I'm an outdoors guy in CO. Hike, mountain bike, snowshoe, ski....something everyday. But, I haven't camped much. I want to do something different this year and do some solo bike trips and camp, so I'm looking for some tips. I'm not too worried about equipment. All I'm planning is my 2 man tent, sleeping bag, pad, lantern, my REI chair, and a little soft cooler. I'm not going to cook. All I want to do is stop, kick back and read a little with a couple of cocktails, maybe visit with my neighbors, sack out, and hit the road in the morning. Simple.

My main question is how to find good, tent friendly campgrounds, preferably with bathroom. Any good directories? Reservations, or wing it? Any things in particular to look for? General advice?

Thanks guys!

 

What I usually do is go on google maps in the general area I want to be. Type campgrounds into the search field and they will pop up in surrounding area. Click on them open the website read the site and reviews if they have any.

 

Me too. I look for smaller state and county campgrounds, many times they are nicer and less crowded that the more popular national parks. Campgrounds on BLM land are usually cheap, but might have only pit toilets.


KOA's usually have tent spaces, though they are aimed more at the motorhome crowd. We sometimes alternate, staying in a cheap, BLM campground with few facilities for a night or two, then a KOA, which will have good showers, laundry facilities and often a pool.


We only make reservations for weekends, it's usually easy to get a campsite midweek, but popular places can fill up early on weekends.

 

Not wanting to puss out, but looking at the KOA websites, they look pretty nice. It might be a good way to get my feet wet. Not exactly wilderness though. LOL Mix and match sounds like a good strategy. Do a KOA every 2-3 nights for a nice hot shower and a few more amenities.

 

Free AllStays Camp & RV app for your smartphone. Lets you see whats in your area at a glance.

 

Get this app on your phone:

http://www.allstays.com/apps/camprv.htm

I use it a lot and it's great for camping on the fly. Just open the app and look for a campsite nearby. Also, in remote areas I sometimes just pull off the road set up camp and then leave in the morning.

 

What really jerks me off is the prices they charge for tent camping. I see a lot of places that are charging something in this range, RV's are $25-30 with 30 or 50 amp electrical, water and sewer a night, and then they're asking $15-20 for tent camping.

 

i only see $5 and $10 versions

 

I'm interested in this stuff as well. I live near Ft. Collins and if you take 14 up to Walden it's a great ride. There's tent camping in a few spots and I believe it's free during the week. Most sites have little bathrooms which are good enough. I'm not sure if you could camp on the side of the road or not. I see guys sleeping in vans all the time so...... One of the rules up there is no fires within 1/4 mile of the road. You're basically riding through the national forest so if you can get to it you can camp. If I was in a remote location and it looked good I wouldn't hesitate to pull off the road and set up shop.

 

I totally agree. Why in the hell would I buy an RV when I can get a hotel room for $80 a night. You have to pay insurance, maintenance and outrageous fuel costs with an RV... The tent camping is even worse. My tax dollars are paying for federal/state lands and then I have to pay another fee to pitch a tent on one...give me a break.