Summer is just around the corner, and there is no better way to enjoy the great weather to come than outside and go camping. Living in Colorado poses a problem to picking the perfect camping location: there are just so many great places to adventure. With so many places, just where should you take the time out to wander the outdoors?
Wellington Lake
Located under the shadow of the Castle, this lake offers a great place to partake in water activities and hikes. With the Castle, Windy Peak and the lake, there is practically no way to run out of things to do here.
You can either pitch in a couple of bucks to camp right at the lake or drive a little bit away to disperse camp for free. One offers a more recreational take to camping while the other gives a classic camping vibe, but either way will be great camping. When you come here, just make sure that you bring a paddle board.
The Colorado Trail
This is the broadest camping spot on the list. While there is no specific campground for any of these locations except Turquoise Lake, the Colorado Trail is a larger area than any of the others. Stretching nearly 500 miles, there are plenty of places to camp along the trail, both for overnight and for backpacking.
However, the true experience on the Colorado Trail is to backpack in and find a campsite when you have finally had enough hiking, so it is highly recommended to backpack here. Camping along a trail like this where the backpackers are few and far in between means that there are fewer people on the trail, so if you want some personal time with your significant other or you and your friends like to be rowdy, this is the perfect place to camp.
Frisco/Silverthorne/Dillon
Sure this includes three different towns, but they are so close to each other they might as well be the same place. There is plenty of dispersed camping scattered around this area and several peaks to summit.
There are also hidden hot springs in the area for those with a knack for relaxing in the wilderness. Breckenridge is also a short drive away from this tri-town, so there is a tourism aspect involved for those that aren’t too keen on staying in the dirt for more than 24 hours.
There is also the free Summit County bus that runs through all of these towns, making for easy and free transportation across the towns. Together, these three towns create a great place to pitch your tent for the night.
Turquoise Lake
Located right outside of Leadville, this campground is fantastic. The lake is surrounded by three massive peaks, one of which is the 14er Mt. Massive and is absolutely stunning. While it is a paid campground, it is definitely worth it.
The zoned campsites make it a perfect place to go if there are people in your party that aren’t the most outdoor inclined. When you consider the two tallest 14ers in Colorado, Mts. Elbert and Massive, there is plenty to do here in this mountain abode.
The peaks and the lake offers a fantastic place to spend time at, the only drawback is that the campgrounds are typically reserved far in advance, so finding a great site will take a little bit of luck, otherwise, a close campsite that isn’t right next to the lake will have to compensate.
Moab
I ensure you that I know my geography perfectly well and I do realize that Moab isn’t in Colorado. That being said, it is closer to the college than the home of the best post-camping pig out joint, Beau Jo’s, is, so I consider it to be within the boundaries. Plus I-70 becomes 80 MPH in Utah, so stop whining about a technicality. Moab is the only non-alpine place listed so far, as it is kind of in a desert.
There are plenty of plateaus and beautiful rocks to make up for the lack of pine trees and alpine lakes though. Rock climbing, jeeping and mountain biking takes a precedence in Moab and the desert makes the weather predictable.
With several spots to disperse camp and pay per camp, there is practically no way to go campsite empty. The national parks right by Moab also give campers a great place to visit and appreciate mother nature that much more.
Unless you are bringing a little extra green from Colorado, the border between these two states shouldn’t even be considered, only the location and adventures that will result from taking the trip.
It is important to remember that I haven’t been all around the state of Colorado in my 19 years, so it is guaranteed that I have left out some awesome places to camp. Heck, I have hardly gone east of Denver, but for the area that Grand Junction is, these are solid options for camping.
That being said, there are plenty of campsites that offer just as good, if not better, sights to see and sites to camp at, so if you know one such place or think that all my top five places are garbage choices, be sure to share the knowledge.
If not, take my advice and check out one of these places for yourself, I guarantee it is better than wasting away inside the entire summer.
