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Sedalia, Colorado offers several tent camping options along the South Platte River corridor, with established campgrounds like Osprey and Platte River Campground providing direct river access. These tent sites are popular with anglers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking access to trails and water recreation. Both campgrounds offer basic amenities for tent campers, though limited services mean preparation is essential.
Most tent sites in the area provide fire rings and picnic tables, but potable water is generally unavailable. Campers should pack in all necessary supplies, including drinking water. The port-a-potties at Osprey and vault toilets at Platte River Campground represent the extent of facilities at most locations. Sites typically feature dirt or gravel pads with minimal grading. According to one visitor, "These campgrounds have an amazing river right at your fingertips. The stars here are incredible, however if the breeze is up it's quite chilling."
For backcountry tent camping experiences, Idylease Campground in Reynolds Park requires a half-mile hike to reach designated tent pads. Bear boxes are provided between campsites, and an outhouse is centrally located. Most tent sites throughout the region fill quickly on summer weekends, with mid-week camping offering better solitude. The tent campsites closest to Denver tend to be more crowded, while areas farther from town provide deeper seclusion. A camper noted that "sites 4 and 5 were our favorites" at Idylease, which requires advance reservations through Jefferson County Open Space. For primitive tent camping options, Matukat Road offers free dispersed tent sites with no amenities beyond fire rings, providing a true backcountry experience for self-sufficient campers prepared to practice Leave No Trace principles.
"Cell service- none (t-mobile) Firewood- none Camp host- none Water - non Toilets- port a potty Fire ring- yes No leveled tent sites- generally flat land."
"Trash and Port a potties are provided. Site is right next to the Platte River. Picnic Table and Fire Ring is provided per site. Very relaxing, great views , and respectful neighbors."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
"Had a nice little hike around the area. My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"Make reservations in person at Jeffco Open Space in Golden - those ladies are the best! Easy drive and a half-mile hike with moderate increase in elevation from parking to tent pads, numbered 1-5."
from $12 / night
Check Availability"Nice big sites, open space without a lot of trees, beautiful views, clean restrooms, showers (pay for) water fill stations, dump station, several restrooms."
"Super close to Denver and offered through the City of Lakewood. The sites are for tent/RV and have electric hookups. Beautiful area."
from $34 - $40 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $12 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $40 - $87 / night
Check Availability"great campsite near the river with lots of space and trees"
"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."
"If you’re looking for a quick easy weekend camping trip with well maintained trails, you should check this park out. Campsites are a quick walk from the parking lot and vault toilets."
"I brought stoves no bigger than a jetboil/MSR dragonfly. Headlamps are a must. Also, we went in June and July. Check the weather."
from $28 / night
Check Availability
RangerBathrooms were very nice and clean. Lots of sites with minimal privacy. Pretty packed and noisy in October. Our site had electrical hookups and its own water. Picnic tables and fire rings available as well. Looks like a very family friendly campground. Stayed one night.
ScoutLake Wellington is a beautiful family and dog friendly campground just about 90 minutes from Denver. There are 75 sites, and even when it's pretty full they are decently spaced out that you don't feel too on top of other guests. We brought our dogs and a group of friends and had a great few nights, even seeing Bald Eagles mating!
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.
TravelerIf you are going to camp at a lakefront spot definitely have something you can sit in else you will be attacked by flies. Super quiet during the week - got busy over the weekend.
GuideI was pulling a camper and couldn't make it to the higher up spots. the spots near the entrance are littered with gross trash. I cleaned my area but there's too much . Hiking around has beautiful views.
GuideTakes you to a private road. After walking around probably someone parking towards the back pinned the location Follow the coordinates on the other Gordon Gulch and its easy to find
ScoutRough road but doable in a minivan. About 12 minutes from Nederland, which had a lot of good restaurants, bars, and a fair size grocery store. Saw a moose and mountain lion.
GuideOur Campsite was nice, very clean and well kept. It did seems like the sites were a bit to close together and every spot filled. Pads were level, area around the picnic table spacious. Pit toilets were clean. The dump station was very nice and easy to use. We were driving down through Colorado to view the Fall Aspen leaves. I wish we would have stayed longer at this campsite. We stayed at the Conifer Ridge loop site 46 ...
ScoutWe absolutely love Badger Flats, and even though it’s no longer free ($15/night), it’s still our go-to campground. If you don’t mind the occasional dirt bike/ATV and no services, and love a beautiful area with camp spots spread out - then go to BF.
Tent camping options near Sedalia, Colorado range from primitive dispersed sites to established campgrounds within Pike National Forest. Located between Denver and Colorado Springs at approximately 5,800 feet elevation, this area experiences significant temperature drops at night, often 20 degrees cooler than Denver even during summer months. Many camping areas provide access to the South Platte River for fishing, while backcountry sites offer varied terrain from rocky outcroppings to aspen groves.
Fly fishing access points: Platte River Campground positions anglers directly on premium trout waters with minimal hiking required. "Great access to world class fly fishing so you can get started early in the morning," notes one visitor who advises this campground works well if "you're looking to fly fish and don't care where you sleep."
Rock climbing and hiking: Matukat Road Dispersed Camping offers natural rock formations perfect for amateur climbing. "Camped right underneath a few rocks and kid absolutely loved to climb rocks even with thin air in high altitude," reports one camper. The area features multiple rock outcroppings with established paths leading to summits offering territorial views.
Wildlife observation: Multiple sites provide viewing opportunities for local wildlife. According to visitors, "Livestock do graze in the area, we saw a herd of cows that initially we thought were bears" at Matukat Road. Deer sightings are common throughout the region, particularly at dawn and dusk, while some campers report hearing coyotes during early morning hours.
River proximity: Osprey Campground provides immediate access to the South Platte. "Right on the South Platte River where you can walk straight out your tent and into the streams," writes one camper. Another mentions "the river is only a couple hundred feet away and was peaceful to hear in the night when it was quiet."
Midweek solitude: Camping outside peak times transforms the experience. "This spot was perfect for us because we were the only ones here mid-week. A few people stopped to use the bathrooms while traveling and a few fisherman stopped," notes a visitor to Osprey Campground. Traffic patterns show Thursday arrivals beginning by mid-afternoon.
Cell service considerations: Reception varies significantly throughout the area. A camper at Matukat reports "intermittent AT&T service" while at Osprey, visitors warn "there is zero cell reception." For those needing connectivity, higher elevation sites typically provide better signal strength than river valley locations.
Weather unpredictability: Mountain conditions change rapidly regardless of Denver forecasts. One Osprey camper advises: "Denver's weather will not tell you what the weather here will be and most forecasts are inaccurate. It will be at least 20 degrees colder at night than Denver most likely so keep that in mind."
Road access challenges: Some campsites require navigating unpaved mountain roads. "The roads coming in can be scary if you aren't used to driving on mountain roads. They're narrow, with mostly no guard rails, sharp corners and dirt roads. Take it slow," reports an Osprey visitor. Most sites remain accessible with standard vehicles during summer months.
Limited supplies: Dutch Fred Trailhead #679 and surrounding areas offer minimal services. The nearest supplies are in Deckers, which has "a little restaurant, ice cream shop, convenience store that is very limited but does have firewood and ice along with a few camping supplies and fix a flat." For full services, Sedalia requires 35-45 minutes driving time from most campgrounds.
Short hike-in options: Idylease Campground provides a manageable backpacking experience for families. "Make reservations in person at Jeffco Open Space in Golden - those ladies are the best! Easy drive and a half-mile hike with moderate increase in elevation from parking to tent pads, numbered 1-5," explains one regular visitor.
Pack for temperature swings: Prepare for significant nighttime cooling even during summer months. Layers and proper sleeping gear become essential at higher elevations where summer nights can drop below 40°F.
Site selection strategy: For families needing more space, specific sites provide better accommodations. At Idylease, one camper recommends "Sites 4 and 5 were our faves" with site 5 particularly noted as "one of the most accommodating and fairly private sites for families both in room and fun."
Limited hookup options: Staunton State Park Campground provides some of the few sites with electric hookups in the area, though water hookups remain limited. Most campsites cater primarily to tent camping with small footprints unsuitable for larger recreational vehicles.
Parking constraints: Most campgrounds implement strict parking policies separating vehicles from tent sites. At Osprey, a camper notes "the parking is barred off from being able to pull an rv or van into the actual spot." However, some flexibility exists as "you can car/van/roof top tent camp in the parking lot, for the same nightly fee as listed on the notice board. However, no trailers."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sedalia, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sedalia, CO is Osprey with a 3.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Sedalia, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 61 tent camping locations near Sedalia, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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