The short answer
Six van-friendly campgrounds within a couple of hours of Boulder, Colorado: St. Vrain State Park (25 min, hookups, year-round), Boyd Lake State Park (1 hr, hookups, showers), Kelly Dahl (40 min, Peak to Peak), Olive Ridge (1 hr, 8,350 ft), Camp Dick & Peaceful Valley (under 1 hr, 8,500 ft), and Pawnee at Brainard Lake (1 hr, 10,350 ft, books months ahead). None require anything exotic under your van.
So the van is yours. Congratulations — genuinely, it is a great feeling and we never get tired of watching it happen in the parking lot.
Now: where do you go?
We get asked this constantly, usually while someone is still loading gear. These are the places we go ourselves, which is a lower bar than “best in Colorado” and a much more useful one. All within a few hours. All reachable without anything exotic under your van.
Where should I camp on my first night?
Somewhere easy, close, and with a power hookup. There is no shame in it — we have all had the ambitious first night and the easy first night, and the easy one is better.
St. Vrain State Park — 25 minutes
The closest option, and low: 4,900 feet, which is below Denver. Full hookups, open year-round, and close enough that if something is not working you are back at the shop before lunch. Prairie wetlands, a surprising number of pelicans, and highway noise that we will be honest about because you would notice anyway.
Boyd Lake State Park — about an hour, near Loveland
Not glamorous. Absolutely reliable. Open year-round with electric sites and showers, out on the flats where it is warmer than anywhere in the mountains. Plug in, crank the heat, figure out where everything lives in your new kitchen, and watch the sun go down over the reservoir.
Shoulder season, when the aspens are doing their thing
Kelly Dahl — 40 minutes, on the Peak to Peak
Right off Highway 119 between Nederland and Rollinsville. Easy in, easy out, ponderosa everywhere, and close enough to town that you can bail to Nederland for coffee in the morning without it feeling like a defeat.
Olive Ridge — an hour, 8,350 ft
Ponderosa and aspen near the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park. Fifty-six sites, gravel roads inside, no hookups, vault toilets. Late September here is the whole reason people move to Colorado.
When Boulder hits 95 and you need out
Camp Dick & Peaceful Valley — under an hour, 8,500–8,650 ft
Two campgrounds a few minutes apart on Middle St. Vrain Creek, in a glacial valley off the Peak to Peak. Camp Dick was a CCC camp in the 1930s and still has that feel. Water spigots, vault toilets, fire rings, no hookups — which is exactly what your electrical system is for.
Fly fishing for rainbow, brown, and cutthroat right there in the creek. Fair warning: OHV traffic uses the valley, so it is not silent on busy weekends.
Pawnee Campground at Brainard Lake — an hour, 10,350 ft
The big one. Spruce-fir at the base of the Continental Divide, Brainard Lake right there, Indian Peaks trailheads out the back. Moose in the willows most mornings.
It is 20 degrees cooler than town and it books out months ahead, so this is a “put it in your calendar in March” situation rather than a “let us go Friday” one. Your campground reservation doubles as your Brainard Lake entry, which saves a step.
Can I camp for free near Boulder?
Yes. On National Forest land you can camp within 300 feet of most Forest Service roads for up to 14 days, at no cost. There is good ground along the Peak to Peak near Rollinsville and out East Portal Road.
Two things to know:
- Pull up the Motor Vehicle Use Map for the road you are on. Not every road is open to dispersed camping, and the MVUM is the authoritative source.
- The Winiger Ridge area near Gross Reservoir is designated-site-only under a Forest Order. Camping outside a posted site there is a federal misdemeanor, not a warning.
Pack list for night one
- Full water tank before you leave.
- Fridge pre-cooled on shore power — pulling a warm fridge down overnight is the fastest way to find the bottom of your battery.
- A headlamp, because you will not yet know where your light switches are in the dark.
- Check current fire restrictions on the Boulder Ranger District before you go. They change seasonally and Stage 1 restrictions are common.
Send us a photo. We mean it.
Picking up a van from us? Everything you need is on the picking up your van page. We are at 1901 Central Avenue, Boulder.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest campground to Boulder for a van?
St. Vrain State Park, about 25 minutes away, with full hookups and year-round access at 4,900 feet. Kelly Dahl is about 40 minutes up the Peak to Peak Highway if you want to be in the trees.
Where can I camp near Boulder to escape summer heat?
Pawnee Campground at Brainard Lake, at 10,350 feet, runs roughly 20 degrees cooler than town. It books out months in advance, so reserve early — and your campground reservation covers Brainard Lake entry.
Is free dispersed camping available near Boulder?
Yes, on most National Forest roads within 300 feet of the road, for up to 14 days. Check the Motor Vehicle Use Map for the specific road first, and note that the Winiger Ridge area near Gross Reservoir is designated-site-only under a Forest Order.
Which campgrounds near Boulder have hookups?
St. Vrain State Park (25 minutes) has full hookups year-round, and Boyd Lake State Park near Loveland (about an hour) has electric sites and showers. The mountain campgrounds — Kelly Dahl, Olive Ridge, Camp Dick, Peaceful Valley, and Pawnee — have no hookups.
Do I need 4x4 to camp near Boulder?
No. All six campgrounds listed here are reachable in a standard two-wheel-drive camper van on maintained roads.