Papa's J.
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GuidePiñon Campground — Lathrop State Park
🤙 Colorado
Nice campground, clean Facilities 🤟
Tent Camping near Wetmore, CO
29 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Phantom Canyon Road offers multiple dispersed tent camping areas in the BLM lands southwest of Wetmore, Colorado, along a scenic gravel road that follows a creek. Davenport Campground provides established tent sites with some amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. Both locations offer distinctly different tent camping experiences within reasonable driving distance from Wetmore in the San Carlos Ranger District of the Pike National Forest.
Most tent sites at Phantom Canyon Road are primitive with no services or amenities beyond occasional fire rings. The gravel road is generally well-maintained but higher clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing some of the more secluded sites. Sites vary from roadside pull-offs to more secluded spots requiring short walks to reach creekside locations. A visitor commented, "We found an amazing camp site that was down a slope. We parked up top and lugged everything down the slope. It was tough but so worth it." Pack-in water is essential as no potable water exists on site. Vault toilets are located at limited locations along the canyon road.
In contrast, Davenport Campground offers walk-in tent sites with more established amenities. Each site includes a fire pit with grill and picnic table, and some sites feature log shelters over the tables. According to one camper, "It has a couple of sites with shelter. Picnic tables are big and heavy. Site 9 has a shelter and is close to parking lot and toilet." The sites are relatively close together but remain peaceful with creek access nearby. A hand pump for water is available but slow to use. The campground provides clean vault toilets and is located on a maintained Forest Service road. Sites at both locations fill quickly on summer weekends, with Phantom Canyon offering better options for last-minute tent campers seeking seclusion in the rugged high desert terrain.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Wetmore (29)
1. Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites
"Driving down to this campsite I was happy to have a small car because the road is very narrow to say the least. I cannot imagine the feeling of driving a large rig here."
"We arrived the Phantom Creek Road around 4:30pm. 10miles and 30 minutes later we found our spot."
2. Davenport Campground
"Good tent sites. Have to carry gear to camp site but only shoeRt hike to campsite. Maybe 50 yards. Has a couple of sires with shelter. Picnic tables are big and heavy."
"Has a fire pit with grill, picnic table, and sites 2, 5, and 9 have the log covering. The sites are pretty close together, but we had no problem with our neighbors."
from $25 / night
Check Availability3. Ophir Creek Road
"It’s an easy drive from Westcliff. Too easy. I expected crowds of out of state tourists and maybe a few locals."
"Plus you can hear the traffic from the highway but again not enough to disrupt anything."
4. Tricki's (Travis and Vicki) Glamping under the stars
"We're happy to have this property on our platform. Check them out and come back here to leave them some love!"
from $50 - $200 / night
Check Availability5. Phantom Canyon
"I’m a rooftop tent camper and the views are amazing but was hoping to be close to the water and isolated from other campers."
"It is in a canyon so you won't have any cell phone signal, though I had my Starlink set up and it worked flawlessly. We will go back, and I hope to get that spot before any other!"
6. Greenhorn Meadows Park
"We found GMP in Colorado City and was told they never turn away a tenter. There are a number of spots aligned below a bluff, and a large open field for additional tents."
"Well spaced and shaded sites. Bath house is far from most of the primitive sites. The showers are clean and the water is hot."
7. Phantom Canyon Road Pull-Off
"Every summer I go on a road trip , camping ,backpacking and visiting national parks , while driving through Colorado we drove through phantom canyon road and we stopped about 20 times through our drive"
8. Oil Well Flats
"Did the shelf trail from cripple creek to canon city. Was good place to camp for the night quite a few spots, flat, big. Amazing views! Incline getting up to isn’t bad, TT’s might have some trouble."
9. Lone Duck Campground and Cabins
"Our site had grass, shade, a picnic table, and a fire ring - everything you need for a basic campsite."
"Lone Duck Campground was a good home base for us during our visit to Colorado Springs. The campground is several miles down from Woodland Park and about the same down to Manitou and the Springs."
from $40 - $87 / night
Check Availability10. Hummingbird Ranch
"My husband was a little concerned when we left the highway for a dirt county road, but his concerns quickly changed as we enjoyed the beauty and wonder of the Colorado mountains!"
"Lots of open meadows with some tree/big bushes for shade. Clean showers!"
from $30 - $33 / night
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Drive Time
- 34 min from Pueblo, CO
- 1 hr 3 min from Colorado Springs, CO
- 1 hr 55 min from Denver, CO
- 2 hrs 18 min from Boulder, CO
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Wetmore, CO
90 Photos of 29 Wetmore Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
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Tent Camping Reviews near Wetmore, CO
1115 Reviews of 29 Wetmore Campgrounds
Daniel H.
ScoutMountaindale Cabin & RV Resort
Great spot for relaxing weekend getaway for our family. Plenty of room for the kids to explore and they even had a blow up bouncy house for them during the day. Hot tub under the stars at evening time. Very clean bathrooms!
Juliana J.
RangerPhantom Canyon
Love a little history/camping combo!
Cool spot. I like there were different sized spots and a clearly marked line where a 4WD/AWD vehicle is needed and no large rigs. I found a spot that was visible by the road, but there was water access and cool surroundings. The main road was well paved, but turning into my site was a bit rough and I needed the 4WD. There were large animal (I assume black bear) prints to give that extra bit of camping excitement, but no actual sitings (one day, Juliana. One day). Some mosquitos but not overwhelming. The scenery was gorgeous. Definitely a bit desert-esque but it was legitimately perfect weather in mid September. Cool creek rocks and a stunner of a sunset. Would absolutely return again. No numbered sites. Toilets about 1/4 mile beyond the drive through boulder.
Lauren P.
TravelerFive Points Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Very close to the highway
Basic amenities, but clean and easy to find. The campsite is very close to the highway, so if you're looking for something more off the beaten path, keep looking. However, if you just need a place to sleep with great views, this is a solid spot. We saw bighorn sheep and even heard what sounded like a bobcat possibly mountain lion at night.
Shannon F.ScoutPikes Peak RV Park
New owner are not good people
I want to start on a positive because that is the type of person I am, and because this review is going to have a lot of negative. This park is a great location for sightseeing, especially if you are going to Pikes Peak by way of the Cog or shopping in Manitou. My GM and I worked hard to make the park as great as we could with the very little funding that we got. As seen in the reviews we had excellent customer service and had high standards for keeping the park clean. I was very good at my job and I loved doing the work until the new owners took over. When the park was sold, we had high hopes that the new owners would be good people and want to put real work into the park. We were very disappointed that they turned out to be money grubbing horrible people. Ken, one of the owners, treats people and his business very Trump like. He and his wife must state that they are religious more than a few times when having a conversation; I personally think this is to make themselves look good to cover the toxicity that truly lies under the surface. When they meet people, they put on a façade and lie and say whatever they think people want to hear to get what they want; proven to me by the broken verbal promises they made to me. They are not community driven; they are money driven; you can make money and still be good people, but they chose not to be. They practice wage theft just like big corporations by over working employees and under paying them; in their words“you must wear all hats”. They are the type of people that use others until they don’t need them then throw them away like garbage. I was bullied into quitting on a phone call where Ken was very disrespectful and unprofessional with me. The phone call was me trying to explain that I could no longer do the FB post due to our deferent ethical viewpoints, and he would not let me talk by saying“you are not doing your job, are you going to quit” repeatedly. I found out that I was not allowed to post about Manitou Pride parade because he said,“it is not family friendly, and the company and I do not promote the LGBTQ+ community”. I am a proud member of that community and so I should not be the one to post on FB for the company. The groundman quit a day later because of disrespect and broken verbal promises. Then a few days later my boyfriend was fired and then Sheryl the GM was fired.(I believe they were fired for retaliation) Ken only wants employees that are easy to exploit or controlled, because he is incapable of managing people without fear and bullying. He boasted that he is called the grim reaper in business, but I don’t think that is the flex he thinks it is. But yes, he was the destruction of the community we put so much work into. I also want to voice my disappointment in Dana, who Sheryl worked hard getting to be allowed to come back as an employee. Dana did great work her first summer with us, so it was a shock to see her true colors show when she started to brown nose Ken. She spread multiple rumors, I feel the worst one was about Melinda’s daughter and the things she wrote about in her diary. I also did not like how she used David, the guy that does the golfcart tours in Manitou, was nice to his face then talked so badly about him when he was not around. I truly think Jesue and her father would be ashamed of her for how she acted to get her new position.
- DDuane H.Guide
Piñon Campground — Lathrop State Park
Nice place place for overnight
I got in about 3 and had no trouble getting a site on Monday. I was escaping the wind. Not crowded and plenty of room for big rigs and me.
Keith P.ScoutWillow Creek Trail
Small pullouts along road
Easy access with a Honda. Chilly nights
- KKurt R.Traveler
Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park
One of my Favorite Places
Great camp with several trails starting there. Set back from the dunes by a short trail, but that gets you away from the crowd at the main parking area.
Go barefoot on the sand!
- VVincent V.Scout
Red Canyon Park
Great secluded spot
Found a great spot a bit further in surrounded by Juniper trees and a bit of grassy patches and rock fire pit. Love the open space and secluded spots! Definitely not ideal for the cacti. Our pup ended up sniffing one and got the needles in her muzzle. 😬 Weather is pretty nice with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s
Guide to Wetmore
Tent camping near Wetmore, Colorado places campers at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 9,000 feet in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Summer temperatures typically range from 45°F at night to 85°F during the day, with afternoon thunderstorms common in July and August. Access to many dispersed sites requires driving on unmaintained dirt roads with limited cell service throughout the region.
What to do
Tunnel exploration along Phantom Canyon: The historic tunnels on Phantom Canyon Road provide unique photo opportunities and glimpses into mining history. "The drive to the campsites was amazing... The tunnels were also super cool to go under. I highly recommend this sight to everyone! Especially families!" notes a camper at Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites.
Trout fishing in mountain creeks: Bring fishing gear to catch trout in the streams running alongside many campsites. At Red Canyon Park, one visitor mentions, "Beautiful Creek... The rush go by all night let's just sleep so good." Many creek access points require short hikes from designated parking areas.
Stargazing away from light pollution: The remote setting offers exceptional night sky viewing, especially during meteor showers. A camper at Hummingbird Ranch reported, "My girlfriend and I came here to watch the Perseid meteor shower and it did not disappoint. We had the place to ourselves and a great view of the stars."
What campers like
Secluded creek-side campsites: Many campers value the privacy of sites tucked away from main roads. "Stayed for the weekend, found a place tucked back away from the road and felt completely secluded from the world. No service, no noise, just the sound of the creek and an occasional car driving by," writes a visitor to Phantom Canyon.
Sheltered picnic tables at established sites: Several campgrounds offer covered eating areas for protection from sun and rain. A camper at Davenport Campground noted, "Great campground! Clean bathrooms. Site 2 where we stayed had a covered shelter with picnic table."
Car-free camping zones for families with children: Some locations offer spots where vehicles remain separated from tent areas. One reviewer highlighted, "We didn't have to worry about them being near the roads" when describing their setup away from traffic.
What you should know
Insect preparation is essential: Biting flies can be numerous in summer months along waterways. "The worst and only bad part was the insane amount of biting flies. It was unbearable at times and our dogs were very stressed from them all over them. Bring those fly bags that attract them away from you unless you're prepared to get eaten up," warns a camper at Phantom Canyon Road.
Limited water access at most sites: Many dispersed sites require bringing all water supplies. "Wish it hadn't been dry because there wasn't any water nearby," notes a camper. Established campgrounds may have slow hand pumps with visitors reporting they "take forever to get water from."
Severe temperature swings: Pack for both hot days and cold nights regardless of season. At Red Canyon Park, a visitor observed, "Gets warm during the day but it does get pretty cold at night."
Tips for camping with families
Select sites with natural boundaries: Look for spots with geographical features that keep young explorers contained. "Great to utilize this if you have young children who like to wander. We didn't have to worry about them being near the roads," advises a Phantom Canyon camper.
Plan for limited cell service: No connectivity means advance planning for emergencies. "It is a canyon so you won't have any cell phone signal," notes a camper, while another mentions, "There is no Verizon cellular for miles." Download offline maps before arrival.
Choose campgrounds with designated trails: Some sites offer immediate access to hiking opportunities suitable for children. At Davenport Campground, a visitor mentioned, "Trail right off campgrounds is an easy, beautiful hike."
Tips from RVers
Vehicle clearance considerations: Many access roads present challenges for larger vehicles. "It took us three attempts to get our overweight 2-wheel drive van up the hill and back onto the road. There are a lot of loose rocks," cautions a visitor to Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites.
Leveling requirements at dispersed sites: Prepare with blocks for uneven terrain. A camper at Oil Well Flats noted, "Needed leveling blocks but saw several occupied sites more level."
Timing arrival for site selection: Sites fill quickly during peak seasons, particularly weekends. "Always visit during the week, weekends spots are gone," advises a regular camper to the area, while another notes, "Just get there on a weekday or all of the off the road spots will be taken up."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Wetmore, CO?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wetmore, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wetmore, CO is Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites with a 4.6-star rating from 40 reviews.
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Wetmore, CO?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Wetmore, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 29 tent camping locations near Wetmore, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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