Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Trinidad, CO is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Trinidad is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Colorado camping adventure.
$10 - $35 / night
"The Sugarite Canyon State Park (pronounced "Sugareet") was easy to locate off I-25 in Raton, (72 to 526 six miles NE straight into the park) just a few miles south of the Colorado border."
"We reserved a spot at Lake Alice for three nights. Some reviews of the campground talk about the road being close. Sites 15 and 16 are great. "
$15 / night
"Sites 1, 3, 14 and 16 have shade and a little more distance. Bathrooms were in great shape, and there is a free shower near the park entrance which had good water pressure and was very clean."
"Actually we had reserved site 06 in the Lake Alice campground, because it was full hookups, but upon arriving at Lake Alice we confirmed what another reviewer had said - it's a tightly packed campground"
$45 / night
$25 / night
"The area surrounding Purgatory is GORGEOUS. It’s straight out of a movie or picture book."
"No access to electric or water. Road to camp is rough. Beautiful scenery. Short drive to Chucara and Stonewall."
$22 - $40 / night
"Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for."
"There is a walking trail at the back of the campground to get to Surree Ponds."
"A remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters. The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean."
GuideThis State Park is beautiful, with hiking/fishing/historic walks galore. We arrived late on Friday, June 23 after a 10 hour drive from Arkansas. We were in Site #23 in the Soda Pocket Campground. Every site had a covered picnic table and was relatively level.
Sites 20-23 have spectacular views of the canyon, but you trade that for some serious wind and neighbors as there is no natural shade. Sites 1, 3, 14 and 16 have shade and a little more distance. Bathrooms were in great shape, and there is a free shower near the park entrance which had good water pressure and was very clean.
The visitor center is small but with a lot of good exhibits, and adjacent to the hiking trails of the abandoned coal camp and mine. The coal camp trails have lots of informative stands explaining what everything was, how the people lived, etc. The two lakes (Lake Alice is more like a pond) have nice walking paths. There is another lake just across the Colorado border and you can drive to the parking area just a mile or so away.
There are numerous nature hikes, and I did the short (.5) miles Vista Grande Nature Trail which has a beautiful bench for a sunrise view. Uphill some but not too strenuous and with lots of information.
A really beautiful hike is the Little Horse Mesa Trail which takes you to the top of the mesa you can see to the north of Soda Pocket Campground. It meanders a bit but at some point the trail builder said "I've given you all the switchbacks I can, you'll just have to go straight up" and the last 50 yards are pretty much straight uphill. When you get to the top though it's like another world. It's a pasture like setting with trees, and beautiful views from a trail that follows the cliffs. You'll have to make your own way over to the Lake Maloya overlook but it's well worth it. Highly recommend this.
The camp hosts and visitor center people were great, and the ranger came by one night and showed a group of kids a mountain lion pelt and a bear pelt. There was a report of bears on the road up to Soda Pocket Campground but we did not see any. The road was a typical dirt road, and not in bad shape at all.
I'm not a fisherman, but could easily spend two full days here hiking alone, much less fishing or kayaking Lake Maloya.
TravelerA remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters. The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean. There are pit toilets on site and well maintained. Level spots with good separation. Nice hiking accross some flat lands and a smal creek runs near by. Early one morning we saw a herd of elk down in a valley near a turn out off the road. Bears frequent the area trying to raid the garbage bins during the night. Makes tent camping a bit unnerving. If you want to explore the area, this is good place to camp. It takes an hour to get to the campsite on a graveled road off the highway out of Cimerron. 25mph was best speed to go to handle the washboard road to the campsite.
GuideSmall campground near CO border. Perks would be lake at top of mountain, 5-7 min drive from CG and showers, at entrance to park. Downfall is you need to drive to everything unless you want to walk along trails on the other side of road. Trails in park were nice - t-mobile service did not work at all, zero bars. Bear boxes provided, deer walked through campground often. I did see bear tracks while hiking but host said they’ve never been a human issue.
ScoutWe reserved a spot at Lake Alice for three nights. Some reviews of the campground talk about the road being close. Sites 15 and 16 are great. Site 13 and 14 are ON THE ROAD and the accessible site near the bathroom is literally a couple of feet away so beware! We were in site 16 and tucked away from everything. Pit toilets were well kept and there is firewood available on the site. We parked our tiny trailer in the driveway and set up a tent two stairs up on the main part of the site. The free showers were great down by the ranger station. The lake itself is gorgeous, there are plenty of hiking trails. We brought kayaks and had a great time. Being from Denver, it was so great to be away from crowds (almost no one at the lake on 4th of July weekend) and to not have to deal with I70 traffic. We would definitely go back.
GuideWe stayed in the first entrance sent to the left as you enter the smallish tent area, I'd guess site #1. The tent pad is standard size but we sleep in 2 single tents and we're tight. The campground is right off the road, and while there wasn't a lot of traffic, we heard everything go by. The vault toilet is nearby, I am unsure if there is potable water at the site. We stayed one night in June, temps were in the upper 40s and there had been a pretty big rain just prior to our arrival. Nonetheless, the campsite itself is decent, I took points for it's proximity to the road, lack of privacy, and small sites. Surrounding scenery is non-existent from the site, but a short drive and there are some beautiful sights to behold.
RangerWe stayed at Soda Pocket in mid-May 2022. Actually we had reserved site 06 in the Lake Alice campground, because it was full hookups, but upon arriving at Lake Alice we confirmed what another reviewer had said - it's a tightly packed campground, very close to a busy road and not close to the lake itself. On top of that, there was a boil water notice for the water hookups, and to top it off, the utility hookups for Site 06 are on the *Wrong* (i.e. the passenger) side of the rig, given the orientation of the driveway for backing in. Put all that together and we decided to forego our reserved site and see if we could do better up at Soda Pocket on top of the mountain. The campground host at Lake Alice warned us that the road up to Soda Pocket was treacherous and without guardrails, but we disregarded this warning and took our chances...
Man are we glad that we did that! The view from Site 23 was incredible of the canyon below. And we arrived just as a thunderstorm was passing to our east, and witnessed an incredible double rainbow over the canyon. The pics don't even do it justice. There's great hiking and viewpoints from Soda Pocket, and the so-called "treacherous" road up to the campground is gravelly and a bit steep in a few places, but very passable (there was a Class A rig up there, and a number of 30+ ft 5th Wheelers as well). The sites were well spaced, and Site 23 was fairly level and wide, easy to back in. It looked like Site 18 is a nearby pull-through site that still offered nice views even though it's situated more in the middle of the campground circle.
Overall this state park was extremely cool, kind of off the beaten path, and well worth the visit! Check out Soda Pocket, it's worth the drive up the mountain!
TravelerWe stayed July 1st-5th, 2021. Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for. Vault toilets are well kept and within good proximity to most sites. The grass was about knee high, so yard games/ activities weren’t possible. The hiking trail to the lake was reasonable and not too inclined/strenuous. It rained only in the afternoons but everyday.
RangerStayed: May 22, 2024 Cost: $18 Site: Lake Alice Loop - 01 Cell Service: None (AT&T and T-Mobile) Equipment: Tent
We stayed in the Lake Alice loop in Site 1. We tented, but it looks like they have it split between tents and RVs, and this was technically an RV site. It had water and electric, so that’s why we chose this site. Sites were nice and clean, with a fire ring and table. Close to neighbors.
Vault toilet in the loop and running water and showers located 1/2 mile from the Lake Alice loop. Showers were very nice for a campground. They were actual showers, not just concrete or dirty tile, and had plenty of room and hooks for clothing. Two showers per side for Men’s and Women’s.
No cell service for either of our carriers, and I don’t think for any, until about a mile beyond the shower house, prior to the entrance of the park.
TravelerThe area surrounding Purgatory is GORGEOUS. It’s straight out of a movie or picture book. The roads to get to the campsite were pretty rough and many of the lower campsites had standing water on or near them. Our site was steep to get to, but level and felt separated from the other sites.
The nearby towns are VERY small and don’t have much to offer for activities, restaurants or supplies if you forget something. Several beautiful small lakes nearby though!
Horse camping in Colorado offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With various campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Trinidad, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Trinidad, CO is Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Trinidad, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Trinidad, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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