Big Bend Campground
This campground is located on a sagebrush and open conifer forest flat adjacent to the Cache La Poudre River. There are eight sites available, including three walk-in tent sites. Each site contains a tent pad, fire grate and picnic table. All campsites with a tent pad have a bear locker. Primary recreation opportunities in the area include fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. There is a bighorn sheep viewing station along the entrance road to the campground.
More like this: first-come in Colorado · tent only in Colorado
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | Check our campground table for fee information. Fees are discounted 25% when water is off. Senior Passes and Access Passes provide cardholders half price for basic campground fees. |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG |
| Fees | Check our campground table for fee information. Fees are discounted 25% when water is off. Senior Passes and Access Passes provide cardholders half price for basic campground fees. |
| Rules | A single site may hold up to eight people. Tents must fit on the pads provided. RVs, trailers or other vehicles must fit on the parking spur because driving or parking off road is not permitted. The parking length ranges from 35 to 45 feet. Call the local ranger district office for site-specific measurements. |
Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG recreation page ↗
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 40.7104° N, 105.7266° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSalt Cabin Broadcast Rx
11 mi from the campground
- PrescribedMountain Campus Du Rx
14 mi from the campground
- PrescribedBoswell Machine Piles Rx
29 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Kirks Mountain Adventures ↗ | 25.5 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 27.2 mi |
| RV sales & service | Manhattan RV & Trailer ↗ | 40.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Big Bend National Park Camping. Cottonwood Campground.
Worth a stop
- 7 miBellaire Lake Picnic Site ↗Day use
- 7.1 mi
- 7.3 miFreewater Bridge Fishing Site ↗Fishing site
- 9.8 miIndian Meadows Fishing Site ↗Fishing site
- 11.1 mi
- 11.5 miJacks Gulch Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 0.5 miRoaring Creek ↗5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.5 miZimmerman ↗8.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 3.6 miNorth Lone Pine ↗4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.8 miKillpecker4.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 3.8 miSwamp Creek3.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 4.5 miBrowns Lake ↗5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Comanche Peak Wilderness begins about 3.4 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 3.4 miComanche Peak Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 68,025 acres
- 6.1 miRawah Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 74,408 acres
- 12 miNeota Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 9,927 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Arrowhead LodgeHistoric district · Bellvue · 4.7 mi
- Redfeather Ranger StationHistoric district · Red Feather Lakes · 10 mi
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Big Bend Campground?
No. Big Bend Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Big Bend Campground?
Check our campground table for fee information. Fees are discounted 25% when water is off. Senior Passes and Access Passes provide cardholders half price for basic campground fees.
Source: Forest Service
Is Big Bend Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Big Bend Campground?
Big Bend Campground is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Big Bend Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Sleeping Elephant Campground (3.1 mi, first-come), Big South Campground (6.8 mi, first-come), and Bellaire Lake Campground (7.1 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby