Mount Princeton

PSICC — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: SALIDA, CO, CO

Price: From $25 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (100 reviews)

Season: May through October

Mount Princeton Campground is located in beautiful Chalk Creek Canyon in central Colorado. This popular facility is within 4 miles of a private hot springs resort, making it an ideal location for rest and relaxation. "First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there.

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

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

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

Mount Princeton Campground sits in scenic Chalk Creek Canyon with 19 sites at $25/night and excellent maintenance standards. The location is within 4 miles of a private hot springs resort and offers abundant hiking, fishing, and swimming opportunities.

Wildlife alert: Mule Deer, Red Fox, Abert's Squirrel, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Bluebird, Great Blue Heron, and American Pipit present in the area.

Insider tips for Mount Princeton: Arrive early in the week to secure sites; this is a popular first-come, first-served campground that fills by Friday. Bring cash or checks—one verified camper reported cash-only or check payment. Starlink provides service where T-Mobile does not. Water pump access available but manual operation; plan accordingly for RV water fills. Host maintains exceptionally clean vault toilets and grounds.

Skip Mount Princeton if: You require RV hookups—no hookups available at most sites; suitable for self-contained RVs only.. You need reliable cellular service on T-Mobile.. You plan to visit outside May through October seasonal window..

Best time to visit Mount Princeton: Friday-Sunday — Campground is normally full starting Friday, sometimes Thursday—plan accordingly for peak demand.. May-October — Seasonal operations period per verified data..

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Mount Princeton

Cell signal at Mount Princeton (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

Mount Princeton

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SALIDA, CO, CO★ 4.7 (100 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Mount Princeton Campground is located in beautiful Chalk Creek Canyon in central Colorado. This popular facility is within 4 miles of a private hot springs resort, making it an ideal location for rest and relaxation. "First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there.

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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFirewood for Sale

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 require RV hookups—no hookups available at most sites; suitable for self-contained RVs only.✕ You need reliable cellular service on T-Mobile.✕ You plan to visit outside May through October seasonal window.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Arrive early in the week to secure sites; this is a popular first-come, first-served campground that fills by Friday.

Bring cash or checks

one verified camper reported cash-only or check payment.

Starlink provides service where T-Mobile does not.

Water pump access available but manual operation; plan accordingly for RV water fills.

Host maintains exceptionally clean vault toilets and grounds.

Best: Friday-Sunday

Campground is normally full starting Friday, sometimes Thursday—plan accordingly for peak demand.

Best: May-October

Seasonal operations period per verified data.

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: Mule Deer, Red Fox, Abert's Squirrel, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Bluebird, Great Blue Heron, and American Pipit present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
Getting there →

From Buena Vista, Colorado, take Highway 285 south to Nathrop. Turn west on County Road 162 and travel 7 miles 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 — 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 Mount Princeton cost per night?+
Mount Princeton costs $25 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Mount Princeton open?+
Mount Princeton is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Mount Princeton have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Mount Princeton?+
Mount Princeton can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Mount Princeton?+
Mount Princeton 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 Mount Princeton?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Mount Princeton is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Mount Princeton open, and what are check-in times?+
Mount Princeton 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★ 4.7 (100)
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 Mount Princeton cost per night?+
What season is Mount Princeton open?+
Does Mount Princeton have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Chalk Lake

SALIDA, CO

From $25/night

Cascade (Colorado)

SALIDA, CO

From $25/night

Bootleg

Nathrop, CO

From $20/night

Cottonwood Lake - Psicc (Co)

Buena Vista, CO

From $22/night

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