Searching for the best camping near Idaho Springs, CO? Idaho Springs 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.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple campgrounds, cabins, yurts, RV sites, group sites, and a guest house.
From Memorial Day to early October, there are 132 campsites in two campgrounds: Reverend’s Ridge and Aspen Meadow.
Reverend’s Ridge offers 38 tent sites and 59 sites with electrical hook-ups. Facilities at Reverend’s Ridge include flush toilets, shower, ice machine, laundry facilities, and a dump station.
Aspen Meadow offers 35 tent sites and vault toilets.
As of January 1, 2019 both campgrounds will be Reservation Only.
Golden Gate also offers 20 backcountry tent sites and four backcountry shelters. Our backcountry sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis year-round. Please register for backcountry sites at the Visitor Center.
$18 - $90 / night
Located just south of Littleton, about 45 minutes south of Denver, Chatfield State Park is a 5,800-acre nature preserve and recreation area situated around the Chatfield Reservoir. Before the 1960s, there was no reservoir, and the South Platte River flowed freely through the wide valley. But after several disastrous flooding incidents, the Chatfield Dam was constructed on the river to prevent further damage to local homes and farms. The land around the new reservoir was developed into a recreation area, and the state park was opened to the public in 1975. The dam and park are named for Isaac W. Chatfield, who served as a Lieutenant of the Union in the Civil War. After the war, he migrated west and farmed this land along the Platte until the late 1800s. With its proximity to the wider Denver metro area and suburbs, Chatfield State Park is the place to go to get outdoors and beat the summer heat. Campers at Chatfield State Park have access to nearly 200 tent and RV campsites in four loops. The majority of sites are equipped with full hookups, with the rest having electrical hookups. Parking pads are both back-in and pull-through, and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 45 feet. Some sites are ADA accessible. All campsites have picnic tables, cooking grills and tent pads, and have access to drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers, and laundry facilities; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. There is also a group camp area with 10 sites that can accommodate up to 36 people each. Most sites are open and grassy, with minimal shade; all are within a short walking distance to the reservoir. Park residents include deer, elk, foxes, prairie dogs, songbirds, eagles, owls, snakes and salamanders. For water fun, there’s swimming, paddling, water-skiing, and fishing on the reservoir. Boaters have access to two launch ramps, and anglers can fish on the lake or from the fishing piers for walleye, rainbow trout, bass, perch and sunfish. During the winter season, trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and ice fishing is a popular pastime.
$36 - $41 / night
Five miles north of Nederland, National Forest System Road (NFSR) 226, commonly known as Gordon Gulch, turns east off of Colorado Highway 72. NFSR 226 intersects other forest roads: NFSR 314, 228, 233 and their off-shoots. There are 15 numbered, designated campsites scattered along the road system within 1.5 miles east of Highway 72. Camping is permitted in designated sites only. Take care when driving in this area. Snow and mud can persist through most of the year. The free Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System (NFS) routes open to motorized travel and is available online and at the Boulder Ranger District offfice.
Streams; treat water for drinking.
The Indian Paintbrush Campground is located within the county-run Bear Creek Lake recreation area outside Denver, CO. In close proximity to the city of Denver and popular tourist destinations like Red Rocks amphitheater, the Bear Creek Lake Park camping blends urban and rural qualities to make one of the finest camping destinations around Denver. The campground has 47 campsites, 3 cabins, 2 yurts and 1 group site.
$35 - $65 / night
Situated between the mountains of Summit County and the bustling excitement of Denver. 141 full-service and premium sites available year round are level and paved. Pull-through and back-in sites are both available.
At an elevation of 9,000 feet, Prospector Campground is in the heart of Summit County in the White River National Forest. The sites offer open views to Dillon Reservoir and several mountain ranges, an ideal setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation. Due to the pine beetle infestation and removal of hazard trees, there is little or no shade in the campground.
Dillon Reservoir, often referred to as Lake Dillon, is the greatest draw to this campground. At 3,233 acres and 26.8 miles of shoreline, Dillon Reservoir is an ideal spot for fishing, boating, and sailing. The reservoir supports a healthy population of rainbow trout and brown trout. Occasionally, a few cutthroat trout make their way into the lake from feeder streams. Opportunities for hiking and biking include more than 7 paved miles of the 50-mile Summit County trail system. From the reservoir, the Old Dillon Reservoir trail is a favorite. This short, easy trail has spectacular views of the Tenmile Range and the Continental Divide. The Old Dillon Reservoir was built in the 1930s to supply water to the original town of Dillon, which is now covered by the new Dillon Reservoir. For those wanting a bit more solitude, hiking in the Ptarmigan Wilderness area is a wonderful escape from the crowds.
Prospector Campground has 105 sites, able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs. Roads and spurs are not paved. The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. No electrical hook-ups are available. Firewood is for sale from hosts at the campground. Boat ramp access is available in the marinas located in the nearby towns of Frisco and Dillon.
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting 8 wilderness areas, 4 defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges and bull elk bugle at dusk. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan. These species, along with many others, depend on surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams, and diverse forests to live.
For facility specific information, please call (801) 226-3564.
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain ski resorts are all located within 10 miles from Dillon Reservoir. These resorts stay open year round.
Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
$26 - $28 / night
Clear Creek RV Park is owned and operated by the City of Golden and is located at 1400 10th Street. It offers a relaxed country-like setting within walking distance of historic downtown Golden.
The RV park is open year-round, equipped with 22 full hook-ups, 11 50-amp electric only, 3 tent campsites, large clean restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and a dump station
Come for quiet seclusion along the banks of Clear Creek, with easy access to downtown via the Clear Creek Trail.
Situated in the heart of Golden with scenic views and the bubbling sounds of Clear Creek, the Clear Creek RV Park is the perfect getaway. Outdoor adventures await steps from your RV site including hiking trails, kayaking, tubing, fishing, parasailing, biking and more!
Take a short stroll to historic downtown Golden, world class restaurants, shopping and cultural activities.
Majority of our guests are repeat visitors!
If you have any questions, our friendly and knowledgeable staff is here to help!
$32 - $80 / night
Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple campgrounds, cabins, yurts, RV sites, group sites, and a guest house.
From Memorial Day to early October, there are 132 campsites in two campgrounds: Reverend’s Ridge and Aspen Meadow.
Reverend’s Ridge offers 38 tent sites and 59 sites with electrical hook-ups. Facilities at Reverend’s Ridge include flush toilets, shower, ice machine, laundry facilities, and a dump station.
Aspen Meadow offers 35 tent sites and vault toilets.
As of January 1, 2019 both campgrounds will be Reservation Only.
Golden Gate also offers 20 backcountry tent sites and four backcountry shelters. Our backcountry sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis year-round. Please register for backcountry sites at the Visitor Center.
$18 - $90 / night
Located just south of Littleton, about 45 minutes south of Denver, Chatfield State Park is a 5,800-acre nature preserve and recreation area situated around the Chatfield Reservoir. Before the 1960s, there was no reservoir, and the South Platte River flowed freely through the wide valley. But after several disastrous flooding incidents, the Chatfield Dam was constructed on the river to prevent further damage to local homes and farms. The land around the new reservoir was developed into a recreation area, and the state park was opened to the public in 1975. The dam and park are named for Isaac W. Chatfield, who served as a Lieutenant of the Union in the Civil War. After the war, he migrated west and farmed this land along the Platte until the late 1800s. With its proximity to the wider Denver metro area and suburbs, Chatfield State Park is the place to go to get outdoors and beat the summer heat. Campers at Chatfield State Park have access to nearly 200 tent and RV campsites in four loops. The majority of sites are equipped with full hookups, with the rest having electrical hookups. Parking pads are both back-in and pull-through, and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 45 feet. Some sites are ADA accessible. All campsites have picnic tables, cooking grills and tent pads, and have access to drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers, and laundry facilities; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. There is also a group camp area with 10 sites that can accommodate up to 36 people each. Most sites are open and grassy, with minimal shade; all are within a short walking distance to the reservoir. Park residents include deer, elk, foxes, prairie dogs, songbirds, eagles, owls, snakes and salamanders. For water fun, there’s swimming, paddling, water-skiing, and fishing on the reservoir. Boaters have access to two launch ramps, and anglers can fish on the lake or from the fishing piers for walleye, rainbow trout, bass, perch and sunfish. During the winter season, trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and ice fishing is a popular pastime.
$36 - $41 / night
Five miles north of Nederland, National Forest System Road (NFSR) 226, commonly known as Gordon Gulch, turns east off of Colorado Highway 72. NFSR 226 intersects other forest roads: NFSR 314, 228, 233 and their off-shoots. There are 15 numbered, designated campsites scattered along the road system within 1.5 miles east of Highway 72. Camping is permitted in designated sites only. Take care when driving in this area. Snow and mud can persist through most of the year. The free Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System (NFS) routes open to motorized travel and is available online and at the Boulder Ranger District offfice.
Streams; treat water for drinking.
The Indian Paintbrush Campground is located within the county-run Bear Creek Lake recreation area outside Denver, CO. In close proximity to the city of Denver and popular tourist destinations like Red Rocks amphitheater, the Bear Creek Lake Park camping blends urban and rural qualities to make one of the finest camping destinations around Denver. The campground has 47 campsites, 3 cabins, 2 yurts and 1 group site.
$35 - $65 / night
