Piñon Campground, near Walsenburg, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors year-round. With its spacious sites and essential amenities like electric hookups, it’s a solid choice for both RV and tent campers.

The campground boasts clean facilities, including bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of activities. Many campers have enjoyed fishing and swimming in the nearby lakes, while others have taken advantage of the hiking trails that wind through the area. One happy camper noted, “The park is accommodating with toilets and showers at the campgrounds and has hiking trails and plenty of lake to fish from.”

Surrounded by stunning views of the Spanish Peaks, Piñon Campground offers a picturesque backdrop for your camping experience. The peaceful atmosphere, especially during the week, allows for a relaxing getaway, with some guests even mentioning the delightful sounds of nature, like coyotes howling at night.

If you’re up for a little adventure, the nearby sand dunes are just an hour away, providing a unique day trip option. Whether you’re here for a quick stop or a longer stay, Piñon Campground has everything you need for a memorable outdoor experience.

Camping opportunities abound at Lathrop. Lathrop’s two campgrounds have 103 sites that can accommodate motor homes, trailers and tents, and offer either a basic or improved camping experience. Improved Sites provide 20/30/50 amp electricity at the site, but do not provide water or sewer hookups. Pi​​​ñ​on Campground is ideal for large camping units. Click the "Fees" link on the left side of this page for campsite prices.

Winter camping is available.

Piñon Campground — Lathrop State Park

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Walsenburg, CO is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Walsenburg is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Walsenburg, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Walsenburg

The Best Camping Near Walsenburg, Colorado

Main building offers nice amenities including small museum exhibits about the local area and ample information on the area as well. Sites are nice though fairly close together. Cost $25/night for a tent site.

Easy stop for the night with nice amenities

A little close together and close to the highway. Expect some traffic noise throughout the night. Large park with fishing, hiking and more. Picnic tables (some with shelters), fire rings and vault toilets available thoughout the tent camping site, rv hookups and playground also available. 

Nice campgroup

Mountains in the distant background, beautiful lake a short drive away. Campground has very little shade, but the view more than makes up for it. The campsites aren't too close to each other, so there's plenty of space to feel like you're by yourself. Definitely recommend!!

Awesome!! Lake camping

Lathrop is a desert camp ground that is very open but the sites are just in a row on the road in circles. Just not far in the woods camping. The area does have swimming and boating lakes and walking trails.

Desert camping

Very windy! At times and also a-little road noise from the near motorcade.

Nice

We stayed here for two nights this October.  This is an expansive state park with hundreds of sites and awesome facilities.  The views to the west looking at the Spanish peaks are awesome. They have hot showers and clean restrooms as well as RV dump station.  The sites have electrical hookups and fresh water with hose hookup is available in the campground.  The lake is popular for fishing and boating. They have a boat inspection station as the entrance for ballast water.  The park is near the highway and close to the Spanish Peaks area and the popular of La Veda,  CO.

Great State Park 

We stayed on Piñon for one night this fall.  This area has gravel rods and less facilities than the Yucca campground.   However, you have large pull in space and more rustic camping.  This camp is closer to the entrance and lake for fishing and boating.   The sites are basic with electrical and water.  The restrooms are basic and no showers.  The camp is in a good location to local towns and the highway.  This is definitely worth a try.  

Nice sites with loads of amenities.  We stayed at the piñon campground and was very pleased with all what it had to offer.  Nice clean restrooms and showers!!  Can get hot and windy during the summer, but will definitely return in the fall.

Great site 

We only stayed 1 nite but it was very nice, clean &amp; well kept. 
The playground looked new it was in such good condition &amp; fun for our 7 year old son. 
The roads were smooth enough to ride his hover shoes through the park. 
We would definitely stay again. 

Nice site

We didn’t know where we were going to camp for the night, but luckily we were able  to plan to stay at this park.  The visitor center for the park closes at 4 PM, but there is an after hours phone number that we were able to call for the state parks department. It was annoying that there had to be a reservation for a site, and there weren’t any walkins, but we were able to quickly make a reservation via phone. We went in early October, and whenever we made the reservation they were only two other open spots for the night. The sites were pretty close together, and so it was pretty easy to hear the other campers. It appeared We were the only tent campers at where we stayed at Piñon campground. It was also very windy. Whenever we stayed there, again which is early October, the low for the night was 36°, and the windchill was 28°. There were showers available, but you did have to pay for them.

Busy, windy, but nice. 

We stayed here the first week o f November 2020. Not all sites were open and the park was not crowded at all. The bathrooms were open and the weather was beautiful. The sites are all pull through and private. We had lots of space behind us to stretch out in. A picnic table was also placed in a space where shade would be provided on a concrete slab. Electric and water at the site and a dump station at the exit.

Views for Miles

Fantastic park. One of our absolute favorites. Excellent trails and a ridge to climb, as well as stellar views of the Spanish peaks. Excellent scenic drives are not far away. 

Colorado’s first designated state park!

We have visited this park several times, in the summer, spring and fall. The campground provides a nice visitors center, two small lakes (one non-wake), a sand beach, paved and unpaved bike trails, fishing, a kids fishing pond, trails, and electric or no-hook-up camping. The campground is divided into three loops with each loop containing flush toilets and shower facilities. A tent-only campground is situated closer to the highway, while the three loops are far from the road and provide ample star-gazing experiences. Favorite spots include 102 (has a great view of the Spanish Peaks), and site 84 (private pull-through with junipers and other short trees to block the road/other campers). I have attended several ranger programs here and hiked on all trails. Playing on the beach and picnicking is enhanced by the water stations to wash off the sand, benches, picnic tables, and shade trees. Kayaking on the no-wake lake is peaceful and fishing is abundant. Bike riding is simple and mostly flat. A fully paved trail circles the lake and is accessible by the campgrounds. A public, 9-hole golf course sits directly next to the park. The course is inexpensive and fun for an afternoon or morning. If you've exhausted all your options at the park itself, head one hour away to the Great Sand Dunes National Park to "surf" on the dunes and learn about this beautiful area. This park truly has a little of everything and while it is one of the oldest state parks in Colorado, it is well-maintained and enjoyable year-round.

Lathrop State Park has a little of everything

Loved Lathrop State Park, CO.  Great sites and nice walk/bike path.

Most Improved

The spots were excellent. Calm and clean. The bathroom was a disaster. That’s about all I have to say about that. 

Nice and private

Wasn't much to see as there was snow on the ground!

Cold and snowy!

Beautiful campground with electric hookup.  Loved hiking the ridge and the paved trail around the lake.  Would be great to come in the summer to use our paddle boards.  Also has 9 hole golf course with mini golf. Went there for lunch and food was very good.

Beautiful site

Beautiful site located within walking distance to lakes and a golf course on property. Wide spacious site with power only. I little windy but the location is worth it!

Beautiful State Park with a golf course!

Lovely weather while I was here very early December 2021. 60s for highs and close to freezing at night. the dry camping loop and loops A B and C are closed for the season. There are very few people here. Only a few other sites are occupied. One day I rode 10 miles on my E bike just on the paved roads around the lake. The next day I rode another eight just on the very smooth and flat concrete sidewalk that also goes all the way around the lake. There are a lot of places that are accessible to wheelchairs. Some sites are very nice, tucked away in the trees, some with a beautiful view of the Spanish peaks. A few sites even get a glimpse of the lake. Some sites are wide open with neighbors that would be right in your face. One night the sunset was totally stunning. I think all sites in loops ABC and D have electricity. There are water Spicket's for everyone's use around the loops. But they are not meant for anyone to hook up a long hose to their RV. When it gets really quiet you can hear Colorado 160 road traffic in the distance. It's quietest in loop D and quite noisy in the dry camping loop.

Another excellent (and expensive) CO state park

Unfortunately we only stayed a couple of nights and there was 1 1/2' of snow on the ground so not many outside activities were had. I'm sure by the looks it's a great place to stay for some time.

Nice place to stay!

Last stop on our one month trip.    Very few campers in early March. Enjoyed walk around Martin Lake. Beautiful view on twin peaks from trailer.

Beautiful stop

Great park but no water except in bathroom!! Bummer big time! 

No water really! 

Probably my worst experience ever!! It’s snowing and no heat at all in the bathhouse! 

No heat in the showers or bathrooms! 

Nicely spaced out, lovely Mountain View. $36 for electric only - only in CO! 

Water available every 2 or 3 sites, so bring a long hose   Also, dump station available 

Nice and quiet during week, started filling up on Thursday 

Cell data was a struggle 

Great campground, but only electric?

Great sites in the Pinion Campground, cool at night, vistas of Spanish Peaks, and a lovely little lake for fishing!  Heard the coyotes at night, lots of birds!  Popular spot, and we were lucky to get the last one open for that night!  

Beautiful Vistas from Pinion Loop A

We stayed for one night while passing through. This is a great park with beautiful views of the Spanish Peaks. Our site had electric hookup and a dump station is also available. We used ATT for our cell + internet needs (didn't try Starlink since our stay was short). This was our first time in Colorado and we'd definitely stay at this park again

Mountain views + pull-thru sites

All the sites were paved and pull through. Unfortunately my site was not as level as the others so I had to do some maneuvers to level my camper. Also the cost seemed a little expensive $36 for camping and $9 for parking fee. There was electrical hook up at the site but no water. Very large campsite overall lots of space to spread out and a lot of amenities. 

Solid campground nice facilities!

Enjoyed bike riding, fishing and swimming. Clean bathrooms and showers. 

Had a fantastic time 

The pinion campground was a great choice for our first rv stay.  The park is accommodating with toilets and showers at the campgrounds and has hiking trails and plenty of lake to fish from. We stayed two nights during the week and it was plenty quiet at night and the campsite was a relatively good size.  Ours had 30 amp service, and had a spigot not far, to fill our fresh water tank. There was a dump station that was free to use also.  Great views and the sand dunes were only an hour away.  I highly recommend this place. 

Excellent park 

We love to come here to get great views of the Spanish Peaks. This time we had site 93 that faced away from the peaks. Still gorgeous but is a subtle way. 

Always great views

Great spot for our first RV stay. Good views of Spanish peaks and site was very quiet. Bathrooms with showers and toilets were close by. Electric hookup at our site, and the communal water hookup was across from us. We generally prefer more seclusion and privacy which we had for the most part with trees, etc. at this site. Some sites didn’t have that. 

Lathrop State Park is a gem - good hiking / views, a golf course, and swimming / water activities. 

Would recommend! 

Nice trails and two lakes.   Enjoyed our stay.  Only ding is the showers.   You have to enter a code for entry and then feed to machine with quarters for a just ok shower.  These sites are pricey.  Seems it could include a shower.   The campground is away from day use areas so not sure why the keypad. 

Photos of Piñon Campground — Lathrop State Park

Real photos from real campers