Every Campsite In Rocky Mountain National Park, Ranked

North America's epic Rocky Mountains cover a vast geographic expanse, from New Mexico all the way to the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Along the way, the Rockies contain more than a few amazing parks, but only one has the words "Rocky Mountain" right in its name. Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is the crown jewel of a state already defined by monumental Rocky Mountain scenery. Located a mere hour and a half from Denver International Airport, Rocky Mountain National Park is a surprisingly affordable mountain destination for travelers from around the world. And though the park offers some excellent day trips from Denver, Boulder, and other nearby cities, it also has some of the country's best overnight camping experiences.

In and around Rocky Mountain National Park, you can find everything from luxurious "glamping" options to rugged overnight backpacking excursions. Despite its formidable mountain weather, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of America's best national parks for winter camping. The park contains five specific developed campsites, each with its own reservation system, amenities, and schedules. Given the size of the park and the number of camping options, finding the best camping option can seem overwhelming. To help you out, we have compiled a comprehensive list of all five developed Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds and ranked them according to a combination of amenities, availability, and user reviews. Though each campground has its own charms and scenery, a few key features do show up in many user reviews (both positive and negative). Here are the best campgrounds within Rocky Mountain National Park, their main features, and the essential information you need to know before you spend the night.

The Longs Peak Campground is one of the more rugged and underdeveloped campgrounds within Rocky Mountain National Park. Unlike other park campgrounds, which can accommodate RVs, trailers, and broader amenities, the Longs Peak Campground is suitable only for tent camping. The campsites here also don't have quite the reputation for being too comfortable. The National Park Service itself notes that the "surface around the campsites is uneven with rocks, branches, and other natural features." Plus, with a mere 26 individual campsites, the Longs Peak Campground is one of the smallest in the park. Given this undeveloped and somewhat harsh quality, the Longs Peak Campground receives some of the lowest aggregate reviews on popular travel sites like Tripadvisor. 

While its rough and tumble quality is not for all campers, the Longs Peak Campground's rugged characteristics may be perfect for visitors looking to experience the wild side of Rocky Mountain National Park. One area where the Longs Peak Campground is definitely not deficient is scenery. The campground sits at the highest elevation of any campground in the park, and its name provides a key clue to its central visual feature—the towering heights of the gargantuan Longs Peak. With an elevation of 14,259 feet, Longs Peak is the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, and one of Colorado's prestigious 14er summits. The Longs Peak Campground provides convenient access to top Longs Peak Trails, including the awe-inspiring (and deadly) Longs Peak Keyhole Route. 

Like most Rocky Mountain National Park Campgrounds, the Longs Peak Campground closes for the winter season. In most years, the campground is open from June to September. Sites are available for $35 per night (at the time of writing) on a first-come, first-served basis.

The underrated Timber Creek Campground offers one of the more unique camping experiences in Rocky Mountain National Park. Unlike the park's other campgrounds, Timber Creek is located on the western side of the park, complete with incredible views and experiences that fly a bit under the radar compared to more popular areas in the eastern area. The campground lies along the banks of the Colorado River, within a broad and scenic region known as the Kawuneeche Valley. This gorgeous area features a vast, open valley expanse backed by the one-of-a-kind Never Summer Mountains (a rare example of a volcanic mountain range within the Colorado Rockies). The Timber Creek Campground is also conveniently close to the park's epic Trail Ridge Road, as it passes through the Kawuneeche Valley, providing campers with excellent opportunities for a scenic drive through the unforgettable landscape. 

The Timber Creek Campground contains 98 individual campsites, including both tent-only sites and sites for RVs and trailers (up to 30 feet in length). The campground is usually open between May and August each year, with overnight rates generally starting at $35 for all sites. In addition to its campsites, Timber Creek also includes amenities like shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and even an outdoor amphitheater that's perfect for weddings!

Tripadvisor reviews reveal a deep appreciation for the campground's "isolated and quiet" nature, with more than a few reviewers noting the area's "beautiful views." Sadly, the Timber Creek Campground is set to temporarily close for a sewer rehabilitation project starting in August, 2026. However, the campground is still set to open in May, giving you enough time to experience this spectacular destination first-hand.

The Glacier Basin Campground is a lovely and accommodating camping area conveniently located near the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station on the east end of the park. Though not quite as large as the Moraine Park Campground, Glacier Basin's 150 campsites provide plenty of overnight options for all sorts of travelers, including tent camping, RVs, and trailers. The campground also features potable water, dump stations, shuttle bus stops, and ADA-accessible areas for campers with disabilities. Despite its helpful amenities, Glacier Basin also maintains a well-defined rustic quality that allows visitors to bask in the splendor of the Rocky Mountains without having to plunge too deep into a remote backcountry wilderness. 

Scenery-wise, Glacier Basin gives campers epic views of the Continental Divide as it passes through Rocky Mountain National Park. The campground also provides close access to popular park features like Sprague Lake and Bear Lake Road. Reviewers on Tripadvisor praise the Glacier Basin Campground for its exemplary "views of the surrounding mountains," "spacious campsites," and even its "clean and well-maintained bathrooms." Reviews on TheDyrt.com (another popular camping review app) are similarly positive, noting its "beautiful views" of both nearby peaks and mountain glaciers, as well as its "friendly and informative" staff. Glacier Basin's individual campsites are available on a six-month rolling basis during the summer season, with reservations open between May and late July. During the peak season, overnight rates at Glacier Basin range from $35 for non-electric and standard tent sites to $70 for non-electric group camping sites (though specific rates can vary based on season and location). 

The name Aspen has a pretty good track record in Colorado, and though it's pretty far from the famed ski town that bears the name of the famous tree, Rocky Mountain National Park's Aspenglen Campground maintains that lofty standard in its own quiet way. With 52 campsites and accommodations for tents, trailers, and RVs, Aspenglen is large enough to be comfortable, but small enough to provide a much-needed intimate Rocky Mountain experience. Logistics-wise, the Aspenglen Campground is located along the park's Highway 34, near the Fall River Entrance Station and within walking distance of the Fall River Visitor Center. Despite this modern infrastructure being so close by, Aspenglen also protects a lush canopy of pine trees that provide much-needed natural beauty (and shade) beneath the towering mountain peaks nearby. Next to these vibrant evergreen groves, the campground opens into an extensive open meadow filled with ravishing wildflowers during the warmer months. 

This perfect combination of breathtaking views and intimate comforts has propelled Aspenglen to one of the highest visitor rankings among all Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds. On Tripadvisor, reviewers rave about the campground's remarkable blend of an ideal location near Estes Park and a "peaceful and remote" atmosphere. On TheDyrt, reviewers also draw attention to Aspenglen's "well-maintained sites," "helpful rangers," and abundant "wildlife viewing opportunities." 

Aspenglen Campground reservations are available between late May and late June, with a few campsites available for short-term reservations. The campground's standard non-electric sites, tent-only non-electric sites, and walk-to sites all cost $35 per night, with each site equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and tent pad. During the campground's open season, campers will also have access to flush toilets and potable water. 

With 244 total campsites, the Moraine Park Campground is the largest in Rocky Mountain National Park. If that wasn't enough of an asset, Moraine Park is also the only developed campground in the park that's open during the depths of the winter season. The area's campsites are similarly accommodating, with sites for tents, trailers, pickup campers, and RVs, as well as restrooms, dump stations, and handicapped-accessible areas. Even campers who don't have a car can take advantage of the free shuttles from Moraine Park to destinations like Bear Lake and Estes Park that run during the summer season.

Even though it's the largest and most visitor-friendly campground in the park, Moraine Park is not lacking in exceptional scenery. The broader Moraine Park area is a magnificent glacier-carved valley defined by rich meadows and regal mountain peaks framing the horizon. One of the best natural features of the area (and the one that tends to delight campers the most) is its large population of the park's resident elk, which are often seen within viewing distance of the campground. 

Excellent camper-friendly amenities and incredible scenery have not escaped the notice of past Moraine Park Campground visitors. Writing on Tripadvisor, many reviewers note the campground's "abundant" wildlife, "convenient" location, and "360 degree views of majestic mountains." Moraine Park's campsites are available for the winter season on a first-come, first-served basis from January to May, and are then available for summer reservations between May and late October. Overnight rates range from $55 for electric-hookup sites to $30 for non-electric sites, though exact rates can vary depending on the season.

Making a list of the five best places to camp within Rocky Mountain National Park is easy enough, as there are precisely five developed campgrounds within the park. Yes, some adventurous sorts may prefer to explore the park's remote wilderness regions on a primitive overnight backpacking journey. However, we assumed that the average camper would prefer something with a few more amenities than a backcountry wilderness. As such, we limited our list to the five officially developed campgrounds and left the backcountry areas to those few rugged spirits who gravitate towards them. 

Coming up with a coherent ranking system of the five developed campgrounds was slightly more challenging, as each campground sits within a different region of the park and provides access to different types of scenery and features. All of these features are worth exploring, so we looked at a more objective combination of amenities, availability, and Tripadvisor reviews. 

Though Longs Peak Campground provides breathtaking scenery and access to the park's highest peak, it is also the smallest and least developed of the park's five main campgrounds. We felt that this "rugged" quality is too specialized for most campers, and thus ranked it at the bottom of our list. Moraine Park Campground, by contrast, is the largest and most developed campground in the park, and the only campground that's open during the winter season. With the most amenities and availability, we felt comfortable ranking Moraine Park as the best Rocky Mountain National Park campground. The remaining three campgrounds are fairly evenly matched in terms of size and amenities, so we defaulted to Tripadvisor's algorithm based on a combination of cumulative review score and the number of reviews from past campers.