Our baby in the tent *before* she decided to cry all night
Mandy evidently has springtime on the brain – she’s already thinking about camping! She emailed to ask this question:
Where’s the best place to go camping with young kids within an hour of Colorado Springs?
So, camping experts, what suggestions do you have? We just started camping in the past year or two – something I said I’d never do, but here I am! One of our would-be favorites is this free campground just outside of Colorado Springs – but I say “would-be” favorite because our camping days have been paused for the moment. The last time we went, our youngest was 8 months old and screamed, um, well, most of the night. Hopefully none of you were the other campers in the area that night- if so, please accept my apologies!
Anyway. Where do you recommend for a kid-friendly place to camp close to Colorado Springs? Please leave your suggestions in the comments. If you are reading via email, please click here to comment.
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$1.25 for Lucerne (half gallon) at Safeway, Fri-Sun Only
I’ve liked camping down near Canon City at the Yogi Bear Campground. They had fun activities and events (like candy bar bingo, ceramic painting, hayrides, etc.)and the pool was fun, too! I’ve also stayed up at the one in Estes Park and it is very fun as well. Their main web page is
http://www.campjellystone.com/
Just a heads-up…the one down in Canon City is no longer JellyStone…bummer b/c we had fun there last year, too.
We went to Muller State Park with some friends and a total of 5 young kids last year and it was great. We were able to do some nice nature walking, and I think they also offer additional programs most days. The restrooms were kept very clean, which was important for some of the phobic kids! We reserved pretty early through reserveamerica.com.
does mueller have nice tent sites that are away from rv sites?
I second Muller State Park. Incredible rest rooms, fabulous sites, kid-friendly, activities with rangers, paved areas where our kids ride bikes, a playground, and trails galore. It’s an hour door-to-camground. There are sites you can hike into for a more “rugged” experience, and plenty of tent and RV sites along the main camp area. Can’t say enough great things about it.
We live in Windsor CO and love camping down near the springs.
There is a great place called cuttys resort in haden creek, about 30 mins from cannon city. they have a website check it out, it is great for kids, has an outdoor and indoor pool, putt putt and pony rides, but is very secluded among trees and along a creek. Also State park called painted rock is good.
We love The Crags (super close to Mueller) but it’s primitive…you have to bring your water in. They do have two restrooms (one is pretty new) but no showers.
LOVE it there we camp there everytime. Looking for a different place but still love Crags!
FYI on Mueller…it books up for the summer quickly…e.g. Memorial Day weekend is already booked solid. So if you want to go, get your reservation in now….or look for cancellations at the last minute.
The first is just outside of the Royal Gorge area, and is called Royal View Campground, and can be found at http://www.royalviewcampground.com. They have RV and tent sites, as well as cabins, a great looking recreation are, lots of things to do, even a pool and dog park area! Their sites range from $25 to $42 depending on how you camp, and what days you stay. Not sure if they offer special deals during non-holiday weekends, or if there are better times to go than others. They also offer discount tickets to local attractions like the train and bridge.
The second is MountainDale Campground and is just about 20 miles outside the Springs. Their website is http://mountaindalecampground.com/. They also have tent and RV sites, as well as cabins. Their rates are anywhere from $17 – $38 depending on tent vs rv and off-peak vs peak season.
Both sites were VERY helpful and personal with us as we made our reservations. I know they aren’t free, and you can’t use any State or National Park passes to get discounts, but they both have playgrounds, and are close enough to home to have a nice weekend, but still get home if you need to make a fast getaway with sick or upset kiddos.
We’ve camped at the KOA in Cripple Creek – it’s a KOA, of course, so we’re talking hot showers, flushing toilets, etc. We *did* sleep in a tent, though! Their tent sites are in the trees so it isn’t like camping in a parking lot. ;)
They had a small play area for kids, too. And the weekend we were there, they served pancakes outside for just a couple bucks per person.
Golden Eagle Camp ground just south of C/S is really great for kids. They have a Lake (more like a big pond) for fishing, tons of ducks in a field by the pond that you can feed (they are NOT afraid so watch your fingers!) There is a playground (small, but it has some swings and big tires to play with). A big field by the playground that you can fly kites, throw balls, and just play around in. And probably the best part is the Bug Museum. They have a small museum full of spiders, beetles and butterflies that is really neat to look through. It does cost extra but well worth it. They also have a science museum that we did not go through and heard that is was not as good. They have tons of trees and it’s really pretty. It is pretty close to some supermarkets and other conveniences, I even noticed some people w/ take out pizza. It does cost per day of camping, but it’s pretty reasonable.
Every year we go to Golden Bell Camp and Conference Center in Divide,
CO. It’s not far from Mueller. It has free use of an indoor pool, miniature golf, archery, funyakking, fishing, zip line, etc. And best of all, it’s a Christian camp. It’s about $23 a night, which includes water hook up and electricity at each site.
Our family’s favorite is Lost Burro located above Cripple Creek. It’s a little off the beaten path, nestled in the middle of the mountains. It’s a little Mom and Pop place except “Pop” passed away about 2 years ago. If you visit more than 3 times they remember your name and your favorite sight. They have RV, tent and a few little cabins, green grass and a playground. There is a fun little creek that runs all the way through; our kids play in it all day.