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    Sweetwater River Ranch

    3.9 (14 reviews)
    Open • 8:00 am - 8:30 pm

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    Fishing was fun!

    My fiancé and I had a wonderful time camping here over Labor Day weekend. The tent sites are first come first serve and we got in a little late so we had to camp across the river. Definitely takes some work to get camp set up over the bridge but definitely worth it for the privacy! We brought our dog and she had a wonderful time. Gavin was an amazing host and even sells firewood for a reasonable price. Bathrooms are average for camping sites. Overall we had a phenomenal experience with an unbeatable price tag!

    View from bridge
    Sarah M.

    We loved this place! We brought our son and his friend to camp Colorado without much of a plan. Sweet water River Ranch was a gem. Gavin was extremely helpful and a great host and was even able to accommodate us for an extra night... we loved this place so much! Bathhouse was clean and convenient and we slept amazing with the sound of the river flowing right through our sight. It was Amazing! The tent site was a dream. We stayed across the bridge right on the river. We can't wait to come back!

    Julie M.

    Kind of don't want to tell a single soul about this place because I want to keep it all to myself. What a magical gem Sweetwater River Ranch is!! My husband and I eloped in Cañon City less than a month ago and we stayed at Sweetwater River Ranch. There is not one single complaint I could say! We hope to come back every year! Thank you for a beautiful, quiet, magical place to begin our life together!

    My wonderful campsite...riverside.
    Jeremy C.

    Stayed 3 days and 2 nights and loved every minute. It was only a short beautiful drive from Colorado Springs and worth every mile. We had a tent site on the opposite side of the river from the rest of the park. The walk across the wire foot bridge was exciting. The even provided a cart to get your gear across. Camp site was nice and big with a fire pit and picnic table. The bathrooms were super clean and had plenty of hot water. The price was reasonable, about $50 for two nights. I usually camp at state parks and this place made me reconsider. I think the biggest compliment I can give is that I'll go back because I never go to the same place twice. The best part of the whole adventure though was the owners, Dave & Joan Nowlan. They were both very nice, helpful, and welcoming. I also really loved their sweet dog, Ursa. She came over and hung out with my family and German Shepherd, Kenzo.

    Our most scenic campsite during Colorado trip!
    Kimson L.

    Just nestle on long grassy bank we found this gem during recent camping trip. Our G1 site is absolutely gorgeous with the Arkansas river flows right next to it. Gentle sound of water rushes downstream, cricket singing, frog croaking, trout splashing... occasionally interrupted by cars passing at distance, sing a long lullaby for our restful sleep. Well, we both have our earplugs on to diminish the HWY50 somewhat! Combo restroom and hot shower are among the cleanest we have seen. We love the no quarters hot shower and the peaceful setting to wake up to. Will definitely come back for more.

    pioneer cabin
    Chris G.

    Amazing!!!! what a place. Had one of the best short vacations ever. Highly recommend stopping out at this little gem. All the staff were very nice and go above and beyond.Cant wait to go back!!!

    View facing east from 'the bridge'

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    Ask the Community - Sweetwater River Ranch

    Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Information Sign  10-06-2025

    Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

    4.7(243 reviews)
    46.2 mi

    We stopped at Great Sand Dunes National Park during a scenic drive to Durango and were impressed by…read moreits unique landscape. The massive dunes set against the surrounding mountain range create spectacular views unlike anything else in Colorado. The visitor center was well maintained, with clean restrooms, an informative museum, and had a short film highlighting the dune ecosystem. There is also a large gift shop, though prices were on the higher side. While I would not consider it a destination on its own, it is absolutely worth a stop if you're traveling through this part of the state. Note: No vehicles of any type are allowed on the dunes.

    Great Sand Dunes National Park is otherworldly and honestly one of the most unique landscapes to be…read moreexperiences in North America. It's a bit of a smaller park in terms of trails and not going to be like RMNP so make sure you know what you're getting into. We planned our trip for May when the creek is usually flowing and the dunes are optimal for sledding. Unfortunately for us we hit a patch of bad weather and it was drizzling our whole day spent here. Additionally the park is experiencing a dry spell and the creek that is usually flowing in May was still dry. C'est la vie! We still had a blast climbing the dunes, letting the kids play in the sand, and taking in the views. To be honest the views are the best part - it's incredible to see these dunes and learn more about the history of the landscape in this region of Colorado. We didn't get to sled as the conditions were not ideal for it but we plan on someday returning and doing the full experience. If you're on the fence about coming here it's well worth a visit!

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    Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
    Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Ranger vehicle

    Ranger vehicle

    Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

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    Eleven Mile State Park

    Eleven Mile State Park

    4.1(16 reviews)
    37.7 mi

    Great views, weird neighbors, and bring quarters!…read more We stayed on the non-marina side because someone said the fishing was better over there. Spoiler: it wasn't. Pretty sure the fish took a vacation. Or maybe they just hate us. Getting to the other side of the reservoir felt like a side quest in an off-brand video game -- bumpy roads, no idea how far we were actually going, but somehow it took forever. Definitely earned our snacks that day. We were off-grid RVing and used solar -- plenty of sunshine (yay Colorado!), and the panels worked great. Bathrooms were drop toilets (two in our loop), surprisingly clean for what they are -- rustic but not revolting. We drove to the shower house and THANK GOODNESS we had cash because it was $1 for 4 minutes, and you bet we were in there with a full stack of quarters like it was 1995 at the arcade. Clean showers. Flush toilets. Glorious. Some quirks: - Our fire ring looked like it hosted a frat party the night before. Lots of ash, trash, and mystery items. - Patrol truck drove by once at 8:30pm and then vanished into the night like a park ranger ninja. - Two entire families camped in the parking lot overnight. With kids. Just chilling. Not in sites. Just... existing there. We're heading back soon but staying on the marina side, because we enjoy actual campsites and the illusion of order. ‍ Overall: beautiful location, lots of sun, potential for fish (maybe), and absolutely bring quarters if you enjoy hygiene.

    Unbelievable scenery and for a whopping 10 dollar day pass, you can't beat it. We drove the entire…read moreway stopping several times to take in the beauty. Lots of places to pull over and have a picnic, stretch your legs and just relax. The road needs to be graded, lots of washboards that will just about shake you out of your vehicle, which is why I only gave 4 stars. Well worth the visit and will do it again!!

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    Eleven Mile State Park
    Eleven Mile State Park
    Eleven Mile State Park

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    Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort

    Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort

    4.2(57 reviews)
    38.5 mi

    You aren't going to find a more accommodating or relaxing RV park. This park went above and beyond…read morein ensuring our stay was comfortable. We are full-time RVers and love finding a great RV park. Anytime we go by Colorado Springs- this will be our place to stay! We also loved their trails and beautiful mountain views! They are working on expanding the trails- we can't wait to explore them our next trip back!

    We stayed in this lovely RV park from July 22-November 1st. The park is nestled in the mountains…read moreand is very scenic. The sites are large and allow for privacy and the use of canopies and other outside gear. Close to numerous Colorado attractions including Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, The Royal Gorge, etc. laundry and restrooms clean. Lots of wildlife and places in the RV park to walk. Couple of issues -road noise M-F from 7:00-4:00 as large trucks haul gravel from the quarry to town. The 2 lane road runs on the whole side of the resort. AND, we reached out to the advertised Colorado RV services to get some work done on our RV. They came by 2 times to meet with us but never gave us an estimate or touched base to schedule the work. We followed up numerous times. Our initial conversation was 7 weeks prior to our scheduled departure. This left a very bad taste in our mouths. Very bad customer service and follow up. We traveled in a 36 foot, class A.

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    Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort - Scenic drive Cripple Creek

    Scenic drive Cripple Creek

    Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort - Beautiful views at the Mountaindale RV park

    Beautiful views at the Mountaindale RV park

    Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort - Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak

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    Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak

    Sweetwater River Ranch - rvparks - Updated October 2026

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