Collegiate Peaks Campground

Collegiate Peaks Campground

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Things To Do

Collegiate Peaks Campground is a great camping choice west of Buena Vista in central Colorado. The campground is located partway up Cottonwood Pass, a 12,136-foot pass spanning the Continental Divide, at an elevation of 9,800 feet. The area’s 56 sites are dispersed along three loops among ponderosa pine, stands of quaking aspen, and the Middle Fork of Cottonwood Creek. The wooded sites offer privacy, quiet, and fine views of the neighboring mountains. To get there, take paved Chaffee County Road 306 west from Buena Vista toward Cottonwood Pass for about 11 miles. The campground is on the south side of the road. Water and vault toilets are available, and RVs up to 50 feet long are welcome.

Pro Tips

  • Visit recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance to make a reservation. You must book both Friday and Saturday nights for a weekend reservation, while there’s a three-day minimum required for holiday weekends; walk-up campers are exempt. The campground is usually open from May through September; the campground is also open beyond the peak season, with fewer amenities and no reservations. Check with the Salida Ranger District office at 719-539-3591 for exact dates
  • The area offers good fishing opportunities. Middle Cottonwood Creek, although small, is well-stocked with brook trout. Serious anglers try their luck in the beaver ponds west of the campground; be advised that boots and waders must be disinfected to protect endangered boreal toads from fatal fungal infections.
  • Take a hike! Check out the excellent nearby day hikes to 11-acre Ptarmigan Lake, a six- mile out-and-back hike, or park at Denny Creek a mile west of the campground to access the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area and climb 14,196-foot Mount Yale.
  • Recommended season(s): Summer and fall.

    —Brett Green & Stewart M. Green


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