Ouray, CO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Ouray. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Ouray and user-submitted reviews.
"Perfect lake views, snow capped mountain tops, and wildflowers for days."
"Beautiful views of surrounding mountains and Alta lakes as well as access to the ghost town of Alta."
"Nice little campground with large bear boxes for food storage. I felt it's at a good location to venture off each day from."
"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."
"We had plenty of room on our site to set up camp around the picnic table and fire ring.
We snagged the last site with a picnic table and fire ring around 10AM on a Friday morning."
"Pulled into this area late one evening on a fall camping trip across Colorado. Totally expected it to be full but there were a couple areas left to setup thankfully."
"Spaces were tight and very close to others. A bit noisy with the ATVs and motorcycles all around, but not too bad."
"This campground is ideal: close to town, backcountry seclusion. The hike is steep, but manageable."
"Make sure you enter from CO 52 then turn right onto 20A, if you enter 20A near the Silverton Lakes RV resort you will climb for a couple miles on a 4X4 trail with switchbacks and see nothing but private"
"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."
"Site has fire ring and parking. Not for trailers or camper."
"Once up the hill you will find three somewhat unlevel sites that are close to one another. We camped here two nights and both nights there was only one other vehicle."
"This road is hard to turn around on, or let others pass. This spot was the furthest we ended up going. This is a secluded area with no bathroom, campground, electric, or water."
ScoutThis was a great site for our group of 3 couples. We had plenty of room on our site to set up camp around the picnic table and fire ring.
We snagged the last site with a picnic table and fire ring around 10AM on a Friday morning. Throughout the weekend more people showed up and there seemed to be a bit more space to camp throughout.
The sites vary from right out in the open to being completely tree covered. Ours was right near a stream and had good shade during the day.
There's nothing but a vault toilet here so be sure to bring lots of water. If you're in need of a shower, head down to Trout Lake for a quick dip.
TravelerSunshine is a first come-first serve campground with 15 sites. There are several sites with beautiful views and full sun, but those were taken when we arrived. We stayed in site #8 which was quite lovely, tucked in the aspen trees with a picnic table and fire ring. The small pond behind our site was dried up, probably due to the ongoing drought. There is a short viewing trail just off site #9 that provided spectacular views of the mountains. We set up a couple of chairs on the trail and watched the fabulous sunset. The vault toilets were closed and the sign said they’d be closed through the ‘22 season. Portable toilets were provided in their place. The camp hosts, Don & Linda were super helpful by providing us with info about the adjacent bike trails and a short cut to get to Telluride. The campground was very quiet and while we heard some road traffic when we first arrived we never heard any during the night. I got 2 bars of AT&T cell service, enough to stream a movie on my iPad!
Camp fees are $20/day or $10/day with a Senior America the Beautiful Pass. We’ll definitely stay at this gem again!
GuideNice campground if you can get a spot, we've stayed at several different sites. The hosts are nice and will let you know the best one available. No running water or electricity or anything fancy. It's quiet, the stars are amazing, and there are good hikes in the area. Downsides are that it fills up fast (I think just 25 sites) and there can be a lot of mosquitoes. Bears may wander through too.
Vault toilets, bear boxes, picnic table, fire ring.
You can walk to the lake from the campground.
RangerThe walk to the river was short and there even is a parking area for those who are not camping but want to fish.
Sites were well maintained, restroom and showers were as well.
Picnic tables, fire ring and grill at all sites. Deer wandered around freely and was an extremely restful night.
They offer pull in sites or walk in tent sites. I chose a pull in even though I was tent camping. Had to check out a few sites to be sure there was level/cactus free spot to pitch the tent.
GuideWe arrived at Soap Creek Campground around noon on a Friday in mid-July and found several wonderful sites to choose from. We selected site 8 as it was fairly close to the restroom, had decent shade, and large enough to accommodate our large tent and two vehicles...with room enough to spare to play washers! Vault toilets only, but they were very clean...host normally sells firewood, but they were out, however they did allow us to gather our own. No water at this time as it is spring fed and was low. Mostly surrounded by tent campers, but a few RV's made it down the narrow, windy and bumpy dirt road to the campground...but for the most part they kept their generators off (no electricity at this campground) during quiet hours. We were able to walk to the creek and what a view! Would definitely recommend and can't wait to go back!
ScoutNestled in pine trees alongside the lake fork of the Gunnison river. Most sites have tons of privacy. All have picnic tables and bear boxes. First-come first-serve. Very clean vault toilet restrooms. Camped here solo and felt very safe. Great access to fishing, hiking, and ATV trails.
GuideWe camped here in the canyon one night in September and it was the best experience. Beautiful scenery, great neighbors, clean toilets. There are only a few drive in campsites available, with several more hike in spots below. Bear boxes, fire rings (if there’s no burn ban), and picnic tables available, along with water and facilities.
GuideStayed 2 nights in July 2024. The campsites are well spaced apart with a variety of sizes for just about anyone except large Class As and long toy haulers. Most sites were occupied. You can reserve sites in advance. I would recommend booking at least a month out. Most sites were densely shaded. Not much option for solar. Quiet hours 10pm-6am. Generators allowed. Sites in the E loop have electricity. Restrooms were well maintained vault toilets. No showers anywhere in campground. Park host live on-site. Firewood for sale at host sites. Potable water is available. The gravel road leading to the campground is VERY rough wash-board. Secure your stuff and be ready for the bumpy ride.
GuideThis campground is on NPS land, so there is a fee ($16 in season+ water/$8 off season no water) that can be paid at the nearby ranger's station on the honor system. All 13 sites are in a single loop at the end of the road on the North Rim and are all first come first served. Pinyon and juniper offer shade and some visual privacy, however sites are all close so there is little audible privacy. Pets are OK if leashed. There are nice sized BearSaver boxes at each site, plus a fire ring and large picnic table. Vault toilets and potable water are both in the center of the camping loop, where you can also find other tables and lots of shade. Chasm trail begins near the end of the loop and there are great views of the canyon a short distance from all sites. Beware: drought year, so lots of yellow jackets - they swarm vehicles in search of water! Also, water is a limited resource brought in by truck to this canyon, don't be wasteful :)
Nestled in the stunning San Juan Mountains, Ouray, Colorado, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking breathtaking views and adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ouray, CO is Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) with a 4.4-star rating from 38 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 53 tent camping locations near Ouray, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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