We lived in Fort Collins, Colorado for thirteen months and did not do as much camping as we would have liked but what we did do was a lot of fun. The following is a list of campgrounds, cabins, and backcountry sites that either we camped at or stumbled upon. Click the links to view maps, trail information, pictures, videos, and more information.
1. Golden Gate Canyon State Park is 30 miles and about an one hour drive from downtown Denver, Colorado. We camped at Reverend’s Ridge campground, which is located in the northwest corner of the park and above 9,000 feet in elevation. The camp sites and store have everything you can hope for from a car-camping experience. What’s more, the state park includes an extensive network of hiking trails that are intertwined with the campgrounds. We highly recommend both hiking and camping at Golden Gate Canyon State park.
2. YMCA of the Rockies is located 10 minutes southwest of Estes Park and adjacent to Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park. The amenities of the cabins and vacation homes in combination with the facility’s proximity to RMNP make staying at these cabins an extremely fun and relaxing experience. We have enjoyed staying in both two and three bedroom cabins. In addition, wildlife roam the property and include mule deer, elk, hummingbirds, and more.
3. Lathrop State Park is located five miles west of Walsenburg, Colorado and includes 103 camp sites, hiking, two lakes for fishing, boating, and water sports. We camped at a spacious, non-electric Yucca camp site, enjoyed hiking the Hogback trail, and listened to a geology talk at the outdoor amphitheater.
4. Mount Margaret trail is located 20 miles west of Livermore, Colorado and 41 miles from downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. It is flat, 4.0 miles long, and includes five backcountry camp sites. Each of the backcountry sites should include a bench and a fire ring. We did not camp during our visit but it does appear to be a tranquil (i.e., low human demand) and easy to access set of backcountry sites (i.e., the trail is wide and flat).
5. Lory State Park is located 20-25 minutes west of downtown Fort Collins, Colorado and is a very popular destination for mountain bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. The park includes six backcountry camp sites. Each of the sites requires two miles or more of hiking. Further, gas stoves must be used because the sites do not include fire pits.
Related Colorado blog posts include:
Two Knobby Tires 