Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Palisade? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Palisade with tent camping. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Colorado camping adventure.
CONSTRUCTION AT KNOWLES OVERLOOK CAMPGROUND BEGINS NOVEMBER 15, 2021 AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WINTER. THE CAMPGROUND WILL BE CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
Jouflas Campground is located in Rabbit Valley Motorized Area, which is within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. There are eight sites that feature picnic tables and fire grates. The campground also has a toilet facility (non-flush). There is no fee to stay at this site. Please pack out all garbage.
Camping is NOT permitted at the Mee Canyon Alcove.
Rattlesnake and Mee Canyon provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation. Geologic features in this area include arches, spires, windows, giant alcoves and desert patina. Between these canyons are pinon-juniper covered mesas which slope downward to the Colorado River. RATTLESNAKE ARCHES: A short section connecting the top of the mesa to the bench below the arches is rocky and steep and requires extra caution - it is not recommended. From the trailhead travel 0.5 miles to an intersection. To the left takes you to an area where you can view the arches from above. To the right takes you to the Lower Arches Trail, which is 5 miles round trip (out and back). In 0.2 miles the trail splits - to the right goes to Pollock Bench Trailhead; stay to the left for the arches trail. Camping is NOT permitted within 1/4 mile of the Rattlesnake Arches Loop and along the access road to the trailhead. MEE CANYON: The trail into Mee Canyon is primitive and only marked with rock cairns. The route steeply descends sandstone layers with exposed cliffs. Camping is NOT permitted at the Mee Canyon Alcove. Leave No Trace principles:
Leave No Trace principles:
Traveler
We stayed at the tent camping spots by the river for one night on our trip back to Denver. The tents sites were widely available since it was a Sunday night but I could see it being a little crowded during peak times as the tent sites are close together (However, they only allow one tent per a site so big groups would have to rent multiple spots and this will keep things more calm and not over-packed). The tent sites have a table, fire ring, and shade cover by trees. The amenities (bathroom, shop, pool) were unexpected but very nice! I would stay here again as it is clean, not too expensive, good shade, access to the river, and close to downtown Palisades for wine tastings.
ScoutGreat find... vineyards all around, a local brewery, tent sites on the Colorado river. The winery next door (colterris) is awesome. Small family owned great atmosphere. A truly amazing stop on our way east
Guide
Plenty of areas for tent camping. But as for fifth wheels it’s not good.
GuideStopped here for the night before skiing at PowderHorn. Campground was easy to find, clean and quite. We stayed in a tent site and were the only ones there! There is a portapotty at the entrance of the tent sites but a shower/bath house in the main are which is just a short walk. The bathroom was very clean and showers hot. There is a fenced in dog run area that my pup enjoyed.
Scout
We were in a Lakeview walk-in site. This is the first walk-in site I have encountered that provided wheelbarrows. It's by far the easiest walk-in site I have camped in. There's a gravel path of about an 1/8th of a mile back to the campsites. They're relatively secluded by vegetation and hills from other campers. You can hear your neighbors occasionally, but the privacy level is fairly good. On top of the wheelbarrows, the picnic tables are covered by an awning. Overall, the walk-in sites are excellent for tent camping. I don't recommend trying to reserve an RV hookup site for tent camping because these are open sites with a lot of asphalt.
Traveler
Headed East and used this campground as a stop over. Tent sites at $22 were booked wound up with electric at $36. A bit pricey but hopefully the showers will make up for it.
GuideWonderful, well kept camp grounds! Plenty of space so you don't feel like you're camping with strangers. Clean bathrooms with showers, full hook-up sites along with tent sites. Multiple camp grounds to choose from.
ScoutNice campground, except some noise from highway. The tent sites are not free unless it is off season you may be able to get away with it. I stealth camped here in a parking spot and paid for a day pass.
Traveler
We stayed here in the tent camping spots for two nights. The restrooms were clean and the site had a light over the picnic table which was really nice for setting up in the dark. The highway noise could be a little loud at times, but generally it wasn’t too bad to get a good night sleep.
Traveler
Absolutely gorgeous spot. Grabbed a FCFS spot with an amazing view, particularly of the sunrise. No fires, which was sad for my 7 year old, but the stars were out and the weather was perfect. Only drawback was the rocky ground which made tent camping uncomfortable no matter how much air I got in my sleeping pad.
Guide
We got site 51. Apparently sometimes I can't read and it was a walk in tent site, we have a lot of stuff, luckily they had wheelbarrows you could use. The site has a clear view over a pond and to the left you can see Colorado National Monument. The sites are so well maintained, the camp hosts were at the sites next to us within 10 minutes to rake the areas. No trash anywhere. Heated bathrooms. Trash cans available. Will gladly reserve here again!
RangerVery nice and well maintained facilities, beautiful scenery and peaceful camping. ADA accessible, and all different sites offered. The reservation process is relatively difficult online, walk-in sites are truly walk in. You have to park and carry your stuff in around 25-50 yards. There are wheelbarrows sitting there that we think are for moving stuff, so that was a nice touch. Toilets are closed in the colder seasons, except for the larger shower houses. Most tent sites are gravel covered. The map is a little vague, the roads pictures on the map are the driving roads. It was 28/night for the walk-in tent sites, which is a little outside of our budget but we decided to swing it because we wanted to shower. Turned out that the showers cost extra, so bring cash. That was a little frustrating to find out, since we felt we had already paid for the facilities.
Traveler
Large designated area for dispersed camping. Ground is lumpy, I wouldn't want to tent camp. Several existing fire rings. Solid Verizon service. Lots of pit toilets in the area. Nearby roads can become extremely difficult to travel after a light rain due to slick peanut butter mud. I wouldn't come here just to camp, this is more a spot for people looking to do activities in the vicinity.
Traveler
Near multiple fishing lakes, hiking trails and just down the road from a national recreation trail. Quiet and very clean. Love the walk up tent sites up on the hill. Gives opportunity to site on the hillside for breakfast while watching the fishing in the lake in front of the campground. Great place for a weekend getaway
LegendGeneral: Sites ranging from tents to vans to full hookup RV to cabins. Be aware all of these options are quite pricey, ranging from $54 to$107 (not including cabins– I don’t know the price of these). We had originally reserved a site last year but had to cut our trip short; we had the option of forfeiting our money or rolling over our reservation to any date in the future, which was appreciated. We reserved our site at the end of January via e-mail and it was confirmed (and a site assigned) via phone in early February. However, when we arrived, our reservation confirmation was not waiting for us on the board with the others. There was no one at the office but Billy, a maintenance employee, was very helpful and told us we could just set up at the site that had been assigned to us.
Site Quality: Varies. In my opinion, the tent sites by the river (Site T7-9) are the best, but these are $67 per night. We were in Van Site 2 which has a short gravel driveway and lawn area, but the driveways between Van Sites 1 and 2 are so close together, that it would not be possible for both vans to have their doors open at the same time (and, of course, there would be zero privacy) Fortunately, no one was in the site next to us. Since van campers sleep (and sometimes cook, depending on the weather) inside their vans, it would have made sense to space the driveways apart with the grass area in between. Van Sites 5 and 6 mirror Sites 1 and 2. Van Sites 3 and 4 have more separation and would be more desirable but sites are assigned, not chosen. The RV sites are spaced a decent amount of distance apart.
Bathhouse: Was very clean with plenty of stalls and sinks. The door to the handicap stall was broken but I assume that will be fixed. The showers looked very clean as well, although I did not use them. The hooks are outside of the stall, which could compromise privacy. There is a vault toilet for the tent sites, although it would not be an undoable walk to the flush toilets.
Activities: There is a pool on site. There are nearby hikes listed on the website, but we did not stay long enough to check them out. Close to the small town of Palisade and the larger hubs of Grand Junction and Fruita. There are also nearby wineries.
Other: There is a laundry room and dishwashing sink, as well as a picnic pavilion. Note that the dishwashing sink was not located near the tent sites.
Although the facility was clean and well-maintained, the prices are high, and four of the van sites are too close together to make it enjoyable if all sites were occupied. Also, you will hear road noise from nearby I70 and a very loud train sometime in the middle of the night!
Traveler
Pioneer Campground was a great place to camp. We used a walk-in tent site. The trail for the sites was clear, clean, and the sites were the same. Bathroom was clean and did not smell at all, water from the spigot was clean and cool. Most sites were nicely shaded to provide privacy, but the one we stayed in had a beautiful view of the lake. The tent platforms were raised which was helpful. Bug spray is necessary as mosquitos are pretty rampant in June-July.
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
Not wilderness camping by any means, but a fun stop for a road trip for sure! Big B’s has a full restaurant (the chili cheese fries were amazing), lots of cider varieties on tap and to go. Live music some nights.
You can tent camp amidst the apple trees (literally in the rows nestled under the trees), park your rig in a grassy field with picnic tables and fire pits, or even stay in a cabin. Shower house with flush toilets near the shop. The store sells firewood.
We had fun!
GuideWe liked the setting and the campground was nice and clean. However sites were very close together and the tent sites were on top of each other. We were asked to move our site for a new camper at like 9 am even though check out was around 12. Other than that we liked the campground there is a nice playground a wonderful fishing pond and a swimming hole. There are showers however they are $1 for 4 minutes so bring your change.
Guide
Driving for a few miles along a fairly compact but slightly washed out dirt road will drop you off right at a vista above the CO river. 2WD is probably fine but low clearance vehicles will likely struggle on the occasional deep rut. There are many, many sites, both along the river and further inland. Each site has a groomed, level tent site, picnic table, and fire pit. Dry toilets nearby are well maintained. Surprised we had the entire campground to ourselves.
Ranger
Great location for visiting the National Monument. Picnic tables and fire pits everywhere, all are tent sites. Parking is available, but you can’t drive directly up to the site, it’s only a few yards away though. Stayed two nights. There’s a bathroom, it’s an average pit toilet so it’s not the best thing ever. Great place to explore, recommend hiking out to the Miracle Rock & going further up along the ridge line. Did some bouldering too, so bring your climbing shoes if that interests you.
TravelerThis place had great reviews but I’m not quite sure why? Just an big open RV lot with hook ups and a picnic table. No trees or shade in the RV lot. Maybe the tent camping by the river is nicer? Yes there is a winery and an orchard boardering the property and test the rocky outcrops nearby are beautiful- but overall I felt that $72 for a night of hookups in a parking lot was a bit of a rip off.
I will say they had a very well organized self registration board for late night arrivals without reservations and there is Cornhole!
LegendWe visited this campground because it was close to home. We had a birthday party there and camped the night. The tent sites we were in were walk in and it seemed good. The site was nice and had a fire pit and what not. Plenty of space for our tent. But as the night went on, we realized that there was a sewer treatment plant near by, the highway was too close and the light from the town was abundant. I woke up several times thinking morning had come only to find it was light pollution. I remember thinking it was eternal dawn with all the light. The smell was too much and the noise just made it that much more unenjoyable. We won't be returning.
LegendWe stayed in this area for several nights on our way to/from Moab. It’s beautiful and open BUT there isn’t camping where this GPS pin is FYI. See the Jouflas campground for specifics of where we camped. As you enter the Rabbit Valley area there is a self registration station and board with rules etc. on the right. Road to the left leads to RV/Tent camping. Road straight ahead leads to Jouflas campground and then on to Knowles Overlook Campground. Roads were a bit rough but very drivable with most any car. Kokopelli road needs 4WD/High clearance and does not have camping. There are lots of signs indicating camping in designated sites only. Area is very clean and quiet. Lovely area to stay in.
Guide
I arrived at this campground on top the Mesa. First I always thought the Mesa would be flat and by god it’s more than flat, it’s beautiful. The mosquitos were like mini vampires. Beside that, the Forrest and lakes were wonderful. The fishing was great. Lots of folks catching there limits.
The campsites are hit or miss if you are tent camping. Some of them are on slopes and are only good for an RV however we did sent you tents in the pull through sites. We reserved sites 1, 9, 10, 11.
Site 1 is fabulous, on the lake and great for tents or a pop up.
Site 9 is a pull through site. Has one flat spot for a tent but besides that it is next to the hiking trail and the wildlife is all around. Morning deer to chipmunks :)
Site 10 is very large for a group site per say.
Site 11 was nice and held 3 tents.
Each site has modern camp fire rings. The campground offers large wood bundles for $10.
GuideMy bf and I recently stayed at a tent site here, we arrived right at sunset and the view driving in was amazing. The bathrooms were close by and seemed well maintained. There are plenty of trails close by, so waking up early for a cool morning hike was simple and a great way to start the day. There were plenty of outlook points that allow you to overlook Grand Junction. After our hike in the morning we were able to take a short drive North East to Little Book Cliffs where we enjoyed a nice long hike to see some wild mustangs.
Overall, this site is well maintained, with plenty of activities in the area for everyone to have some fun.
LegendCampground Review: I've stayed at Island Acres a few times, three times in the last months. All three times have been different. I wanted to do a secondary review for this particular trip. We arrived mid day on a Friday and there were plenty tent sites remaining. There are only six in the whole campground that are tent only sites. We originally were assigned to number 38, which is a more desirable site, we were excited. It is shaded and back in a corner along the river. But when we arrived to our site, there was a park ranger that asked us to change to site 36 because he had a sprinkler project he wanted to finish. While we had the right to say no, we disappointedly took site 36, which has little to no shade. It has two small trees that provide minimal shade during the heat of the day. This particular weekend hit high 90's. He also informed us at the move that they forgot to give us our card back when we registered.
So we went about our trip and set up camp late in the day and there were still no other tents there. This weekend, however, was a much busier weekend then most of the others we have stayed. Therefor, more people and more chaos. One site came in and set up around 1:30 am, with air mattresses and lights shining. The site on the other side of us left around 1:30 am. So again, a lot of light shining in our tents. Beyond that, there were also people that set up outside of standard sites, which I've never seen before. They were parked in the grass and in no parking zones, which a ranger came and corrected, early in the morning on Saturday. The swimming pond was refreshing for 5-10 minutes this time of year but then you wanted to come out for a half hour or so to warm up again. We purchased a shade tent, which came in handy at the beach and our site. That evening, the crowd returned and there was a lot of really bright lights again. People coming and going super late and camping in non-designated sites. People camping in their cars with huge tarps over them in the parking lot.
We also could hear a lot of highway traffic, which we hadn't noticed in previous visits. It is a very busy highway so traffic was heard all night long. The tent sites are on the farthest side of the campground from the highway so if the noise is loud for us, it is likely loud throughout the campground.
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing The Campfire Cutting Set from Primus. The campfire cutting set is so lightweight and compact. It's easily packed along for any trip. It's made out of a nice oak that is appealing to look at and extremely functional. The knife cuts like butter. The video is cutting a raw potato and it does it with ease. Cleanup was a breeze as well. So, out of the box, it contains a chef knife (extremely sharp!) and an oak cutting board, all wrapped up in a nice prep mat that is great for packing your campfire cutting set. We loved the convenience and practicality of this set!
Palisade, Colorado, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for beautiful landscapes and recreational activities.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Palisade, CO is Grand Junction KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 26 reviews.
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