Looking for an adventure where you can explore Towaoc and then fall asleep in your tent? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Colorado camping adventure.
**It must be noted that the Ute Mountain reservation is sovereign nation and we respectfully ask that you to please respect our ways of life and culture beliefs.
Please be aware that this campground is located on tribal lands of a sovereign nation and subject to tribal laws and regulations. Please familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of this campground violations may be considered trespassing on Federal Indian Reservation. You may also come across tribal members who live in the area who are going about their business, please be respectful of them and their privacy. And to end on a good note, thank you for your interest in staying in a campground on a tribal nation – your patronage and respect for these tribes and their unique cultures and histories can ensure that the relationship outdoor community continues to be positive. If you are looking for more information, please feel free to connect with @NativesOutdoors and len@natives-outdoors.org
The Jersey Jim Lookout Tower [PDF, 6 pages, 830 KB] can be rented for one- or two-night stays from late May to mid October, weather permitting. The current rental rate is $40 per night. Rental fees are used to maintain the facility. Additional contributions are welcomed. Reservations can be made by calling (970) 533-7060 between 1 – 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, starting the first business day of each March (callers are advised to be aggressive in their dialing - the entire season is often booked in a couple of days that week).
Guide
Easily one of my favorite sites I have stayed at in Colorado! It is an incredible set up for tent camping. The pads are well manicured with very fine rock and very level. The bathrooms and laundry facility are A+, they are located right next to the tent sites. You will be hard pressed to find a more peaceful campground, I can’t wait to be back!
Scout
We did tent camping and 2 tents fit in our spot (an 8 person and a 4 person tent). The tent sites have a table with benches. no fires are allowed so bring a gas stove if you plan on cooking. Its really close to the Durango old Town area (like 10 min drive or less) and about 45 minutes to mesa verde. The camp sites are right next to the Aminas river but there's no access to it from the campground unfortunately.
Legend
This is a large campground in the National Park boundaries. It has camper, RV and tent camp sites as well as 17 group sites. There is a small store and a shower. Each site has a picnic table. You can also get tickets to the Parks attractions, but do this as soon as you get there as reservations can be a day or two out.
ScoutWe stayed here 2 nights the summer of 2015. It's priced fair and we were able to find a camp spot with some good shade. We were camping in a tent se we didn't need hook-ups. I'm not sure what the hook-up situation is for campers. We were able to enjoy cool evening walks; where we would often spot deer. It was also fairly close to the amphitheater to hear the ranger talks. I would recommend going to the talks because they would talk about a lot of the history that you may miss out on. Also the showers were free; a little old school but got the job done.
Scout
I can't say enough good things about this place. The mayor of Stoner, Colorado, Scott is a great host and very generous. The place is very well maintained and clean and looked after. They have RV spots right on the river, Stoner Creek! My Jeep camper was quite happy over in the tent sites. With free shore power, even at the tent sites. Free barbecue with utensils and propane, fire pits with free wood! Yes, free wood! A different welcome gift each time but usually with a dozen farm Fresh eggs here from his chickens. Plus coffee, usually banana bread , tin foil even lighter fluid to light the free wood for your campfire! At 30 bucks a night for a tent site with shore power and all of that it just almost seems too cheap.
With lots of really gorgeous, mature Noble fur trees, this spot is not only gorgeous but really well located above Dolores but below Rico to access so much of the natural Colorado landscape. I love it here! Tell your friends!
ScoutRV spot that has tent sites. They gave us an RV site because the tent sites were full. Maybe a little pricey but we were running out of daylight - the staff were really nice and the park is quiet even though it's near a main road. Bathrooms were nice!
TravelerSpent two nights tent camping. Plenty of sites and well accommodated. Camp store/cafe was excellent.
TravelerSpacious tent sites. Bathrooms within close range. WiFi located at each bathroom.
Scout
We are tent campers. There are only 4 tent sites and they are all wonderful; right next to the river! Bathroom/showers are very clean, but a bit of a walk from the tent sites. Office staff was super friendly and informative. Wifi available. Small store for any basics you may have forgotten/ran out of. Soft serve ice cream available. Basically, way more amenities than we are used to (a nice change from pit toilets). ..and the price is right! $20 a night for 2 people, plus $2 per additional warm body. Would come back in a heartbeat.
ScoutWe had a roof top tent and were able to find a spot good enough to open up and still have room. The showers were nice and I even had warm water. Very clean and comfortable for tent camping
Traveler
Nice tent sites at the back of the park ,clean shower and bathrooms, 1/2 mile outside the entrance to mesa verda national park
Legend
Stayed at site 70. Very nice, large campground. Tent sites were very convenient to the camp store and nearby facilities. Placement of campground very convenient to Cortez and Mesa Verde national park - only about 10 minutes away.
TravelerLovely campsite that is first come first serve, if you have a tent spot. Showers, bathrooms and laundry sites not too far away. Was a bit frustrating that there were no bear boxes at the tent sites. Campgrounds were clean, but could hear generators from the other rv sites.
TravelerDriving in I got nervous. No service and the front office was closed so I wasn't sure how to check into my site. Everyone here was so friendly and helped me find the camp owner. The camp team is overly nice. They opened the store up for us super late. We are the only tent campers and the camp host Scott had an entire tent camping package for us to use while here. It had everything you could need tent camping and he gave us eggs, wood and bread they made here. He hooked up power so we could charge everything. There is get set up all over for kids. Each site has its own grill. The laudry room is free and amazing. Showers were nice. Wifi signal is so strong. Love this camp and highly recommend. Little noise from the road at night but worth it in my opinion. Nice shower rooms. Each site has been fitted with cool items. Some have porch heaters, pourch swings, tables. They went all out for thier guests.
Traveler
Host was very helpful and super nice. We stayed at lot#8. We had a huge 10 person tent and there was still more room for about 2 more tents. There is a fit pit and picnic table to use along with a water pump right across the road from our tent site. Only thing was the bathroom was a walk down the road
Guide
Campground features shady sites that will accommodate big rigs. If you are tent camping you might feel surrounded, but most spaces are so far apart, we never heard a peep from our neighbors. Overall the campground was well run with super clean bathrooms in each loop. 15 minute drive to town makes this a great home base to explore Durango and the Animas Valley.
LegendThis campground inside Mesa Verde National Park is run by Aramark, a major hospitality company, which has its pros and cons. First, it’s more expensive than most national park campgrounds at $36 per night, even for dry tent sites. We were able to get half price with our America the Beautiful senior pass, which also got us into the park for free. Otherwise entry would have been $30 this time of year. (The camping discount didn’t seem to be available online, only upon registration.) There’s a camp store that sells souvenirs and beer. There are endless showers that are free with your camp registration, sanitized after every use. There are paid laundry machines. There are also many dumpsters and drinking water faucets. Toilets with running water are pretty clean, but there was no soap dispenser in the men’s room on the tent loop. We had no trouble getting a walk-up tent site. Some sites have shade trees and tent spots. All have picnic tables and fire rings, although a burn ban is in effect. The combination of Covid and the burn ban led to closure of many trails, the museum, and the visitors center. The beautiful native dwellings and some incredible geological overlooks are less than half an hour’s drive to the south. Also check out Mesa Verde Voices podcast. Very informative.
TravelerWhile kind of on the pricier side for campgrounds I really enjoyed my 2 nights there in early Oct 24. Easy access to get on the road to the cliff dwellings early in the day, flush bathrooms, tons of sites, trails nearby, a little center with a store, cafe, gas, and most importantly showers.
They let you pick your site which is nice so I got a site with a flat spot for my rooftop tent, but some sites are definately more geared to tent camping, but there are tons of site options.
Would stay again.
Guide
I had to change course on a road trip last minute which kept me in Southern CO on my way to UT instead of going north of Telluride. I found a tent site here last minute and it was such a gem! My site was right on the river and it was super spacious. The amenities were SPOTLESS. The cleanest showers I’ve ever encountered whilst camping and the bathrooms were HEATED! After a couple days of Colorado BLM pit toilets, I felt like I was glamping. The staff is incredibly welcoming and the grounds were very dog friendly. Would 100% recommend staying here if you’re ever passing through.
ScoutThe campground was very nice. We use a tent, but the only real drawback is that the tent site was all gravel. The pool was very refreshing in the heat of the day, although we only got to use it once because it rained the rest of our stay. My daughter and I met a new lady friend and her two kids from Montana, and we all hit it off very well which made the stay that much more enjoyable! It's nice that places like this attract like minded people. So thank you KOA for having us! The trip was amazing.
GuideThis KOA is just east of Cortez with a view of the Mesa 9 miles east. Tent sites are pea gravel with a few with grass (lucky me). The on site caretaker is a bird lover so feeders are set up around the office & his own site. I enjoyed watching the birds.
Bathrooms & showers are in the same building as the office, so it could be a walk. But thr whole KOA isn't so big that it's unreasonable.
I don't have a dog but I did notice a really nice dog area.
TravelerThis was my favorite campsite on our South West road trip. The staff was very nice and the camp store has everything you need. The price was very reasonable and we had no trouble getting a spot. The tent sites were all dIfferent, some nestled in trees, some out in the open, but all of them nice. They weren’t too close to each other either, so you get some privacy. As far as the park, the cliff dwellings were amazing, like stepping back in time. An absolute must if you are traveling through this area.
LegendVery surprised with the actual size of Mesa Verde National Park. The facilities are maintained very well and are kept extremely clean. The showers they are amazing. Especially after tent camping for a week!
Be prepared to sign up for tours - under $10 per person, which is very reasonable - to see some of the cliff sites up close.T he museum and rangers were great. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance as there is a limited number of tours each day and they fill up. You can only purchase tickets up to 2 days in advance and it has to be in person. The tours are so worth the effort!
TravelerI really enjoyed my stay here. I stayed four days three nights, a lot of the trails were closed the times I was there, (COVID-restrictions) but I did walk the Petroglyph trail, (Bring plenty of water with electrolytes you gonna need it!!!) they have cabins tent campsites, RV campsites, just a great park to stay in and the staff and the Rangers were awesome! $9 pancake breakfast, I will definitely be coming back next year!!
TravelerThe Zuni Loop was the only area open when we were there. We tent camped.
Positives: showers were open, lots of deer, night sky, so close to the interior of the Park, bear boxes, flushing toilets and running water in bathroom sinks.
Negatives: smallest campsites I've ever seen > made it challenging to set up. We were told all toilets (3) in that loop were open, but they actually were not (the one closest to us was still locked until the 2nd or 3rd night). Not much privacy as the sites pretty much sat right on the road.
Conclusion: would not return. Would much rather stay in the state park near Mancos which had HUGE shaded sites.
GuideI have been in love with this campground since I first visited in 2005. It is without a doubt my favorite campground! All the tent sites are great, but my favorite is T4 if your tent is on the smaller side. T4 is tucked away perfectly in the trees, on the bank of the Dolores river. ATT has good reception for calling, but it is Edge service. It will not work for internet. They do have WiFi, but it can be a little slow if everyone is trying to use it at the same time. The bathrooms are fine, they are cleaned daily. You will not be disappointed if you choose Priest Gulch, the scenery and layout for tents and campers can’t be beaten!
RangerThis was one of the few national parks that didn’t take reservations via recreation.gov and their prices were a bit higher, but we booked anyway. So, the campground has FREE WiFi, FREE showers, a campstore, plenty of flush toilets with nice sinks and running water. There is also a laundromat with great prices. The store, showers laundromat etc are a very short walk from the tent campsites. The WiFi reaches the campground, it was great for amenities. The park is amazing if you have never been, we highly recommend it.
Tent camping near Towaoc, Colorado, offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning natural landscapes while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities. With several well-reviewed spots available, campers can find the perfect place to set up their tents and explore the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Towaoc, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Towaoc, CO is Canyons of the Ancients, Sand Canyon (Road 4725) with a 4-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Towaoc, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Towaoc, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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