Ansel Watrous

Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Morrison, CO, CO

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (183 reviews)

Season: May through October

Ansel Watrous Campground is located on the Cache la Poudre River, 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., along Highway 14. Visitors enjoy the area for its great rafting, fishing and hiking opportunities.For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.The campground offers accessible single-family sites, each equipped with a 12-by-15 tent pad, a picnic table and a campfire ring with grill. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Camp Host, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/ansel-watrous to be notified when sites open up.

Ansel Watrous sits directly on the Cache la Poudre River with excellent access to whitewater rafting, fishing for brown/cutthroat/rainbow trout, and nearby hiking including the 4-mile Young Gulch Trail. At $29/night just 22 miles from Fort Collins, it's an affordable basecamp for outdoor recreation in the Front Range.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions have been documented in the area via research-grade observations. Also watch for Northern Saw-whet Owls, Western Milksnakes, and Eastern Yellow-bellied Racers.

Insider tips for Ansel Watrous: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 17 sites and fills quickly during peak season Bring a self-contained RV or plan tent camping; there are no hookups available Firewood is available for purchase on-site, so you don't need to pack it in

Skip Ansel Watrous if: You need RV hookups (water, electric, sewer) — this campground has none. You're planning to visit November through April — seasonal closure.

Best time to visit Ansel Watrous: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Stove Prairie (Morrison, CO), Narrows (Co) (Morrison, CO), Mountain Park (Morrison, CO), Buckhorn Ranger Station (Bellevue, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Ansel Watrous

Cell signal at Ansel Watrous (Morrison, CO): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CO›Ansel Watrous
Ansel Watrous — photo 1
Ansel Watrous — photo 2
Ansel Watrous — photo 3
See all photos
Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Ansel Watrous

Share:
Morrison, CO, CO★ 4.5 (183 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Ansel Watrous Campground is located on the Cache la Poudre River, 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., along Highway 14. Visitors enjoy the area for its great rafting, fishing and hiking opportunities.For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.The campground offers accessible single-family sites, each equipped with a 12-by-15 tent pad, a picnic table and a campfire ring with grill. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV40 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites13 sites
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterFirewood for Sale
Recreation
Picnic TablesCamp Host
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups (water, electric, sewer) — this campground has none✕ You're planning to visit November through April — seasonal closure

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 17 sites and fills quickly during peak season

Bring a self-contained RV or plan tent camping; there are no hookups available

Firewood is available for purchase on-site, so you don't need to pack it in

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain lions have been documented in the area via research-grade observations. Also watch for Northern Saw-whet Owls, Western Milksnakes, and Eastern Yellow-bellied Racers.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
970-295-6700· Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
Getting there →

From Fort Collins, take Highway 14 northwest for 13 miles.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Ansel Watrous cost per night?+
Ansel Watrous costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Ansel Watrous open?+
Ansel Watrous is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Ansel Watrous have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Ansel Watrous?+
Ansel Watrous can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
How do I make reservations at Ansel Watrous?+
Ansel Watrous is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Ansel Watrous?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Ansel Watrous is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Ansel Watrous open, and what are check-in times?+
Ansel Watrous is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Campground Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$20 /night★ 4.5 (183)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Ansel Watrous cost per night?+
What season is Ansel Watrous open?+
Does Ansel Watrous have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Stove Prairie

Morrison, CO

From $29/night

Narrows (Co)

Morrison, CO

From $29/night

Mountain Park

Morrison, CO

From $41/night

Buckhorn Ranger Station

Bellevue, CO

From $150/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$20 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability