Best Tent Camping: Colorado

Auteur

Monica Parpal Stockbridge is a writer and editor born and raised in Colorado. She attended college in Omaha, Nebraska, but always knew she wanted to end up back in the Centennial State. Although she grew up hiking at state parks and snowboarding in the mountains, she didn’t become a tent camper until adulthood when she started climbing fourteeners with friends. Now, she can proudly pitch her own tent and cook a good camp dinner on her Coleman stove. She hopes to share many more camping memories with her husband and young daughter. 
 Monica has written for numerous local, national, and international publications, including The Denver Post, Colorado Traveler Magazine, 5280, Colorado Parent, ColoradoBiz, and Preferred Travel. She contributed to the Moon Denver, Boulder & Colorado Springs guidebook. Today, she writes about travel and technology from her home in Denver.

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Offering essential details and easy-to-read maps, Best Tent Camping: Colorado presents 50 of the state's best campgrounds for car campers.

Résumé
Offering essential details and easy-to-read maps, Best Tent Camping: Colorado presents 50 of the state's best campgrounds for car campers.

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Amphitheater Campground

Beauty: 4 stars / Privacy: 4 stars / Spaciousness: 3 stars / Quiet: 4 stars / Security: 4 stars / Cleanliness: 4 stars 
 Pitch your tent at this campground in the Switzerland of America, where you’ll want to spend a few days soaking in the scenery, adventure, and local hot springs. 
 Key Information: 


• Location: Ouray

• Information: U.S. Forest Service; Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests; Ouray Ranger District; 970-874-6600; fs.usda.gov/gmug

• Open: June 10–Oct. 5

• Sites: 35

• Each Site Has: Tent pad, fire ring, picnic tables

• Wheelchair Access: Sites 16 and 17 are ADA-accessible.

• Assignment: First come, first served; no reservations

• Registration: On-site

• Amenities: Vault toilets, treated and pressurized water

• Parking: At campsites only

• Fee: $24 per night

• Elevation: 8,470'


• Restrictions:


  • Pets: Must be leashed

  • Quiet Hours: 10 p.m.–6 a.m.

  • Fires: In fire rings only

  • Alcohol: Permitted

  • Vehicles: 30'

  • Other: 14-day stay limit
 You won’t find many campgrounds with a view quite like the one you’ll get from Amphitheater Campground in Ouray. Ouray is named for Chief Ouray, a Ute leader in Colorado during the late 19th century. Situated on US 550 and part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway, Ouray is among Colorado’s most beautiful places. The mountains rise up in all directions, and the town itself is overflowing with charm. 
 Amphitheater Campground is named for the rock formations that form a natural circular gallery over the town. The massive gray cliffs are the result of ancient volcanic explosions and glacial movement. Perched on a mountainside, the campground showcases incredible views of these cliff faces and the town below. 
 To get to the campground, you’ll leave town as though you’re headed onto the Million Dollar Highway. Make a sharp left onto County Road 16, then stay left on Amphitheater Campground Road. You’ll encounter Baby Bathtubs Trailhead, and shortly after, a pleasant picnic area with tables anchored on the slope among the trees. 
 Climbing the steep road to the campground can be intimidating, which is why the area is predominantly occupied by tents and small campers. (There are also no water, sewer, or electric hookups.) However, RVs can park at sites 3, 4, 16–18, 30, and 31, which you’ll see if you take the second right and follow the trailer signs. 
 Instead, look for one of the designated tent-only sites. I especially liked site 33, near the campground entrance, as it was tucked away from the rest of the sites. In the farthest loop, sites 10–14 are all tent-only and offer a lovely and quiet camping experience. Just beyond sites 20 and 21 is a paved parking area with a stunning overlook. The campground host is usually stationed across from site 30. I’d stay away from sites 28 and 29 because of their lack of privacy. Most of the other sites are nicely shaded by the forest of Gambel oak trees and mixed conifers. 
 There are many excellent hiking trails in the immediate area. Perhaps the most popular is the Upper Cascade Falls Trail, which begins right at the campground and ends at the Chief Ouray Mine. You’ll get incredible views of the amphitheater as well as Hayden Mountain and Potosi Peak, two thirteeners in the area. Baby Bathtubs Trail is another trail that begins at the bottom of Amphitheater Campground Road. It is a popular choice for families and a good connector to the Portland Trail and the Ice Park Trail. To see Ouray from all angles, hike the Perimeter Trail. This 6.5-mile loop begins across from the Ouray Visitor Center on the east side of US 550 (park behind the visitor center), but you can also hop on it from Box Canyon Falls, a great stop if you’re into waterfalls. 
 Be sure to book enough time in Ouray to take advantage of the historic Ouray Hot Springs, a public facility open year-round. With geothermal soaking pools, cold-water pools, waterslides, and lap swimming, you can elevate your tent camping experience with a luxurious soak. A nice benefit is that there’s no sulphur smell. 
 The campground is also a favorite among Jeep and off-road enthusiasts, as this area is known for off-road adventures. If you camp here, you can rent a Jeep in Ouray or go on a guided 4x4 tour of local ghost towns or scenic Imogene Pass. 
 Getting There 
 From the Ouray Visitor Center, travel south on US 550 for 1.8 miles. Turn left at the Amphitheater Campground sign and travel about 1 mile to the campground. 
 GPS Coordinates: N38° 01.320' W107° 39.673'

Contenu

Colorado Campground Locator Map 
 Acknowledgments 
 Preface 
 Best Campgrounds 
 Map Legend 
 Introduction 
 Eastern Colorado 


• Jackson Lake State Park Campground

• John Martin Reservoir State Wildlife Area: Lake Hasty and The Point Campgrounds

• Pawnee National Grassland: Crow Valley Family Campground


• South Republican State Wildlife Area Dispersed Camping
 North Central Colorado 


• Buffalo Campground

• The Crags Campground

• Elbert Creek Campground

• Pinewood Reservoir Campground

• Gold Park Campground

• Golden Gate Canyon State Park Campgrounds

• Guanella Pass Campground

• Hermit Park Open Space: Hermit’s Hollow Campground

• Rocky Mountain National Park: Longs Peak Campground

• Lost Park Campground

• The Narrows Campgrounds: Lower

• Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick Campgrounds

• Rainbow Lakes Campground

• Robbers Roost Campground

• Rocky Mountain National Park: Aspenglen Campground

• Weston Pass Campground


• Staunton State Park Campground
 Northwest Colorado 


• Cold Springs Campground

• Colorado National Monument: Saddlehorn Campground

• Dinosaur National Monument: Echo Park Campground

• Fulford Cave Campground

• Irish Canyon Campground

• Rifle Falls State Park Campground

• Shepherds Rim Campground

• Pearl Lake State Park Campground


• Weir and Johnson Campground
 South Central Colorado 


• Alvarado Campground

• Bear Lake Campground

• Great Sand D…