Best Glamping near White River National Forest

This became a favorite car camping spot of mine while living in Vail, Colorado. The lake is situated in White River National Forest and is accessible only for a few months during the summer via Red Sandstone Road. I have seen 2wd sedans drive up this road, however I would definitely recommend something with high clearance and 4wd if possible as the roads up there are not well maintained. There are plenty of first come, first serve USFS campsites near the lake, additionally there are quite a few service roads off of Red Sandstone Road that provide access to miles of additional dispersed campsites. It is hard to find a spot to camp without a breathtaking view of the Gore Range from Piney. In addition to camping, there are hiking trails near the lake and the privately owned Piney River Ranch offers horseback riding, boat rentals, fishing, a restaurant, and other lodging options. This area is also known for the moose that frequent the area, be sure to keep your distance if you are lucky enough to spot one! If you are interested in camping at Piney in the early summer or fall, you may first want to call the Minturn Ranger’s Station at 970-827-5715 to check on the closure status of Red Sandstone Road.

This campground is located in the town of Frisco, CO, but feels like being in the wilderness. Shopping and restaurants are 10 minutes from the Campground. Very clean campground. This is the only campground around Lake Dillon with flush toilets and sinks. There is walk up access to the lake for kayaks and paddle boards. A few camp sites have direct access to the lake. This campground is part of the White River National Forest and is managed by CLM with 2 camp host couples on site who are very helpful. Make reservations in advance, especially for weekends, because it fills up quickly.

Halfmoon Campground is located at the end of Notch Mountain Rd (forest Rd 707) near Minturn, CO in White River National Forest. It has the essentials - fire pits, picnic tables, vault toilets, and lots of shade. However, I found the dispersed campsites on the way up to the campground more desirable - they were free, had a view, and had no neighbors. Dispersed camping is allowed along 707 within 300 ft of the road centerline. There are maybe 10- 20 sites - you can see the fire rings from the road. I chose a site about 2/3 the way up the road in a clearing with a view of the mountains across the valley. I could see the back side of Vail Ski Resort from there. The best part about the site were the stars at night - I saw multiple shooting stars. One thing that wasn't so great was the proximity to the road. I wouldn't say the road was busy, but a car does drive by occasionally. Especially early in the morning, because there are trailheads at the end of the road by the campground. You can hike to the summit of Mt of the Holy Cross or to various lakes from there.

Sites were a bit close together but it was still in a beautiful area right on the river. We were very jealous of site #7 it was by far the best of them. On the river, and backed up to trees and a rock face and the most secluded. The rest were sort of out in the open. Definitely far from help so bring some bear spray because we would see some recent bear activity and no cell service. Each site has a food locker which was very convenient along with a fire ring and a picnic table. The grounds had vault toilets but it was very very clean. Lots to do around white river national forest and I would stay here again!

Located 15 miles south of Eagle off of I-70 in the White River National Forest sits Sylvan Lake State Park. This has definitely been our favorite camping spot since moving here a little over 2 months ago. We camped right on the lake next to the boat ramp (no motorized boats allowed) and the bathhouse. At 8,500 ft the weather can change fast so be prepared especially with rain gear and warm close. The sites that are lake front are a little close together which would be my only complaint but for seclusion literally walk away in any direction. Paddle boarding and fishing were by far the most popular things to do on the lake but we stuck to hiking . There's a trail that follows the lake shore around that is also bike friendly, there's also the West Brush Creek Trail which is in the park and a number of gulch trails in between Sylvan lake and Eagle. On your way out of town be sure to stop in Eagle at the Red Canyon Cafe and Bonfire Brewing for a bite to eat and refreshments!

Just a few miles off I-70, in Frisco, CO, is the location of Peak One Campground. This is a very clean campground, and the only one around Lake Dillon with flush toilets and sinks. Frisco shopping and restaurants are only 10 minutes away and Summit Medical Center is 5 minutes. Even with the town being so close, when in the Campground it feels like being miles from everything. This campground is part of the White River National Forest and is run by CLM with two camp host couples living in the campground. There is walk up access to Lake Dillon for kayaks and paddle boards, and a few campsites have direct access to the lake. This is a very busy campground so it is best to reserve a spot on-line. Walk up sites are rare, especially on weekends.

This campground is conveniently located off of I-70 just a few miles from Glenwood Springs in No Name, CO. The staff are pleasant and the office was very clean with some cute souvenirs available for purchase.

This place is EXPENSIVE. It is not worth the nightly rate. You are paying for the proximity to town and if you reserved a waterfront site, the view. The campsites are tiny, so be prepared to back your travel trailer into a tight spot and make friends with your neighbors. You will be in their campsite while setting up your rig and vice versa.

The No Name Grill & Bar was still closed when we were here (May ‘21), which was not disclosed on their site. The WiFi is a single unsecured access point near the laundry/bath house that did not work. There is no WiFi available in the actual campground. We had 2 bars of cell coverage on AT&T. Laundry is pricey too; $4/load for washer and $3/load for dryer. There is no vending for detergent or dryer sheets, so pack accordingly.

As beautiful as it was to be right next to the Colorado river, this place is not at all worth the cost. Save your money and drive the 90 miles to Grand Junction or Fruita for more affordable campgrounds with better amenities.

The Deep Lake area of Flat tops Wilderness offers a variety of scenic hikes and drives as well as 4x4 trails and great lake fishing. The drive up to this area is up a dirt road about 10 miles, the road can be a beat beat up in areas. I blew a tire on my truck on the way up. Other than that the drive up is very scenic, you will pass the deep creek overlook and can see Aspen, Beaver Creek, and Vail Ski Resorts all in the same view.

The campgrounds are very large and spaced out. We went with a large group, 5 cars and many tents and had plenty of room. Some site are able to accommodate an RV or trailers. Sites vary between open and exposed to set against the forest for shaded. Restrooms were located fairly close to our spot and i remember it being one of the cleanest vault toilets i have ever used! Each spot also has a metal fire pit with a grill over top.

Like i mentioned earlier the Deep Lake area is a great base camp to go out and explore. You will find many people driving off road vehicles around. The fishing in the lake is also very good, the Forest Service stocks the lake every year. Lastly the campground sits at 10.500 ft so it does gets chilly up there even in the middle of summer.