I'll be flying to Denver July 9-14. My wife will be in a conference on July 10-11. I'd like to take my son car camping in the mountains then. Are there places near Denver (+/- 100 miles) where you can camp pretty much anywhere? I've seen such places near Ouray. Would an inmate in Denver be willing to lend me a small tent for 2 and/or air mattress then?
Heilsa, I am about 30 min N of Denver proper and would be willing to loan you a small 2 person tent and a few pads, but they will be old school closed cell foam pads. For camping anywhere near the Denver area, you could hit the Buffalo creek area SW of Denver or hit the Poudre area near Fort Collins NW of Denver. PM me if you are interested. Asatrur/Devin
There are a lot of places to camp. It is nice to have an idea of where you are going so you don't spend all your time looking. There are some nice spots up above the town of Eldora. I am not certain if the snow has cleared yet. Here are a few places. Most of these are more forest service campgrounds where as Buckingham is just a few sites. It is right on the creek and very beautiful. May be cool at night. http://thenationalforests.com/the-national-forests/national-forest-camping-rules.html Buckingham (a.k.a. Fourth of July) Campground Six miles west of Eldora on dirt road. RVs not recommended. Rustic. Wilderness access. 7 'official' sites. Free on first come basis. Cold Spring Campground Gilpin County north of Black Hawk on Highway 119.sOpen late May through early September. 27 sites. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Columbine Campground Gilpin County three miles west of Central City. Open late May through early September. 47 sites. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Golden Gate Canyon State Park Gilpin County north of Black Hawk. Two camping areas: Reverend's Ridge and Aspen Meadows (tents only). 168 total sites. Drinking water, showers, hook-ups, Visitors Center. Hiking trails, biking, fishing, horseback riding. Colorado State Parks fee. Reservations recommended. (303) 582-3707 or on the web. Kelly-Dahl Campground Three miles south of Nederland off Highway 119. Drinking water, trailer sites. Open late May through early September. 46 sites. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Dory Hill Campground / Central City/Black Hawk One half mile off Highway 119 north of Black Hawk. Open all year. Full service camping, tents, and cabins. Reservations and information at 303-582-9979. Pawnee Campground West of Ward on a good paved road 5 miles at Brainard Lake. Drinking water. Trailer sites. This is a very popular campground and reservations are highly recommended. Wilderness access. Open late May through early September. 55 sites. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Peaceful Valley & Camp Dick About 18 miles north of Nederland on Highway 72. One half mile on good dirt road to Peaceful Valley and one mile beyond to Camp Dick. Drinking water, trailer sites. Wilderness access. Open late May through early September. 49 total sites. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Pickle Gulch Group Campground Gilpin County on Highway 118 north of Black Hawk. Open late May through early September. Group camping only, available by reservation only. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777 Rainbow Lakes Campground Six miles north of Nederland off Highway 72, then left on turnoff for University of Colorado Mountain Research Station. Six miles to campground over a poorly maintained, bumpy road. Rustic. Wilderness access. Open late May through early September. 18 sites. USFS fee. Go to http://www.recreation.gov or call1-877-444-6777
Get an REI membership and rent everything you need from the Denver store. Free camping: http://freecampsites.net/#!(37.922244617601734, -105.1171875) It can snow anytime in the higher elevations and you do not want to be on the high trails when the afternoon lightning arrives. http://weather.about.com/gi/o.htm?z...bts=27&zu=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg.php
Or go to Walmart and buy a $30 tent and a $10 mattress. Would probably be easier than borrowing one and getting it back in the time you have for the trip.
I also have a co-worker/friend that lives in Black Forest which is 90 minutes from Denver. I can probably borrow stuff from him. Does anyone know what is in that area?
Camping at North Catamount or Rampart reservoir would be easy to get to and scenic. There's a small overnight charge, but not enough to stress about. Personally, I'd prefer to pay a few bucks for some level of security as well as bathroom facilities. As others have mentioned, a stop at Walmart will be easy and cheap enough for camping supplies.
as previously stated join REI rent all your stuff there in Denver I would drive an HR Noth and camp here at Vedauwoo, between Cheyenne & Laramie Wyo http://www.wyomingtourism.org/placestostay/detail/Vedauwoo-Campground-and-Recreation-Area/4590 then you can say you took your kid to Co and Wyo on vacation plus you can visit Ames monument ...highest point on original transcontential RR and buy some fire works in Wyo just don't bring your recreation pot across the state line
There's no public land where you can camp in the area immediately around Black Forest. But it's a reasonably short and easy drive into the National forest from there. You could drive to Monument, and up mount Herman Road into the Rampart Range. (all kinds of campgrounds and undeveloped campsites. heavy OHV use on the weekend, but relatively pleasant and quiet during the week.) Or you could just as easily drive through Colorado Springs and then up Highway 24 to find all kinds of national forest camping around Woodland Park.