Are you in need of a campground near Poncha Springs, CO? Poncha Springs is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Poncha Springs and user-submitted reviews.
"It's about a 12 minute drive to Buena Vista or Poncha springs (which has water and a dump station) and a 20 minute drive to downtown Salida."
"Within 20 minutes of driving you have multiple Colorado 14ers to hike, amazing fishing, miles of mountain biking trails and 2 amazing towns with great places to eat or grab a beer. "
"If you ever been to any of the BLM camping locations around Salida, Mt. Shavano is not anything different."
"It was easy to find and close to the highway.
The road was pretty good but got a bit bumpy as we got closer but still not a problem with our trailer."
$28 / night
"The campground is north of Salida Colorado on the Arkansas River. This is the busy spot at the end of the commercial river rafting run."
"Beautiful in its location, there were site improvements several years ago, which are nice and still hold true in 2023. (level tent pads, delineated sites, etc.)"
"Off of HWY 285 between Poncha Springs and Buena Vista, we took County Road 270W for ~ 1.5 miles to a 4-way intersection and continued .... the road changes to FR 272 and we stayed on for another few miles"
"The hiking is good with several trailheads and easy access to the Colorado Trail."
$28 - $56 / night
"The dirt road arriving to Ohaver lake is certainly one to proceed slowly on."
"This is one of my favorites from this summer trip to Colorado. O’Haver Campground is a high altitude lakeside campground outside of Salida Colorado."
$28 / night
"Here are the positives:
- Great access to the Arkansas River (fishing, put-in/ - take/out access)
- Very well-maintained spaces and clean bathrooms
- Minutes from rafting outfitters (we always go through"
"Ruby Mountain is located a few miles south of Buena Vista Colorado along the Arkansas River. The site can be accessed from the main highway down a dirt and gravel road."
"Kinda busy with good access to Browns creek and the Colorado trail, but otherwise quiet if you can squeeze in. Easy for trailers too."
"Close to hiking at browns which is really pretty hike and lots of options. We found a place on Memorial Day without a reservation which never happens in Colorado. It is near the co trail too!"
$28 / night
"This campsite is a couple miles outside of Salida. Along the river it offers beautiful views and immediate access to the river. The camp host is friendly and the campsite is very well maintained."
"This CPW campground is right off Highway 50 and is easy to pull in and out with a trailer. For how busy the campground sites and roads are, the campground is surprisingly quiet."
"There are several sites right at the entrance but the best a a little further back. There is room for 30- 40 or more. Just depends on how close you want to be to others."
"Poncha Springs is only 10 minutes away in Salida another 10 minutes. There's a Walmart in Salida which has a very good beverage selection."
"Great location with easy drive to Buena Vista & Salida & Mt. Princeton. The only drawback was, well, August dryness & no water nearby."
"I pulled in here around 8 PM on a Tuesday and had intentions to stay for multiple nights."
TravelerNice views. Quiet and peaceful. Not a ton of sights, but well spaced and plenty of room on the Wednesday in July.
TravelerStopped here on a drive through Cottonwood pass for the night. Beautiful meadow, some nice views. Lots of space.
ScoutWe stayed at Lakeview Campground over the 4th of July weekend, and overall it was an easy, convenient spot. Getting there was a breeze, and the campground host, Rick, was fantastic—super helpful with directions back to Twin Lakes where we did some fishing, and he kept the firewood well stocked ($10/bundle, self-serve with payment to his postbox).
Verizon service worked surprisingly well at our site in Loop B, which was a nice bonus for staying connected. While the campground has loops A through at least G, they’re spread out enough to feel separate, though within each loop some campsites are quite close to one another. We stayed at site 2 in Loop B, and the sparse tree cover made it feel more exposed—probably a result of a past forest fire. The thinner tree line also meant sound traveled easily, and unfortunately, nearby campers (multiple Indian families) kept us up well past the 10pm quiet hours—until around 1 a.m.
The campground had a mix of RVs and tents, which makes it flexible for different setups. Sites have those tall USFS fire rings that can sometimes choke off airflow. Sites also each have those BBQ stands that worked well with charcoal briquets. Mosquitoes were pretty active—everyone in our group who’s popular with bugs went home with a few bites, so don’t forget the deep heavy bug spray. The pit bathrooms were just okay—not the worst, but lacking basics like hand sanitizer and some of them smelled. Some of the deeper loops toward G looked like they offered better views of the lake, so if you can reserve ones in loops later in the alphabet, get it. All in all, it’s a decent base camp if you're looking to explore the Twin Lakes area, just bring earplugs and maybe a citronella candle or two.
ScoutFor our first time we were welcomed and helped in a variety of ways by others in the same travel trailer area of the dispersed camping.
ScoutA spot close to town/near by 14ers. You can hear the highway from camp. As mentioned each designated camp is close to the next. Better spot for car camping/vans wouldn't recommend tent camping.
ScoutWe were originally hoping to score a spot near twin lakes over the holiday weekend, but ended up finding this area and were so happy we did. Our site (and many others) had river access down a short hiking path and the area was gorgeous. Definitely a spot we will save to go back again in the future.
TravelerStayed right by the creek which was serene and relaxing to sleep to. We easily found a site that fit two tents. There’s a nice little trailhead and hike nearby from the site. Keep going down the road to find sites, you’ll know you reached the end if you hit the trailhead. There may have been other smaller roads and sites to explore but we found our site early enough to not explore further. Secluded, shaded sites and the road in was very manageable in a standard SUV. Rocky at parts but not the entire way in.
TravelerCame to see if there were multiple sites to camp, but only to find there was one spot. Someone had already taken it so I was left wondering if that’s something that could be communicated.
ScoutStayed at the first site off the dirt road through the parking area to the left of the main dirt road. High clearance needed for sure; but made it up the road in a stock Subaru Forester. Camp ring. Leave no trace; pack it in, pack it out. No amenities. Less than 30 minutes to Crested Butte.
Camping near Poncha Springs, Colorado, offers a mix of stunning views and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Poncha Springs, Colorado, is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors, with plenty of options for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Poncha Springs, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 305 campgrounds and RV parks near Poncha Springs, CO and 106 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Poncha Springs, CO is Salida North BLM with a 4.2-star rating from 22 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 106 free dispersed camping spots near Poncha Springs, CO.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Poncha Springs, CO that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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