Searching for the best camping near Watkins, CO? Watkins is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Watkins, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$28 - $432 / night
"Arapahoe Group Loop has a great pavillion with outdoor kitchen and bathroom. Overall Camper amenities are great and very clean. Many well shaded individual sites are available."
"Very pretty campground with tidy tent spots and on-site bathrooms, showers for rent, and laundry. Very easy to access even from the RTD bus stop."
$36 - $200 / night
"It's very close to Denver, with every amenity you could think Of! This isn't how we usually camp, but after 4 days of driving and hiking we needed this mini oasis!"
"Chatfield State Park is a great mixture of access to the outdoors with availability of many of the benefits of a metro area close by."
"Staff are friendly. Golf cart escorts to your site. Sites are flat but a bit cramped. The laundry, bathroom and showers were clean with nice hot water."
"Highway noise is inevitable. Friendly staff, clean bathrooms/showers. The women's bathroom has very chic mirrors! They have some covered wagons you can rent for the night that looked fun."
"This was our first time staying at Bear Creek Lake. The park is not part of the Colorado Wilds or CPW State Park system, but daily vehicle fees are included with your camping reservation."
"We chose this campground to be close to Red Rocks for a show. We didn’t expect much from it, but we really liked it! Yes– as some reviews say– you can see Home Depot from the campground."
$18 / night
"The campground office restrooms were open, heated and clean. Trash dumpsters were available as were recycling cans. The electric hookups were on."
"The drive from Golden up into the park is beautiful and you truly feel like you are leaving the noise of Denver and the metro behind."
$45 - $65 / night
"Just outside Elizabeth and an easy drive to Colorado Springs area and the Parker/Denver areas."
"Quiet,small,friendly,close to town,walmart,Safeway. A little overpriced, but it's still pretty."
$35 - $55 / night
"The ranger crew is serious about conserving the area’s natural eco system, but still very inviting and kind!"
"There’s no hook ups for water, electric or dump sites although there are water spigots that can be used to fill fresh water. The shower is an outdoor shower."
$50 - $170 / night
"The elite spots are spaced out more and have paved patios with propane fire pits and Adirondack chairs. Spots are level and make set-up easy."
"Propane fire pit looks nice but could not use. Must have a 20 pound tank. Store was closed as we arrived at 5 pm.
Train and traffic noise as expected for location. Lot of stuff for kids."
$28 - $90 / night
"but far enough away from neighbors. We were able to explore easily from our site and my daughter had a great time checking out the campsite."
"Many multiuse trails. Get up early and drive mountain base road...we caught a great view of a moose. Panorama Point had a breath taking view.
Hygiene: Laundry facilities on site."
GuideGreat campground here at this state park. We have always stayed in the Arapahoe Group Loop for holiday weekends. Arapahoe Group Loop has a great pavillion with outdoor kitchen and bathroom. Overall Camper amenities are great and very clean. Many well shaded individual sites are available. Campsites are far from other park amenities like Dog Park, Shooting Range, Marina. Swim beach is a 10 minute walk-able distance from campground. Recommend driving to get around the park.
GuideBeautiful lakeside camping just outside of Denver. Campsites are a bit close together, but great for groups! No hookups here but you have bathroom facilities and a visitor center where you can buy firewood. Campfires allowed in the fire pits. If you have an RV beware quiet hours from 10pm to 8am, no generators allowed. Lake is perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing and you will most likely have phone service if you are with AT&T or Verizon. Many day use areas, however vehicles and individuals are charged. For campers, if you bring more than one vehicle you will be charged daily for any additional ones. No drinking water is available, you must bring your own. Dirt roads to the lake are rough and narrow. Close to Deckers for incidentals. Intersects with the Colorado trail for hiking and biking and close to the Colorado River for tubing!
GuideBase Camp at Golden Gate Canyon is everything you expect it to be and more from the overview! Nestled right in beautiful Colorado, even!& I love camping! Okay, I admit, I love‘camping’ in parks where there are cabins with beds and air! So of course, we stayed in a climate controlled cabin! Reminded me of KOA Campgrounds and similar price except this park is in COLORADO with amazing views and KOA’s are just barely outside of boring iowa/SD cities(the ones we stayed in) the scenic walks were worth it themselves!
But they have all sites, not just cabins, of course.(: I have 3 children and not one of them wanted to leave!!!(Made my sanity go a bit crazy, but says a lot when children stay somewhere for vacation and aren’t complaining and becoming bored before the end!) When we didn’t understand something they jumped to explain without being annoyed or irritated. They really hooked us up there! A little note: in my experience, and I’m sure everyone there is great, but Dillon, especially, took so much time to answer our questions show us around and ensure we had a quality time! He was so kind and has that approachable personality of someone who loves to help others and ensure you have the best possible time!! 10/10 would stop again!
RangerI'll agree with the other posters. Platte River Campground is a great location if you are looking to do some fly fishing. The river is right there and easy access. Or if you want to set up camp here and then drive up/down the road there are tons of fishing spots.
Keep in mind there isn't a store or anything close by so be sure to carry in all you need. I don't recall water on site so better to be safe and carry plenty in.
I went in mid Oct so off season and there was only 2 other campers in the campground. I chose site #8, furthest away from the parking area but also more trees. There was a bit of road noise but not horrible. Was quiet and just a cozy place to stay.
A great site to check out what this campground looks like and how it's laid out is you can check out this video I found useful on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9JPE53Lf4
TravelerWhat a great campground! This is less than an hour from our house, perfect for a quick night away. I'm camping for the first time in decades, hoping to give my toddler a love of the outdoors. Reverends Ridge is perfect for family campers. In spot 86 (Loop I), we were close enough to the flush toilets (yea!) but far enough away from neighbors. We were able to explore easily from our site and my daughter had a great time checking out the campsite. The drive-up site was very clean, the tent pads have nice tie-down points and the fire pit and grill gate were fully operational. We were able to buy wood from the main office. I really appreciated the dishwashing station next to the bathrooms. The campground is about 20 minutes from Nederland, a nice escape for ice cream and the short rain storm that came in during the afternoon.
There were tons of families around and it was very quiet by 10 pm. Not so much the next morning! If you like to sleep in, I would bring some earplugs, there were lots of early risers. But I prefer that to loud music and rowdy groups at night.
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! The Longs Peak Lantern Glamping Tent is a great spot to escape from the city without going too far, and its a great jumping off point to visit Rocky Mountain National Park! Check them out and share some pictures you take on your trip!
GuideWe love to visit Golden Gate Canyon State Park early in the season because it is very busy all summer. This is our second stay at the park in March, and we have had wonderful snow both times.
The Reverends Ridge campground has limited sites available this time of year but is still well maintained. The campground office restrooms were open, heated and clean. Trash dumpsters were available as were recycling cans. The electric hookups were on. There is no water available except in the restrooms.
The campsite (C-35) parking area was plowed open to exactly the width of our trailer, so with more than three feet of snow on the ground we needed to get some exercise and do a bit of shoveling so we could back in and be able to walk along side the trailer and open the door! .More snow was falling as we set up but the scenery was absolutely magical. About 25 yards of more shovel work made it so we could find and dig out both the table and fire pit provided. We had a warming fire going in no time.
Golden Gate is a wildlife paradise and as we worked we could hear Turkeys calling form the trees. We were also graced with the presence of four huge Moose who had taken up residency and were lounging in the snow. In the distance we could hear the yips and howls of coyotes.
Snow graced us for the first of our Friday to Sunday stay, but warmer temperatures arrived Saturday afternoon and the great daytime thaw and evening freeze common to Colorado mountains in springtime began in earnest. This made for some cautious walking around the snow piled nearly everywhere.
One of the great things about this park is the winter activities available on the many trails, and the added benefit of Nederland, Black Hawk, and Central City Colorado being within easy driving distance for some small town amenities if desired. This is a great park, and my wife is wishing to visit when there is no snow! 😎
GuideSpent the weekend with the grandkids and loved it! So many activities and the water park was amazing. We brought the trailer and stayed in a elite site. Also paid to reserve a specific spot.
The elite spots are spaced out more and have paved patios with propane fire pits and Adirondack chairs. Spots are level and make set-up easy.
PROS: Lots of activities; Dog park; Well stocked store; Lots of “comfort stations”; 2 different pool options; Restaurant with bar
CONS: Road noise; Train noise; lots of cars driving around (not super safe for kids biking); the place is huge and walking from place to place is tiring
I recommend you reserve a golf cart. It is easier (and safer) to get to all of the activities. (You also won’t have an 8 year old begging for one all weekend.) They are usually sold out on weekends.
I also recommend reserving a cabana if you’ll be spending time at the water park. Seating and sun cover is at a premium and are staked out early.
Lastly, check out the events before you arrive to be sure you don’t miss anything for the more craft-minded kids.
We have already reserved again for next year…and I reserved both golf cart and cabana. I am angling for grandma of the year.
UPDATE 6/2022: can now confirm that golf carts and cabanas are the way to go! Stayed at site 256. Paved and easy access. Just show up in daylight to save your marriage.
GuideStayed one night to wait out weather in the mountains west. Staff are friendly. Golf cart escorts to your site. Sites are flat but a bit cramped. The laundry, bathroom and showers were clean with nice hot water. The have pizza delivery to your site-- which on a day that was 36 degrees with icy rain, was a welcome treat! The town has a basic commercial street with a gas station, liquor store, and coffee shop. There's a bar and grill across from the campground also. I wouldn't call it a destination, but more than served its purpose for the night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Watkins, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Watkins, CO is Cherry Creek State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 49 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Watkins, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 glamping camping locations near Watkins, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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