Dowdy Lake

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

Location: Morrison, CO, CO

Price: From $20 per night

Price range: $20–$47 per night

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (418 reviews)

Season: May through October

Dowdy Lake Campground is located 48 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., near the village of Red Feather Lakes. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and trail opportunities.For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.The campground offers 60 accessible single and double family campsites with electric hookups. Ten sites are designated for tent camping only and do not have hookups.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): moderate signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: Verizon. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 0%.

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

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

Dowdy Lake offers excellent fishing for brown, brook, cutthroat and lake trout on a 115-acre no-wake lake, plus abundant hiking, biking and canoeing opportunities. Campers consistently praise the clean facilities, friendly staff, and beautiful scenic sites with excellent separation.

Wildlife alert: Mule deer, long-tailed weasels, golden-mantled ground squirrels, broad-tailed hummingbirds, mountain bluebirds, and garter snakes present in the area.

Insider tips for Dowdy Lake: Book early — this federal campground fills quickly and is described as a hidden gem. Only select sites have electric hookups; plan accordingly if you need power. Firewood is available for purchase on-site.

Skip Dowdy Lake if: You need water or sewer hookups — only electric hookups available on select sites.. You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only.. You visit during peak season without an advance reservation..

Best time to visit Dowdy Lake: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only..

Nearby campgrounds: Redfeather Ranger Station (Fort Collins , CO), Bellaire Lake Campground (Morrison, CO), Mountain Park (Morrison, CO), Narrows (Co) (Morrison, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Dowdy Lake

Cell signal at Dowdy Lake (Morrison, CO): moderate overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: Verizon.

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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Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Dowdy Lake

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Morrison, CO, CO★ 4.6 (418 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Dowdy Lake Campground is located 48 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., near the village of Red Feather Lakes. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and trail opportunities.For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.The campground offers 60 accessible single and double family campsites with electric hookups. Ten sites are designated for tent camping only and do not have hookups.

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 RV130 ft
Hookups52 electric sites
ADA sites55 sites
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric HookupsFirewood for Sale
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsCamp Host

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 water or sewer hookups — only electric hookups available on select sites.✕ You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only.✕ You visit during peak season without an advance reservation.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this federal campground fills quickly and is described as a hidden gem.

Only select sites have electric hookups; plan accordingly if you need power.

Firewood is available for purchase on-site.

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 · 100%
AT&T
4G · 100%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: Verizon.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mule deer, long-tailed weasels, golden-mantled ground squirrels, broad-tailed hummingbirds, mountain bluebirds, and garter snakes present in the area.

Location

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

From Fort Collins, take Highway 287 north for approximately 24 miles to Livermore. Turn west on County Road 74 and continue about 23 miles to Dowdy Lake Road. Turn right, then another right onto Dowdy Drive and continue to the campground.

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 Dowdy Lake cost per night?+
Dowdy Lake costs $20–$47 per night. Hookup options: Electric hookups on select sites. No water/sewer.
What season is Dowdy Lake open?+
Dowdy Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Dowdy Lake have hookups?+
Electric hookups on select sites. No water/sewer.
What is the maximum RV length at Dowdy Lake?+
Dowdy Lake can accommodate RVs up to 130 feet.
How do I make reservations at Dowdy Lake?+
Dowdy Lake 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 Dowdy Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Dowdy Lake is rated moderate. Best carrier: Verizon. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Dowdy Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Dowdy Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print 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.

$20 /night★ 4.6 (418)
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 Dowdy Lake cost per night?+
What season is Dowdy Lake open?+
Does Dowdy Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Redfeather Ranger Station

Fort Collins , CO

From $175/night

Bellaire Lake Campground

Morrison, CO

From $30/night

Mountain Park

Morrison, CO

From $41/night

Narrows (Co)

Morrison, CO

From $29/night

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