1 campground with availability next weekend
Tent campsites near Pueblo, Colorado range from primitive dispersed sites to campgrounds with picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites offers free tent camping along a scenic creek with multiple pull-off areas for tents, while Red Canyon Park provides tent sites amid distinctive red rock formations about 15 miles west of Canon City. Davenport Campground in the San Carlos Ranger District features walk-in tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings in a forested setting.
Most tent camping areas require self-sufficiency, as amenities are limited. Phantom Canyon sites typically have user-built fire rings but no potable water, with only two vault toilets along several miles of road. Red Canyon Park provides vault toilets, some covered picnic tables, and established fire rings at select sites, though the access road can become rutted or muddy after rain. Walk-in tent sites at Davenport Campground require carrying gear approximately 50 yards from the parking area to reach the campsites. Many areas implement seasonal fire restrictions during dry periods, and bears are active in several locations, requiring proper food storage.
Tent campers seeking seclusion will find numerous options along Phantom Canyon Road, where sites are tucked into small canyons providing privacy from neighboring campers. Sites at Red Canyon Park offer proximity to unique rock formations and seasonal creek access, with relatively flat terrain for tent setup. Higher elevation tent campgrounds provide cooler temperatures during summer months when lower areas become hot and exposed. According to one visitor, "Red Canyon Park has terrific views, whether you want something a bit more open or further into the canyon where it's surrounded by gorgeous red rocks." Some tent sites become extremely dark at night, offering exceptional stargazing opportunities, while others along highways may experience some road noise despite their natural settings.
"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."
"We found GMP in Colorado City and was told they never turn away a tenter. There are a number of spots aligned below a bluff, and a large open field for additional tents."
"Well spaced and shaded sites. Bath house is far from most of the primitive sites. The showers are clean and the water is hot."
"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
"I’m a rooftop tent camper and the views are amazing but was hoping to be close to the water and isolated from other campers."
"It is in a canyon so you won't have any cell phone signal, though I had my Starlink set up and it worked flawlessly. We will go back, and I hope to get that spot before any other!"
"Good tent sites. Have to carry gear to camp site but only shoeRt hike to campsite. Maybe 50 yards. Has a couple of sires with shelter. Picnic tables are big and heavy."
"Has a fire pit with grill, picnic table, and sites 2, 5, and 9 have the log covering. The sites are pretty close together, but we had no problem with our neighbors."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 / 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."
"Every summer I go on a road trip , camping ,backpacking and visiting national parks , while driving through Colorado we drove through phantom canyon road and we stopped about 20 times through our drive"
"Wonderful tent pads and facilities with space to wash dishes and store goods from wildlife."
from $144 / 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"
"My husband was a little concerned when we left the highway for a dirt county road, but his concerns quickly changed as we enjoyed the beauty and wonder of the Colorado mountains!"
"Lots of open meadows with some tree/big bushes for shade. Clean showers!"
from $30 - $33 / night
TravelerStayed 1 night. Very small spot. Its essentially just a river pull off. Small loop sandwiched between two different private properties. RVs / large rigs probably will struggle with the access road, check it on google maps. Excellent cell service. Low-key kind of a sketchy site.... but made do for a night with no issues. You will hear the river / coyotes at night.
TravelerLots of options for spaces and the road was fairly easy to get in! Just a little bumpy but fine if you take it slow
TravelerI came into the campground after dark, and their website was down. So I just picked a spot that I didn’t see anyone I could pay. A nice easy gravel road end, lots of types of sites to pick from. Nice Mountain View.
TravelerPrimitive but very clean with lots of trails and great views of the canyon. Only 5 mins from the Royal Gorge Bridge.
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.
TravelerBasic amenities, but clean and easy to find. The campsite is very close to the highway, so if you're looking for something more off the beaten path, keep looking. However, if you just need a place to sleep with great views, this is a solid spot. We saw bighorn sheep and even heard what sounded like a bobcat possibly mountain lion at night.
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.
ScoutFound a great spot a bit further in surrounded by Juniper trees and a bit of grassy patches and rock fire pit. Love the open space and secluded spots! Definitely not ideal for the cacti. Our pup ended up sniffing one and got the needles in her muzzle. 😬 Weather is pretty nice with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s
Tent camping near Pueblo, Colorado offers diverse camping opportunities in arid foothill environments where summer temperatures can reach 95°F during day and drop to 55°F at night. The area sits at elevations ranging from 4,700 to 7,500 feet, creating microclimates that affect camping conditions throughout the seasons. Most campgrounds are within 30-60 minutes of Pueblo.
Explore creek swimming spots: At Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites, campers can find secluded spots along Eight Mile Creek. "We camped next to Eight Mile Creek and the tunnel. The flies and mosquitos were bad but our bug screens did their job until dark then we had to close up the van," notes Gregg & Sally W.
Historical driving tours: The Gold Belt Tour byway offers scenic routes through historic mining areas. "Stopped in Cañon City then drove out to phantom canyon gold belt tour. The farther you go the better the sites," reports one Phantom Canyon visitor.
Rock climbing access: Sites at Phantom Canyon provide direct access to climbing areas. "Sweet spots along the creek side. Dispersed area that is very spread out so you are not near others. Also has access to climbing walls right by sites," says Josh M.
Target shooting: The Rampart Range area allows target shooting in designated areas. "Other than the ohv noise, there is also a lot of target shooting in the area so you will hear gunfire," advises Chris P., noting this activity is common but requires appropriate safety measures.
Dark skies for stargazing: Many sites lack light pollution, making them ideal for night sky viewing. "It was an amazing experience being in the canyon. Starlink worked great as there is no Verizon cellular for miles," shares a Phantom Canyon Road camper.
Winter camping options: Unlike descriptions focused on summer camping, some areas remain accessible year-round. "We came mid February and arrived to a bit of snow. We saw one more camper drive by the entire weekend," reports Taylor B. about Red Canyon Park.
Forest coverage for summer heat: Tree cover provides essential shade during hot months. "Highly worth the hard work as you're secluded from the road and have a lot of tree coverage for hot days," writes Madi G. about a site they found down a slope at Phantom Canyon Road.
Unique rock formations: The geology offers distinctive camping backdrops. "Some great spots close to red bluffs and seasonal river. Went in the autumn and hike along the river bed and climb the falls," shares DeAnn M. about camping at Red Canyon Park.
Fire restrictions vary seasonally: Fire bans are common during dry periods. "There's no good logs around for firewood but good twigs for kindle," notes Evan W. about Phantom Canyon Road sites, indicating the need to plan ahead for cooking and warmth.
Access road conditions: Many roads become challenging after precipitation. "It took us three attempts to get our overweight 2-wheel drive van up the hill and back onto the road. There are a lot of loose rocks," warns a Phantom Canyon visitor.
Cell service limitations: Communication options are restricted in many camping areas. "There is no signal so get your communication out of the way before entering. I found no running water, had to melt snow," explains Sebastian at Phantom Canyon Road.
Insect preparation required: Biting flies and mosquitoes are prevalent near water sources. "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," advises Madi G.
Child-friendly sites: Look for areas with natural boundaries to prevent wandering. "Also great to utilize this if you have young children who like to wander. We didn't have to worry about them being near the roads," recommends a parent about a secluded site at Phantom Canyon Road.
Educational opportunities: Davenport Campground offers accessible nature trails perfect for children. "Trail right off campgrounds is an easy, beautiful hike," notes Becki S., making it ideal for families wanting short, manageable explorations.
Group campsite options: For larger family gatherings, dedicated group areas provide ample space. "Wonderful tent pads and facilities with space to wash dishes and store goods from wildlife," reports 'Chelle S. about Turkey Roost Group Camp at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Many campsites offer chances to observe local animals safely. "Woke up to an 8-point deer munching in the bushes," shares Kathrina M. about her experience at Greenhorn Meadows Park, noting morning is often the best time for wildlife sightings.
Site leveling challenges: Many dispersed sites require leveling equipment. "Needed leveling blocks but saw several occupied sites more level," advises Sue B. about Rampart Range Area dispersed camping.
Limited turn-around space: Forest service roads often have restricted maneuvering areas. "The dirt road took us up through the mountains with plenty of options to pull off and set up camp," says Chelsea F., but adds that some areas become too narrow for larger vehicles.
Dump station availability: Plan ahead for waste disposal needs. "Not sure if the dump is included as the sign says $10 if your staying here or $15 if your a guest," explains a camper at Greenhorn Meadows Park, highlighting the importance of confirming facilities and associated costs.
Off-grid power considerations: Most tent camping sites near Pueblo lack hookups. "Off grid camping at its best," states Jason A. about Rampart Reservoir area, reminding RVers to prepare alternative power sources for extended stays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pueblo, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pueblo, CO is Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Pueblo, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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