Camping Near Denver, Colorado
From 45-minute foothills escapes to Rocky Mountain National Park — complete guide to the best campgrounds within 2 hours of Denver with prices and local intel.
Denver is one of the best cities in the country for quick camping escapes — the Rocky Mountain foothills start just 45 minutes west, Rocky Mountain National Park is 90 minutes away, and the Front Range corridor has dozens of reservable campgrounds within 2 hours. Here's the complete picture.
1 campgrounds for this trip
Curated with verified intel — not just a database dump
Frequently asked
What is the closest campground to Denver Colorado?
Chief Hosa Campground in Golden Gate Canyon (45 min west via US-6) is the closest full-service campground to Denver with electric hookups. Chatfield State Park (20 min south via C-470) has tent and RV sites with Chatfield Reservoir lake access, reservable on CPW.
Is there camping near Denver with hookups?
Chatfield State Park has electric-only hookup sites. Chief Hosa has electric in Jefferson County Open Space. For full hookups, Cherry Creek State Park (25 min from downtown) has electric and water hookups. Jellystone Park at Larkspur (50 min south) has full 30/50-amp hookups.
How far is Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver for camping?
RMNP is approximately 1h 30min from Denver via US-36 through Boulder. The east entrance at Estes Park is the most common approach. Note: RMNP requires a timed entry permit between 9 AM–2 PM from late May through mid-October, obtained separately at Recreation.gov.
What free camping is available near Denver?
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests surrounding RMNP allow dispersed camping on most public land. Pawnee National Grassland (60 min northeast) has free dispersed camping. Eleven Mile State Park area (90 min southwest) has BLM land with free camping near the South Platte River.
What camping near Denver is open year-round?
Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Parks are open year-round with electric hookups. Chief Hosa closes in winter. Most National Forest campgrounds close October–May due to snow. Jellystone Park at Larkspur is open year-round with full hookups.