Estes Park truly has everything a nature lover could want. It’s a truly gorgeous setting, nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains.
Since moving to the town in 2021, I’ve been exploring as much as humanly possible, finding all the hidden gems and unique features of this stunning location!
I firmly believe that the best way to truly experience the outdoors is to go camping, so I’ve compiled my top list of the best campsites around Estes Park.
With a good mixture of fully equipped campsites and rustic spots away from the hustle and bustle, this list has something for everyone.
I’ve also got my top tips for outdoor activities around the area, ranging from hiking to watersports. Read on to find the perfect spot for your next camping trip!
Top Campsites Near Estes Park
When planning your next camping trip, you can’t go wrong if you choose one of these stunning campgrounds!
Some have stunning mountain views, others are tucked next to glassy lakes, and still others are bordered by lush forests. No matter your preference, you’ll be able to find something to suit your needs.
1. Moraine Park Campground
- Location: Rocky Mountain National Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 7 miles
- Cost: $30 per site per night
- Amenities: Trash collection, food storage lockers, ice and firewood for sale seasonally, staff on site, potable water, flush toilets.
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Amazing scenery, great access to trails
- Cons: Very basic amenities, no cell reception
- Nearby attractions: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Best time to go: Year-round, but summer and fall are particularly stunning.
- Pet friendly? Yes, but they must stay on a leash and can’t go on any trails
Perfect for hikers and those who are happy with a rustic camping experience, Moraine Park Campground is a classic National Park campsite.
It comes with basic facilities but lacks any extra features like electric hookups and cell reception. I love this about Moraine Park: it’s ideal when you want to completely detach and escape from your everyday life!
It’s the perfect base for exploring the stunning natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain National Park – and best of all, it’s only a short drive from Estes Park.
I recommend making sure you check the weather forecast and go prepared, as conditions can be quick to change.
You’ll also need to ensure you have all the necessary camping gear, as the campsite only provides the most basic of amenities. Booking in advance is also an absolute must in peak season, as it’s extremely popular!
2. Glacier Basin Campground
- Location: Rocky Mountain National Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 9.8 miles
- Cost: $35 to $70 per night, depending on the size of the tent/ RV.
- Amenities: Accessible campsites, drinking water, dump station, flush toilets, food storage, recycling, shuttle bus service, picnic tables, fire pits
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Gorgeous views, good amenities, easy access to hiking trails.
- Cons: Limited space for larger RVs. Limited shade in some areas of the campsite as trees have been felled due to a Pine beetle outbreak.
- Nearby attractions: Bear Lake and many hiking rails
- Best time to go: Summer
- Pet friendly: Yes, but they must stay on a leash and can’t go on any trails
Another gorgeous campsite just a short drive from Estes Park, I love the breathtaking views from this campsite. It’s relatively basic in terms of amenities, but this makes for a rustic and authentic campaign experience in my view!
The campsite has stunning natural features, with a mix of Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pine, and Ponderosa pine surrounding it. In spring, wildflowers bring a riot of color to the surrounding meadows.
If you’re lucky, you might see some of the Rocky Mountain wildlife, with white mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk the most common.
I recommend booking well in advance to ensure you get a spot, as this is very popular, particularly in the summer months.
3. Aspenglen Campground
- Location: Rocky Mountain National Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 5.4 miles
- Cost: $30 -$35 per night, depending on the season
- Amenities: Accessible sites, accessible trails, drinking water and flush toilets, food storage lockers, recycling, trash dumpsters, sinks, fire pits, and picnic tables.
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Stunning pine forest surrounds, close to Estes Park.
- Cons: No cell service or electric hookups
- Nearby attraction: Accessible trails and gorgeous views. You can also enjoy scenic drives along Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road.
- Best time to go: Open year-round, but most popular May to September
- Pet friendly? Yes, but they must stay on a leash and can’t go on any trails
The ideal campground for nature lovers, and particularly great for those who enjoy hiking. There’s a huge range of trails nearby, and many are suitable for all abilities! There’s plenty of space and you truly feel as if you’re surrounded by nature.
Once again, this campsite has pretty basic amenities, so if you’re looking for something with power and cell phone reception, this might not be for you.
I adore the scenery, particularly the nearby river. There are also ample opportunities to see wildlife, including mule deer, bighorn sheep, and a huge range of birds.
4. Longs Peak Campground
- Location: Rocky Mountain National Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 11 miles
- Cost: $30 per night
- Amenities: Seasonal trash and recycling collection, seasonal food storage lockers, seasonal staff on-site, and vault toilets.
- Reservation: No
- Pros: Small and intimate with amazing views of nature.
- Cons: Extremely basic facilities, you have to bring your own water
- Nearby attraction: Longs Peak Hiking Trail
- Best time to go: Summer – the site is closed for the winter season.
- Pet friendly? No
I love staying at this tiny campground. it only has 26 total sites, so it feels small and intimate. This is a campsite for dedicated hikers; it’s tent-only and has only the most basic of amenities with no water supply and vault toilets only.
This is the ideal place to stay if you’re planning on tackling the Longs Peak Hiking trail or the ambitious Keyhole Route. If you choose to camp here, ensure you have all the necessary equipment, particularly enough water.
The campground is forested and is at a high elevation – 9,500 feet to be exact!
It’s also common to spot deer, bears, elk, raccoons, and skunks in the area, so all food needs to be stored in a vehicle or storage locker.
5. Olive Ridge Campground
- Location: Roosevelt National Forest (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 14.7 miles
- Cost: $25 per night
- Amenities: Campfire rings, firewood, girls, picnic tables, trash collection, vault toilets.
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Close to hiking trails, site places among the boulders, and nice and private.
- Cons: No electricity or water. Thunderstorms are common in summer.
- Nearby attractions: Wild Basin is of the Rocky Mountain National Park
- Best time to go: May to September
- Pet friendly? Yes, but they must stay leashed.
This is one of my favorite options for a rustic campaign experience.
The campsite is perfectly located near a ton of trailheads, ideal for getting out there and hiking in nature. There are also opportunities for scenic driving, fishing, and horseback riding nearby!
The campsite itself is lushly forested with pine and aspen trees, creating a gorgeous scenic backdrop to your camping trip. It’s suitable for RVs, but they have to have a maximum length of 30 feet.
You do have to be pretty organized to stay here as the site lacks a water supply. As such, everything has to be brought in. It’s also smack in the middle of Bear Country, so make sure you keep all food out of your tent!
6. Timber Creek Campground
- Location: Rocky Mountain National Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 151.6 miles
- Cost: $35 per night
- Amenities: Trash/recycling facilities, seasonal firewood, staff on site, dump station, potable water, flush toilets.
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Beautiful location and easy access to everything on the west side of the Rocky Mountain National Park
- Cons: Closely packed campsites can create issues with noise and privacy.
- Nearby attraction
- Best time to go
- Pet friendly: Yes but they must stay leashed.
This campsite is a little further away than some of the others on this list; around a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Estes Park.
It’s the only campsite located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain National Park and makes a great base for exploring that area!
The campsite itself is right by the Colorado River, so there are plenty of opportunities to fish and enjoy nature.
A creek runs right through the center of the campground, and the entire site is green, shady, and spacious.
Be aware that there are no showers provided, but if you make a donation to the Elk Creek Campground in Grand Lake, they will let you use their showers.
7. Mary’s Lake Campground
- Location: Next to Mary’s Lake (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 4.4 miles
- Cost: Ranging from $45 per night to $80, depending on the size of your tent/RV and whether you use hookups.
- Amenities: Full hookup sites, drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers dump station, propane filling station, firewood and ice for sale, heated swimming pool, laundry facilities, and a playground.
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Massive range of facilities and convenient location.
- Cons: Busier than some of the more rustic campgrounds, less close to hiking trails.
- Nearby attractions: Mary’s Lake offers fishing and recreation activities, and the National Park is just a short drive away.
- Best time to go: Open May – September
- Pet friendly? Yes, but they must stay leashed.
If you want a comfortable camping experience with all the amenities, this is the campsite for you!
It’s still close enough to the National Park to easily drive to the trails, but you get the bonus of hot showers and drinkable water.
It’s a stone’s throw away from Mary’s Lake and has absolutely stunning views of the Twin Sisters Peaks, so you can enjoy awe-inspiring nature views in comfort.
This campsite caters to a range of types of campers, including families, tent dwellers, and those with big RVs.
Make sure you book well in advance, as this campsite is very popular, particularly in peak season!
8. Manor RV Park
- Location: Riverside Drive, Estes Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 2.5 miles
- Cost: $48 to $95 a night, depending on time of year/ size.
- Amenities: Full hook-up sites, laundry facilities, propane refills, playground, restroom, and shower facilities, complimentary Saturday breakfast, free cable, and Wi-Fi.
- Reservation: Yes – reservation request link
- Pros: Amazing comprehensive amenities, super close to Estes Park.
- Cons: Only suitable for RVs, doesn’t allow tents.
- Nearby attraction: Five minutes to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park town.
- Best time to go: Year round
- Pet friendly? Yes
For RV camping enthusiasts, you can’t go past the Manor RV Park. It’s incredibly conveniently located within Estes Park but is still only five five-minute drive from the Rocky Mountain National Park.
There is easy access to fishing on the Big Thompson River or the Trout Haven Fishing Pond, as well as plenty of hiking opportunities in the national park.
The campground prides itself on comfort and cleanliness, with beautifully maintained ground and a newly renovated bathroom and shower block.
One of my favorite elements is the way they offer a complimentary Saturday breakfast in the summer months. It’s the ideal way to socialize and get to know your camping neighbors!
9. Hermit Park Open Space Campground
- Location: Hermit Park Road, Estes Park (OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS)
- Distance from Estes Park: 4.7 miles
- Cost: Ranges from $35 per night for a basic, off-season tent site to $165 for a peak-season cabin.
- Amenities: Drinkable water, parking, picnic area, ranger station, dump station, comfort station
- Reservation: Yes – booking link
- Pros: Great facilities, close to town and National Park
- Cons: Only open in summer, some sites are first come first served.
- Nearby attraction: Biking and hiking trails, close to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Best time to go: Summer months
- Pet friendly? Yes
Hermit Park is a great option if you want to camp somewhere with great facilities and plenty of recreational opportunities.
The camp itself features hiking trails, wetlands, horseback riding, mountain biking, and more! It’s also only a five-minute drive from the National Park itself and all its stunning natural beauty.
Hermit Park is also great if you prefer to stay in a cabin instead of hiking, as they have plenty of cabin options available, as well as RV and tent camping.
It’s the perfect combination of comfortable and rustic, nestled into the hills Southeast of Estes Park. Whether you’re looking to go hiking, horseback riding, or just relax next to your RV, drinking in the natural beauty, this campsite is a must-visit.
