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Collegiate Peaks

PSICC — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: SALIDA, CO, CO

Price: From $25 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (267 reviews)

Season: May through October

Collegiate Peaks Campground is located 11 miles west of Buena Vista, Colorado, along Middle Cottonwood Creek near the top of Cottonwood Pass. The campground offers well-spaced campsites and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Visitors enjoy fishing and exploring local trails.

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

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

Collegiate Peaks offers well-spaced, private campsites with scenic mountain views along Middle Cottonwood Creek near Cottonwood Pass. Campers consistently praise the attentive camp host and excellent site spacing, with a 4.7/5 rating from 79 Google reviews.

Wildlife alert: Bighorn Sheep, American Pika, Pacific Marten, Mule Deer, Southwestern Red Squirrel, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Hairy Woodpecker, and Clark's Nutcracker documented in the area.

Insider tips for Collegiate Peaks: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand Arrive mid-week for better first-come, first-served availability Camp host can help locate alternative nearby BLM sites if full Hot springs inn and spa located 5 miles east of campground

Skip Collegiate Peaks if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs. You require full-service facilities — vault toilets only. You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations only.

Best time to visit Collegiate Peaks: May-October — Official operating season per verified data. Thursday nights — Better availability for first-come, first-served sites based on camper reports.

Nearby campgrounds: Cottonwood Lake - Psicc (Co) (Buena Vista, CO), Iron City (Nathrop, CO), Cascade (Colorado) (SALIDA, CO), Chalk Lake (SALIDA, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Collegiate Peaks

Cell signal at Collegiate Peaks (SALIDA, 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.

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    PSICC — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

    Collegiate Peaks

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    SALIDA, CO, CO★ 4.5 (267 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
    On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

    Collegiate Peaks Campground is located 11 miles west of Buena Vista, Colorado, along Middle Cottonwood Creek near the top of Cottonwood Pass. The campground offers well-spaced campsites and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Visitors enjoy fishing and exploring local trails.

    Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites: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 RV50 ft
    HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
    Pull-throughsAvailable
    PetsAllowed
    CampfiresAllowed
    Max/site6 people

    Amenities

    RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
    Essentials
    Fire RingsDrinking Water
    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 — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs✕ You require full-service facilities — vault toilets only✕ You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations only

    Insider tips & when to go

    CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

    Book early

    this is a federal campground with high demand

    Arrive mid-week for better first-come, first-served availability

    Camp host can help locate alternative nearby BLM sites if full

    Hot springs inn and spa located 5 miles east of campground

    Best: May-October

    Official operating season per verified data

    Best: Thursday nights

    Better availability for first-come, first-served sites based on camper reports

    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: Bighorn Sheep, American Pika, Pacific Marten, Mule Deer, Southwestern Red Squirrel, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Hairy Woodpecker, and Clark's Nutcracker documented in the area.

    Location

    Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
    Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
    CAMPGROUNDS DO NOT HAVE PHONE SERVICE, CALLING TO CHECK AVAILABILITY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IS NOT POSSIBLE. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL: 1-877-444-6777· PSICC
    Getting there →

    From Buena Vista, Colorado, take Highway 306. At the stoplight, go west for 11 miles toward Cottonwood Pass. Campground is located on the left-hand side of the road. Highway 306 is paved on east side of Cottonwood Pass.

    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 — PSICC fills fast in peak season.
    • Check current road conditions at PSICC before arrival — seasonal closures common.

    Frequently asked questions

    RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
    How much does Collegiate Peaks cost per night?+
    Collegiate Peaks costs $25 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
    What season is Collegiate Peaks open?+
    Collegiate Peaks is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
    Does Collegiate Peaks have hookups?+
    No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
    What is the maximum RV length at Collegiate Peaks?+
    Collegiate Peaks can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet.
    How do I make reservations at Collegiate Peaks?+
    Collegiate Peaks 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 Collegiate Peaks?+
    According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Collegiate Peaks is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
    What season is Collegiate Peaks open, and what are check-in times?+
    Collegiate Peaks is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

    Official resources

    Forest Service ConcessionairePrint Facility 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.

    $25 /night★ 4.5 (267)
    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 Collegiate Peaks cost per night?+
    What season is Collegiate Peaks open?+
    Does Collegiate Peaks have hookups?+
    All 7 questions →

    Nearby Campgrounds

    Cottonwood Lake - Psicc (Co)

    Buena Vista, CO

    From $22/night

    Iron City

    Nathrop, CO

    From $22/night

    Cascade (Colorado)

    SALIDA, CO

    From $25/night

    Chalk Lake

    SALIDA, CO

    From $25/night

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