Campground Recon

19/09/2025

Who likes camping by a river? 🙋🏻
Be sure to check out this week's campground tour of Pines Campground!

This small, 11-site campground offers large, open sites with limited shade due to beetle kill mitigation. We'll take you on a tour of the entire campground, including a close-up look at sites 8 and 10, which are situated right on the scenic South Fork of the Michigan River. Stick around for some drone footage at the end to get a full sense of the landscape!

🏔️ Elevation: 9200ft
📍 Location: Routt National Forest (40.4915731, -106.0079522)
🏕️ Total Sites: 11
💵 Fee: $20 per night.
📅 Season: June to late October
⛺ Reservations: Yes. June - August. (Looks like only sites 4, 6, & 9)
How far in advance? Rolling 6 months
Book Your Site on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10361324
💧 Water: No - Drinking water is available 2 miles away at Aspen Campground
🗑️ Trash: Yes
💡 Electric: No
📶 Cell Service:
AT&T: No Service to 1 Bar
Verizon: No
🚗 Access:
About 4 miles from pavement (CO-14)
Smooth Dirt Road.
💩 Nearest Dump Station: 5 miles. Ranger Lakes Campground (Private)
📽️ Recording Date: 5/27/2025
🥾 Hikes:
South Fork Trailhead - Might be the same as All Trails' “Michigan River Trail to Baker Pass”
Several other trails listed in the area require 4WD access.
⭐ Attractions:
Moose Visitor Center (CO-14)
Teller City Historic Site (Old Cabins)
Popular OHV Routes:
Owl Mountain - High clearance recommended
Forest Road 740
Silver Creek Rd (780)
Calamity Pass

16/09/2025

In case you missed our last video on the channel...
Know Before You Go: Hidden Lakes Campground
🏔️ Elevation: 8,900 ft
📍 Location: Routt National Forest (40.5049145, -106.6091437)
🏕️ Total Sites: 9
💵 Fee: $20 per night
📅 Season: Early June to October (Opened early in 2025 due to less snowfall)
⛺ Reservations: Yes, on a 6-month rolling basis. Book on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10361305
💧 Water: Hand pump (Non-potable)
🗑️ Trash: Yes, trash service is available
💡 Electric: No
📶 Cell Service: None for AT&T or Verizon. Expect to be off-grid.
🚗 Access: About 17 miles from CO-14 on a mostly smooth dirt road.
💩 Nearest Dump Station: 30 miles away at a private RV park in Walden.
🥾 Nearby Hikes & Trails: Access to Mount Zirkle Wilderness and the CDT via Buffalo Pass (FR-60).
Nearby OHV trails include Percy Lake Trail and Grizzly-Helena Trail.

12/09/2025

TEAL LAKE CAMPGROUND - Northern Colorado
🏔️ Elevation: 8,800 ft
📍 Location: Routt National Forest (40.585027, -106.609071)
🏕️ Total Sites: 17 + 1 group site for up to 30 people
💵 Fee: $20 per night. Group Site $20-$40 based on the number of people
📅 Season: Early June through mid-September
(Ranger said he opened it early in 2025 due to less snowfall)
⛺ Reservations: Yes
How far in advance? 6-month rolling
Book Your Site on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232425
💧 Water: The water system was off in 2025 for repairs.
🗑️ Trash: Yes, trash service available
💡 Electric: No
📶 Cell Service:
AT&T: 1 bar
Verizon: 1 bar
🚗 Access:
About 14 miles from CO-14
Some pavement that turns into a smooth dirt road.
💩 Nearest Dump Station: 27 miles to private RV park in Walden
📽️ Recording Date: 5/27/2025
🥾 Hikes:
Newcomb Creek Trailhead is a little over 1 mile north of Teal Lake and leads into the Mount Zirkle Wilderness
Teal Lake Loop. Limited info online suggests a trail exists around the lake.
⭐ Attractions:
Electric boats and non-motorized boats are permitted on the 50-acre Teal Lake
Grizzly-Helena 4x4 trail
Grizzly Creek Guard Station (May be rented out)

29/08/2025

HAHNS PEAK LAKE CAMPGROUND
🏔️ Elevation: 8,400 ft
📍 Location: Routt National Forest (40.83967, -106.99790)
🏕️ Total Sites: 26 (Includes 3 Double Sites)
💵 Fee: $26 per night. $52 per night for Double Sites
📅 Season: Mid June through mid September
⛺ Reservations: Yes
Book Your Site on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231863
💧 Water: Non-potable water
🗑️ Trash: Yes, trash service available
💡 Electric: No
📶 Cell Service:
AT&T: Weak to no service
Verizon: Weak to no service
🚗 Access:
About 2.5 miles from pavement (CO-129)
Smooth Dirt Road.
💩 Nearest Dump Station: 6.0 Miles at Steamboat Lake State Park
🥾 Hikes: West Side Lake Trail (about 1 mile)

17/08/2025

Catamount Campground Recon:
📍 Location: BLM, Colorado River Valley (near Burns, CO)
GPS: 39.89047, -106.83205
⛰️ Elevation: 6,570 ft
🚗 Access: Well-maintained dirt road (Colorado River Road).
🏕️ Campsites: 8
💲 Fees: $20 / night
📅 Season: Year-Round (Weather Permitting)
💧 Water: NO
🗑️ Trash: NO - Pack it in, pack it out.
📶 Cell Service: NO (AT&T/Verizon)
❤️ Our Pick: Site #6

Most websites, including the BLM's, say there are only 5 campsites here. We went to scout it out and can confirm there are actually 8 sites!

17/08/2025

Is this the most exclusive first-come, first-served campsite in Colorado? We might have found it at Pinball Recreation Area (also known as Pinball Point Campground). With only ONE site available, getting this spot requires a bit of luck and perfect timing!

// KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: PINBALL RECREATION AREA //
📍 Location: Bureau of Land Management, Colorado River Valley
GPS: 39.8417473, -106.9409649
⛰️ Elevation: 6,450 ft
🚗 Access: Located on the Colorado River Road, which is a well-maintained dirt road.
🏕️ Campsites: 1 (First-Come, First-Served). It appears camping is allowed in the parking lot, too
💲 Fees: $20 / night
📅 Season: Stay limits: From April to August, the stay limit is 7 days.
From September to March, the stay limit is 14 days.
💧 Water: NO
🗑️ Trash: NO - Pack it in, pack it out.
📶 Cell Service: NO service for AT&T or Verizon.

31/07/2025

A battle is brewing for the soul of Sweetwater Lake. Is this rustic, off-grid campground a pristine escape that should be preserved, or the perfect site for Colorado's next State Park? Our video tour releases this afternoon.

// KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: SWEETWATER LAKE CAMPGROUND //
📍 Location: White River National Forest, Colorado
GPS: 39.797426,−107.160757
⛰️ Elevation: 7,700 ft
🚗 Access: 10 miles on a maintained dirt road with a short paved portion near the county line.
🏕️ Campsites: 9 (First-Come, First-Served)
💲 Fees: $8 / night
📅 Season: Late May - Mid October
💧 Water: NO
🗑️ Trash: NO - Pack it in, pack it out.
📶 Cell Service: NO service for AT&T or Verizon.

What do you think should happen to this Colorado gem? Let us know in the comments! 👇

23/07/2025

COLUMBINE CAMPGROUND - Central City, Colorado
🏔️ Elevation: 9,000 ft
📍 Location: Arapaho National Forest (39.8150062, -105.5512273)
🚗 Access: Paved road about two miles from the entrance
🏕️ Total Sites: 47
💵 Fee: $26 per night
📅 Season: Mid-May through mid-September
💧 Water: Yes, potable water available
🗑️ Trash: Yes
📶 Cell Service:
AT&T: 5g (1 bar)
Verizon: No signal

Reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232381

17/07/2025

👀 Our 319th Colorado campground tour is live on YouTube today. West Chicago Creek Campground is located in the
Arapaho National Forest near Idaho Springs, Colorado.

Elevation: 9625
Miles from pavement: ~3 Miles.
The last mile is a bit narrow with a couple of switchbacks

# Campsites: 15
Reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231859
Fees: $25
Season: Open mid-May to mid-September

Water: Faucets missing
AT&T: No Service
Verizon: No Service
Trash: Yes

Hell's Hole Trailhead is just past the campground. 8-9 miles round trip, the trail follows West Chicago Creek up to a glacial cirque within Mt Evans (Mt Blue Sky) Wilderness. About 1900 ft of elevation gain.

13/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/19EaW5DgbD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Moraine Park Campground, the largest in Rocky Mountain National Park, has reopened after a two-year closure for major infrastructure upgrades.

The renovation included improvements to the water, wastewater, and electrical systems, many of which are now underground.

The campground now offers 49 sites with electrical hookups out of its 244 total sites, serving around 30,000 campers annually.

Reservations are available at recreation.gov.

20/06/2025

🚨In last night's new video, we went to The Bank.
With scenic views in every direction, The Bank Campground can get busy in spring and fall. It's a nice BLM campground with 33 sites located north of Cañon City, Colorado. The road getting in is a bit rough (and steep in 1 spot), but the views are worth it. $20/night.

17/06/2025

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/bear-encounter-near-aspen-drives-campground-tent-ban

A close encounter between a black bear and two children has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to prohibit tents at a campsite near Aspen.