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.
"Came here for my birthday a few years ago, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking—mountains, lake views, the whole deal!"
"Stayed at campsite 18, had great views and nice weather, no water though but there is a lake down the road. 4x4 Required as roads were rough"
"However, proximity to Boulder is a huge plus if you are looking for a quick and easy get away."
"Was desperate to find "something" after driving 11 hours that day, and normal paid camp grounds were full. HOWEVER I was pulling a smaller trailer, and that turned out to be a real issue."
$34 - $40 / night
"Nice big sites, open space without a lot of trees, beautiful views, clean restrooms, showers (pay for) water fill stations, dump station, several restrooms."
"Super close to Denver and offered through the City of Lakewood. The sites are for tent/RV and have electric hookups. Beautiful area."
$24 / night
"Cell service- none (t-mobile) Firewood- none Camp host- none Water - non Toilets- port a potty Fire ring- yes No leveled tent sites- generally flat land."
"Trash and Port a potties are provided. Site is right next to the Platte River. Picnic Table and Fire Ring is provided per site. Very relaxing, great views , and respectful neighbors."
$28 / night
"Nice spot with a metal fire pit (good for stage 1 fire ban), picnic table, and tent pad. Tent pad was big enough to squeeze two 3-person tents and a 6-person tent (barely)."
"This site is surrounded by pine trees, aspens and boulders. Parking is a bit tight and the some of the sites pretty steep. Dude's Fishing Hole is within walking distance."
$28 / night
"If you’re looking for a quick easy weekend camping trip with well maintained trails, you should check this park out. Campsites are a quick walk from the parking lot and vault toilets."
"I brought stoves no bigger than a jetboil/MSR dragonfly. Headlamps are a must. Also, we went in June and July. Check the weather."
$24 / night
"It should be noted the higher up sites are right on the road, and the ones closest to the river are by no means far enough to deafen the road noise."
"Had a nice little hike around the area. My lab loved being able to swim in river. I will make this place my go to place in the middle of the week to get away from the metro area."
$12 / night
"This semi-primitive campsite requires a permit from the Open Space Office of Jefferson County, CO. The permit is free, however you must pick up the permit in person at their offices."
"Great hike in campground. It was our first hike in and we loved it! Spots aren’t too close to each other and there’s great views!"
$12 / night
"Make reservations in person at Jeffco Open Space in Golden - those ladies are the best! Easy drive and a half-mile hike with moderate increase in elevation from parking to tent pads, numbered 1-5."
"The noise isn't bad at all, like your next to a heater running all night.
The spots I stayed at are a bit up the road from the pin, in the curve of the road directly beneath the power lines."
"The road is very rocky and bumpy and requires 4WD."
ScoutMy husband went to this campsite with a group of Scouts and took me and our 1 year old a few weeks later. I had never been backpacking up until this point because I was always intimidated by the experience. This was an excellent "beginner" foray into backpacking!
This semi-primitive campsite requires a permit from the Open Space Office of Jefferson County, CO. The permit is free, however you must pick up the permit in person at their offices. Be prepared with a valid ID. This is a popular campsite for Scout Troops, so calling ahead for availability is a great idea.
There is an exact address available on the website and at the Open Space Office that you can put into your GPS and drive straight to the parking lot of the trailhead.
My husband and I came in through the West Trailhead. It is a 1 mile, easy hike. The first 1/3 of a mile is dirt, the remainder is gravel. It is fairly hilly, but easy enough that we actually opted to push our Jogging Stroller with our kid the entire way (which is very doable) whilst wearing our backpacking gear.
The campsites are well maintained and quite spread out from one another. So although there was a group of scouts, a group of friends, and a bigger youth group who all hiked in, it did not feel crowded or noisy.
We brought our dog, as pets are allowed on a leash. We set up our tent on the graveled pad at each site and boiled up some soup on the provided picnic tables. The website as of 2018 will tell you that fires are permitted in the designated fire rings, however a permanent fire ban has recently been put into place (which is too bad!) and all the fire rings and wood piles have been removed from the area - so really, NO FIRES ALLOWED. The pit toilets are very accessible and clean. It is technically Bear Country, so bear boxes and trash cans are provided for the overall campground.
My favorite thing about our particular campsite (site 15) was the view. At night you can see all the city lights of sprawling Denver, but then have a perfect view of the sunrise in the morning. Witnessing the sunrise from this spot will always be one of my favorite memories. Seriously so amazing!
We hiked out the next morning, simple as that, but realized we had misplaced our car keys...after 2.5 hours of searching and walking back and forth between the campsite and our car, we found our keys in the bottom of our tent. So really, if I could offer one piece of advice, always know where your keys are! Despite this incident, the location was great and the experience worthwhile! And I feel like it gave me a good taste of what to expect when backpacking in the future, which is exactly what I was looking for.
LegendThis campground is set a couple miles down road 550 after all the free recreation area campsites.
The sites are pretty close together but there are well maintained pit toilets as well as a dumpster on site for trash. The surrounding area is filled with hiking and biking trails, including the Colorado Trail.
The campground is over 7k feet of elevation and a lot of trails intersect so make sure you keep track of where you are and what trail you are hiking on for the day. Not many are loops on their own.
There are a couple pit toilets places throughout the campground. Clean fire rings and picnic tables at all the sites.
Keep your eyes out for ticks and mosquitos. We found a couple of ticks on the dogs after they ran through the tall grass and the creek.
Across the road is a creek that is great for water hangouts and light fishing. We were here in May and the weather was about 70 during the day and 35-40 at night with plenty of shade and wind protection. It has sites for RV’s, tent, or van stay.
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!
ScoutLove this place. I’m a new mountain biker and it’s currebtly my favorite trail system to ride. There’s currently a fire ban in most of Colorado, and Buffalo Creek is included. We just got creative with a small lantern so it felt like we were sitting around a fire.🔥The sites are very full on the weekends being so close to Denver, so a few people asked to share. The signage isn’t always clear, make sure you only camp where there’s a site number or it’s a $1K fine! It’s a favorite place, but don’t tell everyone! 😂
ScoutCame here with my roommates in July after only dispersed camping earlier in the summer. Nice spot with a metal fire pit (good for stage 1 fire ban), picnic table, and tent pad. Tent pad was big enough to squeeze two 3-person tents and a 6-person tent (barely). Walking distance to vault toilets. Some nice foresty hikes between Aspen Meadows and Reverend's Ridge. We could see some other campsites but didn't feel too squished. There's an actual parking lot but we just parked next to our campsite, off the road enough to let other cars pass by easily.
ScoutSpent Saturday night and had a great designated spot on one of the points. After 5:00 pm a bunch of campers came and setup camp in non-designated areas. There was a ton of noise and partying continued in a few of the campsites until about 3:30 am. It's a shame because it's such a beautiful spot and close to Denver/Boulder. Also, not may campsites followed "Leave No Trace" as there were empty beer cans and trash all around.
ScoutWe love this campground! We are a family with school aged kids and dogs. We tent camp so there are only a few sites with a good flat spot. No water is a bit of a hassle but manageable. Garbage dumpster is nice but there are bears in the area so be bear aware. The biggest downfall were the biting black flies from the full vault toilet. Final note,.the campground hosts were LOUD: their generator kicked on at 4am every night and they had at least 10 dogs that barked constantly. They were our only neighbor mid-week and they never checked in with us. They swapped out with another host the day we left and the new people were at least friendly. Plenty of shade, plenty of hammock trees, and peaceful mid-week nights. Bring your bug screen and be prepared for rainstorms.
ScoutWe had such a great time at Chatfield! No shortage of sites, even for late arrivers like us. There were bathrooms, a huge fire pit, picnic tables at every site, and nice soft ground for easy staking. No complaints!
TravelerGiven that this is so close to boulder, a ton of people come here. Our campsite definitely had litter laying around which was really sad to see. It is awesome that it's so convenient but I wish people would practice leave no trace. We tried to drive in Friday night and all the campsites were full so some kind people let us share theirs. I'd suggest getting their early to get a good spot!
Tent camping near Watkins, Colorado offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the stunning landscapes of the region. With a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Watkins, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Watkins, CO is Winiger Ridge at Gross Reservoir with a 3.8-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Watkins, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Watkins, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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