Upper Colorado Rec Area

This entire upper stretch of the Colorado River offers endless opportunities for camping, fun on the river, and adventures in general. I have camped in this area many times in a variety of spots but I'm going to highlight a few of my favorite places. First and foremost is the Radium Hot Springs area. There are a few camping options here, first is the Mugrage Campground, which is managed by the BLM and offers primitive dispersed campsites for free. You can also pay to camp ($6 per site/vehicle) at the Radium Recreation Site which offers a more developed campground with the usual tent pads, picnic tables, fire pits and decently clean toilets. This campground it right by a creek and is lovely to be next to. Both of these campgrounds are conveniently located within a 20 minute hike of the hot spring itself, which is a gorgeous natural pool right along the Colorado River! There is also camping allowed right next to the hot spring in a few spots that are loosely "designated" by fire pits. These spots fill up quick on the weekends and throughout the summer so be sure to get there early. This area is also easily accessed by boat for those looking to do an overnight raft trip! Further down the river you will also find Rancho Del Rio which is definitely more of a busy and social atmosphere for camping. Rancho rents out camp spots for $5/person per day and also offers group camping spots, cabins and teepees. Additionally, this is a great place to rent all sorts of watercraft and there is a small store offering basic provisions. Just across the river from Rancho you can even check out some fossilized dinosaur footprints. This is by far one of the greatest areas to enjoy the summer in Colorado! I would recommend making a weekend out of it and camping at a few different spots along the river, rafting during the day, and enjoying a soak in the hot springs at night!