5 places to camp instead of Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted on : 03/13/2023
5 places to camp instead of Rocky Mountain National Park
Travel 

Rocky Mountain National Park’s largest campground will be closed this summer for a major “modernization” project that will relocate some campsites away from wetlands, replace failing water and sewer lines that date back to the 1960s, bury three miles of power lines that currently are above ground and make the campground more accessible for people in wheelchairs.

Park officials have said they hope that changes to the 244-site Moraine Park campground will be completed by summer 2024. Until then, campgrounds on the park’s eastern side include Aspenglen (52 sites), Glacier Basin (150), and Longs Peak (26). The Timber Creek campground on the park’s west side has 98 sites.

Since the loss of Moraine Park reduces the number of available campsites on the eastern side of the park by more than half, many campers will be searching for sites on nearby national forest land, and even on the western side of the park near Grand Lake. Here are few options:

  • Olive Ridge (56 sites): Located 15 miles south of Estes Park, Olive Ridge has no water, electricity or showers but it does have vault toilets. It’s three miles from the Wild Basin entrance at the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park. Sites can be reserved.
  •  Meeker Park (29 sites): Located 12 miles south of Estes Park, Meeker Park has no water, electricity or showers but it does have portable toilets. The Longs Peak trailhead at Rocky Mountain National Park is about two miles to the north and the Wild Basin trailhead is about two miles to the south. No reservations; first come, first served.
  • Green Ridge (77 sites): Five miles from the Grand Lake Entrance to the park, Green Ridge is situated on Shadow Mountain Reservoir, southwest of Grand Lake. It has vault and flush toilets and potable water but no electricity. Sites can be reserved.
  • Stillwater (129 sites): Eight miles from the Grand Lake Entrance to the park and located at Lake Granby, Stillwater is the largest campground on the Arapahoe & Roosevelt National Forests. It has electricity, water, flush and vault toilets. Sites can be reserved.
  • Sunset Point (25 sites): Located 12 miles from the Grand Lake Entrance to the park and located at Lake Granby, Sunset Point has no electricity but it does have drinking water and vault toilets. No reservations; first come, first served.

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