From Denver you can camp beside a reservoir without leaving the metro area, or above 10,000 feet in the national forest after a short drive up I-70 or US 285. The catch is demand: with a whole metro area on the doorstep, book as early as you can.
Here are the best options, from the edge of the city to the high passes, and how to get a site.
Denver campgrounds at a glance
| Campground | Where | Sites | Elevation | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek State Park | Aurora | 133 | — | State park rates | CPW |
| Chatfield State Park | Littleton | 197 (all electric) | — | State park rates | CPW |
| Golden Gate Canyon State Park | 16 mi NW of Golden | 156 | — | State park rates | CPW |
| Buffalo | Buffalo Creek, ~1 hr SW | 37 | 7,400 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| West Chicago Creek | Near Idaho Springs | 15 | 9,600 ft | $25 | Recreation.gov |
| Kenosha Pass | US 285 | 25 | 10,000 ft | $28 | Recreation.gov |
| Echo Lake | Mount Blue Sky road | 18 | 10,600 ft | $26 | Recreation.gov |
| Guanella Pass | Above Georgetown | 18 | 10,900 ft | $26 | Recreation.gov |
| Rampart Range designated sites | Pike NF, South Platte district | 98 | — | $22–$33 | Recreation.gov |
State park sites run $13–$41 a night depending on hookups, plus a daily vehicle pass ($10–$12 with Colorado plates, $15–$17 out of state). They open for booking six months ahead at midnight Mountain time. Forest Service prices are from Recreation.gov.
In the metro area: Cherry Creek and Chatfield
Chatfield State Park
Best for: RVs and families who want a big lake close to town.
Chatfield, in Littleton on the southwest edge of Denver, has 197 campsites, all with electric hookups, and many with full hookups, across four campgrounds, plus 10 group sites. The park covers about 5,381 acres around Chatfield Reservoir, with 32.8 miles of trails and boat ramps on the north and south shores. Use 11500 N. Roxborough Park Rd. or 9700 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in your GPS rather than the park's name.
Cherry Creek State Park
Best for: the shortest drive from downtown.
Cherry Creek is in Aurora, a mile south of I-225 on Parker Road, around an 880-acre reservoir. It has 133 campsites and 35 miles of trails, 15 of them paved, plus an off-leash dog area. The campground office is in the campground, north of the East Entrance Station.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Best for: real mountain camping close to the city.
About 16 miles northwest of Golden on Golden Gate Canyon Road, the park has 156 campsites, mainly at Reverend's Ridge Campground (tents and RVs), plus rustic backcountry sites with no amenities. Water and the dump station are shut off in winter.
Up I-70: Mount Blue Sky and Guanella Pass
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests run three high campgrounds off I-70 west of Denver. All three book on Recreation.gov with a few first-come sites, have no hookups, check in at 2 p.m. and out at noon, and include one vehicle per site ($8 a night for each extra one).
- Echo Lake (10,600 ft): 18 sites in spruce near Echo Lake, at the base of Mount Blue Sky. Eleven suit RVs, seven are tent-only; parking spurs run 20–55 feet. Hand-pump water and vault toilets. Several trails into the Mount Evans Wilderness start in the campground. Expect wind and cold nights. From I-70, take exit 240 at Idaho Springs and drive 14 miles south on Highway 103.
- Guanella Pass (10,900 ft): 18 sites on two loops along South Clear Creek, 7 to 9 miles south of Georgetown on the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. Most sites are open; a few tent sites sit in the spruce. Large RVs aren't recommended on the byway. The Silver Dollar Lake Trail climbs above treeline from nearby.
- West Chicago Creek (9,600 ft): 15 sites in aspen and lodgepole pine, 9.5 miles from Idaho Springs. The last mile is a one-lane gravel road with two sharp switchbacks. Its well wasn't working at last check, so bring all your water. Good trout fishing in the creek.
Down US 285: Kenosha Pass and Buffalo Creek
- Kenosha Pass (10,000 ft): 25 sites in lodgepole and aspen at the top of the pass, 17.5 miles past Bailey on US 285. The Colorado Trail runs through. Season runs from May to early September, with full service Memorial Day to Labor Day. Parking spurs are 16–30 feet.
- Buffalo (7,400 ft): 37 sites near Buffalo Creek, about an hour southwest of Denver, at the heart of a 40-mile trail system popular with mountain bikers. Some sites are tent-only. No water, so bring your own.
Rampart Range: designated dispersed sites
The Rampart Range Recreation Area, home of the Devils Head fire lookout and a large motorized trail system, allows camping only at 98 numbered sites, for a fee of $22–$33 a night, booked on Recreation.gov. There's no water and no trash service, and the area is closed to camping from December 1 to April 1.
It's a good example of how free camping works close to Denver now. A Pike National Forest order covering the South Platte, Pikes Peak and South Park districts (in effect through December 1, 2026, unless rescinded) limits camping in its described areas to developed campgrounds and designated sites. Read our guide to dispersed camping in Colorado before heading out.
Before you go
- Elevation: the I-70 campgrounds and Kenosha Pass sit at 9,600–10,900 feet. Nights are cold, and visitors from sea level should take it easy.
- Bears: the Forest Service asks campers to keep food out of tents and locked away.
- Occupy your reservation: at Echo Lake, Guanella Pass and West Chicago Creek, a site not occupied within 26 hours of the reservation start goes to first-come campers.
- Fire restrictions can be imposed at any time; check before you light anything.
For the rest of the state, see our Colorado campgrounds guide.
