Bird/Wildlife Watching

Scottsbluff YMCA Trails West Camp

12 Cabins, 7 Tent Sites

Scottsbluff YMCA Trails West Camp overlooks the North Platte River beneath the bluffs of Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska, offering 12 cabins and seven tent sites with an outdoor pool and a pavilion. Managed by the regional YMCA, the camp serves organized group retreats and individual travelers alike. Twelve cabins provide accommodations with modern comforts, and seven tent sites cover simpler camping. This is a camp rather than an RV park — there are no RV hookups here, and guests should plan accordingly. An events facility handles group functions, which is a substantial part of what the property does. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool anchors the recreation, with gaga ball on the grounds and swimming and birding along the river. The creek and river frontage and the pavilion give groups room to spread out, and the setting does the rest. The landscape carries genuine historical weight. Scotts Bluff National Monument's commanding profile rises directly above the camp, marking the gateway through which hundreds of thousands of Oregon, California, and Mormon Trail pioneers passed in the mid-nineteenth century on their way west. The camp sits on the river's north bank directly beneath it — few properties put guests this close to a landmark of that significance. The camp serves the western Nebraska season, with summer group programming and family stays driving demand. Group retreat dates book well in advance and can fill the property, so check availability early if you are planning around specific dates.

from $27/night

Cheyenne RV Resort

42 RV Sites, 6 Cabins, 17 Tent Sites

Cheyenne RV Resort in Cheyenne, WY, offers 42 full-hookup pull-thru RV sites, 6 cabins, and 17 tent sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 85 feet. Sites come in two categories, standard and premium pull-thrus, both carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi and a picnic table, and ADA-accessible sites are available. Every site is a pull-thru and the maximum length is 85 feet — a long coach with a toad pulls straight through. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, a snack bar, firewood, propane fills and exchange, a dump station, a clubhouse, and a pet washing station cover the rest. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. An outdoor pool, mini-golf, a pavilion, a playground, a pond, walking trails, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes fill the grounds, with hiking, biking, swimming, birding, and High Plains stargazing. A state park is nearby. Cheyenne is the state capital at the junction of I-25 and I-80, where the High Plains meet the Laramie Range — and the home of Cheyenne Frontier Days each July. Rates for sites, cabins, and tent spots are on the booking page. Frontier Days week books out a year ahead.

from $34/night

Hidden Lake Campground and Resort

18 RV Sites, 8 Cabins

Hidden Lake Campground and Resort in Hot Springs, South Dakota, offers 18 RV sites and eight cabins on a private lake in the Black Hills' southern tier, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 75 feet. Boat, kayak, and bike rentals sit on a property offering a more intimate alternative to the Hills' larger commercial campgrounds. Eighteen sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 75 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Eight cabins serve guests without a rig. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side. The private lake anchors the experience. Boat rentals, kayak rentals, and paddle boats put guests on the water, with fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding from the shoreline. Bike rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, horseshoes, corn hole, a playground, and planned activities fill the rest, with strong stargazing and birding across the property. Pets are welcome. Hot Springs sits in Fall River County where the Black Hills give way to the high plains. Wind Cave National Park preserves the transition zone's grassland and underground cave ecology just north, with a state park nearby and the full Black Hills circuit within reach — but far enough from the core tourism corridor that the campground stays quiet. Summer is peak across the Black Hills, and the August Sturgis rally tightens availability regionally. With 18 sites and a private lake, reserve well ahead for July and August.

from $38/night

Badlands Hotel and Campground

26 RV Sites, 26 Tent Sites, 21 Hotel Rooms

Badlands Hotel and Campground in Interior, South Dakota, offers 24 RV sites, 21 hotel rooms, and 26 tent sites one mile from Badlands National Park's south entrance, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 100 feet. Full-hookup, water-and-electric, and no-hookup categories serve every budget in one of the country's most isolated park settings. Twenty-four sites span 30-amp back-in, 30-amp water-and-electric back-in, 50-amp water-and-electric back-in, no-hookup back-in, and pull-through categories, sized to 100 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. The no-hookup option suits self-contained rigs at a lower rate. Twenty-one hotel rooms, a two-bedroom apartment, and 26 tent sites round out an unusually broad lodging range. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and on-site dining handle the practical side. Campfires are permitted, subject to any posted restrictions. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with walking trails, picnicking, hiking, boating, and birding from the area. Pets are welcome. The one-mile distance from the park's south entrance is the whole proposition. Badlands National Park protects one of the most visually striking geological landscapes in North America and one of the largest intact mixed-grass prairie ecosystems left on the Great Plains. This is genuinely remote country — the nearest significant commercial infrastructure is an hour away, which makes a property with hotel rooms, a store, and a restaurant unusually valuable. Summer is peak. Reserve well ahead.

from $24/night

Jellystone Park™ Larkspur

374 RV Sites, 111 Cabins

Jellystone Park at Larkspur in Colorado offers 415 full-hookup RV sites and 111 cabins across 100 wooded acres between Denver and Colorado Springs, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 50 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. A water park, splash pad, and full Jellystone program run year-round behind a gated entrance. Four hundred fifteen sites span full hookup back-in, premium full hookup, elite full hookup back-in, elite plus full hookup, and elite buddy categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Buddy sites suit parties traveling together. Accessible sites are available. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, personal mailboxes, and recycling handle the practical side. Recreation is extensive. A water park, splash pad, and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a hot tub, sauna, fitness center, mini-golf, arcade, and craft room besides. Tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, and a jumping pillow fill the courts, with gem mining, boating, a beach, dog park, playground, community fire pit, and golf cart rentals across the acreage. On-site dining, live music, and planned activities run through the season, and the resort operates as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. Larkspur sits in Douglas County pine and scrub oak country, 40 miles from Denver and 35 from Colorado Springs. Summer is peak on the Front Range. Reserve well ahead.

from $44/night

Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon

Tucked into the mountain scenery of Gilpin County just forty-five minutes from Denver and thirty minutes from Golden, Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon puts guests at the gateway to one of Colorado's most beloved natural playgrounds without requiring a deep-mountain commitment to reach it. Located in Black Hawk on Highway 46, the campground sits adjacent to Golden Gate Canyon State Park—12,000 acres of Front Range backcountry with 35 miles of hiking and biking trails—and just down the road from the gambling establishments of Black Hawk and Central City, creating a range of options unusual for a mountain campground of its size. Thirty-one full hookup sites accommodate big rigs with many pull-through configurations, and the mountain surroundings give even a standard RV pad a sense of the high country. Glamping cabins offer a fully outfitted alternative, each with a full-size bed and twin bunks, electric, heater, and linens provided. A well-stocked convenience store and a community fire pit serve practical and social needs, and a pavilion provides a covered gathering space for groups. Modern restrooms with heated floors and laundry facilities round out the amenity profile. Propane fills are available on-site, and the pet-friendly policy with walking trails ensures four-legged travelers are genuinely welcome. The Colorado mountains surrounding Base Camp deliver the visual drama that defines a Front Range campground at elevation. Colorful aspen groves ring the property and put on a spectacular autumn show from mid-September through early October, when golden color draws leaf-peepers from Denver and beyond. Mountain meadows, wildflower patches in early summer, and long views from the higher portions of the property give the campground a natural backdrop that changes character through the seasons. Wildlife is a regular presence—mule deer, red foxes, and an assortment of mountain birds move through on their daily rounds. Golden Gate Canyon State Park is the primary outdoor destination for guests, with trails ranging from easy meadow walks to challenging ridge hikes with views stretching to the Continental Divide. Fishing in Ralston Creek and the park's Kriley Pond is accessible within the park boundary. Black Hawk and Central City—historic mining towns that became Colorado's first legal gambling communities—are minutes away with casinos, restaurants, and entertainment options that provide a lively counterpoint to the outdoor programming. The Peak to Peak Scenic Byway passes directly through the area and connects to Rocky Mountain National Park to the north for a spectacular full-day drive. Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon operates seasonally and draws a strong mix of Denver metro residents looking for a quick mountain getaway and out-of-state visitors using it as a Front Range staging ground for broader Colorado exploration. Fall weekends during peak aspen color sell out quickly, and summer reservations should be made well in advance. The combination of Denver accessibility, a stellar state park next door, and a casino town minutes away makes Base Camp genuinely versatile across different types of campers and travelers. Book early for fall color weekends—this one fills up fast.

from $41/night