Looking for an adventure where you can explore Sterling and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent camping near Sterling, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Guide
The road in essentially circles the reservoir, and you just pull off where can/want to. The gravel road is well maintained. And there is plenty of room between you and your neighbor. We pulled up around 6 on a Saturday evening and found a great spot.
Ranger
I stopped by after having discovered this free spot last year but they are now charging $15 a day, which is not worth it. I would have rather planned to drive farther into Wyoming to get one of the free spots. I understand why the town started charging a fee but it’s sad nonetheless.
Scoutwe left it was scary
TravelerPlease don’t go here. We love it tons! There is always a place to pull in and set up.
Guide
You have to drive for several miles on some bumpy roads, but my Ford transit handled it fine. There are a couple spots with fire rings before the main trailhead, and then many options if you keep driving. Really beautiful but verrrry windy. My van rocked me to sleep every night. Overall peaceful and pretty. Also there was an adorably stubborn cow blocking the road on my way out. Really added to the ambiance :-)
Scout
This is one of my favorite places. Between the serenity, lack of bears, ease of access to water activities at the local State Park. This has been my favorite find so far!
TravelerIt's a decent camp spot. We went on memorial weekend and we were able to find a spot. His Subaru outback made it and we saw sedans get up there just fine.
Cows do use the area and may wander into your site. Cactus are a thing and it can get really windy. Our tent was staked down and we angled it so the side wasn't collapsing on us. Cooking during the wind was nearly impossible but doable with some engineering.
Neighbors were quiet and the terrain made it so that we didn't see who camped in the next spots nearest us.
It's decent if you want to get away for a day or two, wander around at your leisure, and read.
Pit toilet available at the Buttes trailhead.
Verizon service is spotty but I was still able to use maps.
Traveler
Went last July and the campsites were clean and well maintained. Firewood & other amenities are provided as well on the other side of the lake, super convenient! Only complaint was there were so many bugs at night in the morning.
ScoutStop by to rest and it’s now 15 dollars to stay. City passed 4/24
GuideLots of nice sites with fire pits. There are pit toilets at the trailhead as well. Pretty good Verizon service at most spots. My only complaint is that when I was there it was super windy!
LegendThere are bathrooms with plumbing and vault toilets. All of the leantos are set up so there is no view of the lake. My dog kept getting sanburs in her paws because they were everywhere. This is a one night place. $36 to camp
I was pummled by the wind when it was fron the north and south. The water is not individual hook up it is shared with the campsites around you.
At 8a the ranger was banging in my door to explain the water situatuon since I had hooked directly up to it. There were no other campers at the site but she felt it critical that I unhook my hose. The ranger from the previous day and campsite host never seemed to care.
GuideEasy drive to the campground area even towing a trailer. A bit dusty but at the end you can find nice grassy area (after all, it is a National Grasslands). Very windy place (hence the windmills in far distance) but we were lucky to get some breaks in between and set up the trailer to shield us against the wind. Stayed couple of nights and did the hikes to both of the “buttes”. From the second one you can get nice areal views if you climb a bit. It took us 3h in a very easy pace, lots of photo and views stops. It can probably be done in and 1h to 1.30h.
TravelerWe just stopped for the night, but this spot was perfect! We loved the lake and the little town right by!
Guide
Full hookups for $45. Clean facilities and well maintained grounds. Sprinklers turn on at 9:30 so don't leave anything out. Dog friendly but wish they had a fenced in area for them to run off leash.
TravelerVery nice RV site with nice pull through spots! We booked a couple weeks ago and still ended up with a wonderful location! All of the sites we noticed had a lot of room so you didn’t feel like you were on top of each other. Great place for short hike with young kids. Lastly, amazing sunsets!
RangerThis is a great location off of I80 if you don’t need any amenities. I boondock often so this was a perfect place for me to sleep at. Cell signal was excellent and let me work remotely. It’s quiet and I’m pretty sure I was the only person there at night. There are bathrooms if you need it. Highly recommend if you need a beautiful free spot!
GuidePros:
Cons
GuideThe roads coming in are well maintained due to all of the oil rigs that are coming in and out. Spent the night overlooking the Buttes and had a summer storm roll in. Didn't get to hike out to The Buttes because the trail was closed to protect bird nests.
GuideGreat location. Excellent facilities. Indoor picnic tables - useful if you’re on a bike and it’s raining. All sites have electric. Quiet and peaceful. Highly recommended
TravelerOverall, the site presents a tranquil retreat, offering peace and quietude. The constant wind is a blessing, keeping the area free of mosquitoes. The campsite features fire rings, though you will need to bring your own wood. The surroundings are characterized by lush grasslands, and the camping spots situated atop hills provide stunning views. However, the landscape is interspersed with man-made elements like windmills and oil rigs, which might detract from the natural beauty for some. The trailhead offers a water source - while not recommended for drinking, it could serve other purposes. The area includes a few trails for leisurely walks. This place serves as an excellent overnight stop for road-trippers, especially considering that it's free of charge.
TravelerWell 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.
TravelerWe 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.
GuideIt’s a bit of a drive out here over some iffy gravel and dirt roads. Was worried about bringing my 25 foot Jayco out here as it’s a standard unit. Pulled it with a one ton Ford 2 wheel van.. some steep inclines in, but did just fine.. very peaceful and quiet. Have heard the sky watching is great, but so far have had clouds and storms. I have a spot on top of a hill facing the buttes. Love it.. cows in the distance and saw pronghorns on the way in. No facilities here, only have seen the one outhouse here by the parking lot to the trails. Long way to anything including gas, so fill up and bring your own water.. even thru the tornado warnings, I’ve enjoyed my stay. Bugs are minimal probably due to the ever present wind. My AT-T service was better than in Longmont at 3 bars. No problem there. 👍
Scoutgreat distance from denver/fort collins if you wanna get away for a couple nights. decent trail and plenty of spots within walking distance of a bathroom. you can see the windmills but i don’t mind!
Scout
Yes, it is a parking lot revamped for head to toe RV parking. However everything was clean and includes electric/water hookups and dump station. Across the driveway is a really nice well maintained park with shaded tables and room to run that includes playground, swimming pool ( not open now of course) with toddler pool, basketball courts, etc You certainly get a lot for your $25.
GuideProbably not where you want to stay if you're in a tent unless you're desperate. $25 for a tent site right next to the road. We left and got a hotel nearby. It's fine if you're looking to park your RV and need hookups, but it's basically just a parking lot
GuideAwesome little spot on a lake. Distant train noise is a minor down side, all the thistle your dog will get into is bigger. Clerk at a nearby by Gas station said "you can stay there free for up to three nights."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sterling, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sterling, CO is Gotte Park with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
