Purgatoire Campground

PSICC — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: CANON CITY, CO, CO

Price: From $25 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (58 reviews)

Season: May through October

Purgatoire Campground is nestled near the headwaters of the Purgatoire River in the beautiful Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The primitive campground is laid out on two loops. One is a large grassy meadow with sites that accommodate equestrian campers and one that is wooded with aspen and spruce.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing

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

Purgatoire Campground offers primitive camping in the scenic Sangre de Cristo Mountains near the Purgatoire River headwaters, with excellent opportunities for fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Campers consistently praise the beautiful mountain views, minimal light pollution, and peaceful remote setting.

Wildlife alert: American Elk, Mule Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, American Dipper, MacGillivray's Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Hermit Thrush

Insider tips for Purgatoire Campground: Book early — this is a popular federal campground Gravel access road is passable by car with minimal potholes Two-loop layout: grassy meadow loop for equestrian camping, wooded aspen/spruce loop for traditional camping

Skip Purgatoire Campground if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs. You visit outside May-October seasonal window. You require paved road access — 4-mile rough gravel road to campground.

Best time to visit Purgatoire Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Blue Lake Campground - San Isabel Nf (Co) (CANON CITY, CO), Bear Lake Campground (Co) (CANON CITY, CO), Cordova Pass (La Veta, CO), Cimarron Campground (Cimarron, NM).

Cell Phone Coverage at Purgatoire Campground

Cell signal at Purgatoire Campground (CANON CITY, 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
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PSICC — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Purgatoire Campground

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CANON CITY, CO, CO★ 4.5 (58 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Purgatoire Campground is nestled near the headwaters of the Purgatoire River in the beautiful Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The primitive campground is laid out on two loops. One is a large grassy meadow with sites that accommodate equestrian campers and one that is wooded with aspen and spruce.

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.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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; only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You visit outside May-October seasonal window✕ You require paved road access — 4-mile rough gravel road to campground

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground

Gravel access road is passable by car with minimal potholes

Two-loop layout: grassy meadow loop for equestrian camping, wooded aspen/spruce loop for traditional camping

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months 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: American Elk, Mule Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, American Dipper, MacGillivray's Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Hermit Thrush

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
Getting there →

From La Veta, Colorado, take State Route 12 south for 25.3 miles to Purgatoire campground sign. Turn right onto gravel Route 34. Go 0.2 miles to "T" intersection. Turn right and drive 4 miles on rough gravel road to 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 Purgatoire Campground cost per night?+
Purgatoire Campground costs $25 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Purgatoire Campground open?+
Purgatoire Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Purgatoire Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Purgatoire Campground?+
Purgatoire Campground can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Purgatoire Campground?+
Purgatoire Campground 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 Purgatoire Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Purgatoire Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Purgatoire Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Purgatoire Campground 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 (58)
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 Purgatoire Campground cost per night?+
What season is Purgatoire Campground open?+
Does Purgatoire Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Blue Lake Campground - San Isabel Nf (Co)

CANON CITY, CO

From $25/night

Bear Lake Campground (Co)

CANON CITY, CO

From $25/night

Cordova Pass

La Veta, CO

From $15/night

Cimarron Campground

Cimarron, NM

From $22/night

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