Fishing

Windy Waters at Alcova

18 RV Sites

At 21500 Kortes Road alongside the red-hued sandstone bluffs of Alcova Reservoir in Alcova, Wyoming—in Natrona County in the high Wyoming desert where the North Platte River's impoundment behind Alcova Dam created the 2,470-acre reservoir with 117 miles of shoreline that Wyoming's fishing, boating, and windsurfing community built one of the state's most active freshwater recreation cultures around, in the specific empty-sky, red-rock landscape that defines Wyoming's geographic character at an elevation and aridity that no other state quite replicates—Windy Waters at Alcova provides full hookup RV sites on oversized lots with three boat ramps, bathhouses, laundry, WiFi, and two park model rentals in the year-round configuration that serves everything from one-night fishing camp stays to annual seasonal RV residents who spend the Wyoming summer at Alcova's waterfront. The three boat ramps, the oversized lots with boat trailer capacity, and the reservoir's direct adjacency define what Windy Waters is for. Oversized lots—formerly mobile home lot dimensions, providing space substantially larger than standard RV campground sites—accommodate a large motorhome or fifth wheel alongside the truck that towed it and a boat trailer without requiring any three to compete for the same footprint. Full hookup connections with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer serve the full range of RV electrical requirements. Three boat ramps on the property provide the most direct private reservoir launch access available at any Alcova campground, eliminating the state park boat ramp wait and the parking logistics that the Alcova State Recreation Area's high-traffic summer launch imposes. Bathhouses with toilet and shower facilities, washer and dryer laundry, a general store, and WiFi complete the daily infrastructure. Two fully furnished park model rentals serve guests without RVs or those transitioning between camping setups. Daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual site rental options reflect the range of guest relationships the property serves. Alcova Reservoir's 117 miles of sandstone and red shale shoreline provide the geological context that makes the lake visually distinctive from the conventional Great Plains reservoir. The reservoir's warm-water fish population—walleye, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and perch in the varied thermal layers—along with the wind conditions that the Wyoming high desert reliably generates make Alcova a dual-use water recreation site for both the fishing and the sailing and windsurfing community that the reservoir's specific fetch and prevailing southwest winds make ideal. The walleye fishery is among the most productive in Wyoming, and the spring walleye run draws the state's dedicated walleye fishing community to Alcova from across the region. Pathfinder Reservoir—adjacent to Alcova via the Fremont Canyon corridor—provides the second major reservoir fishing opportunity in the same North Platte River system, with brown trout in the freestone reaches below Pathfinder Dam and the cold tailwater fishery that the Miracle Mile section of the North Platte—one of the most celebrated dry-fly trout stretches in the Rocky Mountain West—extends downstream. Casper, 32 miles northeast, provides the commercial services and the historic Wyoming character that the state's oil-and-ranching culture built into the state's second-largest city. Windy Waters at Alcova is open year-round on the daily-through-annual rate schedule. Summer from June through August represents the peak reservoir recreation season for boating, fishing, and the swimming beaches that Wyoming's high desert sun warms to comfortable temperatures by late June. Ice fishing on Alcova Reservoir in December through February provides the cold-season recreation that Wyoming's long winters make viable for the dedicated ice fishing guest. Book the oversized lot, launch the boat at the private ramp, and let the red-rock reservoir earn the Wyoming high-country lake reputation that 117 miles of sandstone shoreline supports from every approach.

from $50/night

Lakeview Haven

28 RV Sites

In the high plains of Platte County, Wyoming, along the shore of Glendo Reservoir on the North Platte River, Lakeview Haven provides a well-maintained, genuinely hospitable base camp for the kind of Wyoming outdoor experience that most coastal travelers have only seen in photographs. Glendo is a small, unpretentious ranching and reservoir town in the eastern foothills of the Laramie Range, and Lakeview Haven reflects that character—a clean, friendly campground with solid infrastructure, designed for people who come to Wyoming to fish, boat, and be outside rather than to collect resort amenities. The reservoir is the draw, and the campground delivers on access to it. Twenty-eight premium RV sites with full hookups and comfortable cabin rentals constitute the accommodation options, and the layout is specifically engineered with multiple entry and exit roads to accommodate rigs of every size from compact campers to the longest Class A motorhomes and fifth-wheel configurations. Well-maintained bathrooms and private shower facilities, a playground, laundry, and free WiFi handle the practical requirements of extended stays, and the pet-friendly policy welcomes the dogs that often accompany Wyoming-bound travelers with outdoor itineraries. The campground's team is consistently noted for the kind of attentive, genuine hospitality that reflects genuine pride in what they're offering rather than scripted welcome-center service. Glendo Reservoir, adjacent to the campground in Glendo State Park, is a 12,500-acre body of water on the North Platte River that provides outstanding fishing for walleye, bass, catfish, crappie, and yellow perch—a diversity of target species that keeps anglers busy regardless of season and preference. The reservoir's consistent wind exposure makes it a sailing and windsurfing destination of regional note, and powerboating, water skiing, and swimming are available from state park facilities within easy reach. The surrounding high-plains landscape—rolling grassland, ponderosa pine breaks, and the distant silhouette of the Laramie Range to the west—gives the setting a wide-open Wyoming character that is deeply distinctive and immediately appealing to travelers from more densely populated regions. Fort Laramie National Historic Site, one of the most significant forts in the history of the American West—the gateway through which the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails all passed—is located 30 miles southeast of Glendo and provides one of Wyoming's most substantive historical experiences. The town of Guernsey, with its spectacular Oregon Trail ruts carved five feet into solid rock by generations of westward-bound wagons, and the Guernsey State Park are an easy day trip that puts the westward migration in visceral, unforgettable physical context. Interstate 25 keeps the broader eastern Wyoming corridor accessible for travelers with itineraries extending toward Casper, Cheyenne, or the Black Hills. Lakeview Haven operates through the Wyoming outdoor recreation season, with summer representing the peak demand period for boating and fishing on Glendo Reservoir. The state park's facilities and the reservoir's reputation among walleye anglers in particular create strong summer occupancy, and reservations are recommended for July and August weekends. Spring and fall offer the fishing-focused visitor a quieter, less crowded reservoir experience with equivalent fish populations and the added attraction of the high-plains landscape in seasonal transition. Book your site, rig up the fishing poles, and let Glendo Reservoir deliver the Wyoming outdoor experience this part of the state has been building for generations.

Jellystone Park™ Estes

62 RV Sites, 30 Cabins, 9 Tent Sites, 4 Cottages, 2 Lodges

Jellystone Park Estes in Estes Park, Colorado, offers 62 full-hookup RV sites, 36 cabin, cottage, and lodge units, and nine tent sites at the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 55 feet. Premium and small full-hookup categories join pull-through sites, with a pool, mini-golf, jumping pillow, and arcade. Sixty-two sites span full hookup, full hookup premium, full hookup small, full hookup small premium, and full hookup pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 55 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. The small-site categories right-size for compact rigs and vans rather than making them pay for space they cannot use. Thirty-six cabins, cottages, and lodges and nine tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Check-in is 1pm for campsites and 3pm for cabins, with checkout at 11am. An outdoor pool anchors the property, with mini-golf, a jumping pillow, arcade, game room, gaga ball, basketball, sports courts, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, a playground, pavilion, and dog park filling the grounds. Fishing and picnicking run on site. Estes Park is one of the most sought-after mountain resort communities in the West, and the elevation keeps summers comfortable. Summer is the short, intense season at Rocky Mountain. Reserve well ahead for June through September.

from $39/night

North Shore RV Park & General Store

8 RV Sites, 2 Cabins

North Shore RV and Store in Loveland, Colorado, provides a strategically located campground along US Highway 34 in the northern Front Range foothills, positioning guests at the eastern threshold of the Big Thompson River Canyon and within comfortable range of both the recreational lakes of Larimer County and the dramatic mountain terrain of Rocky Mountain National Park to the west. Serving as a practical gateway property for travelers transitioning between the Front Range urban corridor and the Rocky Mountain high country, the park combines solid utility infrastructure with an on-site general store that covers essential supply needs. Full hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer connections accommodate a range of RV sizes along the Highway 34 corridor, and the on-site general store functions as a one-stop resource for fuel, groceries, camping supplies, and the local information that first-time visitors to the canyon country need before heading into mountain terrain. The store's presence distinguishes North Shore from parks that require guests to drive to Loveland or Estes Park for resupply, a meaningful convenience for travelers arriving late or departing early in the mountain time window before weather changes. The northern Colorado Front Range landscape surrounding Loveland is defined by the dramatic transition from the flat Great Plains to the east and the suddenly vertical granite and gneiss peaks of the Colorado Front Range to the west—a transition that happens with a geological abruptness unusual even among mountain fronts. The Big Thompson River carves a steep, forested canyon through the hogbacks west of Loveland, following a drainage that has supported recreation, ranching, and water supply infrastructure for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District for over a century. Boyd Lake and Carter Lake, two state parks within Loveland's immediate vicinity, provide warm-water fishing, boating, and camping that supplement the colder mountain recreation available farther west. Rocky Mountain National Park, accessible via the Fall River Road entrance at Estes Park approximately 30 miles west of Loveland via Highway 34, protects over 415 square miles of alpine tundra, glacial valleys, and high-elevation peaks that include Longs Peak, the northernmost fourteener in Colorado. The park's wildlife—elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, and black bear—are regularly visible from roadside pullouts and popular trail corridors, and the Trail Ridge Road crossing provides the most accessible high-alpine drive in the Rocky Mountain National Park system when it opens in late spring. Fort Collins, home to Colorado State University and a thriving brewery and dining district, lies approximately 15 miles north of Loveland along US-287. North Shore RV and Store operates year-round, with summer representing the peak season when Rocky Mountain National Park visitation reaches maximum intensity and timed entry permits are required for the most popular park zones. Spring and fall offer genuine appeal for guests who want mountain access without summer crowds, and the park's proximity to Boyd Lake State Park extends the camping season with warm-water recreation options on either end of the high-country window. Advance reservations for summer weekends are recommended, and guests heading into the park should check timed entry permit availability well before departure.

from $30/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

Bearded Buffalo Resort

Two miles from the entrance to Custer State Park in Custer, South Dakota—in the heart of the Black Hills where the granite dome geology, the open-range bison herd of nearly 1,400 animals in Custer State Park, and the concentrated national monument and cave heritage that positions Custer County as the most historically significant single county in South Dakota—Bearded Buffalo Resort provides 35 full hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service, four spacious cabin rentals with full kitchens and private bathrooms, a general store, a turf play area with lawn games, and the Black Hills access that Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, and the 1880 Train make available within a radius that no South Dakota campground can match more completely than the Custer area concentration. The two-mile Custer State Park proximity and the four-cabin full-kitchen configuration define the resort's appeal for the family group that wants both the Black Hills outdoor access and the enclosed accommodation comfort. Thirty-five full hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer in daily and seasonal configurations serve the RV camping market. Four cabin rentals—each with air conditioning, WiFi, a full kitchen, private bathroom, in-unit washer and dryer, two-vehicle parking, and provided linens and towels—provide the complete domestic setup for families or groups who want the Black Hills base camp in an enclosed space that the South Dakota weather system makes reliably practical from the Dakotas' spring to fall. A general store stocked with supplies and gifts serves the daily practical needs. A turf play area with lawn games provides the outdoor recreation for the youngest visitors. Dog park, pickleball courts, and a fire pit planned as additions will expand the recreation and social gathering options. The pet-friendly policy accommodates the canine travelers. Custer State Park's 71,000 acres contain the most ecologically diverse wildlife habitat in South Dakota's Black Hills managed for public recreation: the nearly 1,400-animal bison herd that roams the park's open-range interior grasslands in the largest publicly owned bison herd in the United States, the Prairie Dog Town that its anthropomorphic inhabitants populate in the specific social complexity that prairie dog colonies maintain in concentrated surface display, and the Needles Highway and Wildlife Loop Road scenic drives that produce the granite spire and wildlife encounter experience within a single state park that most national parks spread across hundreds of miles. Mount Rushmore National Memorial—30 minutes north—provides the presidential sculptural monument that Gutzon Borglum's 14-year carving project produced from 1927 to 1941, with the evening lighting ceremony from Memorial Day through Labor Day that illuminates the 60-foot faces in the context of an outdoor patriotic program. The Crazy Horse Memorial—continuing in construction since 1948 under the Ziolkowski family's direction as the world's largest mountain carving in progress—provides the specific counterpoint to Rushmore's presidential theme in the Lakota warrior's Korczak Ziolkowski-designed monument to Indigenous heritage. Jewel Cave National Monument's 212 miles of mapped passages make it the world's third-longest known cave system, with guided tours of its boxwork calcite crystal formations providing the most geologically specific cave tour in the Black Hills. Bearded Buffalo Resort is open seasonally through the Black Hills' camping calendar. Summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day fills the Custer area to capacity. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August draws 700,000-plus riders to the Black Hills region annually—the single largest campground demand event in South Dakota. Reserve the cabin or hookup site well in advance for summer season, plan the Wildlife Loop Road bison drive at dawn, and let Custer County's two-mile park proximity earn the Black Hills concentration that South Dakota's most monument-dense corner genuinely delivers.

River Camp RV Park

16 RV Sites

Nestled on a sweeping bend of the White River where the Flat Tops Wilderness begins to shadow the valley floor, River Camp RV Park has been a Colorado outdoor traveler's quiet secret since 2006. The 13-acre property in Meeker, a small ranching and hunting town in Rio Blanco County, sits directly on one of Colorado's most productive trout streams—a stretch of water where resident hosts James and Amy, lifelong Coloradans, know every productive riffle by name. Twenty full-hookup sites spread across a manicured lawn beneath mature cottonwoods, offering the kind of genuine Western setting that no resort landscaping budget can manufacture. Every site accommodates rigs up to 44 feet in length with full hookups including water, sewer, and 30/50-amp electrical service, along with a picnic table and fire pit. The well-maintained gravel pads ensure level parking for Class A, B, and C motorhomes alike, and excellent Wi-Fi connects the grounds for remote workers and travelers coordinating mountain itineraries. A dry camping area and dump station serve self-contained rigs, and the spacious 13-acre grounds offer enough buffer between sites for genuine peace and quiet. Abundant wildlife adds to the pastoral atmosphere—wild turkey and mule deer wander through camp on a near-daily basis. The White River is the park's defining asset, a freestone stream renowned among fly anglers for its brown and rainbow trout populations and the clarity of water draining from the Flat Tops plateau above. Fishing access begins at the park boundary, and James and Amy readily direct guests to the productive pools and runs that stretch for miles in both directions. The adjacent White River National Forest and the Flat Tops Wilderness—one of Colorado's largest designated wilderness areas at more than 235,000 acres—provide hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife watching on trails accessible within minutes of camp. Meeker itself offers a charming, unhurried downtown with local restaurants, a general store, and the White River Museum, which chronicles the region's Ute history and the legacy of the 1879 Meeker Massacre that shaped early Colorado. Trappers Lake, reached by a scenic 50-mile drive into the Flat Tops, is revered as the birthplace of the American wilderness preservation movement and serves as a trailhead for some of the most remote high-altitude hiking in western Colorado. The Wagon Wheel OHV trail network familiar to the hosts opens hundreds of miles of dirt track for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts throughout the summer and fall seasons. Fishing and hiking peak from late May through October, with the White River's best dry-fly conditions typically arriving in July and August when hatches are most consistent. Elk hunting season in the fall transforms Meeker into one of Colorado's premier base camps for big-game hunters pursuing the White River National Forest's productive herds. Reservations fill quickly for summer weekends and the fall hunting window—contact James and Amy directly to ensure a spot alongside one of Colorado's finest trout rivers.

from $50/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