Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Sterling, CO

It’s a wildlife refuge so it’s a little different to stay than say North Sterling Reservoir. For now anyways...

This is the perfect place to go to stay close to our home and not a long road home. You are able to schedule time with friends and head down and save your camping spot a day or two in advance.

Pets and fires are allowed. Just keep them on a chain and put them out!

They recently restricted up by the water camping which is awesome for parties that have lots of kids! They aren’t running into traffic unknowingly!

There is practically no beach but if you know that going into it, it’s fine!! You pick your passions!!

Well maintained grounds, restrooms and showers are clean and easy to access. Unfortunately there are trees but none are mature enough to provide adequate shading. Gas and convenience , shopping, and food located close by. Cabela's Sydney store is across the parking lot with plenty of things to browse for. Easy on and off I-80 access for RVs, vans, and tent campers with a nice playground for the kids and running room for your pets. Easy access horse Corral 🐎 for the equestrian motivated individuals. Overall when the trees mature to provide shade this will be a 10 for passing through and short stay campers. There aren't any sewage hookups but it does have a black and Grey water dump. Electrical rv hookups are in each spot and there's plenty of green grace to go around.

We were coming from Nebraska and heading West in a Ford F-150 pick up truck pulling a 22 foot travel trailer. We stopped in Sterling, CO to fill up gas. If you are taking road 14, just know that it is at least 60 miles before the next gas station, so plan accordingly. We left Sterling heading west on highway 14, until we got to county road 129 where the pavement ends and we headed north into the grasslands. We simply followed the Google maps directions to get all the way to the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead parking lot from there! It was pretty easy, honestly! The roads are all gravel, so just take your time. They were pretty well maintained, due to the industry traffic that goes through there. We came across a couple of eighteen wheelers. The gravel was pretty compacted and seemed pretty safe. There are several areas to pull off, and if you are pulling a trailer, or you have a big rig, there is a loop parking lot at the Pawnee Buttes Trailhead that you can turn around in if you need to. The picture of me and the dog is standing on County Road 110 just before you get to the parking lot for the trail head. Our camping spot was one of many flat areas off of road 110 that you can pull off on, as long as it is 300 feet or less from the edge of the road. Our spot was before you get to the trail head, but if you pass the parking lot and keep going up the hill on Pawnee Buttes Trailhead Road, there are tons more spots to camp up on the ridge about a quarter mile or so. There are a lot of cows, but they are shy, curious animals. We had our pit bull with us, and we didn’t feel threatened. Just make sure that if you go through any gates while wandering the grasslands, you shut them behind you. There are no garbage facilities, so please LEAVE NO TRACE! There are some vault toilets in the parking lot.

North Sterling State Park is completely open and the reservoir is full and the fish are jumping. Inlet Grove campground has lots of water spigots throughout the campground (every four or five sites) and a dump station with water at the entrance. Camp host has firewood and is available every day. If you also boat, check with PJ’s Marina to rent a covered slip in their little marina for $15 a night. They have live bait and Jim is super friendly and knowledgeable about the reservoir. Best sites waterfront IMHO are 117, 119, and 121 and 123. If you fish, you can do it right from your campsite in a few of these (I’m dreaming of a lake-to-Blackstone in 15 minutes kind of dinner...). This campground is well laid out so you don’t feel like you are right on top of your neighbors. Sites are decently level and the dirt doesn’t get muddy in the rain, must have a lot of sand Innit? Pictures from the camper door in site 119. Water spigot within long hose reach at the campsite across from us.