Pawnee Campground

Pros can’t beat the walk in tent sites,beautiful,big sites ,with flat  ground and spaced far apart,no lake views,but an easy walk to the lake. Great trails right out of your site and always can kayak around the lake.  Great Mountain View’s

Cons - very limited season,due to its high elevation. Hard to get a site,especially at peak season in July. 

Does also have a time reservation system, so check when you make reservations that you have both.

We love this campground! Moose loop is wooded, elk loop not so much. However, there are great views from the elk loop. We especially like the walk in spots. You have to get on the web site early (like months in advance) to get a reservation. However, when we there this week, there were many empty camp spaces, so keep checking the web site if you want to camp. My favorite spot in Colorado. The views from the lake and the hikes are so amazing!

This is a very nice campground. There are a lot of trees around but avoid sites 1-14 since there is not much shade. Bathrooms were very clean. There a few lakes around bad the river where you can fish. Camping in September was a bit cold at night. Recommend to be prepare for the cold. There is a lot of moose activity. We will come back.

Says these are first come sites on recreation.gov but got there and told i had to have a reservation. American Land and Leisure campgrounds suck.

Pawnee Campground is situated near Brainard Lake and many of the trailheads for the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The campground is well maintained with the sites nicely placed and spaced within a forested landscape. Note: The Moose loop has sites with the most trees, the Elk loop has lost many trees on the campsites, both loops are surrounded by forest.

We stayed here for two nights, in site 32, which is a double site. Be aware that the Moose loop has lots of excellent trees, but there are none in the Elk loop. The trees help create a buffer between campsites. The vault toilets were really clean, and the campground is beautiful.

Its a short walk from the campground to Brainard Lake and several trailheads. We saw a couple of moose during our stay too. Overall this is one of the best campgrounds in the area - highly recommend!!

The Pawnee campground is one of the best for those who like to get on the hiking trails early, but don't want to stress about the crowded parking lots! This campground has some of the best access to hiking trails anywhere in Colorado. The campground is standard- clean bathrooms, access to water, etc. but the views and location are what set it apart from all others. Being able to enjoy your morning coffee at Brainard Lake with moose- unbeatable!  

Be sure to book ahead though, this site fills up fast!

Pawnee is a scenic campground located north of Nederland and south of Estes Park. It’s much closer to Denver than many of the other places I’ve been camping. Reservations are required. Almost half of the campsites are not very good though because so many dead trees were removed that there’s no shade or privacy at those campsites. I got a glimpse of the walk-in tent sites and they look ok. The best campsites with some shade and privacy are 13, 14, 32, 35, 37 and 39.

This is the best campground. Stunning sights. Beautiful hiking trails. And friendly park service and staff.

Just north of Divide Colorado. Drive straight north from the one light, no turning, go until the road ends, about 10 minutes out. Lots of sites developed for being dispersed camping. This is the trail head for ATV riding so there is a parking lot at the start with a lot of traffic. That is where the vault toilet is as well. Nice area, just a lot of ATV traffic going through.

This campground is in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area in the Roosevelt National Forest. In any case, it’s a beautiful spot. Note It’s a pretty easy drive from Boulder, although the construction on the road up the canyon makes for a slow trip. Plus there can be a wait at the gate, which is regulated to make sure the parking areas don’t overflow. You can’t make reservations like up at Rocky Mountain NP. I’m sure it’s very crowded on weekends. Note that having a campground reservation doesn’t save you from waiting in line. We walked by Brainard Lake and then up around Long Lake, about 6 miles altogether. All pretty flat. There were lots of other people, but it didn’t seem overcrowded. Nearly everyone on the trail was wearing masks, or pulled them up as they passed others. The views are absolutely breathtaking, as was the altitude (10,600’).

Brainard Lake Recreation Area has some really great hikes to alpine lakes, and Pawnee campground is the place to stay if you want to be the first person on the trail. Overall it is your standard large campground - the sites have grills, fire grates, picnic tables, bear boxes, and are fairly close to one another. The campground also has clean restrooms and you can book your site online.

There are a lot of moose in the area! I have been here twice and I have seen moose both times. Once was just along the road, and the other time I saw 2 moose while I was hiking to Lake Isabelle. Also, the Lake Isabelle hike is one of my favorites - I recommend coming here just to do this hike. It is helpful to stay at the campground the night before because the trailhead parking lots fill up quickly.

Excellent stay - camp is at Brainard Lake recreation area and one of our all time favs ! Clean vaults excellent hosts and cleanest sites - many things to do including hikes on multiple trails and kayaking on lake or just looking for moose and casually relaxing. Reservations very difficult to get but if you get in - enjoy it’s excellent . Moose loop nice with trees - Elk loop has some sites with no trees or shade due to wind storm years ago. Our site 9’was partial shade and site 11 was also shaded.

Many peaks reachable with only moderat inclines. Picturesque lakes nestled in between each. Spent the night in a hammock by Lake Isabellle, sunrise was worth the hike!

Scored a walk-up site by dumb luck, worth the effort. The campsites are nestled close to Brainard Lake and have a good amount of privacy built in with pine trees providing a nice amount of separation. The staff at the gate as well as the host family were all very nice and helpful. The scenery, hiking, and vibe are all top notch, you will not be disappointed. No hook ups for RVs, so roll in prepared. Sites were clean, didn't use the vault toilets, but judging by the rest of the grounds, I suspect they would be in good shape. High country views and hiking are spectacular. The place is very popular so bring your patience. Once inside you'll be glad you made the effort.