Where to Camp in Rocky Mtn National Park

Here’s a personalized guide to help you decide where to spend the night, from car camping paradise and remote backcountry sites to RV heaven.

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Car Camping

1. Timber Creek Campground – West

Just 10 miles inside the park from the Grand Lake entrance, the Timber Creek Campground is first-come, first-served for its 98 sites. Open late May through early November, it is the only campground on the park’s west side.

Located along the Colorado River, this beautiful campground is the definition of “Rocky Mountain high” since it sits at 8,900 feet. Your costs per night for this slice of paradise? $26 per night. It has flush toilets, offers ranger-led programs and can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet in length. Be aware that there is no shade at this campground since the pine beetle infestation in the area forced the park service to take down a number of trees.

Because it is first-come, first-served, get there early in the day during the summer season to try to get a site.

2. Moraine Park Campground – East

 

For striking views of Longs Peak, the park’s highest, settle in for the evening at Moraine Park Campground. For summer, reservations are highly recommended. You can make reservations up to six months in advance online or by calling 877-444-6777. In the winter, no reservations are accepted ⎯ it’s a first-come, first-served basis.

Nestled in a ponderosa pine forest two-and-a-half miles south of Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, this beautiful campground offers 244 sites in the summer and 77 in winter, but you never feel like a sardine packed tightly between tents.

The site costs $26 per night when the water is on, and $18 when it is off, so you’ll find a mix of flush and vault toilets, depending on water availability. RVs up to 40 feet in length are welcome here, and generators are allowed from 7:30 a.m.-10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., except in Loop D where generators are prohibited.

Amenities include a free shuttle that connects the campground to Bear Lake and Estes Park, which is especially great to RVers who want to leave their vehicles behind. Moraine Park Discovery Center is in walking distance as are connections to Moraine Park area trails. If you have your own solar shower bag, you can connect to the shower bag stall in the campground to clean off after a day of outdoor adventure.

3. Longs Peak Campground – East

Looking for a tents-only campground that serves as a basecamp for climbers hoping to ascend Longs Peak, the park’s highest peak at 14,259.

Head to Longs Peak Campground, a first-come, first-served area with 26 site nestled in a pine forest. The price for the highest campground in the park at 9,500 feet is $26 per night. Because the campground is at such a high elevation, bring warm layers for the evenings and early mornings. Summer 2016 opening dates have not been posted, pending a water project at the campground, so stay tuned.

Note this is on the edge of the park south of the main entrance on the eastern side. To get there, head 9 miles south of the town of Estes Park off of Highway 7.

I have an RV

4. Aspenglen Campground – Reservations up to 6 months in advance

Open late May through late September, Aspenglen Campground is just west of the Fall River Entrance Station in a beautiful pine forest near Fall River. At 8,200 feet, you are that much closer to the canopy stars hanging above you at night- and all for $26 per night.

With 53 sites total accommodating tents and RVs up to 30 feet in length (RVs permitted in loops B and C), this campground allows generators on the C Loop only from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. You can make reservations up to six months in advance online or by calling 877-444-6777.

Because cell phones don’t work here, get ready to truly disconnect from the rest of the world and immerse yourself into the wonders of the park. Just a short walk away lies Fall River Visitor Center and ranger-led evening programs are often offered in the summer.

Moraine Park Campground – First-come, first-served

Tent Camping Highcountry

5. Fern Lake – North

For a short-distanced backpacking adventure perfect for families with strong kids, try backcountry camping for a night or two at Fern Lake. It’s 3.8 miles in from the Fern Lake trailhead. Along the way, you’ll pass The Pool, Fern Falls and Marguerite Falls.

There’s a pit toilet near the individual camping sites for Fern Lake, which can be a great convenience when camping with kids. Park officials ask that you pitch your tent close to the indicated site out of potential hazards of standing dead trees.

Spend the next day fishing in Fern Lake (but be sure to have your Colorado fishing permit with you), or exploring nearby Spruce or Odessa Lakes before relaxing at your campsite and settling in for night two under the stars.

To get to the trailhead from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, follow Hwy 36 west to Bear Lake Road for a little more than 1 mile. Take a left onto Bear Lake Road and stay on it for another mile. Then turn right onto Moraine Park Campground Road. When you se the sign for the riding stable and trailheads, take a left. This orad brings you to the edge of Moraine Park. The trailhead is at the end of the road.

You do need a permit to camp overnight in the backcountry. Reserving a permit in advance online is highly recommended, or pick one up at either of two backcountry offices in the park, beginning March 1 at 8 a.m. for the current calendar year. Walk-in permits cost $26. At Rocky Mountain National Park, you cannot fax or call in permit requests.

On the east side, the backcountry office is adjacent to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, which is close to where the Fern Lake trailhead is. The backcountry office is open seven days a week, but hours change depending on the season. Call 970-586-1242 for information.

6. Ouzel Lake – South

A 4.9-mile hike in, Ouzel Lake is located in Wild Basin, a more rugged area of Rocky Mountain National Park. It sits at 10,020 feet.

Along the way to the lake, you will pass Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls, popular destinations, but most people turn around at the falls, leaving the trail less crowded once you leave the falls behind. Wildlife are abundant here, so keep your eyes out, especially for moose. You’ll also see a number of peaks, including Mount Meeker at 13,911.

Because of the distance required to get to Ouzel Lake, you’ll find few people and plenty of solitude once you set up camp. Park officials ask that you pitch your tent close to the indicated site out of potential hazards of standing dead trees. A maximum of 7 people are allowed at individual sites and 12 maximum at group sites. There is a privy at the backcountry campsite at Ouzel Lake.

If you spend two nights here, you can do a nice, strenuous day hike to Bluebird Lake, two miles and nearly 1,000 feet above you.

You need a permit to camp overnight in the backcountry, and you can reserve a permit in advance online, which is highly recommended, or pick one up at either of two backcountry offices in the park, beginning March 1 at 8 a.m. for the current calendar year. At Rocky Mountain National Park, you cannot fax or call in permit requests.

On the east side, the backcountry office is adjacent to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. On the west side, the backcountry office is in the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The offices are open seven days a week, but hours change depending on the season. You can call 970-586-1242 for information.

To get to the trailhead from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, follow Hwy. 36 about 1 mile east and then turn right onto Mary’s Lake Road. Follow it for about 2.4 miles to Hwy. 7. Turn right and follow Hwy. 7 to for 9.1 miles to Wild Basin Road.

There are five drive-in campgrounds and one drive-in group camping area in the park. Two campgrounds, Moraine Park and Aspenglen, take reservations, as does the group-camping area. Other park campgrounds are first-come, first-served, and fill on most summer days. There are no electric, water or sewer hookups at any camp sites.

The water is turned off in the winter at all year-round campgrounds. Drinking water is available at entrance stations and open visitor centers.

Rocky Mountain Campground Facilities

Campground	Sites	Toilets	Group	RV	GP
Aspenglen*	53	Flush	No	Yes	Yes
Glacier Basin	150	Flush	13	Yes	Yes
Longs Peak	26	Vault	No	No	No
Moraine Park*	244/77	Flush/Vault	No	Yes	Yes
Timber Creek	98	Flush	No	Yes	Yes

Key:

* = Reservations recommended – www.recreation.gov
Sites = Number of campsites in campground
Toilets = Type of toilet facilities
Group = Group sites available
RV = Sites available for RVs
GP = Generators permitted

Approximate 2016 Open Dates for Rocky Mountain Campgrounds

Weather permitting

Campground	2016	Fee
Aspenglen	5/26 – 9/26	$26
Glacier Basin	Pending	$26
Longs Peak	Pending	$26
Moraine Park	Year-round	$26/$18
Timber Creek	Late May-Early Nov	$26

Backcountry Camping

To camp in the backcountry, you need a permit.

Rocky Mountain Park Campgrounds

Aspenglen Campground (8200 ft)

Located on US Route 34 just west of the Fall River Entrance Station. Recreational vehicle and trailer length limit is 30 feet.

Glacier Basin Campground (8500 ft)

Located on Bear Lake Road approximately six miles south of the Beaver Meadow Entrance Station. Recreational vehicle and trailer length limit is 35 feet.Group sites are for tents only. Small sites fit 10 – 15 people, medium sites 16-25 people, large sites 26- 40 people. No limit on number of tents. No more than five vehicles per site.

Longs Peak Campground (9405 ft)

Located approximately nine miles south of the town of Estes Park on Route 7.

Moraine Park Campground (8160 ft)

Located on Bear Lake Road approximately two and a half miles south of the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. Recreational vehicle and trailer length limit is 40 feet.

Timber Creek Campground (8900 ft)

Located on US Route 34 approximately eight miles east of the Grand Lake Entrance Station. Recreational vehicle and trailer length limit is 30 feet.

Removal of Dead Trees

Park Staff are removing dead trees that have been killed by an outbreak of native pine beetles. The removal reduces risk associated with falling trees. Always be aware of your surroundings, particularly during times of high wind. Temporary closures may occur at campgrounds, picnic areas, and trailhead parking areas while trees are being removed.

Glacier Basin and Timber Creek Campgrounds look extremely different than they have in the past. Rocky Mountain National Park is just one relatively small area where trees are dying from the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Because the task is enormous, the park’s priorities for mitigation of the effects of beetles are focused on removing hazard trees and hazard fuels tied to the protection of life and property. Timber Creek Campground sits in a lodgepole pine forest where the majority of trees have been killed by the beetle outbreak. Many trees in the campground and along the perimeter of the campground next to Trail Ridge Road were sprayed with Carbaryl over the past three years. However, the scale of the epidemic is enormous and it was not possible to protect all of the trees in the campground. Also, trees in lodgepole pine forests grow in dense, protected stands so even if a tree is alive it becomes hazardous if the dead trees around it are removed. A “lone” pine could likely topple with high winds.

Hazard tree removal took place this spring to make the campgrounds safer for campers. Areas not treated or in which hazard trees remain will remain closed. Please check at visitor centers or call 970-586-1206 for updates.

Reservations

Reservations for summer camping in Moraine Park and Aspenglen can be made up to six months in advance. For further information, call 888-448-1474. To make reservations call toll-free 877-444-6777 (International callers 518-885-3639).  Online reservations are also available.

Stay limits

Campground stay limits, throughout the park, are seven nights from June 1 through September 30; and an additional 14 nights at the year-round campgrounds the rest of the year.

Length Limits

Aspenglen-30 ft motor homes & trailers? Glacier Basin-35 ft motor homes & trailers? Longs Peak-tents only? Moraine Park-40 ft motor homes & trailers? Timber Creek-30 ft motor homes & trailers

Campground FAQs

During the summer months, firewood is sold at all campgrounds. Campers are encouraged to purchase firewood in the area(s) where they are camping. Transporting firewood from out-of-state is discouraged since it may hold harmful insects which could be spread to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Ice is also sold at all campgrounds, except Timber Creek.

At all campgrounds no more than eight people, and two tents OR one vehicle and one camping unit (i.e., tent, RV, or trailer/tow vehicle) may occupy each site. Additional vehicles must park in overflow parking areas. During July and most of August, expect the campgrounds to fill every day by early afternoon.

In June and September, park campgrounds tend to fill on the weekends.

America the Beautiful Senior and Access Pass holders receive a 50% discount on camping fees. Checkout time in all campgrounds is Noon. A separate park entrance fee applies.