The best camping near
Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands , COLORADO

Colorado Springs offers much to do and this campground is a great spot to unhook. “The Meadows” is one of the loops…all level spots here, full hook-up. Not much privacy or shade, but would still highly recommend. The park location is close to Garden of the Gods, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Pike’s Peak and more. The park offers many wonderful hiking trails…and a frisbee golf course. Convenient drive to grocery stores and restaurants.

Now… I'm originally from Louisiana, and I now live in Texas, so my standards aren't very high, lol, but the restrooms were impeccable… Clean, smelled clean, and well maintained. The pit toilets we're even moderately comfortable, but I admittedly drove down to the comfort station bathroom twice in the night. It's far enough away from everything while still allowing you to drive to a pizza parlor in town for a nice dinner and a beer.

This is a beautifully designed campground. Must have had a landscape architect. Not only would I stay here again I am going to do so in September, 2020 just after having been there in July, 2020. We preferred# 5(1305) with its multilevel areas. There are two extreme negatives that must be noted: 1> The road in and out narrows to a one lane road without any indications of oncoming traffic. I don't know what would happen if two 34' fifth wheels were to meet on this narrow section of the road. Something should be done to indicate oncoming traffic. 2> The fee would be reasonable--though still high for campsites with NO hookups at all, but the$9.00 daily vehicle fee added on makes this expensive for sites. The only justifications are location on the river and the beautifully laid out campground and sites. We camped at Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Ruby Mountain Campground in a Fifth Wheel.

First thing is first, this is a place where clothing is optional. 

Valley View is a large swath of land with about 12 beautiful pools and about 20+ camping spots. You need to reserve well in advance as the demand is much higher than the capacity. 

The camp spots themselves are not all that great, though perfectly suitable. Most are exposed (interesting choice of words considering the naturist aspect of the place) and about 1/3 have a great view of the expansive valley below (hence the name). 

The gem here is the wonderful landscape and the soaking pools throughout. I can't speak highly enough about the pools, the overall vibe and the expansive views. But this place is not for everyone. You need to be able to chill and relax and be cool with nudity. If you meet that criteria, you just found your new favorite place.

Leave no trace.

Beautiful, peaceful and most importantly a very clean campground for adventurers and families alike! My girlfriend and I loved our stay here!

The first spots you'll find will be filled with massive RVs and big rigs and large groups looking for a party in the forest since it is so easy to get to. If you want to push on further, take the road to the left and keep going just past the Browns Creek Trailhead and over the creek. It gets quieter and prettier (and a little harder to get to). Great MTB rides near here and quick into Buena Vista and Salida.

I typically rate campgrounds as they fit into 1 of 5 categories. This campground will be rated as a Basecamp — grounds that offer a comfortable home base that you’re happy to return to after a day of exploring the surrounding area. Ratings for this category are based on: Value to cost: 4 Overall grounds: 4 Utility of sites (hookups, layout, accessibility): 4 Local Attraction Proximity: 5 Reservation Process/Ease of Getting a Site: 5 Amenities: 4 Customer Service: 5 Cleanliness: 4

In the mountains of Manitou Springs/Colorado Springs, just off the 24 highway, Loneduck Campground is tucked away down a driveway you will surely miss if you’re not paying close attention (look for the empty sign post sticking up from the highway, see my video). The grounds are quite nice… not luxury but rustic mountain vibe. Large trees and greenery with sites surrounding a small pond.

This is clearly a favorite destination for locals… lots of groups of friends with kids gathering and spending time together. If you dislike kids, you may want to reconsider. Kids laughing and enjoying fishing, the pool and playground up until quiet hours. We don’t have kids but enjoyed the sounds. Nights were quiet, even with the highway overhead. We slept every night with the windows open and the car noise was not an issue. It only got louder in the mornings. Barking dogs were much louder, but still not an issue.

The utilities were good enough, though water pressure was pretty low, especially once our neighbor arrived and fed off the same pipe.

While we didn’t use any, the amenities looked nice. Pool looked lovely and the playground was… beloved by the kids. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the pond with fishing. Fire pits were out of use due to the ban and there was a large dishwashing station for tent campers. There is an arcade which looked perfectly retro. We did use laundry, the machines were fine (takes quarters) but the room itself was a bit dingy. Can’t speak for showers or restrooms. The picnic table at our site had seen better days. Our biggest point of confusion was the placement of the dump station, right at the exit, so in some cases, people that don’t have to dump still have to wait for people to dump in order to leave. There was a long line on a Sunday morning but we managed to squeeze thru after about 10 minutes.

Staff was quite nice but if you’re very worried about COVID, be warned that virtually nobody wears a mask and high touch surfaces don’t seem to be cleaned frequently.

For everything they offer at the grounds, I think the price is very reasonable. They’re right next to the Pikes Peak by way and so close to so many other attractions/adventures. Also, there’s a running/walking path that brings you to Green Mountain Falls town just 1/2 mile away but you have to walk on Rt 24 for about 100 yards to get to the next street, so be careful.

The reservation process was a breeze and they were very responsive and accommodating when we wanted to add a day. A great spot to spend time.

Thank you Heather C.!! Best suggestion… Best view… Best spot if all you need is to get away….

We stayed here 5 nights Sun-Fri while doing work/school and enjoyed exploring Buena Vista in the evenings! Overall the park was enjoyable, it had everything you needed to be comfortable, but not much else. We were in their standard sites, which are pretty close to your neighbor… typical of RV park. They did have premium sites which were more spacious. Gravel and dirt everywhere. The sites were mostly level, though there was clearly a grade from the first site to the last, and there was a bit of grade front to back on our site.

Staff was very friendly and kept the place very clean. Bathrooms were well kept. The showers were pay showers but we never used them. Laundry facilities were VERY nice and our clothes came out clean and smelling good.

Very cool places to explore just around the corner from here… Arkansas river has some neat spots… Midland Tunnels were a neat area right behind the park, but about a 10 minute drive since it was on the other side of the river. Also great trails near downtown.

We really enjoyed the trails. Mule deer wondering around, humming birds whizing by truly enchanting.