Best Glamping near Pitkin, CO

Beautiful view of snow covered mountains. Spent the weekend here with family. 5 hot spring tubs and pools. Breakfast and dinner are included in your stay. ( bring lunch and snacks) food is healthy but not too filling. The camping fee per night without hook ups is $134 per night which is steep but most people are here for the hot springs. There is a small motel on site , yurts, and also 4 TPs for rent. Shower house and restrooms are available.

Just going to start by saying that camping is not why people come here -- it’s for the waters!  The spa offers numerous pools and tubs at varying temperatures so you can find your joyful spot– be sure to check out the cold plunge pool as well. 

The RV spots are on one side of the large parking lot, with the hook up spaces in the middle, with non-electric spots running around two of the outside sides. We were in one of these spots because we run completely on solar to save money. There are zero trees around the lot so sunshine was plentiful. 

The bathrooms were clean, modern and nice, as was the small, shared kitchen where we could do dishes. In addition to camping the resort offers hotel rooms, private yurts, tipis, conference rooms and other hotel services. In addition to the soaking being included in the price, so was a buffet style breakfast and dinner. The food was delicious, and veggie/ organic friendly. The whole experience was very reasonably priced and relaxing!

There’s a lot of hiking nearby, in the mountains to the north, west and east- but definitely a drive away. We didn’t check out the walking path in the spa, but they did offer yoga classes in the yurt as well as private massages services and a host of other spa treatments. 

There aren’t a lot of nearby towns that offer larger grocery stores, Crestone has a small co-op grocery as does Buena Vista, so if you are planning on cooking for yourself, come prepared.

Joyful Journey is a lovely little hot springs in the middle of the San Luis Valley. The Sangre de Christo Mountains tower in the distance and on a moonlit night, they positively glow from the farthest pool. The water in these springs have trace amounts of lithium which makes them even more relaxing than others I've tried.

The springs is popular and can be a bit crowded, so be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time. Bring your own towels, as they can't always keep up with demand and flip flops are also a must for the showers. However, camping lets you stay a bit later than other folks and being able to wonder across the parking lot to the campground after a good soak instead of driving is a huge draw.

Since the campground as its just an extension of the parking lot there is room for large rigs. It features all the all the basics with a clean and close shower house, electrical hookups and grills. The nightly fee includes access to the pools and continental breakfast in the morning. Pets are allowed for an additional fee.

There are also yurts, teepees and motel rooms available to rent.

Salida East is a 25 site campground run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife through an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, that means you pay $7/day for a "day use" pass (or purchase an annual pass for $70) in addition to the camping fee of $10 or $18. The price of a site is on the post at the site. A site with a picnic table, fire ring and tent pad (on pebbles) is $18. It's $10 if the site only has a fire ring.

I thought the sites were not reservable, but then I saw some upcoming reservation tickets on a few sites. This campground is part of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. Look for that area on the Colorado Parks and Wiildlife website to make a reservation

There are no hookups and no potable water at the campground, but there are vault toilets and a couple porta potties. There is no place to dispose of trash. Haven't had that happen before!

This is really just a camping spot. I'm not sure why a day use fee is necessary because there is nothing else to do there unless you have a boat. There's a boat ramp. There is nothing else to do in the campground.

Being next to the Arkansas River is nice and being able to look at mountains in the distance is nice, but the sites are on gravel/dirt. It's adequate for a one night stay close to Salida, but I wouldn't want to hang out here during the day. You can use the pool and shower at the aquatics center for $5.

One more thought - BLM has Colorado River campgrounds in Utah with beautiful views for $10/night. They turned this site on the Arkansas River over to Colorado, so it's $10/$18 plus $7 for "park" access. Kinda greedy in Colorado and not impressed with Colorado park sites. We'll try to stick with federal sites.

Stayed here while thru hiking the colorado trail, what a wonderful time! Salida is a quick drive away and the trail is only a mile up the road. Staff was incredible and store well stocked. Taking covid seriously too! Thanks Monarch!

This is one of the best campsites we have visited in Colorado. It’s located a few miles north of Buena Vista Colorado next to the Arkansas River. The site has terrific walk-in tent sites along the river as well as group picnic facilities and drive camping for campers and vans. They have a huge boat launch to access the world class white water rapids on the Arkansas River. The site has about a 30 campsites and was only about half full during g the summer peak. The access road is dirt but flat graded. They have a camp host on site. The sites have fire rings and picnic tables. The facilities are new and well maintained. The river is powerful and campers with kids should take care. Great hiking and rock climbing in the area. This is a must see.

The Colorado Sports Ranch and Refuge offers a unique blend of outdoor activities and relaxation, making it an ideal getaway for sports enthusiasts. With its expansive facilities, it perfectly complements Sportzfy TV's mission to promote active lifestyles and engage audiences in diverse sporting events. Whether you’re looking to train or unwind, this destination provides an excellent backdrop for fitness and recreation. For More: https://www.sportzfytvapks.com/

The Colorado Sports Ranch and Refuge offers a unique blend of outdoor activities and relaxation, making it an ideal getaway for sports enthusiasts. With its expansive facilities, it perfectly complements Sportzfy TV's mission to promote active lifestyles and engage audiences in diverse sporting events. Whether you’re looking to train or unwind, this destination provides an excellent backdrop for fitness and recreation. For More: https://www.sportzfytvapks.com/

S I liked everything about this campsite, it was clean, spaced out so no one was too crowded, and a beautiful area. What I DIDNT like was that I was accused of being here for more than 2 weeks while I have only been here for 8 days. And then was told I wasnt allowed to camp at free sites unless I had proof of a physical address in Colorado. I'm from Michigan and was vacationing here. Can someone explain to me HOW that makes sense? I rented out a place at my boss's house before I came to this campsite and she told me that doesnt count. Sorry for the long rant, just doesn't make sense to me.

This campground is located on hillside just off of Hwy  50 approximately 6 miles west of Salida, Colorado. A beautiful location. We stayed here two nights in June, knowing this is a relatively new KOA that used to be a private campground. We would have left at the end of the first day except that we met friends there and wanted to continue our visit with them. Water pressure was almost non-existent (we had to use our own water pump in the RV) and Wi-Fi was almost non-existent during peak times.

This campground is definitely not up to the standards of a KOA. We have stayed in at least 16 0thers. I am aware there are other nice campgrounds in this area competitively priced.

Management at the campground have registered our complaint, but no ne on their team was present to do anything. Staff was new and expressed their regrets for our complaint.

Great spot on the East side of the lake, Not far from the town of Leadville where there is a Safeway, places to eat and places to shop. It was a bit windy the day we stayed but great views, lots of hiking trails and things to explore. Campground is located a high elevation.

Accessible Sites, Boating, Campfire Rings, Canoeing, Drinking Water, Firewood Vendor, FishingGrills, Hiking, HostLake AccessSailing, Self Pay Station, Tables, Vault Toilets, Waterfront Sites

Less Than 1 Mile: Boat Ramp, Interpretive Trails, Water Skiing

Fun Fact:

The campground was named after Elizabeth McCourt's nickname, Baby Doe. She made a name for herself in the Colorado mining community in the 19th century when she took on the rugged work of a miner, and was given her nickname.

**Campground Review **

I initially found this campground while searching on The Dyrt for a place to camp near Buena Vista for a weekend. I camped here in May with a group of friends as we spent the weekend rafting near Buena Vista on the Arkansas River. 

The road leading up to the campground isn’t paved but doesn’t require any technical or 4x4 driving. However, if you pass the campground and continue down the road (as we initially did) the road gets much rougher and requires high clearance and 4x4. We also saw some sweet dispersed camping sites along the road past the Turtle Rock Campground which could be useful if the campground itself is ever filled up. 

Overall, I was quite impressed with this campground. It is simple but well maintained and met all of our needs. Each site has a fire pit and ample space for group camping. Our group consisted of 4 tents and 4 vehicles, our site had plenty of space for parking and for all of tents to be quite well spaced out. Most of the sites also offer trees for shade which will be nice in the warmer months. The views from this campground are incredible, seriously some of the best in the state. We climbed up Turtle Rock itself (a bit of scramble so use caution!) for the sunset one night and the views were top notch. I will definitely stay here again whenever I am in the area. 

**Product Review **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes have the opportunity to review products that I use while camping. On this trip I got to test out an ICEMULE Cooler, specifically the ICEMULE Pro Large (23L). This trip seemed like a great opportunity to test a cooler because Colorado was finally warming up enough for us to want some cold beer while camping and rafting! By the end of the trip, everyone from our group was jealous of my awesome cooler and wanted to buy their own! 

This backpack cooler is seriously awesome, it has a massive capacity and easily held enough a day’s worth of food and drinks for 6 people on the river. With all of that weight, I was a bit skeptical about the comfort level when using it as a backpack. I was really impressed about how ergonomically the straps and breathable back panel felt. This is such an efficient way to carry your cold goods while out on an adventure. We were also able to just strap it right onto our raft and had no worries about a heavy cooler flying out on the rapids. Furthermore, I had no fear of the cooler getting destroyed while being tossed around the boat or scraping on the rocky ground because the material is really durable. It really seems like a product that is going to last a lifetime.  

So with any cooler, the real question is, will it keep my drinks cold? Heck. Yeah. After two days, I still had ice in the cooler and not a single warm beer was consumed on our trip. For being so lightweight, I was shocked with how well insulated this cooler is. There is also a really cool (no pun intended) valve which allows you to add air into the insulation layer to increase the insulating power! Then when finished using the cooler, you can open the valve to release all of the air and roll up the bag into a super compact size. This is one of my favorite features, because the cooler really takes up no space or weight for efficient storage. I’m excited to pack it along on some backpacking trips this summer as well! 

In the end, I think this is one of my favorite new pieces of gear. Since getting the cooler I have used it at least once a week; I’ve used it for camping, rafting, skiing, tailgating and even carried it while riding horses on a trail ride! I don’t think I will ever go back to a standard hard-shelled cooler after getting my ICEMULE. You really can’t beat the durability, carrying comfort, insulation and compact storage design.

Amazing hiking, camping, and fishing if you can make it to the lakes from the campgrounds. Atv 4x4 required to access lakes or a long hike. Well maintained several mile long dirt access road to campsite could be done in small campers. We tent camped in dispersed camping before the actual campground. Whole place to ourselves saw Elk, Deer. Only draw back to this site were the hawk sized mosquitoes.

Loved this 'lil place due to FCFS, 1st come, 1st serve availabilities and the nature that makes it unique compared to those campgrounds around it.  I believe the fee is still 18.00/night.  Vaulted toilets are limited but there is 1 there.  Running Taylor rivers are a walk across the street and the reservoir is about 7 minutes up the county road.    Loved this place!  It does not offer firewood for sale but it does allow fires in firepit.  Idk why it crossed out fires.

Had a great experience and such a good spot for many, many SXS trails. Bathrooms and showers just a short walk from the campsite were convenient and refreshing. Enjoyed the campfires and beautiful sunrises and sunsets on this spot. Would definitely recommend and come back!

We got there the Sunday before Labor Day and stayed all week. People were leaving so the park was fairly quiet. Full hook ups were nice to have. The temps were getting below freezing at night. Nice change from the Texas heat. The morning we left it was 23 degrees so protect your water lines. Great place to stay and ride out of park. Camp host were very friendly and we look forward to going back next year.

Did not stay here due to 30$ price tag but toured it. Small okay sites with not much to offer but clean and well administered. Road noise was ever present and creek just across the road. Like nearly all campgrounds along this creek, it was a long and narrow set of options. Site 22 (only site available) was quite pretty in young aspen with wooden fence at base of small cliffs. Table but no bear boxes. Toilets and water. The morning views of the red rock cliffs just across canyon must be wonderful. Host seemed nice and honest and straight. We ended up across the street at north bank for 18$... And camping inches from the creek.