Best Glamping near Woodland Park, CO

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: COLORADO CAMPGROUND PIKE NATIONAL FOREST

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/colorado-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70684

Colorado Campground is one of several campgrounds less than 10 miles north of the city of Woodland Park off Route 67 in the Pike National Forest.

Situated at 7800 feet elevation, even summer nights get cool. Nearby 5 acre Manitou Lake is a trail walk away. You can toss your canoe or kayak in, but unless you are simply trout fishing, it’s tiny size doesn’t offer much variation.

Numerous foot trails lead into the National Forest, offering wonderfully quiet hikes and exploration.

There are 81 sites available, but some are adjacent to highway 67, so periodic road noise will be heard. The ponderosa pines assist in muffling highway noise.

Neighboring sites are visible across the entire campground, but they are situated in such a way that you are not directly on top of each other.

The back loop sites are larger and set deeper (Site 19, 20,21, 22, 23) which are my choice. Sites can be secured on www.recreation.gov. There are double sites which garner double fees. At the time of this review, sites are $23.00 nightly (a bit pricey for no showers or modern facilities). When there during the week, not including the host and groundskeeper, only four sites were filled. Most sites were reserved for weekends and upcoming Labor Day holiday.

No RV/Campers over 36 ft permitted. Parking pads are gravel, a few are pull-through. Sites are non-electric with no hookups…no showers Water spigots, metal trash containers and pit latrines are spaced out through the campground. Each site has one stationary picnic table and a fire pit. Most sites appeared fairly level. No specific tent pad locations.

With the towering ponderosa pines, there is ample shade.

Plenty of trails permit mountain biking as well as the paved centennial bike path that runs along highway 67 from Woodland Park 15 miles north…that you can walk, in-line, cycle and even ebike.

You have plenty of local activities to keep you busy, including the Red Rocks a couple miles south…or drive east on Rt 24 to Pikes Peak, or further into Manitou Springs for the Incline, Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Garden of the gods and more!

Just six miles south into Woodland Park offers every food or shopping option.

All in all, a nice, clean campground in a great location.

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. We were out and about during the days, but Lone Duck was nice to return to each afternoon.

Reservations were easy to do online. They had the site ready for us when we arrived.

Site 45 was great for our pop up. If we had our 30’ trailer, we wouldn’t have had room for our truck. The site is right next to a lovely stream that really drowned out any road noise. We slept great with the white noise the stream produced. Our site had a picnic table and fire pit (with grill grate). We had water and 30/20 amp electric.

The bathrooms/showers were in the main office. The men’s restroom had a couple of stalls and three showers. They were sufficient for me. The women’s restroom was small and cramped according to my wife. It appears the floors and walls had been coated with a garage floor or bed-liner material. It wasn’t the most appealing but again was sufficient. We did use the laundry room and all machines worked fine.

There is a store, small dining area, and arcade in the main office along with the restrooms and laundry room. Wifi was hit or miss from the campsites. It was better inside the office. The check in staff was aware of the wifi and mentioned they were working on it. (We weren’t here for the internet so again, not an issue for us).

The kids did swim in the pool. The water was warm and they seemed to enjoy playing with other kiddos there. There is a small playground next to the pool and fishing pond. Kids played there frequently until quiet hours.

There are a few small cabins on the grounds and separate sections of the park for tents. There are houses just across the stream from our site but we never heard from or noticed any of the neighbors.

There is quite a bit of greenery throughout the campground. I thought the place could use a mowing or weed eating, but maybe it’s normal to have local grasses/plants left alone to grow.

As others have mentioned it is a bit tricky getting in and out. If you leave toward Woodland Park, you’ll have to cross a couple of lanes and make u-turn. Same thing of your coming to the campground from Manitou. You’ll make a u-turn.

Overall, we liked the place and would stay again.

RANGER REVIEW: The New Gregory Endo 15 Mtn Bike Hydration Pack at Painted Rocks Campground, Woodland Park, Colorado.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Painted Rocks Campground

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/painted-rocks/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70685

Painted Rocks Campground is located roughly six miles from Woodland Park off Route 67 on County Road 78 at 7800 feet elevation. Painted Rocks is considered rustic, in that it only offers centralized water and pit latrines (no electric, modern restrooms nor showers).

Painted Rocks Campground has two small grassy meadow loops…an upper (to the right) and a lower (to the left) as you enter the small campground proper. Each loop has one water spigot, one trash dumpster and one male/female pit latrine.

The upper loop to the right has eleven (11) sites and the lower loop to the left has seven (7) sites. Each site has one picnic table (buried and unmovable), and one metal fire pit. All sites have gravel/dirt parking spurs of varying length. The upper loop appeared to have shorter parking spurs and some were tent only. Site 9 has a 30’+ parking and very spacious for multiple tents. Most sites have Ponderosa pines, but some more than others. Site 9 had great hammocking trees. Picnic tables are large and in good shape. Pit latrines were very clean and stocked.

BrIef campground vIdeo revIew: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EjjNdSZg868

All sites are visible, line of site but are spread out enough to feel spacious and not “on top of each other.” County road 78 is not heavily traveled but you can both see and hear vehicles traveling by. It should also be noted that County road 78 is also dirt, so vehicles kick up dust…depending on wind direction…roadside sites will be coated with a fine layer.

There is a host immediately to your left upon entering the campground…who also sells firewood. A ban was in effect upon my visit. When the host is “off duty” you can self register or register online (recreation.gov). Cost is $23 nightly.

Note that the sole Campground sign on route 67 is small, thin and easily missed. Coming from Woodland Park you’ll pass Red Rocks Group Campground (more on that later), South Meadows Campground on your left and Colorado Campground on your right. The second left after Colorado Campground is County road 78.

There is not much offered at the campground itself other than relaxation. What is close by is the draw. Within a half hour drive: On a grand scale, you have two hiking routes up Pikes Peak (Barr trail and the Crags), drive up or take the Cog Railway. The Manitou Incline. Red Rock Canyon open space, Cheyenne Canyon, Garden of the Gods and a myriad of incredible hiking trails. Nearby is the Centennial Bike Trail offering 15 miles of out and back to Woodland Park and innumerable offroad traIls…and my favorite, Red Rocks Trail only a few miles away. All things outdoors are nearby: paddling, biking, hiking, scrambling, climbing, off-roading..

Check online or call before planning your stay as Painted Rocks Campground is only open during summer months…this year only til September 3rd. Mid-week (July 9-10) saw only four campsites filled, but weekends are ordinarily filled.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Pricey for no campground amenities, but what is close at hand makes up for it! I'll go again.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Gregory Endo 15 Mountainbike Hydration Pack

4.5 out of 5 Stars!

https://www.gregorypacks.com/hydration/endo-15-3d-hydro/91650XXXX.html

PROS

• Superb Hydration Bladder
• Multiple Storage Compartments
• Padded zippered pocket
• Dual zippered Hip-belt pouches
• Magnetic sternum strap clip
• Separate, removable Tool kit bag
• Flasher attachment

CONS

• Hydration hose tad short for sternum magnet
• Hip belt pockets need to fit current smartphones in common protective cases

What a great Hydration Pack! I’m going to suggest it’s a perfect all-arounder for its capacity, comfort and secure fit. As a Review Ranger for TheDyrt.com, I received this pack for testing and evaluation.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UBVsAd69qhc&t=10s

At 15 liters, I fit an abundance of necessity and unnecessary items for a day hike or ride.

Gregory’s main objective was to make a superior mountain biking hydration pack…and they have. But the Endo 15 offers much more versatility. While I haven’t climbed with it yet, it’s sleek design and clutter free frontage prevents snagging or getting in one’s way. I’ve put over a couple hundred trail miles since receiving this pack…and I’m appreciating it more each mile.

Once you don the Endo 15 and adjust the straps, it molds to your back with no movement. Whether cranking out the miles in the saddle or hoofin’ on foot, the Gregory stays put! No side swaying and little upward bouncing. So no worries of losing concentration on the technicals due to annoying pack shifting.

The Gregory Endo 15 materials are as durable and robust as its larger kin.

Feature-rich:

• Molded Pull Tabs- no more frustration searching and fumbling for zipper pulls. The Endo 15 has convenient plastic molded zipper pulls attached to each zipper with durable cordage…permitting easy finger pass-through for a positive grip.
• Belt Keepers-One often overlooked feature is the “strap keeper slides”. I don’t like dangling strap ends, so this feature cleans that all up and keeps them out of the way. It’s the small things in life.
• RS Suspension - The Endo 15 with RS (Ride Stability) allows adjustments for near perfect fit and suspension for various torso lengths and users preference. Detachable hook and loop gives you the option to move the pack higher or lower on your back.
• Eyewear Retention - The left shoulder strap has a loop to slide your eyewear stem through and a shockcord loop to pull over and secure around the nose bridge. Sunglasses don’t budge.
• Crash Pad-Padded interior pocket. Printed symbol suggests eyewear or small electronics (such as smartphones) and is padded 360 degrees. Note: a second, small exterior zippered pocket is partially padded, as it shares the rear pad from the Crash Pad that separates the two pockets.
• Dual Hip Belt zippered pockets- Both non-adjustable pockets are moved rearward toward the pack body, away from the gigline. This prevents impingement or discomfort when leaned over the handlebars.
• Removable Tool Pouch-an excellent idea! A zippered bi-fold tool pouch that has two inner zippered pockets, one fabric covered and one see-thru mesh. This tool pouch slides neatly into it’s own center mesh pocket inside the pack, with two narrower mesh pockets on either side which I slide a mini pump in one and CO2 inflator in the other.
• Exterior Breathable Stretch Pocket-a large stuff pocket allows for a windbreaker or rain jacket to be quickly stuffed. I learned to appreciate this same feature on my Gregory Paragon 58 while backpacking.
• Bi-lateral Lashing Tabs- Dual web lashing points allow helmet straps to be run through and held securely…or whatever other item one would desire to lash securely to the outside of the pack. •Reflective Decals-cyclists of any kind can never have too much reflective material. Gregory’s use of reflective decals is stylish and subdued.
• Flasher Tab-any cycling pack worth its salt will possess an attachment point for an illumination flasher. I tried several different brands and all fit effectively.
• Compression Straps-two upper compression straps snug up contents tightly.
• Magnetic Sternum Strap Button-a small magnet Integrated in the sternum strap attachment secures the hydration hose. Initially I was suspect how strong this magnetic union would be. It remained attached, even when motorcycling at 70 mph…impressive.
• EVAP Back Panel-moisture wicking material, along with its tautness, keeps the pack body off your back and permits ample airflow.
• 3D Hydro-hydration reservoir-utilizes a proprietary QuickDry soft molded technology, has an integrated hanger located at the base of the hydration tube, is a full 3 liters and best of all…is included with the pack! The pack uses a speed-clip to attach the reservoir to the pack, rather than a hook-n-loop tab or hook. This prevents the reservoir from sliding down into its separate sleeve.

Changes I’d like to see:

1. A longer hydration hose. I am a fairly average athletic build, but I found when hooked into the plastic clip on the shoulder strip, I really had to pull on the hose to get the hose and sternum magnets to mate.
2. A little larger hipbelt pockets. Neither my iPhone 7 in a Pelican Marine case nor in an Otter case would not fit.

Final Thoughts: I endeavored to put Gregory’s Endo 15 through its paces over several hundred miles…while hiking, scrambling, cycling on road and trail, and motorcycling. I am extremely impressed with how breathable, yet form fitting the Endo is to the body…and how much I can bring along. It’s my everyday favorite and I highly recommend it. Thankfully, No Endo's were performed during testing.

Looking at the website from the link on The Dyrt, there's no mention of RV sites, just Glamping cabins, etc. UPDATE: I'm headed to Canon City area so I'll check out this campground to verify.

Jake from the Dyrt here! Mydnyt Mountain is a unique glamping stay that is new to the Dyrt and ready for reservations, they have tons to offer and are continuing to add more accommodations for campers.  Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!

This RV Park and motel is just outside Woodland Park, Colorado. The sites on the upper hill have nice views while the lower sites are much less desirable. Most sites are back in so check for pull through if needed when you reserve. They have a dog walk and a sketchy play area for kids. There is also a rec hall and showers that we did not visit so can't give a description. Cripple creek, The Wolf & Wildlife Center and paradise cove are all nearby.

This park is definitely well visited, but for good reason. It is located in Woodland Park, a lovely mountain town about 30-40 min. outside Colorado Springs. Lots of sites, mostly RV but there is a nice tent only section with a good number of spaces. We stayed overnight in early July and actually pitched our tent next to our family RV underneath the awning, safe from the summer showers that seem to pass thru almost daily in the summer months. Lots of amenities, including parks with play equipment for the kiddos, a dog park, nice bathrooms & showers.

Rocky Top is close to Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, & Woodland Park. It has rv sites as well as a hotel and is located off I-24. Site #23 had full hookups and was a partially paved site, with a picnic table. Few trees are located within the rv park itself. Bathhouse was clean and required a code to get into them. There is also an attached laundry room that had 4 washers and 4 dryers (coin operated). Small playground located at the front of the park, but it looked like they were still working on it. Park provides free WiFi but it is iffy at times and cell signal is non existent for AT&T. Overall would camp here again.

If I could describe this campground with two words, it’s “well run.” Checking into the campsite is easy, they have an iPad for late arrivals to check in with their reservation numbers and a map with directions to your site. It’s in a beautiful wooded area, but it’s not secluded by any means. You’re surrounded by other campers, but you don’t feel cramped in any way.

There is a bathroom and shower house which were all very clean. The laundry facilities on site are in the same building, but beware the coin machine only takes $1 and $5 denominations. There’s a playground for your kids to have fun at. Wood is available for $5 a stack.

Woodland park is in the middle of a deluge of beautiful trails, national forestry land, and of course right by Pikes Peak. I recommend The Wines of Colorado winery, and check out the Fiesta Mexicana restaraunt. They are some of the gems of this area.

This location was perfect for exploring the area. It is very close to downtown Woodland Park and many attractions. Deer wander through the campground throughout the day. It is rustic , with dirt/gravel roads and sites. Lots of pine trees and most spots are pull through. Some sites are a little close together but not all of them. Restrooms are clean. Small but nice laundry-room. Clean showers. A nice tent area. Staff was friendly and helpful. Try to get here before the office closes because finding your site may be difficult. It is a little hard to figure out the roads and the proper direction to go to fine your site and get into it.
We were here for 4th of July and there were NO activities. No pool. There is a small playground area and a small stage that has been abandoned. The dog park is at the very back of the property. Everything on our 50 amp site worked perfectly. The site was ample for our toy hauler and truck. Sites are not level, bring proper equipment for leveling. Overall, it has an awesome Colorado vibe and we liked it here. Only downside was layout of sites, no activities. You have to reserve a spot to wash clothes. This became a problem because people reserve large blocks of time and don’t show up. I couldn’t use laundry, so be forewarned.

Large campground with many sites that fill up during weekends in the summer, and can be loud in some areas of the campground. Vault toilets are super smelly, but many spots ideal for campers and RV made this a moot point for us other than when walking through the campground. Easy hike to Manitou Lake Recreation Area for fishing, and we always get at least one fish on the line here! Just a quick 10 min drive to Woodland Park and various amenities. Some of the sites have electric but no sewer or water, and there is an extra $3 a night for electric. Site 56 fit our 23’ camper and truck with room to spare and provided wide expanse of campsite for the kids and dogs to play away from other campsites. Road noise on this side of the campground can be heard from the 67, but it would have been worse in a tent. Last summer our spot was on the east side of the campground with very little noise in comparison. Saturday night was very busy and noisy all around with campers and traffic, but Sunday was quite peaceful in comparison. The campground road is easy to access and drive as it is paved and well maintained, and sites are clean and easy to get in and out of. The camp hosts were friendly and helpful, but, due to Restrictions on gatherings in the summer of 2020, the ranger talks at the amphitheater were cancelled.

This Pike National Forest campground is run by Rocky Mountain Recreation which means you'll pay a $10 transaction fee if you make a reservation on recreation.gov. It looks like some sites are strictly walk-up. Check recreation.gov to see what's available, but you can just show up if there are available sites, pay at the self-pay station, and avoid the $10 transaction fee on recreation.gov.

Every site has a picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets (rather fragrant as you walk by because of the vent pipes) and trash dumpsters are conveniently located throughout the campground as is potable water. There are no bear-proof lockers but locking up your food is a prudent move.

There are mostly back in sites but some pull through sites. Most of the pull through sites are partially protected from the road by a few tall pines and large rocks, but the pull through curve may be tight for some RVs. There are a few double sites (with double charge) if you need more space.

Manitou Lake on the edge of the campground is a popular fishing spot, and there's a trail around the lake.

Our site (#45) was rather close to the road, but the road noise was not bad throughout the park. Sites 40 through 44 are on a small loop and are probably the nicest sites even with a bit of road noise; these sites are near the trail to the lake.

In my opinion, there are two things that make this campground stand out: 1) The sites are large and not on top of each other. This campground could have twice as many sites, but it's nice that it doesn't. 2) It's a great location because you're close to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, US Air Force Academy, Cripple Creek (only if you're into gambling), lots of hiking trails...and on and on. It's close to Colorado Springs and even closer to Woodland Park. If you want craft breweries and restaurants, you'll find plenty. We enjoyed being close to a larger city after being in lots of small towns. We loved the inexpensive food at Uchenna (Ethiopian and Mediterranean), Taste of Jerusalem, and Azada Mexican as well as craft beer (Fossil Craft Beer Company and Phantom Canyon Brewing Company with ginger wheat ale, Belgian ale aged on cherries, hazelnut coffee stout, coconut/chocolate porter, and on and on) in Colorado Springs. Beer is $3 during a 3 to 6 pm happy hour at Phantom Canyon....yes!

This campground is only open between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.

"Such a beautiful site. One of the best places we have ever gone camping- with views to die for. What an amazing piece of property And our camp hosts, property owners Rachel and Jeff were so hospitable and welcoming. Really fine folks, who have thought of pretty much everything in terms of what you might need or want while glamping. Definitely worth going for the Adventure Gear Shed, btw. Can’t wait to come back." -Sanford B

"Absolutely amazing views, perfect family camp site. Glad we found this great spot." - John D

"We cannot say enough great things about this property and the hosts. First, this stunning location is nestled in an aspen forest on top of a mountain overlooking Florence and in the other direction overlooking Skagway Reservoir and Pike's Peak. We spent our mornings with coffee overlooking the breathtaking views, spent our days hanging out at the reservoir, walking through the forest and magical acreage and then finishing the night next to a fire before cuddling up in the tent(with heater). Rachel and Jeff are wonderful hosts who provided some history of the land, kept our adventure shed full of firewood and would greet us with smiles. I highly recommend renting the adventure shed! It comes with paddle boards, games, bikes and endless firewood. All in all, there was no other way I would want to spend my 40th birthday. We will be back again and already booked another weekend! Thank you Rachel and Jeff for sharing your amazing property. It was truly magical." - Joel C

"Incredible property with extraordinary views and super friendly and welcoming camp hosts! The site is nestled into the aspen trees and looks out upon some of the best views we’ve ever seen. Rachel and Jeff went above and beyond in making sure we had a comfortable experience, and they even provided some amenities that were not expected! I wish we could have stayed longer and cannot wait to return!" - Stephen Y

I've stayed here twice, the first time in a tent, and the second time we rented a yurt. The tent spaces are very close to one another so the yurt was way worth the upgrade. This campground is a bit urban-feeling. Had nice shower house and bathrooms.
We had a lovely day hanging out by the lake.

was just beautiful all the staff was wonderful and made our first in Co wonderful I would deffiantly recommend this place for sure beautiful views the yurt was awsome and we tent camped last night please come visit and see for yourself they have archery, a beach, horse stables and ring, large lake to fish, clean bathrooms and courthouses will stay again if we are ever in co again😁😍❤

Convenient, safe campground near several attractions in the heart of Colorado Springs.

By far one of the nicest state parks in Colorado. Every site is huge and several pull through are on sides of the hill with sweeping view of Colorado Springs. Nestled up to the Air Force NORAD complex the nature is unspoiled all the way up the mountain. Tons of trails the only sad part is our dogs only have limited trails they are allowed on. Bear, large cats and lots of deer visit regularly (well at least the deer are regular.

Great place to camp in the Fall. Nice up-to-date campground. Colorado Lottery $ at work!