About Collegiate Peaks
Collegiate Peaks Campground is located 11 miles west of Buena Vista, Colorado, along Middle Cottonwood Creek near the top of Cottonwood Pass. The campground offers well-spaced campsites and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Visitors enjoy fishing and exploring local trails. A commercial hot springs inn and spa is located about 5 miles east of the campground. **"First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there. Someone may get there before you. This is a popular campground and is normally full starting on Friday, sometimes as early as Thursday, so plan accordingly.** Hiking and fishing are among the most popular activities. The Denny Creek Trailhead is less than a mile away and it take hikers through Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area to destinations such as Kroenke Lake and Mt. Yale. The Ptarmigan Lake Trailhead is less than 3…
- Fees: $25 per site for overnight camping. Two vehicles or one RV per site is included in the camping fee. $10.00 for a third vehicle. $10.00 fee…
- Managed by: Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, USFS - Pike-San Isabel National Forests
- Where: 9 mi west of Buena Vista, CO · 38.81306, -106.31528
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jul–Aug (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Oct–May.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Peaks Cg | ATV road | 0.1 mi | 0.6 mi |
| Browns Pass | Horse | 1.0 mi | 3.8 mi |
| Mt. Yale | Hiking | 1.8 mi | 3.2 mi |
| Colorado | Horse | 1.9 mi | 253.1 mi |
| Cottonwood Lake Cg | ATV road | 2.4 mi | 0.6 mi |
| Hartenstein Lake | Horse | 2.5 mi | 0.9 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way shows rich detail, horizon to horizon.
Class 2 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 9.9 mi
Water fill-up: 12 mi
Propane: 9.7 mi