Camping near Buena Vista, Colorado with wildlife watching
Pitch your tent between the Arkansas River and the Rocky Mountains at a Buena Vista campsite.
- Buena Vista
94% (11847 reviews)
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12 top campgrounds near Buena Vista with wildlife watching
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Peaceful Ranch, South Park
2 sites · RVs, Tents10 acres · Alma, Park
Camp in peace, surrounded by wildlife. Guests love the amenities of South Park, Colorado. A recreational area is located 10 minutes away, offering a pool ($10 for locals, $14 for visitors) with showers, a gym, and yoga classes. Check their website for more information.
Downtown South Park is just 10 minutes away and offers stores for fishing gear, restaurants, wine bars, and excellent Mexican food. The market is right on 285 Highway, which leads to Denver or Buena Vista. The scenic ride is beautiful.
South Park hosts many carnivals with food trucks that serve amazing dishes. Fall in love with South Park, known for gold medal fishing and hot springs within 40 minutes away.
Sleep in your RV with the soothing sound of silence to recharge and find peace. There are great hiking trails nearby and a quiet country road for biking.
The ski resort in Breckenridge is just 25 minutes away. The towns of Alma and Fairplay have a history of gold dredging, with some placer gold operations still active. This land was part of a mining project, and some mine entrances were closed by my husband when we first moved here.
Learn more about this land and Fairplay at the Visitor's Welcome Center in Downtown South Park. There are lots of historic places to explore.
Please be aware that this campsite is full of trees and set in a park-like setting, and wildlife is active here 24/7. We only rent two spots and are located near several national forests.
Campsite #1 comes with electricity and water. Please bring your own extensions and hoses; if needed, contact me in advance, and they will be in the blue box.
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$27
/ night
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(1)
Little Buffalo Cabin
1 site · Lodging1 acre · Hartsel, Park
Experience the charm of our historic 1800s cabin, the Little Buffalo Cabin, in Hartsel, Colorado. Explore Colorado's attractions from this central location, including fishing in nearby Gold Medal waters. The property boasts endless mountain views and the site of the town’s original post office. Nearby local amenities include a quick mart, cafe, saloon, and pizza place. Enjoy the spacious living areas, a cozy queen bedroom, and the versatile office/bedroom space with a futon and desk. The perfect home base for exploring the central Colorado mountains! We're Super Hosts, excited to be able to offer this unique experience to the HipCamp community!
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$129
/ night
97%
(29)
Sawatch Base Camp
2 sites · Lodging10 acres · Leadville, Lake
Completely surrounded by National Forest in the heart of the Rockies at 10,600 feet in elevation, Sawatch Base Camp is one of a kind property at the site of an old turquoise mine with accessible yet private backcountry lodging.
Located 6 miles northwest of Leadville, Colorado and 1 mile north of Turquoise Lake, Sawatch Base Camp is perched on a hill overlooking the Arkansas Headwaters, Leadville and the Mosquito Range including 14er Mt. Sherman. This prime location gives quick access to all the best outdoor recreation of the High Rockies, while also being removed enough to provide solitude and quality time with friends and family.
In summer and fall (May through November), the property has vehicle access by Forest Service Road 103- known by many other names depending on mapping service including County Road 9A, Turquoise Chief Rd, and St. Kevin Rd. This segment of road is part of the famous Leadville 100 MTB race, lying at roughly Mile 8/Mile 95.
In winter months (roughly Thanksgiving through April), the camp is accessible by snowmobile, ski or snowshoe on groomed multi-use winter trails open to the public. The trek in is approximately 4.4 miles from the Leadville Junction Parking Lot, with an elevation gain of roughly 800 feet. The terrain around the yurt provides backcountry skiing through trees with occasional glades.
Our backcountry lodging is designed to have minimal impact on the landscape, intentionally rustic while also providing amenities like a wood stove, solar lighting, plush beds and a roomy indoor space to gather. Firewood and propane for the camp stove are provided.
Sawatch Base Camp operates under Lake County CUPs 21-10 and 23-33.
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$159
/ night
96%
(28)
Creekside Chalets
13 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Salida, Chaffee
Welcome to Creekside Chalets
Escape from the stresses of everyday life with a rejuvenating mountain vacation. Here you can revel in the beauty of the mountains, relax to the sounds of the river, and experience an unforgettable trip. Our cozy and charming cabins & campsites offer stunning views, wonderful amenities, and an unbeatable location.
Nestled among picturesque peaks, there is no shortage of lovely sights when you stay in our campsites & cabins. Every season is equally lovely. From snow-capped peaks in the winter to bright gold aspen leaves in the fall, you’ll never be left wanting when it comes to picture-perfect surroundings.
We are just minutes from Monarch Mountain, which boasts 800 ski-able acres and an annual average snowfall of over 350 inches. Just a short drive east of our cabins is Salida, Colorado known as the ‘Gem of the Rockies’. This small but vibrant town offers a number of restaurants and shops as well as festivals and events throughout the year.
New for 2023
Creekside Chalets has added 3 Creekside Camping spots all with access to the North Fork of the South Arkansas creek that flows through the property. The sites are located in an aspen grove along the creek with a picnic table provided and room to park one vehicle up to 20 feet long and space for a tent. 30 amp power is provided to each site, a porta-potty within 250 feet and water from a camp spigot. The campsites are pet friendly, $30 per pet per stay, max 2 pets.
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$50
/ night
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Columbia Cabin
1 site · Lodging5 acres · Buena Vista, Chaffee
This is a unique 5-acre piece of land, surrounded by National Forest and located at the North Cottonwood Trailhead (which access Mount Harvard, Mount Columbia, Brown's Pass, Kroenke Lake, Bear Lake, and Anglemeyer Lake). The river flows directly through the property, so you can fall asleep to the sound of running water. This is an ideal spot to stay for anyone looking to get up for an early morning 14er or fishing hike. Feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, while being at a trailhead and just a 15 minute drive from Buena Vista.
There is an antique fire burning stove to warm the cabin, as well as a propane cooking stove. We supply dishes and cooking utensils.
You will need a code to enter the gate. After that, you can drive 0.1 miles, right up to the cabin. It is a bumpy road to get to the trailhead, where you find the gate. Four wheel drive is encouraged, in the instance of snow or heavy rain. During the winter, you will likely only be able to drive within 1.5-3 miles of the cabin. Snowshoes and cross country skis are perfect to get you there, in the instance that you park a ways away.
There is no electricity, so bring lanterns and headlamps. There is an outhouse just a short walk from the cabin.
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$85
/ night
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(5)
Sweet Retreat
4 sites · Lodging1 acre · Twin Lakes, Lake
This cabin is up to par with meeting the safe at home corona virus standards for cleaning. This great little turn of the century bungalow has it all. This home has recently been renovated to have all the upgraded amenities while still preserving that classic historical feel. Large amounts of trails out your back door. One will have easy access to the home with a keypad code to come and go as they please. If you bring a dog there's a $25 pet fee per dog per day! Lake county license# 2022-21
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$149
/ night
94%
(9)
Riverside Vintage Campers
5 sites · Lodging26 acres · Ohio City, Gunnison
Just 20min from Gunnison, sit two Vintage 16ft Shasta Campers that have recently been renovated and updated. Inside the campers there are full size beds that convert into couches as well as a seating areas in the front for eating or reading. The campers have amenities like running water for hand washing, heat, and small fridges. Ohio City is a mecca for hiking, biking, ORV riding, and fishing making this the perfect jumping off point for all the recreation activities in the area.
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$99
/ night
94%
(62)
Bristlecone Camp Breckenridge
1 site · RV, Tent160 acres · Alma, Park
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from
$50
/ night
94%
(9)
Buckeye's Cozy Romantic Cabins
4 sites · Lodging60 acres · Leadville, Lake
Buckeye's Cabin is located 4 miles outside the Town of Leadville on the upper most reaches of the Arkansas river headwaters on highway 91 as you head towards Freemont Pass. Itis just at the bottom of the pass at the point where Mt. Elbert, Colorado's highest peak and Mt Massive come into view. It is part of an old ranch that sits on a gold mining claim and is an authentic old, comfy, cozy cabin.
Huge picture windows look out onto Mt. Elbert, Colorado's highest peak, and the Beaver Ponds of the very upper headwaters of the mighty Arkansas River. Sit by the woodstove with glass door and be mesmerized by the crackling flame. Turn on the satellite TV with surround sound and lose yourself in time.
The reading room is a quiet place to escape on the feinting bench with a good book.
Romantic bedroom with comfy queen bed. A perfect place to end the day.
Sit back in the comfy antique recliner and watch the flame in the woodstove through the glass door, as the aspen leaf's flicker in the wind outside the picture windows that look out onto Mt. Elbert, Colorado's highest peak. The Beaver ponds across the street, teeming with trout, await your exploration. The sunset colors on the surrounding mountain peaks will amaze you as you sit on the sundrenched deck.
Mining tours, museums, hiking, skiing, 4 wheel drive roads, dog sledding, snowmobiling, train rides, biking, fishing, & ice climbing are some of your options. Of course reading a good book by the fire rates high also.
Leadville, Colorado is an old western Town full of charm, mountains, scenic lakes, rivers, and wildlife. Great restaurants, bars, and café’s await your culinary delight. An old historical mining Town from the late1800’s’ in the midst of Colorado’s highest mountain peaks.
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$245
/ night
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(11)
Badger Creek Ranch
3 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents4000 acres · Cañon City, Fremont
Badger Creek Ranch is a family owned and operated working ranch high above the Arkansas Valley in Central Colorado. We take a holistic approach to ranching and land stewardship; from having good daily practices by living “off the grid,” providing healthy locally sourced food to our guests and healthy, humanely raised meat to our meat customers, and by living in harmony with nature, including our livestock and the wildlife that call the ranch their home.
Our intention is to create a space that provides connection and community. This work is meant to be shared and experienced by all. We welcome you to join us and be a part of Badger Creek Ranch. Whether you want to get your hands in the dirt, take respite and recharge, or find inspiration for your own work, Badger Creek’s gate is open.
Experiences such as our One-Day Working Ranch experience, Walking Tours, and Carriage/Wagon Rides are available for an additional charge. See our website for details.
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$45
/ night
100%
(33)
Weston Pass Hut
1 site · LodgingLeadville, Lake
Weston Pass Hut is located on the first road that was built to bring people into Lake County and originally the road was a toll road. The property was a mining claim and there are still some remnants of mining activity that occurred over a century ago. A group of about six people and many volunteers spent six years building the hut. It is completely off of the grid. The beams used to construct the hut are from locally harvested trees and we milled them ourselves. Many other materials are recycled or obtained with a priority placed on sustainability.
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$500
/ night
98%
(60)
Riverfront Mountain Ranch
10 sites · Lodging5 acres · Buena Vista, Chaffee
Welcome to our geographic phenomenon! Here at the continental divide; we are lucky to have it all for the Outdoor Enthusiast. Our 5 acre Campground sits right along the Arkansas River. There are (2) 1 Min trails that lead you straight to River Access. Not wanting to get that close? No worries; watch the paddlers and rafters float by all summer long. If the Arkansas River is not enough of a playground for you, you will be happy to know that you have an uninterrupted view of Mount Princeton and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Peaks. We are also located 1/2 mile from some of the most famous mountain biking trails the USA offers. Mount Princeton Hot Springs are a beautiful 10.5 mile (15 min) drive away.
Our campground offers a dreamy Bathhouse with 5 glamoured showers and 5 bathrooms. We have (14) Yurt glamping sites and (2) Riverfront studio cabins. All sites have electricity (heaters included), parking, fire pits (unless we are facing a fire ban), and picnic table. In addition, we have a large community bonfire location and there is access to outdoor grilling. We are excited to have you!
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$195
/ night
Within one hour of Buena Vista
Star Hosts in Buena Vista
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Camping near Buena Vista with wildlife watching guide
Looking for an unforgettable camping experience near Buena Vista, Colorado? Hipcamp has over 2600 options for you to choose from, all with a focus on wildlife watching. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or just want to immerse yourself in the great outdoors, there's a campsite that's perfect for you. With options starting as low as $15 per night, camping has never been so affordable. Check out popular campsites like Glen Isle Resort (461 reviews), Rustic Creek Ranch (363 reviews), and Serenity in the Foothills (295 reviews) to see why they're highly recommended. Plus, you'll have access to popular amenities like pets, toilets, and potable water, as well as activities like biking, boating, and whitewater paddling. So pack your bags and get ready for an incredible camping adventure!
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