96% (590)
Top-rated campgrounds
96% (590)
Top-rated campgrounds
Public campgrounds near Thornton
Stories from the community
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Howie
October 2025
Tent
With kids
Our second annual father/son camping trip was a huge success. We had the whole property to ourselves. Each year our favorite part is exploring the boulders at the top of the property. The dozen or so turkeys that wandered through the property was the icing on the cake!
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Nate
October 2025
4 nights at Laughing Valley Retreat
We had an awesome time at the Laughing Valley Ranch! Bill showed us around and we loved looking at the animals, he’s a very knowledgeable and kind man. The campsite was an a gorgeous outlook that made for fantastic views. We are birders, so loved all of the cool birds around. Joe also made our stay super easy and comfortable! He gave us rides to the site, made sure we had wood and water, and showed us some cool spots around the land. Big shoutout to Joe! Overall we really enjoyed our time here, great place to get away and take in the mountain view’s for a couple of days, while not being super far from Denver and the cute town of Idaho Springs. Recommend this spot for any hiking, camping, or overall nature lovers.
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jodie
October 2025
19 ft pop-up camper
Love this place!!! Close to town but you feel like you are deep in the mountains!
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Seth
October 2025
Weekend Trip to Creekside Paradise
Shawn did a great job making sure we were fully prepared for our time at the Yurt. Falling asleep to the sounds of the creek couldn’t be beat. A great way to spend our nights after fall hiking in the area.
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Aubrey
October 2025
Tent
With pets
EXACTLY what we were looking for. So peaceful, quiet, and absolutely beautiful and clean. Weather was a little iffy while we were there. We were at campsite #4 - highly recommend. You can’t see any other campsites, there’s a trail with some beautiful scenery at the end, and you have soooo much space for all of your stuff! Read the instructions on how to get there three times over. It’s a little confusing, and the terrain is rough so I would make sure to bring some type of 4 wheel drive. We took my husbands truck, but my sedan wouldn’t have made it.
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Sarah
October 2025
With kids
We had a fantastic stay at Laughing Valley a few weeks ago. The tent, campsite and amenities were impressive, making our experience comfortable and enjoyable. What truly stood out was our engagement with Joe, who took us on a tour and showed us all the cool ranch animals — his enthusiasm and kindness made the visit memorable. When a storm was approaching, Joe went above and beyond to ensure our tent was securely latched and that we felt safe and comfortable. Overall, we felt genuinely taken care of and already look forward to returning for another trip. Highly recommend!
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Anna
October 2025
With kids
William was great with my son showing him all the animals! Thank you!! The tent was well stocked and cozy. We had a great evening under the stars at this little slice of Heaven.
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Drew
September 2025
Weekend Trip to Creekside Paradise
My partner and I had a wonderful time during our two night stay. The ger is magical. Lots of space inside. The indoor wood-stove was so nice to use when it got a little chilly at night.
We loved how much respect Shawn has for the ger and the land. This is a really beautiful spot.
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Carissa
September 2025
With kids
The views from the spot were fantastic, and I was really impressed with how attentive and proactive the host was - from texting and driving us up to being there again when we left. It’s rare to have a host physically present both on arrival and departure, and it made the stay feel extra cared for. The tent is in good repair and tall enough to stand in comfortably and we appreciated many of the extras like woodstove and drinking water. My daughter especially loved seeing the animals and getting to take a donkey ride, which was a highlight of the trip.
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Carolyn
September 2025
Group trip
Great location, cute asses, comfy yurt, possible Sasquatch sighting.
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Jerrod
September 2025
With kids
We loved our stay in Idaho Springs!! The mountain views were just breathtaking! And Bill was super welcoming, friendly, and very accommodating. (Worth the trip just to get to know this very cool human being.) He was so kind with our boys, and we got a great tour of all his animals and of course, burro rides! Also Joe helped us quickly pack up and get up to our safari tent before a big rain storm came through. He worked very hard to make sure we didn’t get soaked, which was greatly appreciated! All in all, it was a very unique and gorgeous place to stay and we felt very well taken care of. Our boys loved it and had a ton of fun building forts, exploring little caves, and hiking the land. (Speaking of forts, if you see a big hole with tons of sticks over it, that was our boys’ handy work. We’ll see how long it lasts! 🙃)
Things to note: It’s a little bit of an intimidating dirt road up the mountain to get to the property, but even without four wheel drive, we were able to make it just fine. Also it’s quite a hike up the mountain to the actual safari tent, but we were able to load our stuff and ourselves onto the ATV, and Bill came and picked us up whenever we needed a ride down, which again was super accommodating.
All in all, we loved it and would go again! It’s exactly the kind of place we are looking for when HipCamping - unique and welcoming!
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Amanda
September 2025
Tent
With pets
Such an easy drive from the Boulder area, yet felt like I was really getting away. The property was private with space to wander, including a interesting rock outcrop area. The sites are nicely spaced out and each had a nice fire ring and picnic table. My pup enjoyed it as much as I did!
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Teresa
September 2025
16 ft car
We love camping here, it was beautiful and the directions were clear.
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Katie
September 2025
With kids
My kiddo (8yo) and I loved our stay and will definitely return. The campsite feels remote but safe with the BEST 360 views. We could have just sat on the porch all weekend staring at the mountains and had a swell time.
When we arrived, Bill gave us a quick tour of his ranch and had so many interesting things to share about his life and animals. What a neat guy. Joe picked us up on our way out and was very nice to talk to. Good folks and a great space all around.
The tent and cots were cozy and we made good use of the wood burning stove on cold evenings (we got set up with plenty of firewood thankfully). The camp area has solar-powered lights that illuminate the area, so spending time outside in the evening was so pretty.
Definitely check out the hike to the abandoned mine and be sure to thoroughly wander the campsite for interesting features. The only thing we would do differently is to bring disinfecting wipes to wipe down the kitchen and remember our aluminum foil to cook on the grate over the fire pit.
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jodie
September 2025
19 ft pop-up camper
We just LOVE this place! Easy to get to from Highlands Ranch, but you feel like you’re in the middle of the mountains! The road to get there does require some good tires, but definitely doable with an off-road RV. I love the fact that this place donates all of the proceeds! The rock outcroppings are beautiful and fun to go sit on and look at the beautiful views.
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Nina
September 2025
With kids
What a hidden gem! We stayed here with our three kids (9, 5, and 2) and had an unforgettable experience. The burro rides were a huge hit, and although we only met him briefly, Bill was incredibly welcoming and kind. Joe drove us up to the site and we had some wonderful conversations along the way.
The campsite itself was perfect—secluded enough that even just off I-70, we felt a world away from Denver. The views were stunning, and the clear night skies made for incredible stargazing. Our kids had a blast running around, and the tent was far more stocked than we expected, which made our stay so easy and comfortable.
We would absolutely love to come back. My only regret is booking just one night—it went by way too fast, and we wish we’d stayed longer!
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Melissa
September 2025
20 ft pop-up camper
With pets
We were seeking a spot for a family camping trip over Labor Day weekend. This campground checked off every box on our list. The campsite was easy to find and close to home. We loved the trees and large rocks – gave us something fun to explore. The site was quiet… there were other campers at the campground, yet they didn’t impact our experience. There’s a flock of wild turkeys that roamed the campground… this was highly entertaining to our dogs! I would recommend the site to anyone looking for a camping retreat that doesn’t involve I-70 or 285 traffic.
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Holly
August 2025
Tent
With kids
Campsite 5 has gorgeous views. Plenty of room for 8 people. Quiet.
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Caitlin
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Great spot, nice trail to walk around with kids. the picnic table was clean and newer, quiet camp site with no close neighbors
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Abbey
August 2025
Tent
Such a beautiful site, felt so far away from it all but not a far journey from the Denver area. Would book again
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