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Best Tent Camping near Rangely, CO

230 Reviews

Public lands surrounding Rangely, Colorado offer several tent camping options, with dispersed sites available in the North of Dinosaur CR16 area and established tent campgrounds within driving distance at Rainbow Park in Dinosaur National Monument. The North of Dinosaur CR16 dispersed sites provide free primitive tent camping with multiple spots tucked along grassy double tracks off the main road. These walk-in tent sites require no permits and allow campfires, though they lack amenities like drinking water or toilets.

Most tent campsites in the region feature basic fire rings but minimal facilities. The North of Dinosaur CR16 sites sit on flat, grassy terrain with limited shade among sagebrush. Access roads are generally smooth dirt, passable with standard vehicles in dry conditions, though some areas become impassable when wet. Rainbow Park Campground, located down a 20-mile dirt road, offers four primitive tent campsites with pit toilets but no running water. Campers should bring all necessary supplies, including drinking water, food, and firewood, as services are not available at these remote locations. Cell service is limited or nonexistent at most backcountry tent camping areas.

Tent campers frequently report exceptional solitude at these sites. According to reviews, even during holiday weekends, Rainbow Park Campground often has minimal occupancy, with one camper noting they "had only one neighbor" during Labor Day weekend. The North of Dinosaur CR16 sites offer panoramic views but can be windy, with one visitor describing the location as "quiet and clean" with "beautiful views." Night skies provide excellent stargazing opportunities, particularly at Rainbow Park where the Milky Way is clearly visible. Wildlife sightings are common, with elk herds occasionally spotted near Rainbow Park and deer frequently seen throughout the region. The primitive nature of these tent-only sites appeals to those seeking a true backcountry camping experience away from developed facilities.

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Best Tent Sites Near Rangely, Colorado (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Rangely, CO

4 Photos of 7 Rangely Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Rangely, CO

230 Reviews of 7 Rangely Campgrounds

  • Amanda M.
    Aug. 3, 2018

    Green River Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    Green River Campground - Dino Nat’l Monument

    Green River Campground is located inside Dinosaur National Monument - on the ‘Quarry side’ of the park, in Utah. It is a short drive from the vistitors center and quarry, and is next to the Green River.

    BEWARE: We trusted Siri's directions, and she steered us in the wrong direction - she sent us across the Colorado border and to the ‘Canyon side’ of the park. We saw a sign reading DNM, and passed a visitors center, so we figured we were in the right place - we should have stopped at the visitors center, we may have saved ourselves from getting a little lost. After driving 15 miles or so we came to a stopping point - you needed a 4 wheel drive vehicle to continue down a couple of the roads. There was a sign post with a map, but the Green River Campground was nowhere to be seen. Since we didn’t have 4WD we figured the campground was not accessible through the roads within the park, so we had to backtrack back to highway 40 towards Utah to the Quarry side. Lesson learned - follow the directions on the park's website, NOT SIRI!

    If you have an easy-up or some sort of shade canopy, I highly suggest bringing it with you when you are camping in this part of Utah! As stadard for the area, most of the campsites do not have much in the way of shade. We camped this past July, and it was extremely hot for most of the day and well into the evening. There were a couple sparse trees in our site, but they did not provide any shade. We tried to rig up a shade canopy with an extra tarp, but there wasn't much to tie it to, nor did we have much rope.

    Warning: The area does have black bears, but there were no bear bins in the campground, so you have to lock all of your food and toiletries in the car at night. There are bear-proof dumpsters for trash and recycling though. I was once told by a ranger in Yosemite NP that bears can recognize coolers when peering into car windows - he suggested putting put a towel and gear over your coolers when keeping them in the car overnight in bear territory.

    The bathrooms were clean - no showers are available, though.

    There were not any water spigets around by the sites, but there was a faucet outside the rest rooms for dish washing and water bottles.

    The fire pit had a very nice cooking grate - we always bring a small collapsable grate in case the fire ring doesn’t have one, but no need to use it this time!

    It got very windy during the day, and after coming back from a hike we found our tent blown over, despite having staked it down. Stake your tents down well!

    We only saw one scorpion in our site for the two nights we stayed - one crawled up by the fire ring and hung out with us next to the camp fire. He was small. I would still suggest always zipping up your tent completely every time you open and close it, and to check your shoes if you leave them outside!

    Some sites in Green River are "riverside," but are not directly next to the river - perhaps 30 yards away. We walked down to the river - we did not see any true trails to the river, but we didn't take the time to look around. The river and surrounding moutainous region was beautiful, and the cold water was a great way to cool off after a hike in the heat.

    I was able to get some cell service down in the campground, but it was definitely better up near the visitors center.

    Green River Campground is a great basecamp for those wishing to explore Dinosaur National Monument! Bring lots of water - it is HOT in the summer! We chose to get up early to hike and beat the heat - afterwards we packed up lunch and drove over to Josie Morris cabin. The Josie Morris cabin is an interesting historical site - what one women accomplished out in the middle of nowhere was impressive! Josie planted a lot of trees on her land, so there is a nice shady lawn with picnic benches and a view - it was the perfect lunch spot! The petroglyphs around the park are a must see, as is the quarry exhibit hall!

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $18/night

    Plumbed Toilets: Yes

    Drinking Water: Yes

    Showers: NO

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grates: Yes

    Shade: Limited!

    Cell Service: Limited

    Animals Bins/Food Lockers: NO

    Trash: Yes

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 30, 2018

    Green River Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    Tucked in along the Green River

    We spent one night on July 19th, 2018. 

    This campground is located within Dinosaur National Monument right on the Green River. The sites were open and average but it was all dry camping. This would normally be fine but the temperatures were >100 degrees and it was too hot to really enjoy. The rest rooms were functional but had no showers or towels/dryers. They have wood for sale if you want a campfire. The water was comfortably cool with a small rocked in area for little people to play in the water. 

    It sits at the bottom of the hill right on the river so once the sun drops, the campground is in shade which dropped our temperature by a good 20 degrees. There were nice clean pads for tents, fire rings and wood picnic tables.

    I recommend this park for cooler temperatures.

  • Wyatt J.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2020

    River Camp RV Park

    No fuss, big sites

    Quiet place with the sound of a babbling river running along the edge of the camp. They have a few pull throughs, several large back in and a few smaller back in sites. They also offer a large open field for dry camping. No showers, but, a few porta potties around the camp. Fire rings and picnic tables at each site. The water spigots are housed in small insulated enclosures. The sewer connections are varied distances, extensions are probably needed. Our sewer connection has a small uphill to it, but still slightly below our tank bottoms. Good space between sites, some are quite remote from others. On location camp host was swift. The WiFI was poor even with the camp half empty. I walked around and did some speed tests around the camp, best speed was 500kb. No Verizon service, decent TMobile service.

  • Jeff K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2020

    Split Mountain Group Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    GROUP CAMPSITES

    SEPTEMBER 2020 This campsite is in the first few miles of Dinosaur National Monument along the Green River. It has 4 campsites but each campsite has three turnout parking areas that accommodate about 9-10 cars. The sites are $40 each and can be reserved online. I estimated each group site was about a football field of space. Each site has three fire rings and about 6 picnic tables. Each site is separated into 3 different sites. Most people who reserve online do not realize how much space they have even when they are here. There are public bathrooms with indoor plumbing including a sink, urinal, and toilet. There is clean running water available. No shower. There is a second bathroom under construction (we never heard noise from the construction). The two of us were traveling in one van and found the Green River campground (the other campground in DNM) was packed with people, and the sites too close together. So we bit the bullet and paid $40 for a group site here. It was such a large amount of space we wound up letting other travelers stay the night in the other two spaces in our site. Even with others “in our site” we still had about 10 times more space then if we stayed in the Green River Campground. The next three nights this campground was reserved. We asked another camper if we could stay one of their 3 spaces and they were more than happy to share the abundance of space. The night sky was magical. Lots of kids in this campground. Dogs allowed on leash. Walking distance to trails. Walking distance to a boat ramp where lot of rafters take off. A couple of miles from the DNM Quarry. Don’t miss the trails up to Hog Canyon and Box Canyon, trail head is at Josie Miller Cabin. Easy trails for all ages. Box canyon was incredible.

  • Cortney M.
    Jun. 21, 2017

    Red Fleet State Park Campground

    Paddle Fest 2017

    Red Fleet Holds its annual Paddle Fest every year around this time. Because camping space is very limited our friends and family went and waited in line bright and early to get spots. At Paddle Fest they shut down the lake to all motorized water craft. This allows for kayakers, paddle boards, canoes, and swimmers to be in the water safely. They set up a giant slip n slide on the boat dock and bring in vendors where you'd normally park after launching boats. They also set up a concert stage and have fireworks at night. Red fleet has 2 bathroom facilities. Tent and RV camp sites with no hookups. They have a fish cleaning station for your daily catches. There is a large area with grass, covered picnic tables, fire pits, and bbq's. Each RV site comes with a tent site on that grass. RV sites are very close together so if someones running a generator you will be hearing it. Fishing is off and on as they killed out the lake a couple years ago and replanted smaller fish into it.

  • TF The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 7, 2025

    SR 98, Rangely CO

    Decent spot

    Good for a night - wouldn't stay here long as there isn't much in the area (for me). There are 2-3 pullouts before this spot. All were empty on a Friday night. You get some highway noise but it's minimal. Nobody was traveling on the CR while I was here. Road is prius-friendly and there should be room for most rigs, though I just car-camped. Fire ring built on this site also but fire ban in effect while I was there.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2024

    Deerlodge Park Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    One of the most beautiful places

    This camp ground is one of the best spots that I ever spent a night at. The scenery is breathtaking, it is very remote and absolutely silent. There is literally no noise whatsoever.

    Downside of course is, it is not serviced. So no electricity or water if you are traveling with a motor home. Plus, the camp site is basically only walk-in and mostly designated for tents. With a RV, you will park at some sort of parking lot, close to the actual sites but not really there. That lot is also not big, so if there are a couple more people, it might be hard to find a decent spot for a vehicle. Also you wont have a table right at your spot, since only the tent sites have adjacent tables. However, if nobody is there, you might be able to park right at the river front, which is stunning!

    Other than that, and if you are lucky like me - I have been totally alone, it is very, very beatiful. Particularly in October when the trees are all colored in yellow.

  • Nicole H.
    Aug. 12, 2018

    Red Fleet State Park Campground

    I love this place!!!

    I have been camping here for about 30 years and I'm only 30 years old. My family and our camp friends have been going here, year after year, for the great camp sites, fun hiking and most of all, the sublime waterskiing. To keep it fairly brief, the camp sites are mainly situated around a large, open, slightly uneven grass area which is great for tent camping and day activities (volleyball, frisbee, catch, BBQing.) Not much shade from the smaller trees but there are shaded picnic tables for each site. Around that are the RV sites with full hookups. The surrounding tent sites are in a more desert like, sandy area where I haven't spent much camp time. The bathrooms are usually clean and in good working order with running water, but nothing fancy (no showers.) The lake has a plethora of awesome acitivites including boating, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, cliff jumping, fishing and does provide some rentals. We usually try to go during the week as it does get quite busy/crowded on weekends.

  • Greg L.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 27, 2021

    BLM Pelican Lake

    New improved BLM CG

    Looks like the BLM has recently updated and improved this location. Several vault toilets, campsites have tables, fire rings, tent pads and most important.. overhead awnings for shade as main camp sites are in open area with no shade trees. Note there are no trash cans or dumpsters and there is no drinking water either. Two group camping sites and one group day use area. Nice boat ramp and lake is large enough to have fun on. Not sure if lake is drawn down as irrigation season goes to late summer. Camp sites are $10/$5 senior pass. Group sites are $35. No reservations, sites are all first come and 14d limit.

Guide to Rangely

Tent camping near Rangely, Colorado offers remote backcountry experiences on BLM land and within Dinosaur National Monument. The area sits at approximately 5,300 feet elevation with a semi-arid climate characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and minimal rainfall. Weather patterns can change rapidly in this high desert region, with temperature swings of 30-40 degrees between day and night common during spring and fall camping seasons.

What to do

Explore petroglyphs: A short drive from Rainbow Park Campground brings visitors to remarkable ancient rock art. "There are amazing petroglyphs a short drive down the road" notes camper Gina J., who recommends making time for this cultural experience.

River activities: While personal watercraft require permits, the Green River offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities from shore. "You can park your car abut to the site, increasing ease of access to things stored in there, and walk down to the rocky beach for some toe-dipping," explains Lis G., though she cautions, "you are not allowed to launch boats from there (even kayaks) without a permit, as the water gets fast quickly past the beach."

Stargazing: The remote locations provide exceptional dark sky viewing with minimal light pollution. Grant M. describes the experience at Rainbow Park: "Absolutely pitch black out. There was no one here and no one for miles. Great view of the Milky Way. Totally silent."

What campers like

Exceptional solitude: North of Dinosaur CR16 dispersed sites offer remarkable isolation even during peak seasons. "Just randomly driving thru Colorado and run into Dinasaur and a peaceful off grid place to camp. No one around. No one else on the planet," reports Jay U., highlighting the appeal of true backcountry camping.

Multiple site options: The dispersed camping areas often have more sites than initially apparent. Katherine C. explains, "This location as more camping spots available down CR16 past the GPS waypoint. The site at the waypoint has 2-3 more sites tucked back down the grassy double track you can see from the initial pull-off."

Convenient staging location: Despite remoteness, campsites provide strategic positioning for monument exploration. "I drove further down the road slightly over the utah border and it was silent and serene with beautiful views. All the spots available on this road were gorgeous," notes Cas M. about the cross-border camping options.

What you should know

Access considerations: Many campsites require driving significant distances on unmaintained roads. Faye N. advises about North of Dinosaur CR16, "No shade, rocky, need a 4WD for some of the uphills. 10 miles to the sites on a dirt road if you come from the northwest."

Weather preparedness: The area experiences significant temperature fluctuations and wind. "Great views from any site, if windy," notes Katherine C., while John N. describes conditions as "Top of a hill, sagebrush, no shade," indicating the exposure to elements.

Resource planning: All supplies must be brought in, including firewood which is scarce. "There is little firewood around these sites, bring your own from in town," recommends Lis G., adding "Closest grocery store is the Walmart in Vernal, UT."

Tips for camping with families

Bug protection: Insect activity can be intense near water sources during certain seasons. "Bring bug spray! The mosquitoes are vicious here," warns Lis G. from her experience at Rainbow Park.

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Rainbow Park Campground offers potential animal sightings for children. "If you're lucky, you will come across the herd of elk roaming the grounds," shares Gina J., noting this unexpected highlight for family camping.

Site spacing awareness: At established campgrounds, proximity to other campers can affect the experience. Jeff K. cautions, "Rainbow Park Campground is 4 sites that are very close together offering almost NO privacy," information particularly relevant for families with active children.

Tips from RVers

Road condition monitoring: Weather dramatically impacts accessibility for larger vehicles. "Road is easily accessible by sedans, SUV's etc…just not in the rain (the road will easily wash out)," notes Lis G., a critical consideration for RV travel planning.

Limited turnaround space: The remote road endings provide few opportunities for large vehicle maneuvering. "Crept in driving a Honda about 15 mph on the 20+ mile dirt road. Just when I thought I couldn't go any further, that I was hopelessly lost, I saw the sign pointing to the campground," recounts Grant M., illustrating the challenging navigation.

Communication preparation: Emergency planning is essential due to isolation. "Make sure your gas tank is full as there is no cell reception at the campsite," advises Gina J., while John N. reports "Peaceful low-mid T-Mobile" service at North of Dinosaur CR16, providing useful connectivity information for different areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rangely, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rangely, CO is North of Dinosaur CR16 - Dispersed Site with a 4.4-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Rangely, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Rangely, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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