C
Courtney L.
Scout
ScoutSouth Bay Campground — Horsetooth Reservoir
Friday Night 💫
Beautiful campsites next to water with onsite water access. Wonderful campfire pits/grills and picnic tables. Quiet hours were no inforced which can be good or bad.
Best Cabin Camping near Thornton, CO
Several cabin lodging options near Thornton provide access to Rocky Mountain foothills. Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers cabins at multiple campgrounds including Reverend's Ridge and Frazer Meadow, with most providing electric hookups, picnic tables, and fire rings. "The campsites are very large. There's no hook ups for water, electric or dump sites although there are water spigots that can be used to fill fresh water," noted one visitor about nearby accommodations. Denver West-Central City KOA features cabin rentals with more amenities including drinking water, electricity, showers, and toilets, making it suitable for families wanting a camping experience without sleeping in tents.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Standley Lake Regional Park cabins offer lake views with basic amenities, while Denver Meadows RV Park provides more urban-adjacent cabin options with full hookups including electric, water, and sewer connections. Most cabins require advance reservations, particularly during summer months when availability becomes limited. Pet policies vary by property - Golden Gate Canyon State Park allows pets in certain cabins, while other locations may restrict animals or charge additional fees. According to a visitor, "We had two vehicles we camped in and used one of the rv pull through spots... It's an easy site to get to, and is in the middle of the Denver suburbs."
Most cabin rentals include beds with mattresses but require visitors to bring their own linens, pillows, and sleeping bags. Kitchen facilities vary significantly between properties - KOA cabins typically include small refrigerators and microwaves, while state park cabins may only offer outdoor cooking options via fire rings or grills. Bathroom access also differs between locations, with some cabins featuring private facilities while others require guests to use centralized campground restrooms. Basic supplies can be purchased at camp stores at Denver West-Central City KOA and Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon, though prices tend to be higher than at grocery stores in Thornton or surrounding communities.
Best Cabin Sites Near Thornton, Colorado (42)
1. Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
48 ReviewsEldorado Springs, CO20 milesWebsite+1 (303) 582-3707$18 / night
"Fire ring and picnic table at each site. The road to and in the campground was plowed. Pets allowed. Tons of beautiful hiking trails."
"We stayed here for a quick overnight so did not have time to enjoy the park. Very well kept with nice clean bathrooms. Showers take quarters so come prepared if you plan to shower."
2. Standley Lake Regional Park
15 ReviewsWestminster, CO8 milesWebsite+1 (303) 425-1097$35 - $55 / night
"There’s no hook ups for water, electric or dump sites although there are water spigots that can be used to fill fresh water. The shower is an outdoor shower."
"Talked to someone on phone said it was $30.00 a night and had to be booked online and no same day bookings."
3. Indian Paintbrush Campground—Bear Creek Lake Park
33 ReviewsMorrison, CO18 milesWebsite"Camped in a cabin which was clean. I will camp here again!!"
"Close proximity to the highway. Clean level spots. Geared more towards RV camping. Pros: great views of the foothills."
4. Denver Meadows RV Park
6 ReviewsDenver, CO11 miles+1 (303) 364-9483"It is a no thrills,Quiet,peaceful,full hook-ups kind of park.little expensive but one cost covers everything.plus it is a all season park."
"Lots of good food nearby."
5. Reverend's Ridge Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
30 ReviewsRollinsville, CO25 milesWebsite+1 (303) 582-3707$28 - $90 / night
"Loop E (electric hookups) is very spacious and well laid out. Every campsite is a pull thru allowing you situate anywhere along the paved area to best suit your needs."
"I reserved the area with electric hookup since I brought the van. The area was very organized and tidy. Campsite was large with a picnic table, fire pit, and central spot for trash and recycling."
6. Denver West-Central City KOA
30 ReviewsCentral City, CO29 milesWebsite+1 (303) 582-3043"Some space between with trees. Nice metal patio furniture provided at each site(chairs, table, fire pit). Has decent showers, hot tubs, and off leash dog park."
"8100’ high. 7 miles off I-70 at Idaho Springs. 25 miles into outskirts of Denver. Don’t worry they have oxygen! Not kidding!!"
7. Frazer Meadow Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
8 ReviewsBlack Hawk, CO24 milesWebsite+1 (303) 582-3707$18 / night
"This was a great campground tucked away in the mountains. There are plenty of hiking trails from the campground and throughout the park. The sites were very private and very quiet."
"The sites are very clean, have a bear box and close to parking."
8. Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon
13 ReviewsBlack Hawk, CO27 milesWebsite+1 (303) 582-9979$30 - $65 / night
"Nestled right in beautiful Colorado, even!& I love camping! Okay, I admit, I love‘camping’ in parks where there are cabins with beds and air! "
"We used a tent site, but the site they assigned to us was not the best for a Tent Trailer, but we made it work by moving the picnic table and pushing the trailer into the site."
9. A-Lodge Boulder - Hostel
1 ReviewBoulder, CO21 milesWebsite+1 (303) 444-0882$39 - $79 / night
"With cozy beds and a prime location, this spot is a great place to rest your head. Give them a try and leave your experience here."
10. Riverview RV Park & Campground
19 ReviewsMasonville, CO40 milesWebsite+1 (970) 667-9910"Good Sam’s RV park with full amenities. We booked a water/electric online, but got bumped up to full hookups. Beautiful river going beside many of the sites. Newer bathrooms."
"We enjoyed seeing the kids playing in the playground and riding around the park on their bikes. Nearly every day a deer would come munch on the greenery right behind our rig. "
Recent Cabin Photos near Thornton, CO
48 Photos of 42 Thornton Campgrounds
Nicole B.
Indian Paintbrush Campground—Bear Creek Lake Park
Derrik E.
Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
Fabio O.
Reverend's Ridge Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
Ciara S.
Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon
Jessica K.
Vein Of Gold Cabin
Danielle V.
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Estes Park
Marni K.
Treehouse Magic
Daniel B.
Glen Isle Resort
Crystal C.
Estes Park KOA
emily
Arapaho Valley Ranch
Nancy C.
Manor RV Park
johny R.
Spruce Lake RV Park
Cabin Reviews near Thornton, CO
431 Reviews of 42 Thornton Campgrounds
- Cara W.
GuideCastle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake
Private but Crowded
Beautiful lakeside camping just outside of Denver. Campsites are a bit close together, but great for groups! No hookups here but you have bathroom facilities and a visitor center where you can buy firewood. Campfires allowed in the fire pits. If you have an RV beware quiet hours from 10pm to 8am, no generators allowed. Lake is perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing and you will most likely have phone service if you are with AT&T or Verizon. Many day use areas, however vehicles and individuals are charged. For campers, if you bring more than one vehicle you will be charged daily for any additional ones. No drinking water is available, you must bring your own. Dirt roads to the lake are rough and narrow. Close to Deckers for incidentals. Intersects with the Colorado trail for hiking and biking and close to the Colorado River for tubing!
Julienne D.ScoutElk Meadows Lodge & RV Resort
Horrible and a waste of money
Well, what is there to say about Elk Meadow Lodge and RV. We booked a tent site for Fri-Sun. We are a fully contained truck with a roof top tent but we're not allowed an RV site (despite the fact we would have loved electricity and water, and were willing to pay for that luxury). We pulled in after hours to a $h1t show. Our site was unlevel (in the extreme, I pity the people in ground tents that don't have leveling blocks), had no picnic table, and had our neighbors fire pit 6 feet from the side of our truck. Since it was after hours I had to call the 'emergency number' so that my boyfriend and I would have the $50 a night luxury of cooking our dinner on a table. I also expressed concerns about the fire pit damaging our truck or roof top tent, to which I was told "well what do you want us to do, since we can't move the fire pit". Obviously not Jill, but I would like to bring it to your attention. She also offered to have us move sites, but since all the fire rings are in the parking space, I'm not quite sure what that would accomplish (excellent planning on their part!!). When Jill, and I'm assuming her husband arrived with the picnic table (all praise Jill for providing what we paid for!) They were nothing but mean, snarky and downright rude. The excuse for lack of a table was "were closing sites for winter). I'm writing this after only being at the offending RV park for 1.5 hours, but I can't wait to leave. You should save yourself the trouble by never entering in the first place. At least the views were pretty, if you like highway noise.
Update #1: Boyfriend almost got bitten by a black widow in the bathroom while turning on the light, someome flew a drone, very low, over our tent at 8 in the morning, children were screaming like coyotes all night (seriously), and it's been a rare moment that dogs have not been barking, yapping or howling (no not the kids this time). And I just got to hear the staff gossiping about us requesting a table. Can't wait to see what tonight brings!
P.S. I am so excited to see what their reply is to this review.
- TTeah S.Scout
South Shore Campground at Carter Lake
Nice Spot
I stayed in spot S18 for 2 nights. Large gravel pull through spot (as were all of the sites on this loop), with a picnic table and fire pit. Some trees around this site providing shade on both sides, but this was not true of my friend’s site as S20. Also enough foliage between sites to give a feeling of privacy. Nice view of the lake and boat ramp. Electric hookups at site, water and vault toilets available.
- Sherry C.
TravelerEstes Park KOA
A repeat vacation
On a cross country today trip these were the nicest camping cabins we stayed in. The campground itself is relatively small but with a nice playground and camp store as well as bathroom facilities. You can't beat the view, people and the easy location to go into the downtown. We only had one night here but plan to make a week long trip to the area at another time we liked it so much.
Becky S.ScoutArapaho Valley Ranch
We love Arapaho Valley Ranch!
There are community fire pits, stocked trout pond, access to the river, acres of woodland, and Colorado’s smallest bar! We love the vibe at AVR and the owners are amazing. Occassionally you can catch live music and there are several historic buildings they are restoring. We have a few friends that don’t camp which is okay because they also offering glamping, tipis, cabins, and a lodge. Trust me... one stay and you’ll be booking another one soon after!
- HHeather L.Traveler
Castle Mountain Recreation Area at Wellington Lake
Good Campground for Social Distancing
Currently they don't have day-use open, so there's plenty of space at the lake to set-up and spend the day playing with the kids. We stayed in a mountain site (not lake-front) and the kids loved climbing the rocks and exploring the mountain. Really friendly staff. Quiet hours are not well kept and that would be my only complaint. No motors allowed on lake. Great for paddleboarding (rentals available), kayaking, canoeing & kid's floats.
- M
Mark M.
LegendDenver West-Central City KOA
Nicest KOA we've been to
And in fact I believe they were KOA of the year 2023 or 2024. More expensive than we're used to, but has nice amenities. Sites level with concrete pads, fairly large. Some space between with trees. Nice metal patio furniture provided at each site(chairs, table, fire pit). Has decent showers, hot tubs, and off leash dog park. Inexpensive pancake breakfast and pizza/wings to your site are available, also an onsite store. Kind of at the top of a rise, so good views but also kind of chilly for July (60s/40s). Massive thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain two evengings (CO mountains tend to get afternoon t-storms). Communicate via text to let you know about goings on. Good radio station out of Idaho Springs KYGT 102.7 and 103.9
- AAmanda M.Guide
Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon
Winter Camping Golden Gate Canyon State Park
We stayed at loop A of Reverend’s Ridge for 1 night on our way to California. We were the only ones in the campground and the views are gorgeous. Fire ring and picnic table at each site. The road to and in the campground was plowed. Pets allowed. Tons of beautiful hiking trails.
Things to keep in mind when visiting in the winter- water is not available, there are vault toilets near the pay area but not in campground itself. The GPS will tell you to take mountain base rd to the campground but it is closed for the winter. You need to take highway 46 to 119 to Gilpin road (see map).
Guide to Thornton
Cabin rentals in the foothills northwest of Thornton provide access to elevations ranging from 5,300 to 8,500 feet. Most cabins near Thornton, Colorado become fully booked 2-3 months in advance during summer weekends, with greater availability midweek and during spring and fall shoulder seasons. Winter cabin options remain available at several locations, though weather conditions can limit accessibility from December through March.
What to do
Hiking trails: Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple trail options ranging from easy to difficult, with trailheads accessible from cabin accommodations. "The park is very quiet, has many beautiful trails (they aren't necessarily marked the best and the maps mileages are a bit off, but made for a beautiful, longer than expected hike to Panorama Point)," notes a visitor of Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
Water activities: Standley Lake Regional Park cabins provide direct access to paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing. "You can rent a kayak, a paddle board, a canoe, or a paddle bicycle on a pontoon! Take a friend and a picnic for a lovely day on this beautiful lake right here in Arvada," explains a visitor to Standley Lake Regional Park.
Wildlife viewing: Several cabin locations offer opportunities for wildlife observation, particularly at dawn and dusk. "We caught a great view of a moose. Panorama Point had a breath taking view," reports a camper at Reverend's Ridge Campground, noting that early morning drives yield the best wildlife sightings.
What campers like
Proximity to Denver: Most cabin rentals in the area provide a wilderness experience while remaining within 30-45 minutes of urban amenities. "Golden Gate Canyon State Park is enormous. The options for trails are endless. Great for mountain biking or hiking enthusiasts. There are facilities, ideal for car camping or families. The park feels like it's far from the city, but the drive is easy for a weekend camping trip!" according to a visitor of Golden Gate Canyon.
Private bathroom facilities: Cabin options at Denver West-Central City KOA include private bathroom access, unlike many state park options. "The showers were clean and spacious. The campground offered pizza and wing delivery! They also offered an all you can eat pancake breakfast for $3 in the morning," shares a camper at Denver West-Central City KOA.
Night sky viewing: Cabins in higher elevation areas provide minimal light pollution for stargazing. "While this campground is minutes from the city and seconds from a highway, at night you feel like you are in a quiet, mountain campsite with stars to gaze for days," notes a visitor to Bear Creek Lake Park.
What you should know
Shower access varies: Some cabin locations require coins for shower access while others include it in rental fees. "Showers are an outdoor shower. Seems like there's almost always a spot open during weekdays," explains a camper about facilities at Standley Lake.
Fire restrictions: County and state fire bans can impact cabin stays, particularly during summer months. "County was in a burn ban so no fires or charcoal grills allowed," reports a visitor to Carter Lake South Shore Campground, highlighting a common seasonal restriction that affects many cabin locations.
Cell service limitations: Many cabin rental areas have limited or no cellular coverage. "Was a beautiful drive to the park. About 30 to 40 mins off I-70 depending on how you drive. Highly recommend and has become one of my new favorite spots to visit again. Has a very tucked in the mountains feel but has great facilities and was very quiet. Phone service wise Verizon was very patchy," notes a visitor to Frazer Meadow Campground.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Several cabin rental locations include dedicated play areas for children. "The campground was tiny and a little cramped but was very clean and had running showers that was a plus. It was surrounded by trees but they were small which didn't help block the wind. We would stay here again because the staff was very friendly and they had a nice little store and playground," notes a visitor about Base Camp at Golden Gate.
Noise considerations: Sound travels easily between cabin sites at most locations. "Multiple groups around us were loud well past 10pm but nobody came around to check. Bathroom access was an issue in the AM due to only one stall," reports a tent camper at Standley Lake, highlighting an issue also relevant to cabin guests.
Cooking options: Most cabin locations limit indoor cooking while providing outdoor facilities. "Loop E (electric hookups) is very spacious and well laid out. Every campsite is a pull thru allowing you situate anywhere along the paved area to best suit your needs. Mostly level, fire rings, and very large metal picnic tables," explains a visitor about Reverend's Ridge Campground.
Tips from RVers
Site layout: Cabins at most locations share campgrounds with RV sites, creating different privacy levels based on location. "We had two vehicles we camped in and used one of the RV pull through spots. Trying to reserve online was a bit of a challenge (may have been user error) but I was able to call and the ranger I talked was very helpful in getting a reservation day of and answering all the questions I had," shares a visitor about practical considerations at Standley Lake.
Winter access: RV-focused facilities that offer cabin rentals typically remain open year-round, unlike some state park options. "Loop A: facilities within walking distance for restroom and dishes. Electricity and water were great for us semi-tent campers. Not much deadwood on the ground. Fire wood $5.00 per bundle," notes a visitor about amenities at Reverend's Ridge that apply to both RV and cabin guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin
campsite near Thornton, CO?
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Thornton, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Thornton, CO is Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon with a 4.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
What is the best site to find
cabin camping near
Thornton, CO?
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Thornton, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 42 cabin camping locations near Thornton, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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