The best camping near Pike National Forest

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

The best camping near Pike National Forest

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Pike National Forest adventure.
84% (64 reviews)

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

A surprisingly diverse landscape sprawled throughout a huge national forest.  

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Community favorites near Pike National Forest

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

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Public campgrounds in the park
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Stay at a public campground in Pike National Forest

Top-rated campgrounds near Pike National Forest

98%
(1112)

Rustic Creek Ranch

34 sites · RVs, Tents160 acres · Bailey, CO
The 160 acre ranch was homesteaded by my grandfather over 100 years ago. He was an engineer. The plan was to use this property as summer grazing for his cattle. The cattle were wintered at the other ranch about 10 miles away, which was homesteaded by my great grandfather. Because my grandfather could survey, he made sure the property lines zigzaged up the valley so the small creek was in the middle to provide water for the animals. He chose well. It is a beautiful, quiet place with elk, deer and wild turkeys. There are tons of wild flowers in the summer. Columbines, the Colorado state flower, wild roses, paintbrushes and lots of wild chokecherries. With nice views of nearby mountains, open pastures, evergreen forests and aspen groves, it looks like it did 100 years ago. Plus, there are a couple of ponds for your dogs to cool off in. Since the first cattle, the ranch has also been home to goats, chickens, horses, and now more goats, alpacas and llamas. And of course the Great Pyrenees ranch dogs. I had a house built a few years ago and live on the property full time. The ranch is surrounded by Pike National Forest with the Colorado Trail connecting the property in a number of places. Some of the highest ranked mountain bike trails are nearby. There are lots of places on and off the property to hike, mountain bike and ride your horse. On a clear night you can see thousands of stars and hear coyotes howl. For a drone video of the ranch check out: YouTube's Midsummer 2020 Flyover. Elevation 8,000 feet, Average Summer Temperatures: Days 60-80 f, Nights 45-60 f, Sunshine Average 73-80%, Colorado Trail Segment 3, USGS Maps: Windy Peak; Green Mountain quadrangles. This is the official info. Basically, the weather is usually similar to the Denver area - just 10 degrees cooler. About 8 miles away is the small town of Bailey. It has just about everything you might need: small grocery store, coffee shops, gas, laundry, a dollar store, hardware store, camping and sports equipment, brew pub, winery, a few restaurants, potable water station and more.
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$27
 / night
94%
(655)

Little Scraggy Camp

21 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents95 acres · Pine, CO
Little Scraggy Camp is located on 95 acres of an historic 160-acre ranch that was homesteaded by our family in the 1890’s, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This totally off-grid ranch is surrounded by Pike National Forest, yet has easy access from a paved road. We offer several accommodations and glamping sites, as well as sites for moderate sized RVs, travel trailers, truck campers, vans, tents, and hammocks. Additionally, we have sites for small groups (up to 14 people) and large groups (35-200 people). NEW FOR 2024: All campers can take advantage of our Hipcamper golf discounts at Little Scraggy Disc Golf Course. Across the road from Camp is our newly constructed 18 hole course with PDGA regulation baskets, a pro shop with LSDG discs available for purchase and loaner discs available for those wanting to try out disc golf. Potable drinking water is available from onsite 270-gallon water tanks. Portable toilets are only a short walk away from sites. Friendly dogs are welcome to enjoy YOUR campsite off leash, but please clean up after your dog. If your pet has any aggressive tendencies, it must be leashed. The camp has a 4 basket disc golf putting course with loaner discs provided. We also have a cornhole toss game at both the glamping/rv camp area and tent/rv area. We are an ideal basecamp for the casual or dedicated trail enthusiast. The ranch itself has several trails and easy trail loops to explore within and just outside of the ranch’s fence lines, with direct access to the 9.5-mile Little Scraggy Trail and Segment #3 of the Colorado Trail. Just 3.5 miles away is the Little Scraggy Trailhead, where you will find easy access for biking, hiking, or horseback riding on the many other trails of the Buffalo Creek area. Additionally, we have an extensive network of hiking and horse trails that avoid conflicts with mountain bikers. You might prefer rock climbing Little Scraggy or fishing the gold-medal waters of the South Platte River canyon below Cheesman Dam and the waters near Deckers. For a day trip, Wellington Lake is only 30 minutes away for no-wake water sports. Many people enjoy kayaking on the North Fork of the South Platte downstream from nearby Buffalo Creek. This is a working ranch where we raise and train horses and ponies. Our particular interest is in carriage driving, and we offer driving experiences upon request. Our site called Mountain Horse Camp, provides 3 individual porta-panel horse corrals. There is limited cell service.
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from 
$25
 / night
98%
(854)

Glen Isle Resort

20 sites · RVs, Tents101 acres · Bailey, CO
(If you book with us, please don’t follow your GPS if it tries to make you turn at the Coney Island hot dog stand. Glen Isle is .5 miles past the hot dog stand.) Due to the ongoing issues with forest fires in our area and insurance issues at this time, we will no longer have open wood-burning fires. Propane fires are permitted if you have a portable campfire ring, please feel free to bring your own. We do have a couple available for rent onsite. For your safety and ours: absolutely no check in/arrival after dark sets in; Around 5:15pm during winter months. 7:30pm summer There are many reasons why you would want to camp at Glen Isle Resort! Glen Isle is located in Bailey, Colorado which is the perfect vacation spot for friends, family, reunions, or a private get away. Glen Isle was originally built for an escape from hectic Denver. Once you cross the bridge into the resort, you’ll understand why it has served as a peaceful getaway for over a century. The Platte River welcomes you and divides the property from Highway 285. If you love to fish, you have a mile of the river to use at your disposal. If hiking is your forte and you desire to explore nature, Glen Isle is surrounded by the National Forest, Lost Creek Wilderness, Payne Gulch Trailhead, the Colorado Trail and many private acres for you to explore. You will find history narrates the Native American’s story where Glen Isle was once used as an Indian encampment, and numerous trees still stand today that were culturally modified to mark sacred treasures. If you seek tranquility, you will find hummingbirds and chipmunks always seeking an audience to entertain. Starting June 1st, we will offer evening activities, and campers are welcome to come to the lodge, shop in our gift shop. We also have snacks for purchase, and popcorn for our guests to enjoy. (Glorious Glen Isle was unoccupied for six years. We are in the process of renovating hundred year old cabins, and the 8,000 square foot lodge. Our camping areas have a river setting, glorious valley views, and a private setting surrounded by the National Forest. However, there is renovation and construction going on around some areas of the property. Additionally, as you can see from the map and read in a few reviews, we are just on the other side of the beautiful Platte River from Highway 285. About 75% of our guests are not bothered by the busyness of the this highway but others can be more sensitive to the noise. We want Glen-Isle campers to enjoy their experience as much as possible, so if you would like more information, please do not hesitate to ask. Our goal is to share the property with others, and to have the "happiest" campers in Colorado!) Glen Isle Resort was opened in 1901, by five original investors. In 1923, the property was bought by the Baldwin's and in the 1940's it was given to the Baldwin's granddaughter, Barbara and her husband Gordon Tripp. The Tripp family owned and operated the resort until Barbara's death in November 2012. Mary Ruth grew up coming to Glen Isle Resort as a child in the 1970's. Her favorite memories are the chuckwagon dinners, horseback riding, evening dances, movie nights, and the endless activities that never grew old. Mary Ruth grew up, married Greg, and they started bringing their five boys to Glen Isle Resort. Mary Ruth and Greg were both professionals in education, and visited Glen Isle in the summer of 2016 after an Adele concert. They found their beloved Glen Isle was being sold. After much consideration, they found the idea of not pursuing a dream to be more terrifying than looking back and wondering "why" they didn't...so they began the magical journey to purchase, restore, and bring historical Glen Isle back to life.
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from 
$36
 / night
99%
(1124)

Serenity in the Foothills

12 sites · RVs, Tents3600 acres · Conifer, CO
***NO BOOKINGS ACCEPTED UNTIL YOUR CAR INFORMATION IS PROVIDED*** Basic car information will help us ensure you and your party have no issues driving on our forest roads. If you are looking to plan an outdoor event, send us a message. We would love to host your event! YEAR LONG FIRE BAN- propane fire rings are allowed. Propane fire rings and gas tanks available for rent. Welcome to Serenity in the Foothills. Located an hour west of Denver, this 3600 acre ranch features 12 spaced out campsites that offer quite a bit of privacy. There are tons of trails/ roads to hike and bike around on, as well as many amazing views. Resort Valley Ranch was combined from around 15 homesteads by the Corbin family. You will see lots of relics and evidence related to those homesteads across our property! Please do not disturb any artifacts or relics on our property, we are very conservation minded with the history as well as the natural beauty of the area. Come enjoy this hidden private jewel in the pines of Jefferson County, Colorado! We want to ensure your vehicle and trailer won't get damaged while commuting to your campsite. Please read about our campsites and make sure the one you pick works for your car/trailer. -NO fifth wheels (ALL sites). -Maximum length of trailers is 22ft(Select campsites) -Trailers must have adequate clearance: 8 inches or higher with no low hanging plumbing. -Sites 1, 2 : 4WD/ SUV- Short camper trailers only (12 foot max) -Site 3 : 4WD/SUV vehicles only -Sites 4-12(excluding site 11): 4WD/SUV with good clearance are recommended as well as trailers (22 foot max) -Site 11 : 4WD vehicles only. If your trailer is bigger than 22 feet, our sister camp-site Resort Valley Ranch may be able to accommodate you. (Also located on Hipcamp) **When booking, please include basic information about your car/ trailer clearance to ensure that your campsite you've selected will accommodate it!**
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$32
 / night
96%
(935)

Clear Creek Getaway. Road is open

25 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents20 acres · Dumont, CO
Welcome to Clear Creek Getaway Please understand that Please note these Mountains are home to a lot of people therefore I do not allow any open burning wood burning no one wants start a forest fire even though the county will say it’s OK for open burn. Please respect The neighbors they request that we do not have open flame. I’m sure you can understand. Beds : you will need to bring your own For the glam dome: file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/cd/13/3781DC46-F036-428E-BFC5-447B16E14D54/Image-1.jpeg Roads : This is a mountain getaway so the roads are dirt. If you have Awd and keep your speed up you will make it fine. The road is a loop the backside can have rocks so please drive up in high clearance vehicles no need for crazy lifted just SUV-Trucks type We are available all year round. No power in units. All A-Frames come with a grill and propane (see photos), and there is also a solar motion light on the deck.. Located 10 minutes by car from historic gold town Idaho Springs. River rafting when in season. We also have some of Colorado’s best fly fishing. Awesome hikes nearby (Gray's Peak). We are also close to st Mary’s Glacier, gold mine tours, great small-town restaurants (Marion’s pizza, Beau Joe’s) Hot springs within miles. We have portable toilets located close to the units Great views and there is an old mining cabin at the top if you find it please post your pictures! Georgetown lake 5 miles west I 70 Paddle boarding , train ride through the hills Grays Peak Fourteener 7 miles west I 70 St. Mary’s glacier 2 miles east I70 Hot Springs 2 miles east I70 All mining roads can be used for off-road purposes at your own risk. Be careful, very steep and rocky. ( Please note ) after tremendous amounts of work on the road, it seems 2wd cars cannot make it and this place is not suitable for those campers. Please do not block the road going up or the residence in the mobile home park on the front of the road. When coming from east exit 234 Dumont go left over I 70 to Stanley and then left behind the mobile home. Come from the west 235 go left under I70 at Starbucks turn right go 1/2 mile first right go back over I 70 to Stanley and harvest moon trail go left up behind mobile homes NOTE THIS IS LOOP DONT TAKE STEEP ROAD (GO TO THE LEFT).
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$20
 / night
98%
(65)

Sawatch Base Camp

2 sites · Lodging10 acres · Leadville, CO
Completely surrounded by National Forest in the heart of the Rockies at 10,600 feet in elevation, Sawatch Base Camp is one of a kind property at the site of an old turquoise mine with accessible yet private backcountry lodging. Located 6 miles northwest of Leadville, Colorado and 1 mile north of Turquoise Lake, Sawatch Base Camp is perched on a hill overlooking the Arkansas Headwaters, Leadville and the Mosquito Range including 14er Mt. Sherman. This prime location gives quick access to all the best outdoor recreation of the High Rockies, while also being removed enough to provide solitude and quality time with friends and family. In summer and fall (May through November), the property has vehicle access by Forest Service Road 103- known by many other names depending on mapping service including County Road 9A, Turquoise Chief Rd, and St. Kevin Rd. This segment of road is part of the famous Leadville 100 MTB race, lying at roughly Mile 8/Mile 95. In winter months (December through April), the camp is accessible by snowmobile, ski or snowshoe on groomed multi-use winter trails open to the public. The trek in is approximately 4.4 miles from the Leadville Junction Parking Lot, with an elevation gain of roughly 800 feet. The terrain around the yurt provides backcountry skiing through trees with occasional glades. Our backcountry lodging is designed to have minimal impact on the landscape, intentionally rustic while also providing amenities like a wood stove, solar lighting, plush beds and a roomy indoor space to gather. Firewood and propane for the camp stove are provided. The restroom is an outhouse a few yards from the yurt stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Sawatch Base Camp operates under Lake County CUPs 21-10 and 23-33.
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from 
$149
 / night

The best camping near Pike National Forest guide

Overview

About

This enormous (1,106,604 acres!) national forest sits in Colorado's Front Range, west of Colorado Springs.

Amateur mountaineers might want to challenge themselves against the famous Pikes Peak. There's a reason the view from the mountaintop inspired the classic "America the Beautiful!" It's a particularly tough hike at 13.5 miles of rugged terrain, though.

The convenient midpoint of Barr Camp lets you stop to rest, eat or sleep. Looking for a great view but not so great of a challenge? Drive partway up Pikes Peak Highway and snag the free shuttle to reach the summit.

Other major peaks in the forest include Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans. All are among Colorado's 53 "fourteeners," peaks with elevations of 14,000 feet or more.

If slightly more leisurely exploration is your bag, definitely head into the Lost Creek Wilderness. A 27.6-mile loop trail takes you through gorgeous valleys and streams. Multiple campgrounds make it easy to turn this into an overnight adventure.

Nearby attractions

Experience celestial beauty while camping near the Garden of the Gods. With the orange glow of towering sandstone formations, it offers a heavenly escape for campers yearning for unforgettable views and soul-stirring sunsets.

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