1 campground with availability next weekend
Tent campers visiting the Peyton, Colorado region can choose between developed campgrounds and dispersed sites in Pike National Forest, with options ranging from shaded tent sites to primitive backcountry spots. Lone Duck Campground offers dedicated tent sites with grassy areas and shade trees, while dispersed camping options like Rampart Range Area and Mt. Herman Road provide more primitive experiences without designated facilities. Several tent-friendly areas in Pike National Forest Divide allow campers to experience backcountry conditions within reasonable driving distance.
Most primitive tent sites require campers to pack in all supplies including water, as amenities are minimal or nonexistent. Fire rings constructed by previous visitors mark many dispersed sites, though seasonal fire bans are common during dry periods. Phantom Canyon Road offers numerous tent camping opportunities along a creek, with sites accessible via dirt roads that may require careful navigation. Vault toilets can be found at limited locations, such as along Phantom Canyon Road, but most dispersed areas have no sanitation facilities. Pike National Forest dispersed camping follows standard 14-day stay limits and requires campers to practice Leave No Trace principles.
Tent campers seeking solitude often find the best experiences by traveling farther down forest roads. Sites along Matukat Road provide secluded tent camping with rock formations and hiking opportunities nearby. The terrain varies from open areas with limited shade to forested sites offering natural shelter from sun and wind. Wildlife sightings are common, with several visitors reporting bear activity in the Phantom Canyon area. According to one review, "We found a pull-off on the left hand side pretty soon after the second tunnel. Very private and quiet! Nice and level too, with two fire pits." Campers frequently mention the trade-off between accessibility and privacy, with more remote sites offering greater seclusion but requiring more effort to reach.
"Our site had grass, shade, a picnic table, and a fire ring - everything you need for a basic campsite."
"Lone Duck Campground was a good home base for us during our visit to Colorado Springs. The campground is several miles down from Woodland Park and about the same down to Manitou and the Springs."
Available next weekend
from $40 - $87 / night
"Some have pre existing fire rings. Would definitely come back."
"Most spots are taken by the weekends but if you’re fine with a more sloped spot, there can be some open ones for late arrivals."
"I recommend not attempting road with 2WD… seems quite rough in spaces. Having the extra support made me feel better. A bit of an incline but I found plenty of space to set up my tent!"
"Found a great little campsite and had a fox as a neighbor! Only downfall was there was broken glass everywhere 😔"
"Driving down to this campsite I was happy to have a small car because the road is very narrow to say the least. I cannot imagine the feeling of driving a large rig here."
"We arrived the Phantom Creek Road around 4:30pm. 10miles and 30 minutes later we found our spot."
"There are a lot of dirt bikes and atvs driving during the day however I didn’t find it overly disruptive."
"Restrooms at base of road. Found our spot 2.5 miles up the road, definitely needed AWD."
"Wonderful tent pads and facilities with space to wash dishes and store goods from wildlife."
from $144 / night
"Rock fire pits, wood around. No water, garbage, nor toilets. Cool temps, road in is rough go slow. Nice shady trees. First few spots you encounter left, then right seem ok."
"We drove a couple of miles up the decently maintained dirt road and found the second dispersed camping spot and decided to set up our roof top tent for the night. "
"Has fire rings and picnic tables. Closed for good, apparently because of bears, but far down the road so it’s very unlikely you’ll be bothered"
"Cell service- none (t-mobile) Firewood- none Camp host- none Water - non Toilets- port a potty Fire ring- yes No leveled tent sites- generally flat land."
"Trash and Port a potties are provided. Site is right next to the Platte River. Picnic Table and Fire Ring is provided per site. Very relaxing, great views , and respectful neighbors."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 / night
"It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
"Had a nice little hike around the area. My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
from $24 / night
RangerBathrooms were very nice and clean. Lots of sites with minimal privacy. Pretty packed and noisy in October. Our site had electrical hookups and its own water. Picnic tables and fire rings available as well. Looks like a very family friendly campground. Stayed one night.
ScoutGreat spot for relaxing weekend getaway for our family. Plenty of room for the kids to explore and they even had a blow up bouncy house for them during the day. Hot tub under the stars at evening time. Very clean bathrooms!
RangerCool spot. I like there were different sized spots and a clearly marked line where a 4WD/AWD vehicle is needed and no large rigs. I found a spot that was visible by the road, but there was water access and cool surroundings. The main road was well paved, but turning into my site was a bit rough and I needed the 4WD. There were large animal (I assume black bear) prints to give that extra bit of camping excitement, but no actual sitings (one day, Juliana. One day). Some mosquitos but not overwhelming. The scenery was gorgeous. Definitely a bit desert-esque but it was legitimately perfect weather in mid September. Cool creek rocks and a stunner of a sunset. Would absolutely return again. No numbered sites. Toilets about 1/4 mile beyond the drive through boulder.
ScoutI want to start on a positive because that is the type of person I am, and because this review is going to have a lot of negative. This park is a great location for sightseeing, especially if you are going to Pikes Peak by way of the Cog or shopping in Manitou. My GM and I worked hard to make the park as great as we could with the very little funding that we got. As seen in the reviews we had excellent customer service and had high standards for keeping the park clean. I was very good at my job and I loved doing the work until the new owners took over. When the park was sold, we had high hopes that the new owners would be good people and want to put real work into the park. We were very disappointed that they turned out to be money grubbing horrible people. Ken, one of the owners, treats people and his business very Trump like. He and his wife must state that they are religious more than a few times when having a conversation; I personally think this is to make themselves look good to cover the toxicity that truly lies under the surface. When they meet people, they put on a façade and lie and say whatever they think people want to hear to get what they want; proven to me by the broken verbal promises they made to me. They are not community driven; they are money driven; you can make money and still be good people, but they chose not to be. They practice wage theft just like big corporations by over working employees and under paying them; in their words“you must wear all hats”. They are the type of people that use others until they don’t need them then throw them away like garbage. I was bullied into quitting on a phone call where Ken was very disrespectful and unprofessional with me. The phone call was me trying to explain that I could no longer do the FB post due to our deferent ethical viewpoints, and he would not let me talk by saying“you are not doing your job, are you going to quit” repeatedly. I found out that I was not allowed to post about Manitou Pride parade because he said,“it is not family friendly, and the company and I do not promote the LGBTQ+ community”. I am a proud member of that community and so I should not be the one to post on FB for the company. The groundman quit a day later because of disrespect and broken verbal promises. Then a few days later my boyfriend was fired and then Sheryl the GM was fired.(I believe they were fired for retaliation) Ken only wants employees that are easy to exploit or controlled, because he is incapable of managing people without fear and bullying. He boasted that he is called the grim reaper in business, but I don’t think that is the flex he thinks it is. But yes, he was the destruction of the community we put so much work into. I also want to voice my disappointment in Dana, who Sheryl worked hard getting to be allowed to come back as an employee. Dana did great work her first summer with us, so it was a shock to see her true colors show when she started to brown nose Ken. She spread multiple rumors, I feel the worst one was about Melinda’s daughter and the things she wrote about in her diary. I also did not like how she used David, the guy that does the golfcart tours in Manitou, was nice to his face then talked so badly about him when he was not around. I truly think Jesue and her father would be ashamed of her for how she acted to get her new position.
GuideOur Campsite was nice, very clean and well kept. It did seems like the sites were a bit to close together and every spot filled. Pads were level, area around the picnic table spacious. Pit toilets were clean. The dump station was very nice and easy to use. We were driving down through Colorado to view the Fall Aspen leaves. I wish we would have stayed longer at this campsite. We stayed at the Conifer Ridge loop site 46 ...
LegendThis middle section of the road has mixed spots some are wooded some are wide open it really just depends on whats available. People pour in around dusk so get there early and get a good spot with a mountain view and maybe you will see a moose like i did. Road is good cell is 1-2 bars in this secrion
LegendThis middle section of the road gas some of the best views of pikes peak. Just cruise along the road there are a couple prime.spots you could get a trailer in and then several car sized spots for vans and smaller rigs. Road is 2wd safe but cell is a little spotty
LegendGreat view of pikes peak. Located between woodland park and colorado springs this place is a good launch pad for mountain adventure. Its on a hillside directly facing the mountain, directly off the highway. The good thing about that is hwy 24 chills out alot at night so there wont be a ton of road noise. The downside is it can get busy in the morning and afternoon so pulling out directly onto the highway with a big rig could be a challenge
LegendSmall place right off hwy 24 at the base of the mountains. Coffee place across the street and an auto parts store out front, not a bad combination for an RV park. Ita pretty much just a gravel lot but there are some trees. Not a bad stop but not a destination
Tent camping around Peyton, Colorado ranges from open meadow sites to forest settings at elevations between 6,000-9,000 feet. The high-desert climate creates significant temperature variations with daytime summer highs often reaching 85°F and night temperatures dropping to 45°F. Most dispersed camping areas in this region lack cell coverage, requiring advance planning for communication needs.
Fishing opportunities: The South Platte River at Platte River Campground provides direct access to trout fishing. According to one camper, "My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
Rock climbing exploration: Areas near Matukat Road Dispersed Camping feature climbing opportunities among distinctive rock formations. A visitor noted, "The rocks behind us are absolutely outrageous. There's good hiking the area as well."
Mountain wildlife observation: Early mornings and evenings offer the best wildlife viewing times throughout the Pike National Forest. As one camper at Matukat Road shared, "Cattle roam freely throughout the property and you can hear coyotes at dusk and dawn."
Hiking trails: Several unmarked but established hiking paths extend from campsites into surrounding forest areas. A camper at Pike National Forest Divide mentioned, "Lots of places to walk and explore and there was still phone signal!"
Seclusion from crowds: Many dispersed camping areas offer separation from other campers, especially midweek. One visitor to Rampart Range Area reported, "Quite a few people on a weekday night, but not bothering. Very good network coverage (T-mobile)."
Well-maintained facilities: Despite being primitive, some established campgrounds maintain clean facilities. A visitor to Osprey Campground wrote, "The restrooms have large shower stalls and are well-maintained and clean."
Stargazing conditions: The dark skies away from city lights create ideal stargazing conditions. A camper at Platte River Campground observed, "The stars here are incredible. However if the breeze is up it's gone chilling."
Temperature variations: The elevation changes create natural cooling during summer months. A Pike National Forest Divide camper noted, "Denver's weather will not tell you what the weather here will be... It will be at least 20 degrees colder at night than Denver most likely."
Road conditions: Access to many dispersed sites requires careful driving on unpaved roads. A visitor to Phantom Canyon Road wrote, "The road is loose gravel, long and winds through large cliff rock faces on both sides, which block out the sun so your daylight is limited."
Insect activity: Biting flies and mosquitoes can be problematic during warmer months. One camper at Phantom Canyon reported, "The worst and only bad part was the insane amount of biting flies. It was unbearable at times and our dogs were very stressed from them all over them."
Fire regulations: Current fire restrictions vary throughout the season. Check with Pike National Forest ranger stations before planning campfires.
Wildlife encounters: Larger wildlife including bears, mountain lions, and moose frequent camping areas. A camper at Pike National Forest Divide noted, "Wanted to stay for two nights but only did two days, because a mountain lion tore a deer to shreds about a day or two prior to my arrival by my campsite."
Group camping options: Turkey Roost Group Camp offers dedicated facilities for family gatherings. A visitor mentioned, "Wonderful tent pads and facilities with space to wash dishes and store goods from wildlife."
Activity planning: Bring games and activities as entertainment options since most dispersed sites have no organized recreation.
Noise considerations: Some areas experience significant vehicle traffic noise. At Platte River Campground, a camper warned, "These campgrounds have an amazing river right at your finger tips. It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
Bathroom accessibility: Plan for limited or no bathroom facilities at most dispersed sites. Bring portable toilet options for younger children.
Site dimensions: Many dispersed sites accommodate smaller RVs but have limitations for larger rigs. A visitor to Rampart Range noted, "Every FS road off from Rampart seems to go on forever. We spent 2 hours on one of them and found so many amazing sites!"
Leveling challenges: Uneven terrain requires leveling blocks at most dispersed sites. A camper at Lone Duck Campground shared, "We drive a 19 ft camper van so we found this place very easy for us."
Road clearance requirements: High-clearance vehicles fare better on forest roads. One camper reported, "The dirt road to get there can be tricky, but I witnessed multiple sedans driving by without issue."
Seasonal accessibility: Winter and early spring access becomes difficult without 4WD. A visitor noted, "We had gone the day after a snow storm and the road was decent. I guess snow plows go through often since there's nearby residential."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Peyton, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Peyton, CO is Lone Duck Campground and Cabins with a 4.2-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Peyton, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Peyton, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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