Best Tent Camping near Walden, CO
Looking for tent camping near Walden? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Walden campgrounds for you and your tent. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Walden, Colorado's most popular destinations.
Looking for tent camping near Walden? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Walden campgrounds for you and your tent. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Walden, Colorado's most popular destinations.
Walden Reservoir is a picturesque lake full of wildlife outside of Walden, Colorado. The Walden Reservoir is an easily accessible destination in a seldom seen portion of northern Colorado for birders, hunters, and those looking for a free, isolated place to rest.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days.within any continuous 30-day period. at any location within the same 20-mile radius. see Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
The North Sand Hills Campground was installed in 2011 to accommodate large RVs. The campground has two vault toilets and 13 individual pull-through sites, each with a picnic table, fire ring, and tent pad. In addition to the developed campground, numerous dispersed camping sites exist within the North Sand Hills OHV area. Always use existing sites. For more information, please contact the Kremmling Field Office.
Longs Peak Campground is closed for the 2024 season. This campground opens in early July and closes each year in early September. Located about 20 minutes south of Estes Park on Hwy 7. This small, tents-only campground is located in a forested area that is 9,500 feet above sea level (3000 m). This campground has vault toilets and there is no water available. Campers must bring their own drinking water when camping at Longs Peak Campground.
Trailhead parking is ample and ideal for parking horse trailers and unloading horses. The trail provides a good access to the Mt Zirkel Wilderness, great for groups with horses who want to get away from other more heavily used trails. Campsites are numerous, especially near Stump Park. This trail lies within the Mt Zirkel Wilderness. Please refer to the Wilderness Regulations. The wilderness is closed to motorized and mechanized vehicles. No developed facilities. Setting is managed forest area. Timberline is at approximately 10,500 feet elevation. This trailhead is managed by the Parks Ranger District.
Grandview Campground is a small, tents-only facility with nine campsites. It is located near the west end of Long Draw Reservoir with views of the reservoir and Rocky Mountain National Park. There is a common parking area for all the sites with paths to the individual walk-in campsites. Vegetation varies from open grass to conifers. Each site has a tent pad, picnic table and fire grate. The most popular activity in the area is fishing but it also provides access to hiking opportunities in the nearby Neota Wilderness and National Park.
This campground has a great view and is conveniently located to town. Tent camp sites are not fantastic or maintained very well.
Glen Echo is an exceptional one-stop Poudre Canyon camping experience. While they do offer large and small cabins, long and short term RV spots, we tent camped for two nights on two different riverside sites - numbers 1 and 6 - and both were awesome! Both spots offered amazing rushing water views, a nice mixture of sun and shade, picnic tables, and fire rings. One of the spots - site 1 - had electric hook-up. Aside from the great tent sites, they have on-site a general store/market, fuel, a liquor store and restaurant/cafe, which made life super convenient because it's located about mid-way through Poudre Canyon and there's not a lot out there. Also, clean showers, which was a nice surprise. Cannot recommend this chill camping destination enough!
This Rocky Mountain National Park campground is fantastic. I tent camped with my husband for 3 nights in Loop B. We saw tents and all sizes of campers many with families. Our tent site included a nice tent pad, picnic table, fire ring, and a shared bear box. The fire ban had been lifted and we could buy fire wood each evening-and ice cream! Clean bathrooms with flush toilets. This campground is very close to a number of trails. We hiked the Sprague Lake Trail. It’s 2 miles round trip and pretty easy. Breathtaking views. If you don’t hike, you can drive all the way to the Trail Ridge gift shop and cafe at the top. This park fills up quickly-amost 3 million visitors a year-so plan to get started early. We love RMNP. We will be back this fall!
I stayed here in 2016 on a bicycle tour across America. It featured some fantastic views of the nearby lake and mountains and had very clean facilities. Only problem, from a camping in a tent perspective, is due to its location if a storm rolls in the wind can really hit from every angle. Otherwise the price is very reasonable.
Drove a long ways to find out the gate isn’t open like prior post of members and will not open until June 15 on the steamboat side as posted at gate. We drove to the east side from Walden to find out you can’t even make it to the gate as the road has way too much snow cover yet even with a 4 wheel drive . That side isn’t expected to open until mid July . But plenty of camping on the east side leading up to the pass .
A basic family style campground directly on the Yampa River within city limits of Steamboat Springs. Tent sites, RV sites, tent cabins and full fledged cabins. We had a tent site right on the river. Miniature golf. Various bikes to rent. This was the priciest camp site on our cross country trip. But it is located within an upscale ski resort town so probably expected. A little noisy from road traffic.
We had a great stay at a tent site here. Our site was number 8, had a tree, and was by the bathrooms. The bathrooms were clean, and had a nice shower as well. Everyone was friendly, the staff and the other people staying there. Lots of RVs, but only three of the regular tent sites were taken and we had the most amazing view!
The campground was clean and well maintained. We lucked out and got the best tent site - it was huge. The other sites were a little small but nice. Only drawback was that the tent sites were close to the road so you get some road noise. The staff was awesome and when we had to check out a day early, the cheerfully refunded our money. We definitely will stay there again.
Leaving a review at 4 stars to keep the average.
We stopped in late looking for a tent spot. The only tent sites this location provides for late check in are their luxury riverside tent sites, despite their being a huge open loop of others(that other tenters had booked earlier in the day). I’m not going to get started on how horribly placed and awkward these late spots are. But I will say you’ll get charged $50/night for them.
We just booked a hotel instead.
I tent camped at Ranger Lakes. I was the only one tent camping among all the RV’s. I didn’t mind that the spaces were visible from each other since I was camping alone. The pads were very spacious and flat. The lakes are very pretty and are a short walk from the campground. The trails around the lakes were nice to walk around. I wish there were facilities since there really aren’t any within most of the campgrounds of State Forest State Park. But Ranger Lakes is just a short drive from Cameron Pass as well as several beautiful trails. I’d definitely stay here again.
Tent sites are really nice and close to the river.
rough road up, in a sprinter 4x4, not a lot of great options. seems better for tent camping. did see one or two RVs up, shocked they made it.
Beautiful tent sites by the lake. 186-188 are quiet and beautiful. Especially during the week! Highly recommend!
Great view. Pretty expensive for a BARE minimum tent site. But facilities are well kept and convenient.
Well appointed campground on the water. Seems to cater more towards families with RVs, no privacy or shade for tent camping. Clean facilities overall with great proximity to the water and marina.
This was a very nice, clean campground with lots of amenities. We stayed in a tent site and all tent sites have a fire ring, table and bear box. The bathrooms and showers were very clean and well maintained. Our site was on the very edge of the campground so we had some great views and saw plenty of deer and an elk.
The one criticism is their very strict 2 tent max policy. We had a group of 5 people (under the 6 person max) and set up our three 2-person tents but were told to take one down. We didn't understand why we couldn't have three tents since we were under the 6-person maximum. There were sites with a single tent that was much larger than our three small tents combined!
The main building has a little of everything you need - from camping supplies to s'more making supplies. The tent camping sites are kind of close to one another, but you get your picnic table and fire ring.
Status: Open year round
Reserve mid spring through September 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov
weekend reservations recommended
70 sites including 10 walk-in tent 30 sites year round $24.00 tent sites $32.00 electric $64.00 double sites
Vault toilets, water during season ,tent sites have bear boxes, picnic table, fire ring/grill, trash no sewer or water hookups The campground has beautiful Ponderosa Pines but the Pine beetle is beginning to take its toil.
The back loop closes early fall. all sites have electric except the tent sites. There are 5 double sites. The campground can accept various size rigs. The day use area with a boat ramp and pit toilet with a nice size parking lot. There were a lot of people fishing from the shore. The lake is beautiful with small islands and rock formations. The road to and in the campground is gravel and rather dusty. Potholes
Directions: Drive 21 miles north of Fort Collins on US Highway 287. Turn left (west) onto the Red Feather Lakes Road (County 74E) and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right (north) and travel another mile to signed campground entrance on the right.
LNT
Better than when you found it
Stay safe Happy travels
This campground is a good base camp for RMNP. The campsites are very,very tight. If you are tent camping be prepared to listen to the traffic on Hwy 34 as the tent sights are close to the road. The facility is very nice and the camp hosts are friendly.
Awesome camp site, great staff, beautiful right on the river, fresh water. Showers are located in center of KOA so be ready to walk or drive over. Very dog friendly and well maintained tent sites!
When visiting Estes Park if you are wanting to be close to all the action the KOA of Estes Park is the place to be. Offering a midsized tent section, a large close together RV section and several cabins to provide the perfect retreat for those visiting the location is within walking distance of the lake and within a short drive of some of the best attractions of the area including the Stanley Hotel, hiking at Lily Lake or Long’s Peak and the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.
I found this campground to be well organized, although it was less remote and did not feel like as much of a mountain retreat as many of the outlying camps of the area. The tent area seemed a bit less bustling than the RV section as there was a bit of green space versus the sandy and clay landscape of the RV and cabin area.
Something that really drew me into this campground was the deck spaces which offered elevated viewing of the surrounding. It was a really interesting component which allows you to see a much larger range than the camp itself and created a unique setting for enjoying the mountain breeze on a hot day or gave a nice view of the stars at night.
This location epitomizes the idea of KOA campgrounds offering elevated services such as WIFI, Cable TV connections and a dog park. In addition there is a store which offers a variety of items including propane and firewood.
Since I am a tent camper I really wanted to explore more of the tent area than other areas of the park. I noticed they had both water and electric sites and electric only sites. Each of these accommodate up to 6 people, although I would say that would make me feel a bit to crowded. The tent camps also allow small vans or pop ups in this area.
But here is the BIG KICKER…. The Price!!
Staying in Estes Park and being so close to everything comes at a HUGE price point. To have all the amazing amenities you will pay $53 or $58 for a tent site. To me this is WAY above budget and while it is a prime location the price point is not within reason for me personally. You can stay inside Rocky Mountain National Park at a price point that is half that of this park. You are paying here to be in the community for sure and have the access to the local shops and restaurants.
One special feature that comes along with staying in the area but is not included in the price is one of the best features, the wildlife! It is known that the most likely reason for a traffic jam in Estes Park comes from the elk and Moose in the area randomly hanging out in public spaces. It is not uncommon for them to roam into camp and make their presence known grazing around on any green space they can find. A stay here is a chance with an encounter of something which cannot be purchased in a price point.
Campsites are very close together - you should have seen this place over Fourth of July Weekend! It was packed. It's a bit close to the road for my liking as well. You can tent camp or go in an RV. Location is good - near Estes Park and not far from RMNP.
The park is in Rocky Mountain National Park and it is great. There is tons of wildlife - Elk, Mule Deer, chipmunks, wild birds of all kinds.
We stayed in a tent site but there are RV sites as well.
Beautiful quiet campground but a little hard to get to. Road from the east is much better than from Steamboat Springs. Quiet , well maintained, more suited to car/tent camping. Great views of lake from many sites. Grills, tables, trash and toilets, No water. Went on weeknight in July and it was about 3/4 full
Right on the lake and super close to the west part of the RMNP. The staff was super helpful and they have free showers (with not time limit) and Wi-Fi in the front office area. If you select tent camping though, just know you have to tow your tent in and don’t park next to the spot so not good for vans (have to get an RV spot)
Sites are a bit close together but provide a decent space. Full hookups and tent camping available. Sites are level on gravel and there is a fire ring and picnic table on concrete slab. Must be bear aware and there will be dear and possibly elk walking across the campground. Breathtaking views and sunrises. Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park all there!
We were told by Google that this campground was permanently closed, but we went with The Dyrt's info, and it really panned out. We were the only ones there, it was a short walk down to the Platt (flys and lures only), and the tent site, fire-ring, and picnic table were in top notch condition. Would definitely stay here again.
Walden, Colorado, offers a unique experience for tent campers looking to immerse themselves in nature. With stunning landscapes and a variety of camping options, it's a perfect getaway for outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Walden, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Walden, CO is Walden Reservoir Dispersed Camping with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 55 tent camping locations near Walden, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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