Best RV Parks & Resorts near Rocky Mountain National Park

I have a 22’ travel trailer I pull behind an F150. Since this campground is inside Rocky Mountain National Park, the roads are all paved.

The campground sites are situated around one-way driving loops, which are quite narrow. Best to pay attention to which side of the loop your site is on so your trailer door doesn’t open up onto the road. I think they error on the side of caution when it comes to the size of trailer fitting into each spot. At least for mine. They said max 26’ (trailer + tow vehicle), but I’m closer to 32’ and I fit fine. That may not be true of all campsites though. There is parking very close by if your tow vehicle can’t squeeze into the site.

My site didn’t have a whole lot of trees, but they planted a bunch of small ones to try and fix this years from now. Sites were level and had lots of space. Each had a fire pit and picnic table.

There were no hookups and no cell service (Verizon). They did have trash drop offs, water for cleaning pans and dishes, and bathrooms. It was very quiet at night. Generators are allowed but only for a couple times a day during short windows.

Glacier Basin campground is just a few miles from the Bear Lake trailhead. It was very nice to stay inside the park. Vehicle passes to get into National Parks were still required when I stayed and the lines to get in were very long and slow.

I wanted to stop into this area after exploring a few campgrounds designed more so for tent campers in the area. I noticed some of these spaces were not ideal for those wanting to bring their RV and have amenities and that really was something that I know many of the people I know really look for when finding their locations for travel. Loveland is a little further away from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park but it offers many great things to those wanting to explore the area and still be within comfortable distance of the park itself. The RV Resort is designed for both larger and smaller rigs and offers a variety of comfortable amenities for campers of this style. 

There are 4 basic styles of offerings at this location including full hook up, oversized full hook up, premium and premium back up sites. These prices range from$56 to$65 for base single night stay. They do offer both weekly and monthly rates as well for those really wanting to enjoy the area. 

Something which I have found very common amongst these style of locations is that while they do offer base charges which do not include tax there are many times additional fees depending on certain amenities. This campground was no different with additional charges for parties of over 4 people, extra vehicles or pets. Additionally they do have a sizable$20 dump fee, I found this to be quite high, especially considering there is a free dump station only a few miles up the way at another facility which allows campers or passers by alike to use their dump station. 

Something nice is they do offer a Good Sam discount if you belong to the affiliated program which is a few dollars off the price of nightly stay. 

Additionally amenities include a pool and mini golf which were quite nice and a clubhouse with several really cool things inside. They have a playground for the kiddos and a dog park for the furry family.

 Overall the park itself seemed to have wide roadways for navigating and though for my personal taste the sites are located pretty close together they were pretty typically placed for an RV style park. Unlike several parks I have encountered in the area and others, this place did not have the long term stay option readily flagrant and while they might offer it you do not see people who look like they have moved in and allowed their area to become homely and run down. Quite the opposite, the grounds were very clean and inviting, everyone was very friendly and nothing looked like a“there goes the neighborhood” moment.

When visiting Estes Park if you are wanting to be close to all the action the KOA of Estes Park is the place to be.    Offering a midsized tent section, a large close together RV section and several cabins to provide the perfect retreat for those visiting the location is within walking distance of the lake and within a short drive of some of the best attractions of the area including the Stanley Hotel, hiking at Lily Lake or Long’s Peak and the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.   

I found this campground to be well organized, although it was less remote and did not feel like as much of a mountain retreat as many of the outlying camps of the area.     The tent area seemed a bit less bustling than the RV section as there was a bit of green space versus the sandy and clay landscape of the RV and cabin area.   

Something that really drew me into this campground was the deck spaces which offered elevated viewing of the surrounding.   It was a really interesting component which allows you to see a much larger range than the camp itself and created a unique setting for enjoying the mountain breeze on a hot day or gave a nice view of the stars at night.

This location epitomizes the idea of KOA campgrounds offering elevated services such as WIFI, Cable TV connections and a dog park.     In addition there is a store which offers a variety of items including propane and firewood.

Since I am a tent camper I really wanted to explore more of the tent area than other areas of the park.  I noticed they had both water and electric sites and electric only sites.    Each of these accommodate up to 6 people, although I would say that would make me feel a bit to crowded.     The tent camps also allow small vans or pop ups in this area.   

But here is the BIG KICKER…. The Price!!

Staying in Estes Park and being so close to everything comes at a HUGE price point.   To have all the amazing amenities you will pay $53 or $58 for a tent site.    To me this is WAY above budget and while it is a prime location the price point is not within reason for me personally.    You can stay inside Rocky Mountain National Park at a price point that is half that of this park.   You are paying here to be in the community for sure and have the access to the local shops and restaurants.   

One special feature that comes along with staying in the area but is not included in the price is one of the best features, the wildlife!    It is known that the most likely reason for a traffic jam in Estes Park comes from the elk and Moose in the area randomly hanging out in public spaces.    It is not uncommon for them to roam into camp and make their presence known grazing around on any green space they can find.   A stay here is a chance with an encounter of something which cannot be purchased in a price point.