Best Tent Camping near Rio Grande National Forest

Park Creek Campground Rio Grande National Forest

Elevation: 8500

Directions: In South Fork, Colorado, at intersection of State 149 and US 160, take Road 160 west 7.8 miles to Park Creek campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground.

This small campground, stretches along the banks of the South Fork of the Rio Grande River among mature shade trees. Many sites are adjacent to the river. US Highway 160 is very close by so will have some traffic noise. The campground has the feel of spacious seclusion and is very cool and shady. Accessible, Tent camping, Camping trailer, Picnic tables, Toilets , Drinking water.

I’m tent camping from my car, but after seeing the tent sites that are on top of each other and zero views i asked to move to the rv overflow lot. It’s more spread out, same amenities as the rustic tent and 180 mountain sunrise views. I’m also working full time while here and the internet has been pretty dependable so far. There is a laundry and shower both for additional fee, as well as a pool for additional charge. Indoor restrooms as well. There is an area to refill on drinking water and an are to wash dishes. A bit of road noise during the day as the overflow lot has an unobstructed view of the mountains, it’s also right off the main road / highway. It was peaceful and quiet at night though so that’s all that mattered to me.

My friend and I stayed at the South Fork Campground for a fly fishing trip.  

The campground seems to be primarily a RV campground with 50 sites, but they do allow tent camping with 6 sites. There is an office at the entrance and the staff were friendly. Next to the office is a community room and laundry room.

The RV sites have water and electric hookup. The tent sites do not - at least ours did not. There are restrooms with sinks, toilets and showers nearby the campsites.

The campground itself sits on the Rio Grande River which is a world class fly fishing river. When we were visiting the river was flowing fast and deep, so it was not a very productive time. We choose to fish in the mountain lakes and streams instead.

Overall the South Fork Campground is a nice place to stay for a few days or longer. The campsites were a little close in proximity for me, but I'm one that is accustomed to backcountry camping where there are few people around. The campground is a short drive to the town of South Fork where there are grocery stores, gas stations and outdoor gear and fly fishing stores.

Lovely small campground with lots of shady, generous campsites, some by the Little Squaw Creek and upper Rio Grande River, and others up next to rock bluffs. The site and facilities were very clean and the camp hosts extremely nice and well versed on this area of Rio Grande National Forest! No electric or sewer hookups, with community well water pumps, and restrooms. Fishing was really good, artificial lures only! Wildlife included elk, moose, bear, deer, chipmunks, rabbits, magpies, ravens, hummingbirds, swallows, and Spring flora were everywhere! Road to camps are rock/dirt, and not very RV friendly (lots of washboards and fallen rock), and if you're not good with heights, some of the road narrows with drop off sides and no railing/barriers. We were there in late May and the nights got down into the 20s, with some heavy wet snow that melted off the next day. Took a drive up past Lost Creek Campground to one of the high meadows and it was breathtaking! Did I mention the elevation of over 10,000 feet? There is a large forested area that has burned, but aspens and other new growth are coming back. Overall, this has been one of our favorite campgrounds. Some sites are reservable and the rest are FCFS. America the Beautiful and Golden Age Passes are accepted.

Our family of 4 tent camped at this site. We were able to walk to the edge of the cliff and had a clear view of Lake San Cristobal. We had a creek running beside our campsite.

This was a wonderful spot! We tent camped with our family of 4 for 4 nights. Camp hosts were awesome too! We haven’t ever done a site with no shower so that’s the only reason it didn’t get a 5 star. But! The river made for great bathing :-D

Nearby to tons of hiking spots and great outdoors experiences.

Most sites are Park and walk into fire pit and table area. A few scattered back-in sites. No pull through. Nice wooden picnic tables, men and women’s bathrooms. Level tent sites, water pump on site but nothing available in October. No cell service. Loads of down wood for collection. Close to river access

Arrived at Last Resort and immediately fell in love with this campsite. Site was well maintained and level. You didn’t feel like you were on top of one another at the tent sites. Staff was friendly and occasionally checked up on you, to make sure your stay was pleasant. Will be returning for a longer visit for sure.

Stunning spot, lots of tent sites, room for maybe 12 campers of modest length, mine is 26' spot #9 is prime for a camper with a driver side slide/kitchen table. unknown if it's seasonal but the biting flies, primarily deer flies are beyond bearable, I survived 4 days, most other campers left after one night. The camp host is very friendly, and knows the best fishing holes.

We enjoy tenting in relatively primitive national forests and usually avoid private campgrounds. But our friends recommended Last Resort on the River, and we were pleasantly surprised. The tent sites are separated from the RV sites in a forested area along the river. We shared a campsite on the river that had lots of trees and plenty of room for two tents and a canopy. Several other tent sites are carved out of the brush along the river. This makes a very nice setting with lots of privacy. The sound of the river is soothing and there was very little sound from the road. 

It was a short walk to the amenities of the campground. There is a picnic shelter where we sat out a rainstorm, a very nice bathhouse for showering and washing dishes, as well as a comfortable indoor sitting area and another outdoor area with chairs and a fire pit. Ice and firewood are available at the office. Rich delivered them to our site. There are also some ice cream treats there and a few snacks. There is a fishing pond and a volleyball court. The rabbit hutch would have entertained the kids, if we had any with us. 

There is no cell service, but the wifi was excellent and reached our campsite on the river. My wife was able to participate in a Zoom meeting from the picnic shelter where there was a convenient electrical outlet for her computer. 

Rich is continually upgrading the property. He was very responsive and always willing to help. We highly recommend this campground.

The Hot springs consist of a large outdoor pool and a couple of smaller pools. It’s $15 to soak or half price if you camp there. The Greenhouse pool is 21+ for an additional $3. The Greenhouse is lush with plants and not as crowded as the main pool. We were in overflow camping and were treated to some amazing sunsets on the Sand Dunes. There are berms around the regular tent camping that limit your views. All the water on site comes out hot which was great for our chilly visit yet may not be as nice in the hotter months.

We booked this cabin for the cheap price and didn’t even know about the on-site hot spring until we got there. It’s a bit quirky but we loved it and I am waiting for the right moment to go back. It is close to the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve and is a great option if you are open to something that is a little less “wilderness” and more of a unique glamping experience.

I use glamping lightly here.

There are also options for tent camping and RV camping on-site.

Apparently there is also a nearby spot to look for UFOs!

Highway 149 > Miner's Creek Rd > Left on 508 > Left on Shallow Creek Road to end

I got my 25ft Travel Trailer there with no issue.  Road is a little tight when it turns at Sawmill Gulch and has a decent incline, but definitely doable.  Significantly larger rigs should scout it first.

Nice clearing alongside what I'm assuming is "Shallow Creek".  Campfire ring already there next to a large evergreen.  Road continues about 100 yards past site to trailhead where there is additional parking and places for tent camping.  People do use that trailhead, so expect traffic driving by.

It's tucked away in a little valley, so decent protection from wind.  If I recall, cell is limited, but great for Starlink.  Also, while it feels remote, it's only about 10 min from Creede.

We only stayed one night but would definitely come back. We had a nice large tent site right by the river. No trees on this site but the view and the river made up for that. Scenery was great and we had a number of great conversations with some of the other campers. Camp hosts were very friendly and the facilities were pretty nice. There were porta-potty’s half way to the wash house but they were clean and didn’t smell too bad and they saved us from having to walk another few minutes. We had some noisy neighbors but they quieted down once we asked. We paid $27 for the one night.

The Last Resort is a lovely RV Park and campground on the Blanco River off Highway 84 between Chama, New Mexico and Pagosa Springs, Colorado. There are full RV hook ups in the loop and partial hook up by the river. The Bunk House is a small cabin with a queen bed and electricity. Many great tent camping sites. There is a nice Bathhouse with a full kitchen, bathrooms with showers and a coin operated washer/dryer. They are open year round, free wifi and pets welcome. There is a small store with ice, sodas, snacks, fishing tackle, RV supplies, and toiletries.

This is our 3rd summer at the Last Resort. It's a very laid back place with 2 playgrounds and plenty of activities for kids - horse shoes, volleyball, tether ball, etc. They have a nice 4th of July celebration, potluck dinners and camp fires. There are often horses (and a goat) on the property and plenty of space to take a nice walk. This year, we saw a lot of Canada geese and there are also chickens and ducks. We really love watching the many hummingbirds and hanging out by the river. Lots of campers like to fish or float down the river on inner tubes.

Well maintained, beautiful and friendly hosts make for a wonderful place to stay.