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Best Tent Camping near Windsor, CO

1,485 Reviews

Tent camping options abound within striking distance of Windsor, Colorado, with several established tent sites and dispersed areas scattered throughout Larimer County and nearby forests. Horsetooth Mountain Open Space offers a backcountry campground specifically designed for tent campers, with sites that provide views of Horsetooth Reservoir. Hermit Park's Hermits Hollow Campground provides tent camping areas roughly 20 miles west of Windsor near Estes Park, featuring tent pads in a wooded setting.

Sites vary significantly in amenities and access requirements, with many of the more primitive tent locations requiring high-clearance vehicles. Hermits Hollow Campground provides bear boxes, picnic tables, and fire rings at each tent site, while more remote tent camping areas like Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area lack facilities entirely. Vault toilets are available at some established campgrounds, but most dispersed tent areas require campers to bring portable toilets or follow Leave No Trace principles. Fire regulations change seasonally, with many areas implementing fire bans during drier months. Water availability remains limited, with reviewers frequently mentioning the need to pack in all water supplies for tent camping trips.

The heavily wooded sites at Hermits Hollow Campground provide shade and privacy between tent sites, while the backcountry tent areas at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space offer more exposed terrain with scenic views. Many tent campers report weekday visits provide significantly more solitude than weekend trips. One reviewer described the Horsetooth backcountry tent site as "secluded enough so you don't see hikers or bikers. It has a nice view of Horsetooth Reservoir and you are surrounded by the trees/rocks." Dispersed camping areas fill quickly on summer weekends, often reaching capacity by Friday evening. Fall brings cooler temperatures and fewer crowds to the tent sites near Roosevelt National Forest, where campers frequently use walk-in tent areas as bases for day hiking.

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Best Tent Sites Near Windsor, Colorado (42)

    1. Backcountry Campground — Horsetooth Mountain Open Space

    3 Reviews
    Masonville, CO
    15 miles
    +1 (970) 498-5610

    $25 / night

    "This would be a perfect first backpacking trip for beginners! Once you park, you sign in to the backpacking log to the right of the main entrance by the kiosk. The sites are first come first serve."

    "Great sunrises and away from traffic noise tho you may have to deal with a little bit of noise from the hiking trail but other than that horse tooth has 3 back country sites that are perfect. highly recommend"

    2. Boat In Sites — Horsetooth Reservoir

    2 Reviews
    Masonville, CO
    14 miles
    +1 (970) 619-4570

    $30 / night

    "The water also will go from so far above the trees that there is no shade to so far below that you're hoofing your gear 100 yards from the boat in the mud up to your campsite."

    3. Hermits Hollow Campground — Hermit Park

    25 Reviews
    Estes Park, CO
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 577-2090

    $35 / night

    "Best place to camp in Estes Park/Northern Colorado! Wooded sites mean privacy from your neighbors and shade during the day. Vault toilets are very clean, well kept."

    "Very conveniently located, only a short drive into Estes Park. Lots of trails for hiking and biking in the park. Each campsite had a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring."

    4. Lory State Park Backcountry Campsites

    3 Reviews
    Bellvue, CO
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 493-1623

    $18 / night

    "We did a quick overnight backpacking trip to one of the backcountry sites at the top of the Timber trail. It’s a beautiful meadow with wildflowers in the summer."

    "We did a quick overnight backpacking trip to one of the backcountry sites at the top of the Timber trail. It’s a beautiful meadow with wildflowers in the summer."

    5. Gordon Gulch Dispersed Area

    54 Reviews
    Nederland, CO
    44 miles
    Website

    "So the Gordon Gulch dispersed camping area has around 15 numbered sites that are ok... but if you keep driving further down 233.1 you will find many more unnumbered campsites."

    "Prior campers have left some trash, bullet casings and obviously neglected to dig cat holes. After a quick clean up, the site was fine for my purposes."

    6. Allenspark Dispersed Camping

    28 Reviews
    Allenspark, CO
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 295-6600

    "Our spot was near the creek, the sound was beautiful. The only downside was absolutely no cell service."

    "Fire ban was in effect when we went, but lots of fire circles available otherwise. Bring bug spray, the flies are bold."

    7. Allenspark Dispersed Camp Spot

    9 Reviews
    Pinewood Springs, CO
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 295-6600

    "Clear skies at night, but tree cover if you prefer. Quick drive to Estes Park. No Verizon cell service."

    "Spacious site with a fire ring. Easy time finding, just follow all the arrows when there is a fork in the road."

    8. Northern Colorado Farmstead

    Be the first to review!
    Greeley, CO
    13 miles

    $30 - $45 / night

    9. Longs Peak Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    14 Reviews
    Allenspark, CO
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 586-1206

    "The camp sites near the top of Longs Peak in the Boulderfield are worth the long hike (6 miles up steep terrain)."

    "Amazing hikes and plenty of wildlife. The spaces are small but accommodate an RV or a single tent. Bear boxes and toilets close to everything."

    10. Canyon Lakes Ranger District Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Masonville, CO
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 295-6600
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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Windsor, CO

102 Photos of 42 Windsor Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Windsor, CO

1485 Reviews of 42 Windsor Campgrounds

  • C
    Aug. 2, 2018

    Glacier Basin Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Great Campground

    This Rocky Mountain National Park campground is fantastic. I tent camped with my husband for 3 nights in Loop B. We saw tents and all sizes of campers many with families. Our tent site included a nice tent pad, picnic table, fire ring, and a shared bear box. The fire ban had been lifted and we could buy fire wood each evening-and ice cream! Clean bathrooms with flush toilets. This campground is very close to a number of trails. We hiked the Sprague Lake Trail. It’s 2 miles round trip and pretty easy. Breathtaking views. If you don’t hike, you can drive all the way to the Trail Ridge gift shop and cafe at the top. This park fills up quickly-amost 3 million visitors a year-so plan to get started early. We love RMNP. We will be back this fall!

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2021

    Kelly Dahl

    Stark

    Sites:  46   20 sites FCFS

    Reservation:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

    Sites that fit tent, trailers, RV's

    Open Mid May - Mid Oct

    Firewood from camp host, picnic table, fire ring/grill, bear box at tent sites, pit toilet, water, trash, no electric, hookups, dump station or showers

    Sites are very small

    Great sightseeing to check out.  Several historic mining towns and some great hiking trails.  Views of the surrounding mountains are totally amazing.

    AT&T and Verizon service but it is spotty.

    The Mountain Pine beetle is decimating the forest and it is so sad to see.  The forest service is working very hard to keep up with the removal of dead trees and it is creating expansive open area.  The plus side of the removal is for solar.  They are also removing the stumps thank goodness.  Be very careful while walking in the forest for falling limbs or trees.

    Directions:  About four miles south of Nederland, Colorado, on Colorado Highway (CO) 119, watch for the entrance to Kelly Dahl Campground on the east side of the highway at mile marker 22.

    LNT

    Better than when you found it

    Stay safe and happy travels

  • Chad K.
    Aug. 3, 2019

    Moraine Park Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Great campground

    This campground is in the middle of Rocky Mountain NP. Our site was in loop D. The sites are a little packed but give you enough space to spread out. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with a shared bear box. The tent pads are level as d have plenty of shade. The bath rooms have no showers and are a little dated but adequate for a national park. It is centrally locates to bear lake and Estes Park. We will be back.

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2021

    Dowdy Lake Campground

    Reflections

    Status: Open year round 

    Reserve mid spring through September 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov 

    weekend reservations recommended 

    70 sites including 10 walk-in tent 30 sites year round $24.00 tent sites $32.00 electric $64.00 double sites 

    Vault toilets, water during season ,tent sites have bear boxes, picnic table, fire ring/grill, trash no sewer or water hookups The campground has beautiful Ponderosa Pines but the Pine beetle is beginning to take its toil. 

    The back loop closes early fall. all sites have electric except the tent sites. There are 5 double sites. The campground can accept various size rigs. The day use area with a boat ramp and pit toilet with a nice size parking lot. There were a lot of people fishing from the shore. The lake is beautiful with small islands and rock formations. The road to and in the campground is gravel and rather dusty. Potholes 

    Directions: Drive 21 miles north of Fort Collins on US Highway 287. Turn left (west) onto the Red Feather Lakes Road (County 74E) and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right (north) and travel another mile to signed campground entrance on the right.

    LNT

    Better than when you found it 

    Stay safe Happy travels

  • Jessica K.
    Oct. 13, 2018

    Sawmill Hiker Campground

    Easy Backpacking Experience

    My 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.

  • L
    Jul. 16, 2018

    Moraine Park Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Spacious and shaded

    This campground is beautifully designed. The spaces are slightly spread out and staggered to offer more privacy than others in the area. Lots of trees and big rocks to add to the privacy. Very clean facility, with easy access to bathrooms, water and bear boxes. We were very pleased with the quality of the tent space and table. (Technically we tent camped at a site for an RV, but it still has a level tent spot). It was one of the best in the area we have camped at. Also walking distance to a shuttle that will take you to nearby touristy trailheads (like Bear Lake). Only disappointing thing is the full fire ban currently in effect- so no campfire.

  • Judy B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    A quiet oasis in a busy park

    Aspenglen is located just inside the Fall River Entrance Station.  Once you have entered the park it is the first left that takes you down to the Aspenglen campground.  There are a few more trees in this area, so you are more likely to find shade.  There are some sites that are specifically for tents and others that accommodate small to medium RV's.  There are no hookups for electricity or water and cellphone service is mostly non-existent.  The sites are spaced more widely apart than at Glacier Basin.  There are bear boxes to store your food, fire rings, and tables.  Three loops, and some walk-in sites compose the layout.  There was a host at the campground.  They did sell firewood near the check-in post.

  • Isabelle K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 13, 2018

    Upper Chipmunk Backcountry Campsite — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Amazing backpacking campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park!

    I had the fortune of being invited along on a backpacking trip this past weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park. I say fortune in particular because obtaining Wilderness Permits for popular backpacking destinations can be difficult during the high season of tourism at RMNP. Thankfully, my friend had reserved this permit months in advanced so we were all set for our adventure! 

    To get to this campsite, backpackers typically park at the Lawn Lake Trail Head and hike the beautiful Ypsilon Lake trail. The site is located 4.2 miles from the trailhead just past Chipmunk Lake. The hike is moderately strenuous in my opinion, and is made more difficult with a full backpack of course. The approach to the site is all uphill (2100 feet of elevation gain) but that makes the hike out quite easy as your tired legs will be going downhill the entire way! From the campsite, the hike to Ypsilon Lake isn’t far and makes for a great additional day hike once you’ve set up camp. We also pushed on to the higher Spectacle Lakes, which is a very strenuous hike which requires some scrambling and route finding but 100% worth it. From the top there are amazing views of Long’s Peak, Estes Park and the Spectacle Lakes themselves which have the most magnificently glacial blue water. 

    About the campsites-

    There are two designated sites, we stay at the one on the right. At the site there is a designated space for tents which is relatively flat and free of rocks. There is plenty of shade from the dense surrounding pines. No fires are allowed at this site so a camp stove is necessary for cooking. Bear canisters are required and leave no trace ethics should be strictly followed. I was surprised to find that this site also had access to a privy. The privy itself was decently clean and signs indicated that no toilet paper should be thrown into it, although this rule was clearly not being followed as there was a good bit of trash in the toilet. Overall, the site itself was spotless and free of any trash. The views from the site were limited by the trees, but the nearby scenic lakes offer plenty of panoramic views. This is a great backcountry camp site and a fun backpacking trip overall. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone that enjoys the solitude of backpacking and has the time to obtain the necessary permits! 

    For more info, check out this site specific informational PDF: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/upload/019-Upper-Chipmunk-2017-2.pdf

  • Jackie S.
    Jul. 28, 2018

    Aspenglen Campground — Rocky Mountain National Park

    Quiet campground with occasion antlered visitors

    Campsites were nice sized, large food storage cabinets and the comfort station was new and cleaned well. Rangers were very helpful and happily answered questions for our kids. No electric at the campsites and no showers-par for the course at a National Park. Had a great stay

Guide to Windsor

Windsor, Colorado, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for beautiful scenery and recreational activities.

Tips for tent camping near Windsor

Tent campers should check out these amenities

  • South Shore Campground features electric hookups and picnic tables, making it a convenient choice for those who want a bit more comfort.
  • At Hermit Open Space County Park Hermits Hollow, you'll find spacious sites with fire rings and bear boxes for food storage, ensuring a safe and enjoyable stay.
  • Goblin's Forest offers a unique hiking experience with its backcountry sites, although it requires reservations and has strict regulations on food storage.

Tent camping activities near Windsor

  • Enjoy hiking and wildlife viewing at Cache la Poudre River, where you can explore the beautiful river and surrounding nature.
  • For those seeking adventure, Lefthand Canyon OHV Area is perfect for dirt biking and offers great camping spots for thrill-seekers.
  • Experience the tranquility of nature at Allenspark Dispersed Camp Spot, where you can find plenty of space and enjoy the peaceful ambiance by the creek.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Windsor, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Windsor, CO is Backcountry Campground — Horsetooth Mountain Open Space with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Windsor, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 42 tent camping locations near Windsor, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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