The best camping near Grand Mesa National Forest

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Grand Mesa National Forest adventure.

The best camping near Grand Mesa National Forest

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Grand Mesa National Forest adventure.
94% (16 reviews)

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Grand Mesa National Forest adventure.

Escape to a high elevation forest brimming with lakes, trails, and scenic views.  

Popular ways to camp

Community favorites near Grand Mesa National Forest

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Public campgrounds in the park

Stay at a public campground in Grand Mesa National Forest

Top-rated campgrounds near Grand Mesa National Forest

94%
(605)

Lakeside Camping, Water Time :)

7 sites · RVs, Tents22 acres · Clifton, CO
We moved here in 1997 The home has had major remodels done on it. The lake is an old gravel pit to make road base for local road construction. The buoys in the lake are scuba projects from the local college CMU, and hold lots of fish. Other nesting platforms are for our local Geese and they hatch out in April-June. We airbnb 2 rooms in our home as a shared facility and have airbnbs in Northern Ca and Baja. Our home is off limits for campers as we need to respect the space for our other airbnb guests. But in an emergence please call, cell service works fine. port-a potty is gone for the winter November-April. port-a potty is clean and works great, May- Oct. If you are here in the winter you may use the trees or Mavericks gas station in 1.5 miles away. The first two pets are included at no additional cost. For any additional pets beyond the first two, there is a fee of $10 per pet, per night. Please make sure to add the Pet fee extra accordingly.
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from 
$30
 / night
99%
(64)

Reverie Retreat at MTO

1 site · RV10 acres · Palisade, CO
This retreat is adjoined to a peach orchard which has breathtaking views of Mt. Garfield and is surrounded by farms, vineyards and wineries. Mosher-Talley Orchard (MTO) is a ten acre, third generation farm. Located on the Fruit and Wine Byway, we are eight miles from Palisade or downtown Grand Junction. There are two wineries within one mile in either direction and four wineries within three miles. We provide electric hook-ups along with an indoor bathroom (no shower). Bring a propane bottle for our gas fire pit or enjoy our traditional one with complimentary wood. Friendly pets are welcome! There are two small free-range farm dogs that will likely greet you. On occasion, wildlife roams the property as well. Other local activities: (season depending) - Multiple hiking and mountain biking trails -Skiing/snowboarding (45 minutes away) -Wineries, distilleries and craft breweries -Local produce, pies, honey & farmer’s markets -River activities: rafting, SUP’s, and floating -Festivals -Fishing
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from 
$50
 / night
96%
(167)

Zenzen Gardens

33 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents20 acres · Paonia, CO
Zenzen Gardens is now the official tasting room for Alfred Eames Cellars, a local winery located 3 miles south of Paonia. Come enjoy some local wines in the garden with a beautiful mountain view. Our tasting room is open May to October from 12 PM - 6 PM. Every Thursday evening, from June to October, we host Tapas events from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM, featuring our local guest chef. Please note that there will be no Tapas events in August due to our Pickin' in the Park festivities! The property is also a music venue with two performance sites in the barn and a stage by the pond. We also offer farm-to-table dinners throughout the summer, and tapas on Thursdays. Check out our calendar for concerts and dinner dates at www.zenzengardens.com There is veranda seating to enjoy the beautiful flower gardens and where you can access the internet. At the turn of the century, this farm was a dairy operation with its huge old red barn built in the 1880's. The property is pastoral, relaxing, rural and beautiful! It is surrounded by hay and alfalfa fields. It is very quiet with wide open spaces. You might see deer, fox, Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Red Tail Hawks and Red Wing Blackbirds, just to name a few.
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$35
 / night
99%
(348)

Riverwalk Yurt, luxury on river

7 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents35 acres · Hotchkiss, CO
The House where we live is the corner stone of the Bruce Property and is on the Colorado Register of Historic Houses.The residence was constructed between 1905 and 1912, using red bricks made on the site. John and Sophia Bruce, early pioneers in the North Fork Valley, were first involved in cattle raising. The family later became successful fruit growers. Located along the West Elk Loop, a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway, the large two-story residence features a steeply pitched hipped roof with prominent attic dormers.As a guest of Riverwalk you will have full access to the river during your stay. In addition, there is the Riverwalk Trail System that skirts the North Fork of the Gunnison River from the top of the property, by the Riverwalk Yurt, (available on this site) meandering downstream past the Riverwalk TIPI (available on the site) passing  the Grove Yurt (available on this site) and terminating at the bottom of the property with the sandy Riverwalk Beach. There is a trial that zigs through the Cottonwood Grove and zags back along the gentle Monitor Ditch skirting a newly planted grove of young trees.For RV Campers we provide 2- 30amp,1-50 amp and 1- 110-amp electrical services and potable water. There is a dump station available. There is also access to our heated shower house with running water and bathroom amenities (<3 min. walk, may be shared with other guests). The property is perfectly geared to groups of friends gathering in a central location between the onset of the Rockies and the termination high desert to the west. Friends or family will reserve both Yurts and the RV Site for a perfect reunion setting!
Pets
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from 
$35
 / night
97%
(459)

Old Moon Acres Tipi Haven

7 sites · Lodging22 acres · Paonia, CO
Formerly known as the North Fork Tipi Haven, this 22 acres was once owned by International sculptor Lincoln Fox, and built by Mr. Wooten in the early 1900's as an apple orchard, Old Moon Acres is now home to Old Moon Acres Tipi Haven. The North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River, encompassing Crawford, Hotchkiss and Paonia, was an important fruit orchard area in the late 1800's and well into the early 1900's. The valley's climate is a banana belt, perfect for fruit with the cold air coming down from the mountains at night and the heat from the mesas warming up the valley during the day. Coal mines up the road in Bowie and Somerset paid better, so many of the orchards languished over the years. Since the closing of all the mines but one, today the NFV is home to the largest concentration of organic farms in the state of Colorado as well as becoming a state Creative District serving the multitudes of artist and creatives that call the valley home. There are many pick-your-own peaches, cherries, apples, pears, nectarines and if we are lucky, apricots, in the valley. Delicious Orchards, 1 mile down Hwy 133, is an excellent place to pick your own, drink local hard cider and listen to live music on the weekend over a wonderful brunch. It is all about the farms, cattle, art, music, outdoor adventure, fun and relaxation here in the North Fork Valley. The tipis are custom made by the Colorado Yurt Company in Montrose, Colorado where they have been making yurts, tents and tipis since 1976. The tipis are expertly designed and made with custom paintings invoking the animal spirits that inhabit our land. These are a Sioux design tipi as the Ute's mainly lived in wiki-ups until they were introduced to the tipi in the 1800's. The Ute's appropriated the tipi design from the Sioux or Plains Natives. We have solar showers (solar bags of water heated by the sun during the day) available for free. Showers are also available at the local laundromat in Hotchkiss. Our goal is to awaken your sense of wonder by sleeping out in nature and waking up to the Colorado blue sky in clean, clear air at 5500 ft. You can visit the many high altitude wineries, fruit orchards, organic farms, farm-to-table restaurants, great music, interesting movies at the community owned Paradise Theater, art at the Creamery Arts Center in Hotchkiss, stand-up paddle boarding, WSSUP, at Crawford reservoir, mountain biking in Grand Mesa, hiking in the West Elks, rafting down the Gunnison river in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, fishing up canyon in the coolness of the forest or relaxing in one of many hot springs within an hour of us. Colorado Detours is highly recommended by us to take you and yours on a hiking, farm, wine, or geology tour of the area. Aspen, Crested Butte (over Kebler Pass), Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, Ouray, Grand Junction, Ridgeway and Telluride all are about an hour or two away by car. Welcome to Colorado.
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from 
$65
 / night
100%
(12)

Tongue Creek Ranch

3 sites · Lodging70 acres · Austin, CO
Tongue Creek Ranch is beautifully situated at the base of the Adobe Buttes on the southern side of the Grand Mesa in Austin, Colorado. The 70-acre ranch has over 40 acres in hay and alfalfa with seasonal cattle grazing in the fall and winter months. Whether you come to stay at one of the rental properties, get married or host a special event, we welcome you to enjoy the beautiful setting of Tongue Creek Ranch and the incredible sites of the Western Slope! David and Barb Cocetti purchased the ranch in June 2019 to embark on a new life where they could cultivate the land and be more self-sustaining. By following Biblical guidelines for work and agriculture, this land has come to life! It is proving to be an oasis where people find peace while enjoying the serenity of the surroundings. The clamping Cabin sits behind the horse arena and in front of Tongue Creek. It's the cutest little cabin and we mean little, more like an expertly finished big shed. It is 10x14 with a 3x14 covered porch but finished inside like a 5 star hotel. AC, TV, Wifi, fireplace, comfortable queen size bed. Beetle kill tongue and groove ceiling, cultured barn wood wanes coating. It's super nice. The ranch itself may be the reason for the "glamp" booking. The yard is manicured and the 25 house, goats and chickens are fun to see. The big plus is we are only 20 minutes away from the Grand Mesa outdoorsman mecca. This is probably the cheapest base camp to the Mesa. The ranch is a great base camp to wineries, Moab, Telluride, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, fishing, boating, hiking, trails and hundreds of open BLM land for Razor riding. Check us out.
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$28.80
 / night

The best camping near Grand Mesa National Forest guide

Overview

About

Towering above the Colorado River’s Grand Valley on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains near Grand Junction, Colorado, the Grand Mesa National Forest sits on top of the world’s largest flat-topped mountain. Grand Mesa is filled with crystal clear alpine lakes, hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and ATV trails, and numerous campgrounds and dispersed camping areas. The Grand Mesa Scenic Byway traverses 63 miles of that national forest’s most stunning scenery and passes by several trailheads and lakes. In winter, Grand Mesa becomes a playground for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling adventures. There’s even downhill skiing at Powderhorn Mountain Resort.   

Notable campgrounds

Tips for snagging a campsite

  1. Online reservations can be made up to six months in advance for many of the Grand Mesa National Forest campgrounds. 
  2. All sites at the Crag Crest, Ward Lake, and Divide Forks campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Many other Grand Mesa campgrounds have a handful of first-come, first-served sites available as well. 
  3. Grand Mesa National Forest also has two old Forest Service Guard Stations available for rent: Moose Manor and Black Bear Cabin. Cabins are fairly rustic and reservations are available on a six-month rolling basis. 

When to go

With hundreds of high alpine lakes to see, summer is the best time to hike and camp on Grand Mesa. The snow is mostly melted by June and wildflowers generally peak in the middle of July. Some high-elevation Forest Service roads may stay snow-covered well into July and may close for the season in early November. Many of the Grand Mesa National Forest campgrounds are only open from early June through September.      

Know before you go

  1. Stop at the Grand Mesa Visitor Center, located along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, for trail maps and camping information. 
  2. Grand Mesa National Forest is bear country. Make sure to store food and other attractants safely in camp. 
  3. When hiking in summer, get an early start to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. 
  4. Don’t forget your bug repellent. Grand Mesa’s abundant lakes and swampy areas attract quite a bit of mosquitoes especially in July. 
  5. Bring extra layers. Grand Mesa can get quite chilly at night even in the middle of summer. 
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