Hiking

Meadows of San Juan Resort

In the wide-open ranching landscape of the Uncompahgre Valley in western Colorado, Meadows of San Juan Resort in Montrose offers a full-service destination that serves as a natural gateway to some of the most spectacular canyon and mountain scenery in the American West. With 120 RV sites and a diverse range of lodging options including lodges, premium cabins, and rustic cabins, the resort scales comfortably from weekend getaways to month-long snowbird stays. Montrose itself occupies a strategic position in western Colorado—a working city surrounded by dramatic public lands that most travelers rush past without stopping to explore. The resort's Country Barn Guest Center anchors the communal experience, housing billiards, cornhole, ping pong, board games, and a new pickleball court. A seasonal indoor/outdoor pool keeps guests cool through Colorado's warm summer afternoons, and a bark park, horseshoes, and shuffleboard round out the outdoor recreation options. A fitness center, game room, general store, laundry, and full shower facilities handle daily practicalities, and the gathering hall and scheduled summer activities foster the social community that makes longer stays at a well-run resort genuinely enjoyable. The resort accommodates 50-amp service and features a dump station for self-contained travelers. Montrose sits at 5,800 feet in the Uncompahgre Valley, where the plateau and canyon country of the Colorado Plateau meets the western flanks of the San Juan Mountains to the south and east. The Uncompahgre River drains northward through the valley in a corridor of cottonwood and willow that softens the high-desert landscape and provides excellent habitat for birding and fishing. The valley's agricultural heritage—peach orchards, livestock operations, and hay meadows—gives the surrounding landscape an unhurried, ranching character that provides a welcome contrast to the dramatic canyon scenery that begins just outside of town. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, roughly 15 miles east of Montrose, presents one of the most dramatic and least-visited canyon experiences in the national park system—sheer dark walls dropping 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River in a chasm so narrow that some sections receive only 33 minutes of sunlight per day. Ouray, 35 miles south on the Million Dollar Highway, is Colorado's "Switzerland of America"—a hot-spring town encircled by 13,000-foot peaks and accessible via one of the most scenic drives in the state. The Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water, provides fishing and boating within easy range, and Telluride's ski resort and mountain town are under 80 miles southwest. Spring and summer are prime exploration seasons from Meadows of San Juan, with wildflowers carpeting the mountain meadows and long days allowing extended exploration of the park and canyon country. Fall color in the San Juans arrives brilliantly in late September and early October, and the resort's central position gives easy access to multiple color destinations within a single day. Winter visitors find a quieter resort at reduced rates, with cross-country skiing in the San Juans and the perpetually dramatic scenery of Black Canyon available year-round. Reserve your site or cabin at Meadows of San Juan Resort and experience western Colorado's astonishing landscape from the comfort of a full-service base camp.

Mesa Campground

Three miles west of Gunnison on US Highway 50, Mesa Campground sits at the gateway to one of Colorado's most compelling outdoor corridors, with the Gunnison River within walking distance and Blue Mesa Reservoir—Colorado's largest body of water—just minutes down the road. The campground offers full hookup sites for rigs of all sizes, cabin rentals, and proximity to both Curecanti National Recreation Area and the broader Gunnison Valley that makes this part of Colorado a legitimate four-season destination. The combination of river access, a national recreation area next door, and proximity to Crested Butte and Black Canyon makes Gunnison a natural hub for serious outdoor travelers. The campground's sites range from open and shaded options with 30 and 50-amp service to luxury pull-through configurations suited to the largest motorhomes. Free shared WiFi covers the property, and pet-friendly restrooms and showers reflect a campground culture that treats traveling pets as genuine guests. A well-maintained laundromat, communal fire pits, a small playground, and an on-site clubhouse, recreation center, and general store keep the operation self-sufficient for guests who prefer to limit trips to town. Propane service and boat storage accommodate guests who arrive between outings on Blue Mesa or the river. Cabins are available for those seeking a more contained stay. The Gunnison River is the natural focal point of the campground's immediate setting, and walking access to its banks provides easy trout fishing—the river holds brown and rainbow trout in quality numbers through the season—and the particular calm of a high-country river corridor available at whatever time of day fits your schedule. Blue Mesa Reservoir, three miles from the campground, is Colorado's largest body of water and one of the best Kokanee salmon fisheries in the West. Curecanti National Recreation Area surrounds the reservoir system and offers boating, paddling, and scenic canyon geology. Crested Butte, one of Colorado's most beloved mountain towns and a world-class ski and mountain biking destination, is 28 miles north of Gunnison on Highway 135. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park—a dramatically narrow canyon carved by the river itself—is accessible to the west for a day trip that ranks consistently among the most visually striking geological experiences in the Rocky Mountain region. The Gunnison area also anchors an off-road vehicle network extending into the surrounding mountains, and mountain biking trails out of Gunnison and Crested Butte are among Colorado's best. Mesa Campground operates year-round and provides a genuinely useful base for campers who want to explore the Gunnison Valley's remarkable concentration of outdoor opportunity. Summer is the peak season for water recreation on Blue Mesa and trails at Crested Butte, while fall brings extraordinary aspen color across the valley. Winter brings ski access at Crested Butte for guests willing to make the short drive over Kebler Pass. Book your site early for summer weekends and fall aspen season, and use the Gunnison Valley as the base camp it deserves to be.

Grandview Cabins & RV Resort

81 RV Sites, 12 Cabins, 2 Tent Sites

Grandview Cabins and RV Resort in South Fork, Colorado, offers 81 full-hookup RV sites, 12 cabins, and two tent sites in the San Juans, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Back-in and pull-through categories at both amperages join a hot tub, recreation center, walking trails, and dog park. Eighty-one sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 50-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 50-amp categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with picnic tables. Four straightforward categories — pick your amp service and whether you want to back in. Twelve cabins, two tent sites, and trailer rentals round out the lodging. A laundry, propane fills, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Rates cover two guests: additional RV guests are $3 per night, additional cabin guests $6, children under five are free, and active military get 10% off. A hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a recreation center, community fire pit, walking trails, and dog park filling the grounds. Hiking, biking, boating, and fishing run nearby, with offroading close by. Pets are welcome. South Fork sits at the confluence of the South Fork and the Rio Grande in the San Juan Mountains, where the river's Gold Medal trout water, the Wolf Creek Pass corridor, and some of the deepest snowpack in Colorado meet. Creede, the Great Sand Dunes, and Wolf Creek Ski Area are all within reach. Summer is peak in the Colorado high country, with fall color and ski season extending demand. Reserve well ahead for June through September.

from $45/night

Aspen Ridge RV Park

35 RV Sites

Aspen Ridge RV Park in South Fork, Colorado, offers 35 full-hookup RV sites at the confluence of the South Fork and Rio Grande Rivers, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 55 feet. Back-in, pull-through, and deluxe patio back-in categories sit at 8,200 feet in the upper Rio Grande valley. Thirty-five sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp across back-in, pull-through, and deluxe patio back-in configurations, sized to 55 feet, with picnic tables. Trailer rentals serve guests without a rig. Laundry, restrooms, showers, and a pavilion handle the practical side, with a community fire pit for evenings. Pets are welcome. On-site facilities are practical rather than programmed — this is a base for the surrounding mountains, and the valley does the work. Fishing runs from the rivers, with basketball on the grounds and a national park within reach. South Fork sits between Mineral and Rio Grande Counties at the gateway to the Rio Grande National Forest, the Weminuche Wilderness, and the Silver Thread Scenic Byway's mountain driving corridor — one of the least-visited and most naturally spectacular sections of the southern Colorado Rockies. The town's year-round resident community and resort economy sustain the full practical service infrastructure that serious mountain recreation requires, and the park's central valley position gives the best access to the fishing, hiking, skiing, and scenic driving in the drainage. The elevation shapes the season sharply. Summer fishing and hiking drive the peak, with fall color in the aspens a second draw and winter bringing ski traffic. Reserve ahead for July, August, and late September.

from $55/night

Chinook Cabins & RV Park

17 RV Sites

Chinook Cabins and RV Park in South Fork, Colorado, offers 17 full-hookup back-in RV sites in the upper Rio Grande valley, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. A single 30/50-amp back-in category means every guest gets the same spec, with cabins, a pavilion, community fire pit, laundry, and showers. Seventeen back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. One consistent category and no guesswork about what you booked; note the 40-foot cap before bringing a larger coach. Cabins round out the lodging. A laundry, showers, firewood, and a pavilion handle the practical side. A community fire pit, basketball, and horseshoes fill the grounds, with skiing, snowboarding, offroading, a golf course, mountains, a lake, and a river all nearby. The dark San Juan sky makes for exceptional stargazing. Pets are welcome. The property has operated since 1908, which makes it one of the oldest continuously running camping and lodging businesses in the southern Rockies — 117 years of the same job in the same valley is worth noting. South Fork sits where the South Fork River meets the Rio Grande in the San Juan Mountains, with Wolf Creek Pass and its enormous snowpack just west, the Rio Grande's Gold Medal trout water running through, Creede's mining history north, and the Great Sand Dunes within reach east. Summer is peak in the Colorado high country, with fall color and Wolf Creek's ski season extending demand. Reserve well ahead for June through September.

from $42/night

Silver Thread Basecamp

48 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 5 Tent Sites, 3 Wagons

Silver Thread Basecamp in South Fork, CO, offers 48 full-hookup RV sites, 1 cabin, 5 tent sites, and 3 wagons, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 65 feet. Sites are labeled by service and orientation: full-hookup back-ins at 30-amp and 30/50-amp, full-hookup pull-throughs at 30-amp and 30/50-amp, and riverfront full-hookup 30/50-amp sites. All carry water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. The riverfront sites are the ones worth requesting. The grounds are gated and rated big rig friendly, with laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, propane fills, and a dump station. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. A hot tub and sauna, a beach, a playground, and lake and river frontage fill the property, with fishing, swimming, hiking, biking, birding, and planned activities. South Fork sits on the Rio Grande at the southern foot of the San Juan Mountains, where the Silver Thread Scenic Byway begins its climb through mining ghost towns, alpine meadows, and high lakes toward Lake City. Rates for sites, the cabin, wagons, and tent spots are on the booking page. Riverfront sites and the wagons book earliest.

from $29/night

Cedar Creek RV Park

Cedar Creek RV Park in Montrose, Colorado, offers full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric alongside cabins and glamping accommodations on a creekside property in the Uncompahgre Valley. Back-in and pull-through sites, on-site dining, a dog park, and walking trails make this a comfortable base in the gateway city to Colorado's western slope. Full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and electric in back-in and pull-through configurations, with site WiFi throughout. Cabins and glamping units serve guests who want a furnished alternative without giving up the creekside setting. A general store, propane fills and exchange, laundry, restrooms, showers, and a dump station handle the practical side, and on-site dining covers meals. The property is built for guests who spend days out and want comfort on return. A playground, dog park, pavilion, and walking trails run the grounds along the creek, with planned activities through the season. The surrounding country supports mountain biking, hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, boating, and birding, with skiing and wine tasting nearby. Pets are welcome. Montrose is the most practical basecamp in western Colorado. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park lies east, the Grand Mesa's lake plateau north, and the San Juan Mountains south via the Million Dollar Highway toward Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride. The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area is also close. Seasons shape the visit sharply here. Winter runs cold and snowy with highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s, good for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the Black Canyon and generally quiet at the park. Spring through fall carries the bulk of demand — reserve ahead for summer and fall color.

from $34/night

Outdoorsy Bayfield

54 RV Sites, 16 Glamping Sites

Outdoorsy Bayfield in Bayfield, CO, offers 55 full-hookup RV sites and 17 glamping sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 64 feet. Sites come in four categories — standard back-in, superior back-in, premium back-in, and premium pull-thru — all carrying water, sewer, and electric. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a library, bike rentals, and a community fire pit cover the essentials, with luxury tents alongside the RV sites. Reservations are made online and the booking guest must be at least 18. Pets are welcome. A pond, river frontage, walking trails, and corn hole fill 36 riverside acres, with fishing, hiking, and biking from the property, and boating and a national park nearby. Bayfield sits fourteen miles east of Durango on the Pine River in the eastern foothills of the San Juan Mountains, in the high country of La Plata County. Rates for sites and glamping tents are on the booking page. Summer in the San Juans books early — premium pull-thrus go first.

from $44 $38/night

Durango RV Resort

96 RV Sites, 27 Cabins, 11 Tent Sites, 1 House

Durango RV Resort in Colorado offers 96 RV sites, 28 cabin and house units, and 11 tent sites five miles from downtown, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, EV charging, and rigs accepted to 85 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Elite and premium pull-through categories join partial-hookup back-in and pull-through tiers, with a pool, hot tub, and mini-golf. Ninety-six sites span standard back-in, standard pull-thru, premium pull-thru, elite back-in, elite pull-thru, partial hookup back-in, and partial hookup pull-thru categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 85 feet, with fire pits and BBQ pits. Read the category carefully — the partial hookup tiers do not carry the full set, and they price accordingly. Eighty-five feet accommodates the longest coaches with a tow. EV charging on site is still uncommon at RV resorts. Twenty-eight cabins and houses and 11 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, and recycling handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with mini-golf, a clubhouse, billiards, pickleball, a playground, pavilion, and dog park filling the rest. Fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, and skiing are all close. Mesa Verde, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Purgatory, and the San Juans are within reach. Summer and fall color drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

HTR Durango Campground

52 RV Sites, 9 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites, 3 Cottages, 2 Lodges

HTR Durango Campground in Colorado offers 51 RV sites, 14 cabin, cottage, and lodge units, and 10 tent sites on the western approach to Durango, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Canyonside and creekside categories at both amperages join pull-in and water-and-electric tiers, with a pool, on-site dining, and live music. Fifty-one sites span back-in water-and-electric, canyonside back-in 30-amp, canyonside back-in 50-amp, canyonside pull-in 30-amp, and creekside back-in 30-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with picnic tables, sized to 45 feet. Naming categories canyonside and creekside tells you exactly what you are booking; confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric option does not carry sewer at the site. Fourteen cabins, cottages, and lodges and 10 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane exchange, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Office hours run 10am to 6pm, and the dry camping season runs May 1-14 and October 10-31 — worth checking if you are traveling in the shoulders. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a pond and creek supporting fishing, and basketball, a playground, pavilion, dog park, and on-site dining filling the grounds. Hiking, biking, swimming, live music, and strong birding round it out. Canyon walls of Douglas fir and ponderosa surround the property, with downtown Durango and the San Juans close. Summer and fall color drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $39/night

The Last Resort on the River

28 RV Sites, 2 Cabins, 5 Tent Sites

The Last Resort on the River in Pagosa Springs, CO, offers 28 full-hookup RV sites, 2 cabins, and 5 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 37 feet. Sites come in three categories — back-in, pull-thru, and riverside — all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. The riverside sites are the ones to request. Check the 37-foot maximum against your rig before booking. The resort is open all year, with laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, propane fills, a pavilion, and a community fire pit. Pets are welcome, with a dog park and a pet washing station. Blanco River frontage runs the property, with a pond, sport courts, volleyball, horseshoes, a playground, and fishing and picnicking on the water. The resort sits on Highway 84 between Pagosa Springs and Chama, New Mexico, in the San Juan foothills. Pagosa Hot Springs is about 11 miles out, Treasure Falls 15, Chimney Rock National Monument 20, and Wolf Creek Ski Lodge 24, with a state park nearby. Rates for sites, cabins, and tent spots are on the booking page. Riverside sites book earliest.

from $35/night

River Village RV Park

11 RV Sites

River Village RV Park in Paonia, Colorado, offers 11 full-hookup RV sites — all pull-through — with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 80 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Individual fire pits, a general store stocked with propane, firewood, RV supplies, and classic toys, and site WiFi serve travelers in the North Fork Valley. Guests must be 14 years or older. Eleven pull-through sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30-amp and 30/50-amp service, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Every site pulls through, so there is no backing after a mountain drive and no unhitching for an overnight. A general store handles propane fills and exchange, firewood, and RV supplies, and WiFi reaches the sites. On-site facilities stay simple — walking trails and picnicking areas, with the valley doing the work. Off-roading is nearby, and the mountains rise close on every side. Pets are welcome. Paonia sits on Colorado Highway 133 in Delta County's North Fork Valley, where the West Elk Mountains' volcanic summits meet the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The organic farming and winemaking community here has made this Colorado's most distinctive agricultural wine country, and the area draws food writers, cyclists, and travelers on the Aspen-to-Grand Junction scenic route. Paonia's wineries, the West Elk Wilderness, and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison are all within reach. Directions: driving from Grand Junction, Montrose, or Delta, the marquee is on the right; from Denver, Glenwood Springs, or Aspen, it is on the left. Summer and fall harvest season drive demand. With 11 sites, reserve well ahead.