We reserved our site 6 months in advance to make sure we would have a great view of the lake and mountains. And it paid off! This is one of the best campgrounds I have been to. Close distance to the lake, where you will find all kinds of people laying on the rocks enjoying the sunset, dogs playing in the lake, and kayakers enjoying the water. I highly suggest Prospector Campground in Dillon, Co.
Great campground by lake Dillon and very close to the town but seems like you are miles from them. Campgrounds and restrooms were very clean and they aren’t to close together. Close to hikes and lots of fishing.
The snow on the peaks of the surrounding mountains still inviting to late season skiers when I visited this campground in early June. The crisp morning air refreshing, quickly warming in mid morning. Because of the time of year my walk-in mid week visit had only a couple of the 100 +sites occupied. Weekends per the camp host were booked in advance. Primitive yet oversized individual sites, some with amazing lake and mountain views (D Loop). Large metal picinic table, bbq and fire ring at each site. Bath houses have tower toilets. No hookups at this campground. No store but firewood was for sale.
This is a really big campground. The sites are big, they are spaced a fair distance apart, and the views are big as well. The campground sits above Lake Dillon with views looking west towards multiple peaks. You can see mountains from every site thanks to the campground being in an area of regrowth. The trees are only a couple feet tall in some areas. Sites on the western side also have lake views. I stayed at this campground in May and it wasn’t crowded at all. It was a little chilly, but the sites are large so really great for car camping. I actually stayed here so that I could snowboard at Breck and A Basin. Much cheaper than a hotel, and it’s pretty dang cool to camp and ski in the same day!
This campground has 100+ spots and costs about $23/night. They have picnic tables at each site and where we were, there was plenty of space between us and the next group. We could walk (about 8 minutes) to the lake - without a clear trail from our site.
It it does not require 4-wheel drive to get in
This campground is probably one my absolute favorites! The view in itself is enough to make me want to come back, but the campground was impressive as well. The campground has a large number of sites, all with plenty of room, and all located within reasonable distance from bathrooms and the lake. The campground truly encompasses the idea of camping, which is something we really enjoyed. We had no running water, no electricity, and the bare minimum for a bathroom; it was a great place for us to simply relax, settled down for the night, and enjoy the beauty of the place we were in.
little costly for the site but worth the view
wonderful camp ground good fishing and hiking near by. the need to buy wood is a bit off setting but plenty of wood laying around to scavenge if you find the time.
Great camp ground, reservoir is close with great fishing and hiking trails.
Great campground with easy access. Nice little getaway from Denver. Easy to access and right near a huge lake. Hiking trails available. Great views at sunset. Camped with a huge group and was able to have space between all tents. Love this campground
This is a great family friendly campground. Look for the sites with a lake view (all though many you have to trade off a view for being next to the bathrooms) a quick hike down will get you to lake Dillion for fishing, kayaking or just enjoying the views.
This campground is one of five Forest Service campgrounds around Dillon Reservoir, also referred to as Lake Dillon. There is a group campground called Windy Point near Prospector.
In loop D, you'll have lake views along with mountain views at sites 51 through 64. Of course, everyone has mountain views. Sites 55 and 58 are pull through sites and, in my opinion, have the best water/mountain views. Site 66 is also a great site if you want a deep, secluded site but it doesn't look like it has a water view (unless you walk deeper into the site).
Throughout the campground, you'll see your neighbors because pine beetles killed lots of pine trees. The pine trees are coming back but most of them are still short. Your neighbors aren't too close because the sites are large. The lack of tall trees helped us get a good view of the water from site 59 even though it is across the road from lakeside sites. The lakeside sites are above the lake, but there is a path to the lake and an 18 mile trail around the lake.
All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. There are no bear-proof lockers, but there are signs about being in bear country. Campground was reasonably quiet. I didn't see quiet hours posted which could be an issue if you get rowdy campers.
There's so much to do in this area even when it's not ski season. Nearby towns are Breckenridge, Dillon, Silverthorne, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Keystone and Araphoe Basin. There's plenty of hiking and mountain biking in the area in addition to water sports. If you want a paved bike path, the Blue River Trail connects all the towns listed above except Araphoe Basin and connects to Vail, Vail Pass and Glenwood Springs.
Need a shower or gym? Silverthorne and Breckenridge have rec centers, and I heard something about showers at Dillon Marina.
We looked at the other Forest Service campgrounds around the reservoir. Lowry is just down the road from Prospector and does not compare well to Prospector. Peak One and Heaton Bay look fine, but Pine Cone is a parking lot by the lake with narrow sites populated by large RVs.
Busy, busy, busy at the end of June! Walking up on a weekend? I don't think so.
Prospector is one my favorite camping experiences I have ever had! We were headed from Moab to Denver and had a few camping areas on our radar. We chose this at random and were lucky enough to get a site for a Friday and Saturday night overlooking the reservoir. Some wildflowers were blooming and the views of the mountains and water were out of this world! We were in site 54; the site across from us (53) is the best site in the whole place; very large site up above the water with unobstructed views. Sites 51, 53, 55, and 58 are all set up above the water and were really nice sites. All of the sites were pretty large and spread out so they weren't on top of each other. A beetle infestation had led to deforesting of the area apparently, so there weren't many mature trees. The upside was being able to take advantage of the views. Sites had a picnic table and fire pit. Vault toilets, no showers. Potable water spouts were spread around (our site happened to be right next to one, which was convenient). The sites in our loop were set high above the water, with a trail that led down to and along the reservoir. Firewood available for purchase there, and the camp hosts were very nice! It is a bear area, so be sure to secure food. We were told some moose were around down by the water as well, but we didn't see any wildlife.
We went into Frisco (what a great town!! - if you like craft beer don't miss Outer Range Brewing co), and hiked in Breckenridge (Mohawk Lakes Trail), stopped in to walk around Breckenridge and had beers there after our hike.
Prospector sits at 9,000 feet elevation, so be prepared for that! Nights and mornings were chilly but not bad (mid June).
We drove to the mountains from Denver without a solid plan on what we were doing/where we were staying. The weather forecast was iffy but we needed a break from the city so we packed the car up and went. We drive around checking out different camp grounds in the area and came across Prospector, and we were thrilled. We had THE most perfect site with an incredible view of the lake and the mountains- seriously perfect. It was private, and quiet, had a fire pit at our site and toilets just up the road (saw at lest one other on the other side of the grounds). There was a pathway to the lake and the grounds were only about 10-15 mins from town but felt much further with how secluded it was. Easily one of our new favorite spots.
The sites at Prospector are well-spaced offering some privacy even though the trees between many sites are still small. But on the bright side, the shorter trees allow for a great view overlooking Lake Dillon, for now. The majority of the sites including ours, are spacious with a fire ring and picnic table provided.
Despite the pine beetle infestation, a few stands of mature trees remain throughout the campground including our site (64), allowing for hanging a clothesline and hammock as well as serving as a nice wind break from the N/NW for our tent.
The campground offers water faucets, trash dumpsters, and vault toilets throughout. Firewood can be purchased from the friendly campground host.
During our time in camp, we didn't see much wildlife although the host informed us upon our arrival that a moose had been frequenting the sites nearer the lake in recent days.
Here's the link for more info and to make reservations. For sites near the lake, reservations should be made at least a month in advance, but for many of the other sites it's not necessary. Including taxes and fees, it was just over $26/night (tent).
Located on Dillon Reservoir, Prospector Campground offers a nice balance of feeling remote while being conveniently near some really neat towns.
When at the clean and well maintained campground, you can hear a little highway noise and see a few signs of civilization across the lake but overall you feel like you are "getting away". If you do decide you need a little "city", Dillon, Frisco and Sliverthorne are a short drive away. Breckenridge is also just 20 minutes away.
Located perfectly as a base camp if you want to hit some nearby 14ers but also has some great hiking trails all of its own.
Never had anything but positive interactions with camp hosts and the bathroom facilities are always clean.
Highly recommend!
We live on the other side of the lake, so this is nice if we just want to get out of the house one night. $20 a night, the campground is quite large so a lot of spots are a ways from the bathroom. Some great lakeside spots, most spots are not on the lake however. Large spots with picnic tables, firepits and outstanding views. The views are the best here, not a ton of shade in most spots. Easily accessible for any type of vehicle. Short drive to town but still a peaceful setting. Rock climbing nearby. Watch out for the micro bursts of wind!
The Prospector Campground in White River National Forest is on the Shadow Mountain Road, off the east end of Dillon Reservoir, easily accessible from I-70 heading toward Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. It's well-managed, with the plentiful toilets getting twice-daily service from the genial hosts. Like most National Forest campgrounds, reservations can be made on line, a good idea during busy summer weekends. In addition to the gorgeous scenery, what was impressive about Prospector is the size and spacing of the campsites ... you're not right on top of your neighbor, but you're still on a level pad with a fire ring at every spot.
