Best Tent Camping near Ouray, CO

Recent Tent Reviews in Ouray

1096 Reviews of 55 Ouray Campgrounds

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 15, 2024

  Blue Lakes Trailhead Dispersed

  Remote Wilderness

  Blue Lakes Trailhead Dispersed Camping, located near Mount Sneffels in Colorado, offers an incredibly remote and breathtaking camping experience. If you're looking to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in pristine wilderness, this spot is ideal. The campsites are dispersed along the trailhead, offering peace and solitude with stunning views of the surrounding peaks and alpine lakes.

  The beauty of this dispersed camping area is its complete immersion in nature. With no designated campsites or amenities, you get to choose your own perfect spot in the forest, whether it’s near the rushing creek or with views of the towering mountains. This is truly a wilderness experience, so you’ll need to be fully self-sufficient—bring your own water, food, and a solid plan for waste disposal.

  The Blue Lakes Trailhead offers some of Colorado’s most scenic hiking, including access to the famous Blue Lakes and a challenging ascent of Mount Sneffels. The hike itself rewards adventurers with awe-inspiring views of alpine lakes, wildflowers, and rugged mountain terrain. It’s perfect for those seeking an immersive backcountry experience.

  One downside of this dispersed camping is that the road leading to the trailhead is rough, so it’s best suited for high-clearance vehicles, and be prepared for the possibility of unpredictable weather, as storms can roll in quickly in the mountains.

  Overall, Blue Lakes Trailhead Dispersed Camping is an incredible option for experienced campers looking to enjoy the wild beauty of Colorado’s high country. It’s remote, peaceful, and surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery in the state.

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 15, 2024

  Matterhorn — Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre And Gunnison National Forest

  Comfort Meets Adventure

  Matterhorn Campground, located near Telluride and nestled in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, offers an excellent balance of comfort and outdoor adventure. This well-maintained campground is perfect for campers seeking easy access to Colorado’s stunning alpine scenery without sacrificing convenience.

  The campsites are clean, spacious, and equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. Some sites even offer electric hookups, making it a great option for RV travelers. The surrounding area is breathtaking, with panoramic views of rugged peaks, lush forests, and wildflower-filled meadows.

  One of the campground’s standout features is its proximity to the Uncompahgre Wilderness and nearby trails, such as the iconic Ice Lake Basin or Blue Lakes hikes. It’s also just a short drive to Telluride, where you can enjoy its historic charm and famous gondola rides.

  The elevation keeps the temperatures cool, even in summer, and the nights are peaceful—perfect for stargazing. The campground is accessible via a paved road, which is a bonus for those with larger vehicles.

  Whether you’re here for hiking, fishing, or simply soaking up the mountain views, Matterhorn Campground provides a great basecamp for exploring Colorado’s high country. With its mix of amenities and natural beauty, it’s a solid choice for both novice and seasoned campers alike.

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 15, 2024

  Amphitheater Campground

  A Scenic Mountain Escape

  Nestled just minutes above the charming mountain town of Ouray, Amphitheater Campground is a true gem for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Surrounded by the breathtaking San Juan Mountains, this campground offers stunning views, a peaceful atmosphere, and convenient access to hiking trails, hot springs, and the iconic Million Dollar Highway.

  The campsites are well-spaced, offering a mix of shade and sun. Many sites provide spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and valley below. The facilities are basic but well-maintained, with clean vault toilets and potable water. While there are no hookups for RVs, the campground’s rustic vibe is perfect for tent camping or smaller camper setups.

  One of the highlights is its proximity 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.

  A word of caution: the road to the campground is steep and narrow, so it may not be ideal for large RVs. Be sure to plan for cool nights, as temperatures drop significantly due to the elevation.

  Overall, Amphitheater Campground offers an unbeatable combination of solitude, accessibility, and breathtaking scenery. Whether you’re looking for a basecamp for outdoor adventures or simply a serene spot to relax, this campground delivers.

  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• 

  Paulina B.

  Ranger

  

  Dec. 6, 2024

  Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch

  Amazing Campground, could use a refresh

  Located near Blue Mesa Reservoir, Thousand Trails Gunnison offers breathtaking views and outdoor activities like fishing, boating, and hiking. The campground features spacious sites, clean facilities, and a welcoming community vibe.

  While some amenities could use a refresh, the stunning location more than makes up for it. It’s a great spot for adventurers and nature lovers.

  Outdoor closes and activities die down after beginning of September.

  ASK other campers about the laundry facilities. Hopefully the dryers will be fixed by next season. They were taking more than 3 cycles to dry our clothes.

• 

  Kim S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Angel Creek Campground

  Good campground with some bearboxes

  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.

• 

  Jeremy H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 25, 2024

  Montrose / Black Canyon Nat'l Park KOA

  Nicest in town

  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.

• F

  Fred E.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 24, 2024

  South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

  Great Campsite and Beautiful Views

  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

• F

  Fred E.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 24, 2024

  Golden Horn Dispersed

  Perfect for Solitude and Views

  Great campground just 10 minutes from Silverton. Several spots are right next to a small stream, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The vault toilet helped us conserve water, and we used the public shower/bathroom in Silverton, which was very convenient. It's also close to many hiking trails, making it a great base for outdoor activities.

• j

  jen S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 23, 2024

  Silverton 20A - Dispersed

  Secluded, quiet, great views

  Definitely need 4 wheel drive to get up to sites, had to build our own fire pit but that was ok! The views were phenomenal.

• 

  Jennifer C.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 20, 2024

  Orvis Hot Springs (Clothing Optional)

  Love it here. Be nice to it.

  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.

• D

  Dave K.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  North Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

  High Altitude Beauty

  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.

• D

  Dave K.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Clear Fork Campground — Crawford State Park

  West Elk Views

  As 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).

• 

  Xavier G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Black Canyon Dispersed Camping

  Gorgeous, close to National Park, plenty of sites

  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.

• J

  Juliana R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 13, 2024

  Haviland Lake Campground

  Amazing campsite

  Reasonable prices & open during the winter.

  The lake is beautiful and a great trail network around the camp, good for trail running.

• G

  Grace S.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Black Canyon Dispersed

  Great spot, rough roads

  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

• 

  Erika R.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed)

  LONG dirt road, but worth it

  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. We enjoyed our 1 night stay and did not struggle to find a spot

• 

  Tamara T.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 6, 2024

  Priest Lake Dispersed Camping Area

  For free and nice view

  We arrived at a Saturday around 3 pm and still had many opportunities to find a place. Lovley place to stay. As a toilet. I can recomment to stay there in fall.

• 

  Kevin S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 6, 2024

  Black Canyon

  Extreme solitude close to Black Canyon National Park

  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.

• S

  Steven D.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 3, 2024

  Ouray KOA

  Quiet and clean

  Friendly staff. Clean restrooms and showers

• S

  Steven D.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 3, 2024

  Ouray KOA

  Clean facilities

  Very friendly staff. Easy access

• 

  Kiet D.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Black Canyon Dispersed Camping

  Great for visiting Black Canyon.

  Visited 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.

• 

  Marilyn S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Shallow Creek

  Locked gate

  Unfortunately the gates go this campground were locked!

• 

  Daniel S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 30, 2024

  Cedar Creek RV Park

  Not bad

  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.

• 

  Levi S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 26, 2024

  South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

  Private and easy to get in.

  Got 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.

• M

  Matt H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Junction Creek Campground

  Awesome tidy and private sites

  Junction Creek campground is a lovely place to stay. The price is good, the hosts are just soo friendly and helpful. The site was even swept clean of pine needles as the toilets are very fresh. 

  The whole experience was very good with well spaced sites and flat ground all between the trees. 

  There is great walking and mountain biking right from camp too! Enjoy!

• C

  Chris A.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 24, 2024

  Ouray Riverside Resort

  The Views and BBQ

  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.

• Y

  Yvette H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Stoner RV Resort

  Welcoming park in a great location

  From the time we pulled into the campground,  full of grass with huge trees, we felt at home. We had a warm greeting and received a welcome gift with yummy treats and fresh eggs. We were led to our spot that backed up to a creek. There was a fire pit, fire wood, bbq, table and chair swing at the camp spot. Also included are free laundry facilities, movies on a big screen (popcorn included) and we were lucky enough to have a band play one day and a solo guitarist another. Scott goes out of his way to make you comfortable. It was raining when we were watching the band play, he brought us an umbrella to use, very thoughtful. We would recommend this place to everyone, dog friendly, kid friendly, with a play area for both. There are nice tent camping spots as well.