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Rainbow Lakes Campground

In

Roosevelt National Forest

·

66%

·

18 sites · RV, Tent

A little ways west from the hippie mountain town of Nederland, Colorado lies Rainbow Lakes Campground. A popular spot for Boulderites seeking a more rustic mountain getaway, this campground provides a satisfyingly remote experience. Pack up your poles—fishing and hiking—because there are excellent opportunities for both up here. If you stay a while and end up craving a taste of civilization, you can always check out nearby Nederland for a good beer and a bit of mountain weirdness.

What this place offers

Campfire allowed

Pets allowed

No showers

Toilets

No potable water

Picnic tables

No sewage hookups

No electric hookups

First come, first served

RV, Tent

Explore 577 campgrounds near Roosevelt National Forest

Available campgrounds nearby

Top-rated for location, privacy, and amenities near Roosevelt National Forest

Aspen Forest in Evergreen Colorado

32mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 3 sites · Lodging · Evergreen, CO

We have some amazing hiking trails and Arapahoe National Forest in our backyard! Maxwell National Trailhead is 9 mins from the property with free parking and free entrance. Cub Creek Trail Head is also around the corner. Evergreen Lake- 15 min car ride. Fishing, kayaking, picnic. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre- 30 min car ride. Summer concerts, and movie nights at the park. Our property is at 10,000 feet in the foothills of the Rockies. The last mile is unpaved and has some steep inclines. We receive quite a lot of snow (Oct-May). We require that guests use AWD/4WD vehicles and winter tires to safely access our dome during snow months. Please check weather conditions and follow Colorado traction laws.

Arapaho Valley Ranch

12mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 71 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Granby, CO

Arapaho Valley Ranch is a gorgeous, family-owned guest ranch in Colorado’s beautiful Grand County. Our ranch is surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest and is nestled in one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. This area features hiking trails, waterfalls, and historic steam engines from the old town of Monarch. We have a private hiking trail that leads to our “kissing swing” overlooking the headwaters of the Colorado River Valley. Property Description Disclaimer: The amenities, features, and services displayed in photos on our website or promotional materials are for illustration purposes only. AVR does not guarantee the availability, condition, or quality of these amenities at the time of your visit, and they are subject to change. AVR reserves the right to change, modify, or discontinue any feature or service without notice at any time. Guests must be at least 18 years of age or older to book and stay at Arapaho Valley Ranch.

Rustic Creek Ranch

47mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 39 sites · Tents, RVs · Bailey, CO

The 160 acre ranch was homesteaded by my grandfather over 100 years ago. He was an engineer. **Please note that the GPS will take you 300 feet away from my property, please follow my clear instructions that are sent in your welcome email. There is signage that you can also follow. ** The plan was to use this property as summer grazing for his cattle. The cattle were wintered at the other ranch about 10 miles away, which was homesteaded by my great grandfather. Because my grandfather could survey, he made sure the property lines zigzaged up the valley so the small creek was in the middle to provide water for the animals. He chose well. It is a beautiful, quiet place with elk, deer and wild turkeys. There are tons of wild flowers in the summer. Columbines, the Colorado state flower, wild roses, paintbrushes and lots of wild chokecherries. With nice views of nearby mountains, open pastures, evergreen forests and aspen groves, it looks like it did 100 years ago. Plus, there are a couple of ponds for your dogs to cool off in. Since the first cattle, the ranch has also been home to goats, chickens, horses, and now more goats, alpacas and llamas. And of course the Great Pyrenees ranch dogs. I had a house built a few years ago and live on the property full time. The ranch is surrounded by Pike National Forest with the Colorado Trail connecting the property in a number of places. Some of the highest ranked mountain bike trails are nearby. There are lots of places on and off the property to hike, mountain bike and ride your horse. On a clear night you can see thousands of stars and hear coyotes howl. For a drone video of the ranch check out: YouTube's Midsummer 2020 Flyover. Elevation 8,000 feet, Average Summer Temperatures: Days 60-80 f, Nights 45-60 f, Sunshine Average 73-80%, Colorado Trail Segment 3, USGS Maps: Windy Peak; Green Mountain quadrangles. This is the official info. Basically, the weather is usually similar to the Denver area - just 10 degrees cooler. About 8 miles away is the small town of Bailey. It has just about everything you might need: small grocery store, coffee shops, gas, laundry, a dollar store, hardware store, camping and sports equipment, brew pub, winery, a few restaurants, potable water station and more.

Swiftcurrent Lodge on the River

23mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 12 sites · Lodging · Estes Park, CO

Swiftcurrent Lodge is the perfect home-base for your adventures located just 300 yards from Rocky Mountain National Park and three miles from downtown Estes Park, Colorado. Other nearby attractions are Bear lake, Lily Lake, Emerald Lake, trail ridge road and so much more! We are twelve charming units nestled on the banks of the Big Thompson River, six lodge units available year round, and six cottage units which are closed in winter. We offer a state-of-the-art UniFi Mesh network providing isolated client access to the Internet for laptops, phones, and tablets. We also offer a secure network with the required bandwidth allowing you to stream your favorite shows from Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, etc.

A-Lodge Boulder

13mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 59 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Boulder, CO

A-Lodge Boulder is a 30 room lodge just 2 miles above downtown Boulder, Colorado. We are located in a wilderness area of Boulder Canyon, right at the junction with Fourmile Canyon. We have three #vanlife sites and four tentsites for offer on Hipcamp. We have a BRAND NEW barrel sauna, hot tub, grills, seasonal pool (Memorial Day to Labor Day), meeting space, outdoor beer garden, bathrooms and showers for campers and a wonderful trail to Betasso Preserve right from your campsite. The Fourmile Creek runs through our property along our large lawn area. Great views and you might see bear, deer, elk, moose, foxes, or even a mountain lion! Walk-in sites are just a short hike, about 100 feet, on an unmanicured trail to our platforms. We provide the platform for your tent as well as access to all of our lodge's amenities; front desk, lobby, bar & beer garden, fire pits, grills, bathrooms, shower, outdoor common areas, free wifi, etc. A-Lodge has a 7-day non-refundable cancellation policy. If you cancel within 7 days of your arrival, 50% of the total is non-refundable. Our guests love us too! Check out what a fellow camper had to say: "First time Hipcamper and A-Lodge visitor here, I’d definitely recommend checking this place out if you’re traveling to the Boulder area. The tent platforms were easy to get to and spaced far enough apart for privacy and generally a nice break from setting up a tent on a gravel pad. WiFi was stable throughout my visit and I was able to get some work done before heading home."

Boulder Chicken Ranch

20mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 15 sites · Tents, RVs · Boulder, CO

Welcome to our charming 2-acre meadow nestled in East Boulder. Just minutes from town - near bike trails, shops and restaurants. A great pitstop on your way to or from the mountains - or base camp for the adventures in Front Range. We aren't fancy, but we are convenient, cozy and safe. Gate code will be provided 48 hours before arrival. We have spots in the meadow for Tents, Motorhomes, Vans, Trailers, and Rooftop setups. The grounds are a bit sloped but we've got leveling boards (please leave them behind). We've got the world's best eggs, a few walking paths through tall wild grasses, a campfire ring, solar shower, wading pool, gas grill, a table and a lovely porta-jon. We can handle RVs up to 45 feet - truck and trailer. It’s a big field, but a narrow, winding and steep gravel ramp to get in and out. We have a community fire pit with free burn wood, though the big logs are few and far between; your own firewood is recommended - as well as an ax or saw. If it's windy, please skip the fire... the BFD is very strict about this!! We have well water feeding a solar shower (only hot when the sun shines) and sink (non potable unless you have a filter). - CLOSED FOR THE WINTER We have a wading / dog pool continually refreshed from the creek. I just built a new filter!! It’s a saving grace in the summertime. - CLOSED FOR THE WINTER We have a community gas grill - please donate to the propane fund. Please help yourself to eggs up at the coop - look for the Venmo QR and WATCH OUT FOR THE ROOSTER! The chickens free range during the day, so please MIND YOUR DOG. THE GOOD: *Easy in and out location close to town *Lots of sun *Outdoor solar shower *Cold creek water plunge pool *Fresh eggs *Good view of small airplanes *Community fire pit *Community gas grill THE BAD: *Mosquitoes... they are long gone now, but late spring is rough! *Daytime road noise *Small airport nearby *No Generators *Almost zero shade *Shower only hot when the sun shines *Pool is fed from a creek *Good Morning Rooster Please reach out with any questions you may have. Safe travels! Sincerely, Patrick and Brooke

Vacant Land On The Clear Creek

23mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 1 site · Tent, RV · Silver Plume, CO

Land on river, no electric or water/sewer hookups

Neverland Camp Wilder

2.5mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 5 sites · Tents, Lodging · Nederland, CO

Welcome to Camp Wilder! We are an off-the-beaten-path camp offering peace and solitude. The cabin is very special to my family and me. It was passed down as a mining claim from my grandmother who founded it in the '60s. The vision for the land was simply perfect. A small 10 x 10 cabin with the whole mountain to explore and whoever they wished to bring with them. The town of Nederland is 10 minutes down the road where you can fish at Baker Reservoir. Lots of fun little stores in town to keep the family busy. Wildlife is everywhere up by the cabin/campsite, always remember don't leave food lying around with lots of great things to look for around the magical town of Nederland. The cabin sleeps up to 8 with the futon downstairs being very comfortable and 3" foam upstairs in the loft for more sleeping area. Bring your sleeping bags to stay cozy at night. There are lanterns inside to light up your night with a wood stove to keep you warm at night. The ground around it is sloped so you may have a hard time setting up any tents around the cabin. The grocery store is in Nederland where you can buy food, Coleman green propane bottles, gallon jugs of water and wood. There is a 3 burner Coleman, stove to cook on with limited pots & pans as well as silverware. Road disclaimer, the road to the cabin is one lane dirt road. The drive up to the cabin is pretty good but the turn onto the single dirt road to the cabin has a slight dip, if you have a low-clearance car it may bottom out when you are turning so be careful. No Trailers. They will not be able to turn around once there. Recommend vehicles with AWD. Go 3.4 miles up Caribou road. Turn right @ yellow stakes go .4 miles. Park on the left. Hike down to the cabin between yellow stakes. We are @ 10,000 feet and it is a slight hike to the cabin. Go 3.4 miles up Caribou road. Turn right @ yellow stakes go .4 miles When leaving please make sure both door locks are locked, put the key in the lock box and mix the code for the next camper.

The Bluebear at Y Double-K Ranch

11mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 2 sites · Lodging · Ward, CO

We border a national forest where you can hike and just enjoy the outdoors. The Ceran Saint Vrain trailhead is less than one mile away and Brainard Lake is a short 20 minute drive. If you feel as you need to go to town, Boulder, Estes Park, and Nederland are all a 30 min drive. Away, yet close enough!

Camp Always Choose Adventures

14mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 30 sites · Tents, Lodging · Central City, CO

⚠️ Important Policies ⚠️ • No refunds – please read carefully before booking. • Check-in by 8:00 PM only. • All payments are considered donations to our nonprofit. • You must text or call your ETA before arrival! ⸻ Welcome to Camp Always Choose Adventures, the nation’s first off-grid outdoor educational campground. Located at 9,300 feet in Central City, Colorado, we’re just 15 minutes from Idaho Springs. Our property offers a Tipi, a tiny house on wheels, 5 premium campsites and dispersed camping sites in the heart of the Rockies, where you may see elk, moose, deer, and even bears. 🚫 No RVs or campers. We have one on site but cannot host others unless you call us first. Our driveway is the gateway to Yankee Hill, the largest Off-Road Highway Vehicle area in the Front Range, with endless trails for hiking and exploring. 🌲 Arrive empty-handed and still camp! We rent tents, sleeping bags, and outdoor gear so anyone can enjoy a full mountain experience. We’re a one-stop-shop for your Colorado bucket list: camping with premier gear, 4x4 adventures, and everything in between. ⸻ Accessibility We’re proud to offer Extreme Motus off-road wheelchairs, designed for rugged terrain so guests with disabilities can join hikes, off-road rides, and fully enjoy the outdoors. ⸻ Our Mission Camp ACA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to breaking barriers in the outdoors for youth and individuals with disabilities. Funds from camping directly support underserved youth and those with disabilities, ensuring the outdoors is accessible to all. 🙏 Thank you for supporting our mission. Learn more: AlwaysChooseAdventures.org

Gold Nugget Tree House

9.3mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 1 site · Lodging · Gold Hill, CO

Come visit our sweet little treehouse in the woods. Our property is just steps away from the bustling historic town of Gold Hill, a destination for tourists and road bikers alike. The treehouse is a glamping experience with just enough amenities to keep you comfortable. Food - Bring your cooler with food supplies or take out in Boulder before you head up the mountain. Or grab a coffee, pizza, snack or a glass of wine at the Gold Hill store. If you'd like a full service dining experience, make a reservation for a 5 course meal at the Gold Hill Inn. What To Do: Walk around the historic town of Gold Hill. We promise you will be entertained. Ask a local about the museum, the cemetery, or the historic two room school house, or any other favorite spots they have around the area. Love the woods and nature, but would like a little action? Attend a local live music concert at the Gold Hill Store or the Gold Hill Inn on a beautiful summers night. Drive to Estes Park or Rocky Mountain National Park to explore for the day. Boulder - 20 minutes Nederland - 35 minutes Estes Park - 45 minutes The Treehouse is furnished with Queen size bed and plenty of blankets to keep you warm, but feel free to bring your sleeping bag if you prefer. A roll out twin size feather bed for the floor is available upon request if you have a few more folks joining. We provide a portable toilet with WagBags. Please always pack out all human solid human waste. Gold Hill Store offers a toilet for a minimal fee and the Gold Hill Inn has a toilet for customers. A camp stove is available for outdoor use. The camp stove and the propane heater both use 1 lb propane canisters, so feel free to bring your own fuel to cook and keep you warm. A can of propane is always available for your use of the stove. * A note to novice campers and regular hotel patrons: Though you are in a shelter, you are still exposed to the elements. The treehouse is not insulated. Wind, bugs, and critters may all be a part of the variable treehouse experience mother nature has planned for you. If you are not comfortable camping, getting dirty, swatting flies, being too hot, being too cold, hearing the noises of animals at night, waking up to the sound of magpies, and who knows what else, this experience may not be for you.

Cooking equipment

Idaho Springs RV Resort Campground

17mi from Rainbow Lakes Campground · 10 sites · RVs · Downieville Lawson Dumont, CO

Welcome to our RV park! If you're looking for a full-hookup RV site, please visit our website to book directly. This Hipcamp listing is specifically for a non-hookup car camping site. Car camping parking spot with WIFI and access to our private showers. You'll enjoy the beauty being fully surrounded by mountains while being located right off I-70 for an easy in-and-out.

More to explore nearby

66%

4 ratings · 3 reviews

June 2018

If you are a straight couple/family etc.. you will have a great time. Rick will be warm and welcoming, friendly, and inform you how to deal with bears and moose nearby. My girlfriend and I (two women in our 20s) on the other hand had the worst experience. One of the first lines out of his mouth was homophobic, so luckily we both ‘pass’ as straight. He asked us if we were together in which we had no other choice but to say no. He came back multiple times throughout the night, telling us ironic/suggestive stories of “young women” trying to get his money. I am exhausted having to protect myself from men who treat women this way. If one of us had been a boy, he wouldn’t have given us a second glance. I am so sad a man like this has authority.

A

Anonymous A.

7 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2017

Great campsites and the camp host, Rick, is a great guy who will go to great lengths to make sure your stay is pleasant.

R

Ralph I.

8 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2017

Bring cash to pay for the site

Abby S.

8 years on Hipcamp

LocationRainbow Lakes Campground, Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, United States

Is anything missing?Suggest edits to improve this listing for fellow campers.

What this place offers

Campfire allowed

Pets allowed

No showers

Toilets

No potable water

Picnic tables

No sewage hookups

No electric hookups

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