Glacier Basin Campground

Rocky Mountain NP’s largest camp — Bear Lake Road access and shuttle included

Location: Bear Lake Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, CO

Price: From $35 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (3140 reviews)

Season: Late May – late September

Glacier Basin is the largest campground in Rocky Mountain National Park with 150 sites at 8,500 ft, 5 miles up Bear Lake Road. Your reservation automatically includes a Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road permit — a major advantage since day visitors must queue for a shuttle. Group sites 1–13 are tent-only in a dedicated loop. The campground sits at the base of glacier-carved terrain with the Bear Lake trailhead cluster — the most popular day-hike area in the park — a short drive or shuttle away.

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

Amenities: Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Picnic Tables, Fire Grates, Food Storage Lockers, Amphitheater, Group Loop (tent only)

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

Glacier Basin is the best basecamp for the Bear Lake corridor — the most popular hiking area in Rocky Mountain National Park. Your Bear Lake Road permit is included with your camping reservation, meaning you drive directly to the Bear Lake trailheads while day visitors queue for the shuttle. 150 sites at 8,500 feet with a dump station, easy town access, and group sites for larger parties.

Sprague Lake at sunrise (1 mile from camp) — a paved, flat trail circling a glacially-carved lake with full Teton-range-style mountain reflections. ADA accessible. Almost no one is there before 7am.

What is new at Glacier Basin Campground: 2026: RMNP requires timed entry during peak season. Your camping reservation includes Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road — no separate permit needed.

Wildlife alert: Black bears active at Glacier Basin — use provided food storage lockers every night. Elk and mule deer common. Mountain lions present in the park — make noise on trails at dawn and dusk.

Fire rules: Campfires in fire rings only. No portable showers except at Moraine Park Campground. No outside firewood. Fire restrictions possible in late summer.

Things to do near Glacier Basin Campground: Emerald Lake trail (3.6 mi RT from Bear Lake). Bear Lake loop (0.8 mi). Sprague Lake sunrise. Loch Vale (3.7 mi RT).

Insider tips for Glacier Basin Campground: Sites in Loop A tend to be most secluded — request the A loop if you want more privacy The Park & Ride across the road has overflow parking if your group has multiple vehicles Group sites are reservable 1 year in advance — if you have 10+ people, put this on the calendar now

Skip Glacier Basin Campground if: You need hookups. You're in the group loop with a vehicle over 21 ft. You want a quieter, less-visited park experience.

Best time to visit Glacier Basin Campground: Jul — Wildflowers on Bear Lake corridor. Full trail access.. Aug — Best weather. Warm afternoons.. Sep — Crowds drop. Elk rut audible from camp. Fall colors begin..

Common issues at Glacier Basin Campground: Fills up months in advance for summer weekends. Book at the 6-month rolling window. Weekday reservations are significantly easier to secure. No hookups. Use the on-site dump station. Nearest hookup campground is in Estes Park (privately operated). Group loop has 21 ft vehicle limit. Group loop sites 1-13 are tent-only and have a 21 ft limit. Standard loop sites allow up to 35 ft.

What campers say about Glacier Basin Campground: "Woke up, drove to Bear Lake in 5 minutes, hiked to Emerald Lake before the shuttle crowds arrived. Perfect." — Google Reviews "The Bear Lake Road permit in the camping reservation is huge — saves at least an hour of shuttle waiting." — TripAdvisor "Black bear in camp on night 2. Food lockers work — use them. Nothing happened except a great story." — The Dyrt

Nearby campgrounds: Moraine Park Campground (Estes Park, CO), Rocky Mountain National Park Longs Peak Campground (Estes Park, CO), Aspenglen Campground (Fall River Entrance, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO), Meeker Park Overflow Campground (CO).