Longs Peak
Rocky Mountain National Park- Summer only
- 26 tent sites
How does first-come, first-served camping work?
- Arrive midweek if you can, by late morning. In Rocky Mountain National Park, check-out is noon and check-in starts at 1 p.m., so late morning is when sites turn over.
- Find an empty site. At campgrounds that mix the two, make sure it isn’t a reservable site someone has booked for tonight.
- Pay right away. Forest Service and BLM campgrounds usually use a fee envelope or tube, so bring cash or a check. Longs Peak, Moraine Park in winter and the Black Canyon use Scan & Pay in the recreation.gov app.
- Stay the first night. Some campgrounds, such as Alvarado, require a first-come site to be occupied the first night you pay for.
Which national park campgrounds in Colorado are first-come?
Most national park campgrounds in Colorado are reservation-only. These are the exceptions.
Moraine Park, in winter
Rocky Mountain National Park- Oct 19 to mid-May
- Loops A, B, C and E
Medano Pass Primitive Road
Great Sand Dunes National Park- 21 sites
- High-clearance 4WD
North Rim
Black Canyon of the Gunnison- 13 sites
- Scan & Pay required
East Portal
Reached through Black Canyon of the Gunnison- 15 sites
- Upper sites open
Gates of Lodore
Dinosaur National Monument- 19 sites
- No drinking water
Deerlodge Park
Dinosaur National Monument- 7 walk-in tent sites
- No drinking water
Dry Gulch
Curecanti National Recreation Area- All sites first-come
Which national forest campgrounds are first-come?
Many Forest Service campgrounds take no reservations at all. These are marked first-come on their own forest pages.
Meeker Park Overflow
Arapaho-Roosevelt, near Allenspark- 29 sites
Meadow Lake
White River National Forest- 10 sites
Blue Lake
Pike-San Isabel National Forest- Late May to late September
Florida
San Juan National Forest- 20 sites
- May to September
Big Blue
Gunnison National Forest- No fee
- Mid-June to October
Palisade
Rio Grande National Forest- 12 sites
North Crestone Creek
Rio Grande National Forest- 13 sites
- $10 a night
Which BLM campgrounds in Colorado are first-come?
BLM says its campsites are typically first-come. These four in its Gunnison Field Office are first-come in whole or in part.
The Gate
BLM Gunnison Field Office- 8 sites
- $10 a night
Red Bridge
BLM Gunnison Field Office- 7 sites
- $10 a night
Cottonwood Grove
BLM Gunnison Field Office- 6 sites
- Free
Mill Creek
BLM Gunnison Field Office, near Lake City- 9 of 22 sites
- June to September
Which campgrounds mix reservable and first-come sites?
Some campgrounds keep a few sites for walk-ups and put the rest on recreation.gov. You can show up for the first-come sites, or watch the reservable ones for a cancellation.
Thirty Mile
Rio Grande National Forest, near Creede- 28 reservable, 7 first-come
West Fork
San Juan National Forest, near Pagosa Springs- 15 reservable, 13 first-come
Alvarado
San Isabel National Forest, near Westcliffe- Reservable and first-come sites
What if every first-come site is full?
Camp dispersed. Outside developed campgrounds, much national forest and BLM land is open to free dispersed camping, under local rules.
Know the limits. The White River, Arapaho-Roosevelt and Pike forests allow 14 days in any 30, and the White River and Pike require 100 feet from water. The San Juan’s page says 16 days. BLM generally allows 14 days in any 28.
Check fire restrictions first. They change with conditions. Our fire-season guide covers what Stage 1 means at camp.
Want to know when a reservable site opens?
Set a watch on a reservable campground and we’ll email you when a site for your dates opens. You book it yourself on recreation.gov. Setting a watch is free.
How we built this list
Common questions
How does first-come, first-served camping work?
You can't book these sites ahead. You drive in, find an empty site, and pay at the campground, usually with a fee envelope (cash or check) at Forest Service and BLM campgrounds, or with Scan & Pay in the recreation.gov app at national park campgrounds such as Longs Peak and the Black Canyon's North Rim.
Are there first-come campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park?
Yes, two kinds. In summer, Longs Peak Campground is the park's only first-come campground, tents only, typically open early July to early September. In winter, from Oct 19 to mid-May, Moraine Park is the only campground open, and its open sites are first-come.
When is the best time to get a first-come site?
Arrive midweek and in the late morning, when campers are packing up. In Rocky Mountain National Park, check-out is noon and check-in starts at 1 p.m. Some campgrounds, such as Alvarado, also require you to occupy a first-come site the first night you pay for it.
What if every first-come site is full?
Look at dispersed camping on national forest or BLM land, outside developed campgrounds. The White River, Arapaho-Roosevelt and Pike national forests limit you to 14 days in a 30-day period, and the White River and Pike require camping at least 100 feet from water. The San Juan's page says 16 days, and BLM generally allows 14 days in any 28. Check fire restrictions before you build a fire.
Can Campsite Ranger watch a first-come campground?
No. There's nothing to book, so there's nothing to open up. Campsite Ranger watches reservable campgrounds on recreation.gov and emails you when a site for your dates opens. Several campgrounds mix the two, such as Thirty Mile and West Fork, and we watch their reservable sites.