95% (256)
Top-rated campgrounds
95% (256)
Top-rated campgrounds
Public campgrounds near Vail
Stories from the community
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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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Alex
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Ample space to pitch a large tent. The large lean to with chairs and table was great for dinner on a cool evening. We had to pack up and get moving but this would be a fun place to stay for a couple days in the area. Gerry was kind and helpful.
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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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Chris
October 2025
Tent
Don was super responsive and helpful! Nice spot that has a beautiful mountain view when you wake up!
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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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Jason
September 2025
With pets
I had a nice stay with my dog at the end of September. The view is as nice as everyone says. The site is big with an outdoor fire pit, but i didn't use. You are at 11k feet and will feel it hiking and chopping wood for kindling. That was fun with a heavy axe. The portable toilet is interesting. still not sure how I feel about it. Temps were down to 35 night but was fine inside with the wood stove. The road up is pretty rough, but I made it fine in a Tesla 3. Just go slow.
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Tim
September 2025
3 nights at Meadow Hot Springs Glamping Cabin
Loved the set up of this well built cabin. Wood stove was a nice feature and kept it nice and toasty inside even with freezing temps.
Seclusive and convenient to hiking Mount Bross and even Mounts Lincoln, Cameron and Democrat. Saw a moose and several deer in the open area in front of the cabin which was a highlight.
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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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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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Laura
September 2025
16 ft car
We booked Don's place last minute and he was a lifesaver. Super nice and relaxed. Would recommend!
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Kevin
September 2025
Tent
After driving to many of the local BLM camps and not feeling comfortable with leaving our camp to fish the local rivers, we found Gerry’s oasis. She was an amazing host, has a beautiful property and the experience was very tranquil. Highly recommended.
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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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TJ
August 2025
With kids
Incredible views! We loved getting to see the stars from the skylights. The cabin was nice and cozy with the fire going. It was well stocked with the essentials. The host had great communication and there were very detailed instructions for everything.
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Jennifer
August 2025
With kids
Laughing Valley Ranch was everything I was searching for. My husband and I loved backpacking pre kids. We've taken them car camping and have found that we were really missing the solitude and immersion into nature that usually requires very little comforts and lots of hiking. I picked William's ranch as it looked like it could be a mix of serenity and convenience. It absolutely fit the bill. We quickly fell in love. The trail leading up is fittingly entitled, "Stairway to Heaven." As the site came into view I knew that's exactly what this is, a slice of heaven. Words can't do it justice. It was simply bliss. Thank you to Bill and Joe for your outstanding hospitality, flexibility and conversation. It's lovely to meet good humans and the animals were phenomenal! The kids are already talking about the next time we'll come!
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Esteban
August 2025
3 nights at Laughing Valley Retreat
Staying at Williams property was definitely a unique experience. The campsite is located up the hill from Williams house, it was secluded and had an excellent view. You will not be able to take your vehicle to the campsite so make sure you plan accordingly. William shared a hiking trail that led to an old mining structure, it was nice to be able to hike around the area without having to leave the property. We had a chance to visit with William and see his stable area, he was very knowledgeable about the land and his animals.
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Evelyn
August 2025
2 nights at Meadow Hot Springs Glamping Cabin
Loved staying at the a-frame. Clear directions to locate it and to stay and didn’t encounter anyone else during our two day stay. Saw lots of different animals and enjoyed star gazing from the bed.
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Jeff
August 2025
With pets
Absolutely stunning location. The cabin is great and fitting of the host’s description. Bed was quite comfortable. Grill is solid and will enable you to cook most anything—works perfectly as an oven. The cabin is small but well designed. There are some tight corners with low ceiling clearance (like the sink area) making it a bit tough for tall people. Couple more things to note that may be helpful. there are functional USB ports but the typical outlets did not work for us. Don’t expect to plug anything in. Solar panels provide the electricity— it’s probably by design that the outlets are deactivated reserving power for other things. Solar panels also provide the heat for the “hot springs.” The system was working—warm water was entering the pool, but not at a sufficient rate to heat the cold (and beautifully clear) spring water. There is evidence that they are still working on it. I’m hopeful that one day they’ll be able to deliver on the “hot” part. We still took exhilarating dips a couple of times. Take the altitude seriously, If you’re coming from sea level, you may feel sick for your entire stay. We live at 5600 feet and still spent a full day adjusting. It’s a special place—We had a wonderful time. William was very helpful.
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Sam
August 2025
With kids
campsite is beautiful and has just about everything you need. also really fun to meet Bill’s animals!
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