Are you planning a trip to Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG with your horse? We've got you covered. Finding a place to stay in Wyoming while traveling with your horse is easy. These scenic and easy-to-reach Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG campsites are perfect for equestrian campers.
The popular Big Creek Lakes Campground offers a peaceful, scenic setting in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado. The campground is located in Routt National Forest at an elevation of 9,000-ft., and is adjacent to Big Creek Lake, where fishing, boating and hiking are available.
This campground offers boating and fishing on Colorado's second largest natural lake, hiking in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness and ATV trails nearby. There are also ample opportunities for viewing wildlife, including moose. Fishing for trout, muskie, grayling and Kokanee salmon is available in the lake. Anglers also have access to a creek. Non-motorized boats are allowed on the upper section of the lake and motorized boats are permitted on the lower section.
Big Creek lies among Lodgepole pine and fir trees. Some previously forested areas of the campground have been thinned due to pests and now provide more sun. The campground offers beautiful views of the surrounding wilderness. The wetlands around the lake are prime moose territory. Black bear, bobcat, coyote, elk, mule deer and moose are just some of the many animals that inhabit these rich and diverse lands. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, encompass nearly 3 million acres from central and northeastern Wyoming to north-central Colorado.
The closest town is Walden, Colorado, about 35 miles from the campsite. Many more outdoor recreation opportunities exist in the surrounding national forests and grasslands, including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, OHV riding, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and winter sports.
$20 / night
$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.
Walden Reservoir is a picturesque lake full of wildlife outside of Walden, Colorado. The Walden Reservoir is an easily accessible destination in a seldom seen portion of northern Colorado for birders, hunters, and those looking for a free, isolated place to rest.
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.
Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch is a unique mountain getaway destination, situated on 480 scenic acres along the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River, with around 50 tent and RV sites, as well as rustic camper cabins. Lodging, condos, and stand-alone cabins are also available, as well as fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, and much more!
Seedhouse Group Site provides a private setting for group gatherings of up to 100 guests. Located near the Elk River, just miles from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Seedhouse is a retreat for fishing, hiking, biking, off highway vehicles, and horseback riding in the mountains of the Park Range. At an elevation of 8,000 feet, the area is set near the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, which provides for excellent backcountry hiking and camping. The facility provides eight primitive tent sites with campfire rings and picnic tables, as well as a large picnic shelter that can accommodate 20 guests. Water is available via a hand pump well system. Bear-proof food storage lockers and trash receptacles are provided for visitor safety. Campers can access the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail via a connector trail within a short drive from the campground.
The group campsite is a great central location for wilderness hiking and mountain biking, trout fishing in the nearby Elk River and picnicking amidst beautiful mountain scenery. Campers can access the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail via a connector trail within a short drive from the campground.
Seedhouse lies in the Rocky Mountains in the heart of the Routt National Forest near the Elk River. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland encompass nearly three million acres from central and northeastern Wyoming to north-central Colorado. Black bear, bobcat, coyote, elk, mule deer and moose are just some of the many animals that inhabit these rich and diverse lands.
Visitors might also enjoy stopping by Steamboat Lake State Park, only a short drive from the campground. Many more outdoor opportunities exist in the surrounding national forests and grasslands, including hiking, biking, camping, horseback and off-road vehicle riding, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and winter sports.
$150 / night
Traveler
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.
Scout
We showed up at night and it was very quiet, no problem finding a spot to camp. However, during the day the gnats, bugs, and ants were everywhere. Literally crawled up our boots and bodies. Great place to over night, but terrible place to hang out during the day unless you have a bug net.
Scoutsimple, and easy place to get to… flat awesome sunset
GuideWe stayed at site 7, big enough for our caravan of 3 campers. Very spacious! Great views and nice center fire pit!
GuideWe 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
RangerSpent 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.
Guide
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.
GuideWe 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!
TravelerFabulous rock formations and peaceful. It's well worth the ridged dirt roads and the drive to find the perfect spot.
TravelerDespersed camping with easy access and great trails nearby. Rock climbing also.
GuideA 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.
TravelerAmazing views but lacks tree coverage. Tons of ants but I nothin bit me. Smells like sage and fresh air. Quiet as can be. Relatively flat land.
Legend
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!
Traveler
The area is beautiful, we had the greatest time hiking and fishing. There were many other campers, everyone was mostly respectful. Spot 23 is where we stayed and the pull through drive way is on a wicked hill. Made it tricky getting the camper level. I was surprised to see so much litter down at the lake. Lots of cigarette butts at the day use areas. Really sad to see in such a perfect example of nature.
ScoutBetter for campers/cans as there isn’t much privacy for tent campers. Not enough trees for bathrooms so you may want to bring a hide-able set up. SO many mosquitoes and biting ants but the sunsets are gorgeous and make it worth it. Sites aren’t really marked/but are right next to the reservoir. No fires/water pumps.
TravelerPlenty 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.
Scout
Definitely a great place to visit. Everything has been provided.
Scout
Overall, I had a good time here. Staff was friendly except for at the horse back riding. They don't let you ride if you look like you weigh more than 200lbs. RV parking is a little tight for bigger rigs but great tent spots. There is a horse coral for you at nearly every RV site. No hookups but was able to fill water tank. Queit, peaceful area.. Good firepits. The restaurant food wasn't that great. There are condos if you don't own an RV or tent. We went to Crystal Lake up the road and had a good day.
GuideWe camped here in a trailer for almost a week. We were shocked at the availability of spaces given that Colorado is notoriously booked up by February.
Our space was The Overlook and it had an amazing view. The stable horses came up next to the site every morning. It is a massive site that accommodated our trailer, a 2-person tent, 2 vehicles and still had room to spare. The only downsides were no picnic table, little shade, and lots of wind up there.
We drove around to view the other sites. Many options including walk-in sites, riverside camping, and campsites with corrals for horse camping. If you have a larger trailer, avoid the lower sites. Keep to 1-5 or the Overlook for access.
There are stocked trout ponds. You have to pay an additional fee to fish in them. We bought fish food and never saw a fish. The ponds really needed to be maintained as there was a lot of weed growth.
The office is on the first floor of the condo building. Usually open until 4 pm. There is a restaurant (closed while we were there).
Showers are available for $5.
A gift shop/store is available with various small items and treats.
WiFi is available at the office and restaurant. Campsites are too far away. Couldn’t reach it with our WiFi extender either. (Normally wouldn’t want to but working sucks.)
Water for trailers is available bit a tad challenging to access simply because of sharp turns. I can’t speak to water availability for lower campsites.
Trash containers at both the lodge area and at the lower campground.
There is no dump on-site. However, there is a fee-based dump about 1.5 miles away in the Crystal Lakes Community. $10 per use with free water.
The stables are managed separately but are directly across the road. Super friendly and reasonable rates for trail rides. Our 5 & 7 year old granddaughters were able to ride their own horses and had trail riders lead them. Super nice folks!
This is open year-round (condos/cabins in winter) with tubing, skating, and X-country skiing in winter.
TravelerVery pretty camping & a lot of it along the road. There’s a lake & a cute lil creek that runs off from it, that makes wonderful sound atmosphere but does mean bugs. The road is very easy going, made it out in my Prius with no problems. The area is extremely fire damaged in places & there is a fire ban in effect when we were there over 4th of July.
TravelerThis spot is extremely private and very rugged to access do not attempt after a rain as its impossible to pass then...
ScoutTons of dispersed camping along the road, but it can be busy. Wildlife is abundant with tons of deer and moose in the area. Topography is Aspen wetlands and is beautiful. The road is a county dirt road but it is very well maintained and fairly wide.
Scout
We had a primitive site that was very quiet and next to the creek. The park rangers and attendants were extremely helpful and polite. Had great fly fishing in the creek and the beaver ponds. Only negative was the amount of space to place trash because of the busy weekend before.
Guide
This spot was nice and just a quick drive outside of Fort Collins. There was tons of shade and easy access to trails. Loved the river nearby to play in and let dog swim.
TravelerBeaver meadows campgrounds was awesome!! We called and they didn’t have an open spot but she said she would get back to us if she could find something. She called about an hour later and said she could put us in a spot down by the pond. She went out of her way to fix us a spot with a fire pit and picnic table on a crazy busy weekend!! It was an awesome and gorgeous spot in which we were able to pitch 3 tents in! Thanks to the crew at Beaver Meadows we will be returning soon!!!
ScoutPretty setting on the reservoir (amazing setting and great for water activities). There aren’t a ton of sites and they’re grouped in pods. Pods are pretty close but manageable. Great access to hiking
GuideStayed in the North Michigan Reservoir loop for three wonderful days after the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Perfect weather and beautiful scenery. The campground was well maintained, even after the busy weekend. We hiked, biked and just enjoyed the view. Fishing was slow but in such a pretty place we didn’t care. It was not crowded during the week but was full for the weekend. Great place to camp and relax. Highly recommended!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG is Big Creek Lakes Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG, with real photos and reviews from campers.
