Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Swink, CO

We stayed here 4th of July weekend. The lake hasty spots were all booked up but there was some on the point available last minute. These spots have some of the best views for the sunset. Some things to consider. No water so bring your own or you’ll have to go fill up at the lake hasty one. Bathrooms were available for few so you have to walk or drive up to them. Clean spots but no shade and very windy/buggy. The breeze at night kept us cool and didn’t get very hot until after 10am. people were walking down to the water to fish from the camp spots. We were able to drive our car into the wildlife area where you could park very close to the water and post up all day. I think you can also disperse camp like that but read the rules. We also drove across the dam and found some awesome sandy spots on the water. Dispersed camping was also available there. We posted up all day and had a blast playing in the water with our dog. Hardly anyone around. We went and got more ice on our second day at the bait shop right outside the park down the school road.

This is more of a review on the Colorado's reservation system than the campground it self.  This is a by reservation only campground, which I did not know about before arriving as I was traveling and this was not my intended stopping point for the night.  As it turned out I was unable to camp here.  Arrived at 7pm after hours and they only way to make a day of reservation was to use their online system which started out fine.  Made a account with Colorado, then made one for the reservation system got to the final step and then it would not let me agree to the terms of service, tried numerous times with out luck.  They have two ways to pay for your entrance to the park, by paper or electronic means at a kiosk, but only through their reservation system for a campsite.  Would be nice if the kiosk would let you reserve a site.  So if you are traveling and need a campsite get here early while park staff are still on duty or you might be out of luck.

Very large open gravel and prairie area. Long drive from there entrance to sites on gravel roads. Sites near water are still about 100-200 yards from the water. Lots of wind, no trees. The basic sites have a table, grill, parking pad, and tent pad, all on gravel. The area is very large so getting to the bathroom is a hike. Requires reservation plus a park pass you can buy at an automated kiosk. Access to site is via the visitor center boat inspection area which has the self serve kiosk. Overall the site is fine, and when I went on a weekday in July there was only one other camper in the whole area - right next to me. The water is pretty but that's probably where others will camp just FYI.

We camped here in mid May during the week.  We were one of only 5 campers in the entire campground.  It is dry camping so come prepared.  It is also wide open with trees only off in the far distance.  If it is windy, which it often is in eastern Colorado, come prepared.  During the summer the sun will be unrelenting.  I have no doubt on a hot summer weekend, the sound of generators will be very annoying.

But on the day we were there, the weather was fantastic, the wind mild and the temps cool for night time sleeping.  One side note, if you need a dump station there is one in the Hasty campground also in the park.  It has 4 lanes but it does not have water of any kind so you do not have the ability to wash your tanks.

I recently camped near a couple who made the experience quite unpleasant. First, there’s the constant, heavy use of cannabis—while not an issue for everyone, it was overwhelming at times. They also had eight dogs that were continuously barking, making it impossible to find any peace and quiet.

The vehicle they arrived in seemed suspicious, too. The tag on the travel trailer says "in transit," but the plates are from 2018, which felt a bit sketchy.

And then there’s the woman, who was constantly yelling at her phone, seemingly about online trolls. This went on day and night, making the entire experience unsettling.

If you're seeking tranquility or a peaceful connection with nature, I'd recommend steering clear of this area if you see them camped out. Or call the police.