Jelm, WY is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Jelm is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$60 / night
Located on the southern end of the Medicine Bow Mountain Range in north central Colorado, Rawah Wilderness was designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and now contains 73,868 acres. "Rawah" is a Native American term meaning "wild place."
Elevations in the Rawah Wilderness range from 8,400 to 13,000 feet. The high peaks were carved by glaciers, resulting in spectacular cirque lakes and moraines. There are twenty-five named lakes, ranging in size from five to 39 acres. This high alpine area contains the headwaters of the McIntyre, Rawah, and Fall Creeks, as well as the Laramie River.
The Rawahs are host to mammals such as elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, marmot and beaver. There are many species of birds including the red-tailed hawk, white-tailed ptarmigan, golden eagle, raven, Steller's Jay and a variety of warblers. Lakes and streams are inhabited with lake, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Graylings are also found in this area.
The Rawah Wilderness is very popular with summer backpackers, hikers and anglers. It is also popular with hunters in the fall. To encounter the fewest people, plan your trip for mid-week and use less popular trails.
Always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep this area wild, clean and pristine.
Motorized equipment, or mechanized transportation is prohibited, including motorcycles, chain saws, bicycles or carts. Wheelchairs are exempt. Group size is limited to 12 people and/or livestock combined. Camping and campfires are prohibited within 200’ feet of all lakes, streams and trails to protect water quality, sensitive vegetation and to help assure solitude. Thin soils and mountain vegetation are easily damaged by fire and fires scar rocks and soil. Use a stove, a fire pan or an existing fire ring when and where fires are allowed. Campfires are prohibited in the alpine areas above 10,800 feet. Campfires consume scarce vegetation and leave permanent scars on the fragile soils of the area. Pets must be on a handheld leash at all times if hiking. Equestrian riders can have dogs under voice control.
The North Fork Poudre Campground is located along the Deadman Road west of Red Feather Lakes, near the banks of the North Fork Cache la Poudre River in a dense lodgepole pine forest. This is an older facility with short parking spurs that will not accommodate larger RVs. Each of the nine sites have a picnic table, tent pad and fire grate. Recreational activities in the area include hiking, stream fishing and four-wheel driving.
$18 - $120 / night
This campground offers 31 electric sites and is directly accessible from Highway 14 and within a short walk of Ranger Lakes fishing areas.
Features:
The fishing area includes a fishing pier for people with disabilities. Water and vault toilet facilities are available nearby, but please fill large tanks at the water station at the maintenance shop. A nature trail and the Gould Loop Trail are accessible from the campground. Interpretive programs are offered on some weekend nights in the campground amphitheater. Restrictions: Boating and swimming are not permitted in the Ranger Lakes.
$18 - $120 / night
CanyonSide Campground offers a serene and peaceful get away surrounded by national forest. Without even leaving the campground there is a chance to regularly view Mountain Goats, Ram, and Deer. We are right across the street from the Cache La Poudre River and it is accessible for your enjoyment. CanyonSide Campground is 420 friendly and offers spectacular views, and hiking to complete your Cannabis friendly experience. If you would like personal assistance with planning your marijuana friendly experience, please reach out to us, as we have concierge services available to assist.
$20 - $170 / night
Stayed here 2024/09/11. Easy access, well marked and well separated dispersed campsites. Good views. Only downside was distant traffic noise from I-80. Would stay here again.
Was an old KOA. In fact, there are two typical KOA A frame buildings that need to be torn down due to their lack of upkeep. The grounds were overgrown with weeds knee high.
We stayed at site 7, big enough for our caravan of 3 campers. Very spacious! Great views and nice center fire pit!
We were driving through the area and needed a quick/easy place to camp for the night. Even in mid-July, we were the only people there. Spots are labeled well, with great fire pits at every sight. Rock formations were awesome. We nestled behind a rock and couldn’t even hear the traffic by nearby road. Definitely planning another trip soon
Spent a night here with my dog. Very cool rock formations along the road , very big spots, very peaceful and secluded from neighbors, open and beautiful. Will be staying again on my way through.
Our stay at this place has been nothing short of perfect! From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality. The staff here has been incredibly friendly and accommodating, going above and beyond to ensure that our every need is met. If it’s a tent already set up and waiting for you, one of the many tiny houses on site, or even a Cabin with all the amenities- they will be able to accommodate you. While we have thoroughly enjoyed our time here, it is clear that there are ongoing renovations and improvements taking place. The potential of this place is evident, and we cannot wait to see the final result. Based on what we have already experienced, we have no doubt that it is going to be amazing!
If you’re going to the Mishawaka for a show, the shuttle from Riverside runs to the Amish every 15 minutes making it SUPER convenient to attend a concert. Don’t forget to grab some food before the show too!!
Loads of options going down 103. Found a solid spot by the river that even had a few primitive structures built. Great fishing and pondering spot until neighbors rolled in on both sides. Guessing you can generally count on neighbors in summer months even in seemingly nestled spots quite a ways down 103 and it was a a random Monday. I still had plenty of space and privacy. But I could hear a group of RVers playing music through the trees (and they were in view, too) at night which led me to seek a new spot after night one.
We stayed in two different spots. The first one was nice but the second one was so spacious and had so many trees and was far from the road so traffic didn’t sound too bad. Had many fires in the available fire rings. The place is busy during the weekend but dead during the week, especially when it started to cool down. The pictures will speak for the amazing views!
The washboard road coming off the highway is harsh but it smooths out when you get closer to camp. There are at least three camp site I saw that are all secluded by boulders and trees. Each one has established fire sites. Others have chopped trees and branches from the nearby trees, but I'm not sure if that is accepted.
On a Sunday night, a group of younger people were drinking and enjoying a fire. They weren't too loud and packed up and left before it got too late. It looked like it gets pretty popular so I'd get there early if you're planning to go on a weekend.
You'll hear distant gunshots from hunters in case you or others in your party are sensitive to that. There were also plenty of gnats in early October!
Nice spot. Great views. Only a third full mid week September. Water near entrance. Vault toilets. Sites well separated but limited screening between. Very Sunny Trees are sparse and short. Hiking trails in camp. Moose along trail. Nice lakes. Large tent pads 15’x15’. Level sites. Limited T mobile
Fabulous rock formations and peaceful. It's well worth the ridged dirt roads and the drive to find the perfect spot.
Despersed camping with easy access and great trails nearby. Rock climbing also.
A nice lake and lots of private was a beautiful location though I happened across an area with lots of private land making it a challenge to explore for me no cell service. Very quiet from planes and light or any other noise pollution caught some epic views of does bucks a moose and a family of black bears bring bug juice the deer flys and mosquitos mean business.
Primitive camping was great here in the North Camp Area. From what I can tell all the Primitive sites have fire rings. Site 470-480 even have a vault toilet but they are close together. I stayed at site 410 which has a stream behind it and was a beautiful spot. I would also recommend sites 411-414 & 421 for the primitive camper. The hiking is just beautiful and there are several lakes (2 are only accessible by hiking in). Most of the sites around the large lake are for RV or Cabin campers and fill up fast. There is no picnic area near the lake so if you are primitive camping you have to be creative. ALL RESERVATION FOR CAMPING ARE DONE ONLINE. There is no cell serves past the entrance so be sure to book in advance. The vault toilets are well kept there is no indoor plumbing that I could find. There is also Yurt camping here. There is no electric hook up for the RVs but there is a dump station. Water can be found in a few areas around the park.
You had better stock up before you head out to State Forest State park but WOW definitely a stop. There is no gas or groceries til Walden. Beautiful and sweeping vistas. Visit ranger lakes. Totally worth it. Lake Agnes was still closed when we were there. NO service.
Your neighbors will be moose at this campground. It is remote and the sites are near, but I still found it peaceful. Noobs will fall prey to the moose. Seriously, many meals were stolen. Although I must admit, they are rather quiet and can sneak up on you. Rangers were very friendly.
Be aware the ranger station north of this park will have the state pass needed. Otherwise bring cash
If you drive about 9 miles or so down the road you’ll come to a sign that points you towards the University (Poudre Park Road).
More of a dirt road than anything but wide for large vehicles. Semis and trucks with large trailers and campers up and down the mountain all day and night.
It’s a road that dead ends at the University, so a lot of student traffic all day.
We seen maybe one ranger patrol the whole 3 weeks we were there. You can camp here all year long. No stay limit.
No bathrooms, water or trash disposal. Nearest town besides Fort Collins is about 13 miles away.
Not quiet at all. Most camp spots are entirely too close together, so close it’s like a huge party spot. The day we left was because there was a fire ban and somewhere around 10 people showed up with chainsaws and were going to have a fire. They weren’t the nicest people and had a lot of dogs as well. No privacy.
The road was so steep that our transmission overflowed and left us stranded for a few days past what we wanted to be there for (when we took a trip into town and back).
Nowhere near water. We walked 3 miles to get to the closest creek (they call them rivers there).
Wildlife was there but not abundant because of the traffic.
Very beautiful and i would definitely give it another go if we had a more updated camper.
Absolutely zero cell service!
I love camping. I love the opportunity to connect to the wild spaces that surround us. I love finding people who share that same passion. What I don't love, is sharing a campground with someone who obviously has no regard for the safety of their fellow campers or the wild animals that call those wild spaces home. Over Labor Day weekend I got the opportunity to camp at State Forest State Park in Colorado and a 'fellow camper' 2 sites down from us made choices that put us all, and one of the coolest cow moose and her calf in danger. Despite knowledge of moose being present in the area, the campers would go to bed every night and leave all of their trash out, and various food and drink sources scattered around their campsite as well. The moose quickly learned she had easy access to food there and frequented their site. Each time they would honk their horn and blow a whistle and clang pans, but moose are typically not afraid of humans at all, so she did not deter easy. Not only did they lure her into their trap, they then harassed her and disturbed the peace of the other campers. They clearly had no regard for the rules of campground and had their dogs off leash many times, one evening one of their dogs chased the moose out of their site, much to their amusement. I reported them to the rangers, and was assured they would be talked to, but their behavior did not change. If that moose decides to 'fight back' instead of run off, it will be her that pays the price. My sisters and I made sure our site was clean and tidy and even when the moose visited during dinner one evening all that was needed from us to scare her off, were a few claps and shouts. My point is this, we have a responsibility to utilize our wild spaces responsibly, and in my opinion, if you can't do that, then you lose the privilege to use them. Enjoy some of the pictures from that weekend, and remember to recreate responsibly, and if you see something, say something!
The campsites are divided into several campgrounds and there are dispersed and group sites further up in the park. Our site was on the lake in a tent only site. Firewood is easily accessible at a small store right before the park entrance. Pit toilets, very low to the ground, weird, not the best but not the worst I’ve seen. Campground has been affected by beetle infestation so a lot of the trees have been cut down leaving many of the sites in full sun. This is the moose capital of the world but we didn’t see any on our visit. There are several good hikes off the road through the park, several lead to alpine lakes, anywhere from 6-10 miles round trip. The lake is perfect for canoe, paddle board, kayak, we tried swimming but the water is super cold. It’s also very clear and clean. There seemed to be a very chill vibe at the campground and we had a blast.
Nice sites with established tent pads. It was pretty empty on Sunday and Monday nights so it was nice and quiet. Pretty views of the reservoir. Not really any shade and according to the rules, you can’t hang hammocks or anything from the trees which was disappointing.
The campsites are divided into several campgrounds and there are dispersed and group sites further up in the park. Our site was on the lake in a tent only site. Firewood is easily accessible at a small store right before the park entrance. Pit toilets, very low to the ground, weird, not the best but not the worst I’ve seen. Campground has been affected by beetle infestation so a lot of the trees have been cut down leaving many of the sites in full sun. This is the moose capital of the world but we didn’t see any on our visit. There are several good hikes off the road through the park, several lead to alpine lakes, anywhere from 6-10 miles round trip. The lake is perfect for canoe, paddle board, kayak, we tried swimming but the water is super cold. It’s also very clear and clean. There seemed to be a very chill vibe at the campground and we had a blast.
Absolutely love this area of the Medicine Bow NF. Road in was manageable. Spacious dispersed sites. Most have fire pits. Lovely weather in June. Not as windy as the pilot hill rd or vedauwoo dispersed sites. Plenty of shade and hiking opportunities. Quiet throughout the week. Lots of vacant RVs. It appears that the locals leave their rigs and the forest service doesn’t enforce the 16 day limit. The same people will also ride their ATVs in your site. T-mobile signal is decent enough to code and to study. Lots of cows roaming around.
Unprecedented scenery in the wilderness just below 10,000 foot elevation. Short hike to multiple high altitude lakes. Glorious views from campsite. Only has electric and water hookup and the dump station was not convenient. Saw moose from the campsite. Clean and very quiet.
Plenty of camping sites even though some were destroyed in the fires. Options for camping in campgrounds, close to others, or more alone. Options to camp near the lake, river, or on dry land.options for large or small camping areas. Peaceful and beautiful. We will go back again for sure.
Many of great camping options and access to literally every summer and winter activity.
We stayed here for 2 nights in one of the Cabins in December. There is no electricity, bedding, or running water, but there is a propane heater that looks like a wood burning stove that casts a great ambiance. Our cabin also had plenty of coat racks, a snow shovel, and a table. We stayed in Cabin 6, and walked though 2 feet of snow 300 ft down a hill (larger hill than expected) with all our stuff to get settled in. As we approached, the propane stove was already going and the cabin was warm and inviting. We used string lights (solar powered) to provide light (there is a dim solar powered light in the cabin as well). We brought 0 degree sleeping bags in case the heater was not enough, but it was toasty warm inside and we ended up hot. The cabins are right on the edge of the reservoir (which is drained as of Dec 2021 but still beautiful in the snow). Cabins 1-3 (cabins 1&2 hold 15ish ppl for large groups, cabin 3 is ADA) are closer to the road and look like they would not have such a long walk in the snow. During my search, it looks like they also allow primitive camping in the winter for $18, but I didn't see which area this would be in, the cabins are on the north side of the lake. Daily vehicle fee of $9. The experience was incredible, we were completely alone and enjoyed great stars and beautiful sunrises. Highly recommend for a unique winter camping experience (sure it would be great in the summer as well but likely way more crowded). Be sure to be prepared for cold temps!
Camping near Jelm, Wyoming, offers a mix of stunning views and outdoor adventures. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking your RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping around Jelm, Wyoming, is a great way to enjoy nature and create lasting memories. Whether you're looking for a quiet getaway or an adventure-filled trip, there's something for everyone in this beautiful area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Jelm, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Jelm, WY is Site 459 - State Forest State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Jelm, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near Jelm, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
