visit abandoned mining structures near Alta Lakes Campground. "The ghost town comes before the campground and we did attempt to go to the campground but in one spot we couldn't see what was on the other side of our hood of our truck and chose to turn around," one camper explains. "You can't explore any of the buildings, at least not legally, but you can see them and experience what used to be."

What campers like

Riverside locations: Many sites near Ouray sit alongside flowing water. At 4J + 1+ 1 RV Park, campers appreciate "creek side camping. The views are spectacular and the people are great," according to a review. The park sits "on the outskirts of Ouray, tucked into the base of the mountain (perimeter trail actually has an access point at the park)."

Mountain views from tent pads: Several campgrounds feature elevated tent sites. "Our site had steps leading to the tent pad which gave us wonderful views from the tent and won't flood during rain storms. Fire ring and picnic table was below the steps to the tent which allowed for anyone wanting to stay up later and not bother anyone trying to sleep," notes a visitor at Amphitheater Campground.

Cell service in unexpected places: Despite the remote mountain setting, connectivity exists in surprising locations. At Last Dollar Road, "I had good cell service too (working remotely). There are some larger dispersed campgrounds near the top trailhead that are more in the woods," reports one camper. Another confirms, "I have AT&T and had good coverage here."

What you should know

Road conditions vary significantly: Access to many sites requires preparation. "The road to Alta can get rough after heavy rain and at the end of the season," warns one camper. Another notes for Last Dollar Road: "Road from Ridgeway was well maintained but definitely a little rocky getting closer to the top of the road. Road gets washed out in the rain so heads up."

Early arrival recommended: Popular sites fill quickly, especially in peak season. "This campground fills up quite quickly. We arrived relatively early, but were unable to find a site and it was just as well because we would have been hard pressed to find level ground for our overland tents without putting blocks on the ground," reports a visitor to Alta Lakes.

Weather extremes: Be prepared for rapid temperature changes. At County Road 14 (Dexter Creek Backcountry), campers report enjoying streamside camping, but advise having proper gear: "It got pretty chilly at night and rained most of the days." Alta Lakes visitors experienced "a lot of wind so we were at the top of the valley and the wind would just rush up and you could hear it coming."

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly biking: Some campgrounds offer safe cycling for children. At Ridgway State Park, "There were kids riding bikes on paved walkways and some trails throughout the well maintained park. Nice waters @ the nearby reservoir." The park is "a great park for kids. I loved the activities, hikes, swimming and absolutely stunning views!"

Fishing ponds for young anglers: Several locations feature designated fishing areas for children. "The nearby park has a kids fishing pond with a sign that says you can rent gear," notes a visitor to Telluride Town Park Campground. Families appreciate the accessibility and convenience.

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Wildlife sightings enhance family camping experiences. At Amphitheater Campground, one visitor had "deer in my camp site" while another "saw my first moose here. Reservations are key, and sites are more private on the lower loop and without RVs."

Tips from RVers

Site spacing considerations: RV sites vary significantly in privacy and size. At Ouray Riverside Resort, "The downside is the sites are very close together. Some of the sites are a little larger so you would have a little more space. We had a picnic table and electric, sewer and water hookups."

Road access limitations: Many dispersed camping areas require appropriate vehicles. "I have a truck that can pull 12,000lbs and my smallish travel trailer with water weighs 5500lbs. The roads are completely sketchy pulling a trailer," warns an RVer at Last Dollar Road. For Alta Lakes, numerous sources indicate high clearance is needed, though one camper notes "not the case as we passed a few Prius' making the climb up the road to this site."

Limited overflow parking: Plan accordingly when bringing multiple vehicles. One RVer at Ouray Riverside Resort notes "Small sites with little over flow parking" as a drawback, despite the "Great view of the mountains with river next to park. Walking trail along river into town from park, not a short walk though."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best campgrounds near Ouray, Colorado?

The stunning Amphitheater Campground is considered one of the best options near Ouray, offering breathtaking views and excellent hiking trails that connect directly to the campground. Just 25 minutes from Ouray, Dakota Terraces Campground — Ridgway State Park provides clean facilities with bathroom and shower access in a beautiful setting. Other highly-rated options include Molas Lake Park & Campground with its incredible mountain setting, and several RV-friendly options like 4J + 1+ 1 RV Park which features creekside camping at the base of the mountains. Most campgrounds in the area offer spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains and provide convenient access to Ouray's hot springs, hiking trails, and off-road adventures.

Can I camp near Ouray Hot Springs?

Yes, you can camp conveniently close to Ouray Hot Springs. Ouray KOA Holiday offers an excellent location near town with easy access to the hot springs, plus amenities like cabins, tent sites, a playground, and a jump pad—making it ideal for families. 4J + 1+ 1 RV Park is another great option on the outskirts of Ouray, featuring clean bathrooms, free showers, and beautiful creekside camping with an access point to the perimeter trail. For those seeking more basic accommodations, Angel Creek Campground provides primitive camping just outside Ouray with vault toilets and the soothing sounds of the river nearby. Most camping options are within a short drive of the hot springs.

Is dispersed camping available around Ouray, Colorado?

Yes, dispersed camping is available in several areas around Ouray. Last Dollar Road offers spectacular dispersed camping with breathtaking views and multiple spots, both in open areas and among trees. The first week of June can be particularly beautiful here. Owl Creek Pass provides another dispersed option with beautiful aspen groves, flowing rivers, and mountain vistas, though it's important to verify that sites are officially open for camping. Additional dispersed camping can be found along County Road 14 in the Dexter Creek backcountry area. When dispersed camping, remember to follow Leave No Trace principles, camp in established sites only, and be prepared for minimal or no facilities. Most dispersed areas require high-clearance vehicles and are typically open from late spring through early fall, weather permitting.

Do I need reservations for camping in Ouray?

Reservations are highly recommended for camping in Ouray, especially during the peak summer season. Molas Lake Park & Campground fills up quickly, with campers booking months in advance to secure spots in this popular destination. Red Mountain RV Park is another option that tends to book up, particularly for those looking to recharge and use facilities after backcountry camping. Many campgrounds in the area, including Amphitheater Campground, have attentive hosts and well-maintained facilities but get busy during the summer months. For those without reservations, arriving mid-week and having backup plans is advisable. Some dispersed camping areas offer alternatives when developed campgrounds are full, but they too can fill up during peak season.