Vail, CO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Vail. Find the best campgrounds near Vail, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$29 / night
"If you are looking for a great boondocking location that is close to great trails and breathtaking views, this just might be the place for you."
"This campground is located on Gore Creek. The surrounding area is beautiful. It's appropriately 10 minutes from Vail and quite. The bathrooms are vaulted toilets and the roads are all dirt."
$27 / night
"This campground is one of five Forest Service campgrounds around Dillon Reservoir, also referred to as Lake Dillon. There is a group campground called Windy Point near Prospector."
"Located on Dillon Reservoir, Prospector Campground offers a nice balance of feeling remote while being conveniently near some really neat towns."
$28 / night
"Our site was also a short walk down to Lake Dillon which was perfect for the kids and dogs to splash around in. Close proximity to Frisco is great too if you want to get some pizza for a meal."
"As someone who prefers wild camping, it was definitely not that, but was one of the more positive campground experiences I've had."
$29 - $56 / night
"Heaton Bay Campground, located near Dillon Reservoir in Colorado, offers a stunning lakeside camping experience with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains."
"Bring your fishing pole, SUP, kayak, or hammock to hang out by the lake. This is my favorite campground in Colorado for the accessibility to the lake and town nearby."
"They take you off of Highway 9 and about 5 minutes you take a left and pass trail head (cant rmemeber the name) and parking lot and you continue on a pretty bumpy ride for about 10 minutes (you start hitting"
"There is a good amount of traffic heading towards the trail head but it was still quiet. Even had a moose run through our camp!"
"The campsites are decently spaced out but not the place to go if you don’t want neighbors, I chose the only single site I could find but could still hear dogs barking and music in the distance(to be fair"
"Closed off road access unfortunately till June 20. Beautiful and the road can get a little wonky but you’re gonna have to hike it up for a bit!"
$25 / night
"This small campground is located right on the Blue River between Silverthorne and Green Mountain Reservoir on Highway 9. It is about 6 miles from Silverthorne and beautiful Dillon Reservoir."
"Cool campground, not huge on the highway noise but overall the campground is in excellent condition, very clean bathrooms, bear proof storage."
"Roadside pull off areas. Mostly one lane dirt, can be tight and bumpy. Best for truck camper, small RV or tent. Don't get discouraged if the 1st spots are full just keep driving."
"While many of the campsites are quite small and located right along the roadside with limited parking, we were lucky to find a fantastic, more spacious spot."
"Halfmoon Campground is located at the end of Notch Mountain Rd (forest Rd 707) near Minturn, CO in White River National Forest."
"I drove up Notch Mountain Rd from Hwy 24 to reach the campground and Holy Cross Trail Head."
"Fishing, hiking, climbing and biking close by. Plenty of room for pets to run. And plenty of wood for fires."
"Homestake Road is your gateway to a variety of off-road and primitive camping sites in the beautiful White River National Forest. We spent two nights here, each night at a different campsite."
LegendGore Creek Campground is a true gem of the National Forest Service. If you are looking for a great boondocking location that is close to great trails and breathtaking views, this just might be the place for you. The entrance to the campground is ~2 miles off of I-70 Exit 180 on Bighorn Road. Only 10 minutes from Vail Village and 25 minutes from Frisco.
We stayed in Site #8, which provided plenty of room for our 22’ travel trailer and pickup. The sites each have a large picnic table and fire ring.
Pit toilets are spread through the campground and were very clean and well maintained. The campground hosts do a great job of keeping everything tidy and looking great. They also have bundles of firewood for sale for $7 at their site just inside the entrance to the campground.
I can’t say enough about this place. It’s probably my favorite spot to camp in Colorado. I almost didn’t post this review for fear of the secret getting out.
LegendGreat campground about 10 minutes from Vail. Close to I-70 but you can faintly hear the cars so its not very noisy. The grounds have about 25 sites, ranging from small to large and some are walk in only. The majority of them have a large enough drive ways to fit a couple cars or a longer RV. There are fire rings and Picnic tables are at every spot. The campground host hangout in an RV upon entering the campgrounds, you can pay & reserve spots with them, as well as purchase bundles of wood. Vault toilets are located in a few spots around the campgrounds.
In the immediate area there is great hiking on the Gore Creek Trail and Deluge Lake Trail. Both ending at high alpine lakes but can be difficult hikes. The Gore Creek Trail is relatively easy until it turns towards the lake, making this a great trail to take a short hike. The Deluge Lake Trail is one of the hardest trails in the Vail Area.
The Vail Pass bike path runs next to the campgrounds and is the most popular and difficult road biking path in the Valley. This can also be used as a spot to take a walk or a run, be careful of up and down hill bikers. Gore Creek, which runs though the campgrounds and up into West Vail is home to gold medal waters and some of the best small creek Fly Fishing in Colorado.
These sites do not fill up quickly but advanced reservations can be made and should be during Vail's High season (June - August). Overall this is a great spot if you are passing through or are looking for a quick getaway.
GuideGold Park is a great place to stay if you want trails and high alpine lakes at your fingertips. We stayed here so we could hike Fancy Lake and the Missouri Lakes, both of which are less than 5 miles away. Gorgeous high alpine lakes. The campsite has pit toilets and a great host. We really enjoyed our 3 day stay! Be sure to take advantage of the stunning hikes nearby. An easy drive from Vail or Leadville.
TravelerThis campground is located on Gore Creek. The surrounding area is beautiful. It's appropriately 10 minutes from Vail and quite. The bathrooms are vaulted toilets and the roads are all dirt. I would not attempt this campground in a rig over 35 feet as it becomes very tight in and out. Being situated on Gore Creek the sounds of the dancing waters are right with you. There are several hiking paths throughout the campground. There is no electricity, dump or water available here so make sure you have plenty before you get in. There is firewood for sale at the camp host site. There are fire rings, picnic tables and bear proff lockers at each site. Nice place to re focus. Verizon worked well. Have fun and safe travels.
RangerSo I am not sure if this is still a “campground” as of 2019. It is no longer marked on the forest service map for 2019. Regardless, there’s still primitive/dispersed camping in the area. I stayed at one of the primitive sites last fall and spent most of my time in Piney River Ranch. There was a wedding at the ranch when we were there, and we didn’t want to intrude on it so I don’t know much of what the ranch has to offer. I do know that there’s a restaurant and a store, as well as cabins. My guess is that there is a wedding there almost every weekend summer-fall, so that is something to take into account if you come here for the ranch.
You are allowed to hike in the ranch during weddings, so that is what we did. We hiked the trail to the left of Piney Lake. It is a great trail to do in the fall because it goes through numerous aspen groves. We took the trail all the way to a waterfall area, but the trail does continue further to Upper Piney Lake. The trail became hard to follow after the waterfall area though, so we turned back.
As for the drive up to the ranch and camping sites, it’s about 45 minutes on a dirt road from Vail. It is a beautiful drive, but it is slow. The road is also in pretty good condition - I’d say a 2wd car can do this drive if the road is dry.
Guidefirst place I went camping in Colorado and I loved it so much I paid for an extra day. it rained on the last day but it was still wonderful. felt lost in the mountains and loved it
TravelerEasily one of my favorite places to camp in Colorado! It’s a must stay every year for me. Killer views, great hiking, beach days and a peaceful location.
ScoutGorgeous views, relaxing and very kind, courteous staff. Dog park, hot tubs, laundry, all you can eat pancakes (very reasonably priced) well worth the so steep drive on way up to 9,000 ft.
ScoutSome spots close to the road but it gets quiet at night as Independence pass is not heavily trafficked after dark. It is in a great location, close to Twin Lakes but also all the hiking up the pass. All first come first serve. Pets are allowed, we had our dog with us.
Discover the perfect spots for pets-allowed camping near Vail, Colorado, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Vail, CO is Gore Creek Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 21 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 277 dog-friendly camping locations near Vail, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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