If you’re willing to put the work in on this trailhead (Rich Creek Trailhead), than you won’t be disappointed.

You can park at the trailhead- get there extra early and pack it in. Dispersed camping only is allowed along the trail but be sure to follow the rules about how far away you need to be from the trail and river (1/4 mile).

I’d suggest going at least 4-5 miles in before popping a tent. The views get better and better.

The ponds and streams are full of tiny cutthroat. A real CO high altitude fly fishing treat!

Also-be aware- this is high altitude so it’s cold at night…wear layers!

Not quite a campground. But- id definitely suggest setting up “camp” for the day.

There are a few other campgrounds in this rec area including Lodgepole and Aspen. Michigan Creek is also nearby.

This particular spot is the lake itself. There is a gravel road and parking lot that fits a few dozen cars. There is a trail that goes around the entire lake and there are several great spots to pitch a shade tent or hammock for the day!

Be prepared for great fishing too! We had a great time with simple spinning lures! There were several kayaks out so if you’re into that it certainly is a pristine place for it!

Again- this spot itself is not a campground but there are several nearby

This is true boondocking- meaning this is dispersed camping. The camping is right off 285 along Guanella Pass area. Tons of dirt roads to venture down to find your piece of heaven.

It is super helpful to grab a map of BLM land and public use areas from the ranger stations in Grant or Bailey CO. You can also use The Dyrt! Just be sure you are looking at maps and know where you are because some of this land is private or not open to camping.

Be sure to check out Guanella Pass- the drive is beautiful with tons of hiking! Kenosha pass is just down the way as well- also awesome and hooks into CO trail hiking.

What a place. Hundreds of spots- a water park, a bounce pad, cabins, golf carts, putt- putt oh my!

This place is a campers with kids dream. It can get noisy and it’s definitely not remote.

For the adults and families who want to hike I highly suggest spruce mountain trail. Nearby and full of great views! We drove around in the nearby quaint town of Larkspur and even spotted a bear!

Hot, hot, hot and more hot. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way- the fishing here is great from the shore and a boat. You can spend a day just floating around on a tube, or simply drinking an iced cold tea under a shade structure.

Just know. In the summer-it’s hot!

This state park has the most spectacular tropical feeling waterfalls. In Colorado! What a unique place.

The camping is reserved for a very small number of spots that are unique. Some of these spots have hookups but be very aware that the spots are all situated directly on the main park entrance road. This is a small park so they allow parking basically in the camp spots. It’s a little odd since it gets so crowded on the weekends…. but At night when you have it all to yourself? Pure bliss.

Be sure to fish the upper ponds, explore the caves and hike the fish hatchery! All awesome!

Wow. Wow. Wow. Who knew there was water in Colorado that was a Hawaii turquoise blue!?
I certainly had no idea! According to the visitors center the color is due to a unique mineral deposit in the water. Minerals are magnificent!

Okay, as for the campgrounds- well first they pretty much all overlook the lake so you get a view of that beautiful scenery.

This is one of those unicorn state park campgrounds that has full hookups as well, What a treat!

Do keep in mind that in summer months the sun here is intense and there is really no shade to speak of. It can also get very windy!

Also, super close to the town of Rifle which has plenty in the way of food and groceries if needed. Great place for water sports if you’re into that!

This campground is no longer a KOA and I believe it is now called “Elk Creek campground”.

The campground is a ways off i70 near a quaint little town called New Castle. The spots themselves are all near the river and in the trees. It has a very forest feel to it.

The amenities are all old but clean and the people were friendly. Great place to be if you want to be near Glenwood or Rifle!

This review will be short and sweet. This is an okay place for a quick night stopover. I wouldn’t go beyond this and it’s certainly not for tents.

This is your true stereotypical mobile home park. Nothing at all wrong with that but really not much of a campground at all, more a permanent resident locale.

Again- nothing screamingly horrible here. Just mostly mobile home park and long term residents in trailers.

Tarryall reservoir is beautiful and a great fishing spot!

The camping here is all dispersed with the exception of maybe 8-10 spots in one identified camping “loop” by the lake which is really just a few spots in a gravel lot- still great just not like other campgrounds.

If you plan to disperses camp- get there early! The spots go fast! By Friday morning in the summer it is super slim pickings!

Be aware the wind can get wild up here! Don’t leave an awning out- ever and be prepared. But if you can take a gusty afternoon I think it’s a great place!

Rainbow Roundup Trout Ranch is an interesting place. 

I’m a glass half full kind of person so let’s start with the pros-  the location is directly off highway 285 with really easy access in and out. 

The campground is also located on the road to a lesser known state park- Staunton State Park. This is an awesome place to check out. 

There are 2-3 little fishing ponds on the property that are well stocked (read:easy pickings) with trout. These ponds attract lots of families with little kiddos wanting to wet a line. Very cute idea but can get crowded on weekends. 

Now- on to the campground- yikes. Not exactly what one would hope for in a campground. 

There are maybe 8–10 spots, of which 4-5 of them are permanent residents with some shadier looking setups. 

There was no one that came out to meet us, no one that checked in with us the whole time.  

The spots themselves are basically all centered around a gravel culdesac. The hookups are old and can be problematic, the picnic tables need serious repair and and many of the sites had been trashed with litter- very sad. 

Not somewhere we would  visit again for camping but maybe a quick fishing fix!

This campground is kind of a hidden gem. The proximity to Central City/ Black Hawk is crazy ( less than 2-3 miles) but the proximity to i70 is what makes it a hidden gem. Not many people travel up highway 119 because they think the only thing back here is the casinos- they are wrong.

This area is full of history, hiking and a healthy dose of camping! Columbine campground is the perfect spot for someone exploring this area.

Be aware this campground is very popular with the 4WD crowd but they were all very friendly.

There are some amazing old, and historical graveyards on your way into the campground along the dirt roads. Definitely worth exploring. The grave sites vary from the civil war to the early 1900s gold miners!

Wow wow wow. The pine trees in this campground are unreal. You are truly surrounded by those tall swaying Colorado beauties when you stay here. They provide all the shade you could need which means the campground stays cool in the day which is nice.

There is a nice little stream to lull you to sleep if the swaying sounds of the wind in the pines doesn’t do it for you.

This campground is deceptively large with at least a couple dozen sites but I feel they are well spaced.

Awesome for tent campers- not recommended for bigger trailers. Pop ups would be fine but roads can be rough and the campground has some tight turns.

Hiking is beyond abundant with all of Guanella Pass at your fingertips!

We loved it here. There a few things to note for campers interested in the area. The dirt road on the way in 2.5-3.5miles is BUMPY. Really not a big deal unless you have a travel trailer, which we did- it was some slowwww going for a while.

The spots are spaced well on the outside portion of the loop. On the inside of the loop they are closer together and mostly tent only spaces. Trailer sites are small for sure- I wouldn’t trust anything over 29ish feet in here.

The drive from Denver is exceptionally easy right up 285, there is water at the campground though we heard the pump was quite a workout.

Now- on to the important stuff….awesome Lake to fish in? Check. Access to the beautiful CO trail steps from the campground? Check. Quaint river full of fish and beaver pond tributaries? Check. Beautiful forest? Check. This place is one of those places you come to stay for a few days without leaving- but who would want to? Everything we love about our state is here.

Awesome little campground for both RVs and tent campers. This time we chose to tent camp and it couldn’t have been more relaxing.

There are some great little lakes nearby to walk around and the bathrooms are clean. The camp host was friendly and the trees provide ample shade.

Do keep in mind if you are tent camping, it can be cold here at night- even in the summer!

The air is thin up here- real thin. That also means that it’s pure, clean blissfully light oxygen so breathe deep and enjoy it.

The spots are a bit closer than I would like but the campground is very well kept and the beautiful mountain scenery makes you forget you have neighbors!

Great hiking nearby and the towns of Cripple Creek and Victor are full of old mining history!

Great KOA! The sites all have great views. There is hiking galore in the area. You are super confidently located near black hawk and Central City while also being near i70.

Don’t gamble with your camping experience this is a great campground!

This review is not specifically for the group site but for the campground in general.

I’m almost tempted to let my photos do the talking here. That’s because no matter how many words I use, they aren’t enough to describe the true unaltered Colorado beauty.

The campground itself is pristine. It’s certainly remote but I loved it. The sites on the river side are perfect and the vault bathrooms are pristine. The sites are spaced out enough that it feels like true camping.

Now- the area!? Marble CO- about 6 miles up the road is the state’s best kept secret. I almost feel bad about letting it out. What a cool place! No stop lights, no gas stations and no grocery stores but amazing scenery and real Marble laying around that you would never get bored.

Again- I’ll let photos do the talking, but trust me and go!

Let’s just start with the only downside- this campground is not near Glenwood. It’s about 20-25 miles into Glenwood Springs from here. So just know that going into it and everything else is great.

Now onto the awesome campground itself. The people are really friendly and the spots are perfectly level.

Our spot was right on the river which is beautiful. The campground maintains nice grass in the area, fire pits and picnic tables. The park is an all encompassing RV resort. There is a splash pad, a bbq/ picnic area, a trail around the river, a nice store, a pool, a dog park and to top it off big grassy areas to play in. It’s a very nice park.

I would also recommend checking out Rifle Falls (video attached) and Rifle Gap State Park which are both nearby!

This KOA has full hookups and nice level sites. The park is also super conveniently located to the interstate, so it’s the perfect place to pull off for the night.

The park does have a cute playground complete with old farm equipment and a small pool. The grass is all well kept and the bathrooms were very clean.

The town of Goodland is not known as a tourist attraction by any means but they are hiding a secret there, and it resides within walking distance of the KOA. Take your camera and venture around the block from the campground to a quaint park with giant ( over 20 foot tall) easel. Atop that easel sits an equally oversized rendition of the Vangogh sunflower painting- fitting for Kansas.

So, if you missed the giant ball of twine further up the highway- be sure you check out what has to be the largest art piece in the lower 48!