Colorado Springs sits right at the foot of Pikes Peak, and you don't have to drive far to camp in the mountains. Two state parks sit at the edge of town, and the Pike National Forest around Woodland Park, 18 miles up Ute Pass, has a cluster of Forest Service campgrounds in ponderosa pine at 7,800 to 9,200 feet.
Here are the best of them, with what they cost and how they book.
Colorado Springs campgrounds at a glance
| Campground | Where | Sites | Elevation | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Mountain State Park | South edge of the city | 61 | — | State park rates | CPW, 6 months ahead |
| Mueller State Park | Divide, west of Pikes Peak | 138 | — | State park rates | CPW, 6 months ahead |
| South Meadows | 5 mi north of Woodland Park | 63 | 8,000 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| Colorado | 6.7 mi north of Woodland Park | 79 | 7,800 ft | $28–$38 | Recreation.gov |
| Painted Rocks | 7.5 mi north of Woodland Park | 18 | 7,800 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| Meadow Ridge | Rampart Reservoir | 19 | 9,200 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| Thunder Ridge | Rampart Reservoir | 20 | 9,200 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| The Crags | Pike National Forest | — | — | $25 | First come, first served |
State park campsites run $13–$41 a night depending on hookups, plus a daily vehicle pass ($10–$12 with Colorado plates, $15–$17 out of state). Forest Service prices are from Recreation.gov; a site includes two vehicles, and a third costs $11 a night.
State parks: Cheyenne Mountain and Mueller
Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Best for: camping without leaving town.
Cheyenne Mountain State Park sits at the base of Cheyenne Mountain's eastern side, just south of Colorado Springs. Its 2,701 acres run from prairie to forest, with 61 campsites and 29 miles of trails. It's also a good park for birding.
Mueller State Park
Best for: aspen, meadows and wildlife on the far side of Pikes Peak.
Mueller is near Divide, on the western foothills of Pikes Peak, with 138 campsites among spring-fed meadows, conifer and aspen forests and granite outcrops. Pets are allowed in campsites and on paved roads but not on the trails.
Both parks book through Colorado Parks and Wildlife up to six months ahead, at midnight Mountain time. See our Colorado campgrounds guide for state park fees and rules.
Woodland Park and Manitou Lake
Three Forest Service campgrounds sit off Highway 67 north of Woodland Park. South Meadows and Colorado are connected by the paved, 4.2-mile Centennial Trail to 5-acre Manitou Lake, and Painted Rocks is half a mile from the trail. At the lake where you can fish for trout and paddle a canoe.
- South Meadows (8,000 ft): 63 sites in ponderosa pine, 5 miles north of Woodland Park, with paved roads, vault toilets, drinking water and a host. A central base for day trips to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.
- Colorado Campground (7,800 ft): 79 single and double sites near Manitou Lake, about 6.7 miles up Highway 67, with an amphitheater for Saturday campfire programs, paved roads and trash collection.
- Painted Rocks (7,800 ft): 18 sites on two loops at the edge of a meadow, named for its streaked sandstone outcrops. The west loop is shaded; the east loop is more open.
The Rainbow Falls and North Divide OHV trail systems are nearby for off-roaders.
Rampart Reservoir: Meadow Ridge and Thunder Ridge
Best for: fishing and mountain biking at 9,200 feet.
The two campgrounds of the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area sit on ridges above the reservoir, about 10 miles from Woodland Park via Rampart Range Road. Both have drinking water and vault toilets, and the reservoir holds rainbow and mackinaw trout. The 14-mile Rampart Reservoir Trail circles the lake and is open to hiking and mountain biking.
- Meadow Ridge: 19 sites, mostly shaded, with a grassy understory.
- Thunder Ridge: 20 sites, with three accessible sites.
At both, many tables and fire rings sit below the road down a set of steps, and the Forest Service warns that RVs and trailers over 36 feet will struggle to get through the campground.
The Crags
The Crags Campground, in the Pike National Forest, is first come, first served at $25 a night. It's pack in, pack out, with no trash dumpsters, and hikers who park in the campground without camping pay an $11 day-use fee.
Free camping near Colorado Springs
Free camping close to the city is limited. A Pike National Forest order for the Pikes Peak, South Platte and South Park ranger districts (in effect through December 1, 2026, unless rescinded):
- limits camping in one place to 14 days in any 30-day period within a 20-mile radius,
- bans camping within 100 feet of water outside developed and designated sites, and
- in the order's described areas, allows camping and campfires only in developed campgrounds and designated dispersed sites.
Check the order's maps before heading out, and see our guide to dispersed camping in Colorado.
Before you go
- Arrive with full water tanks. Colorado regulations prohibit attaching hoses to Forest Service hydrants.
- Check-in is 2 p.m. and check-out noon at the Woodland Park and Rampart campgrounds.
- Firewood is sold by the campground hosts for $10 a bundle.
- Fire restrictions: check the Pike National Forest and El Paso and Teller County restrictions before each trip.
