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Organized groups who book the historic cabins early for summer, can handle zero cell service, and plan to paddle the St. Croix, swim Lake Clayton, or hike to the fire tower for a forest panorama.
Price
Varies
Booking
Reservable
Sites
Varies
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
No Pets
Price
Varies
Booking
Reservable
Sites
Varies
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
No Pets
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Learn more about alerts →Group Campground
45.9536, -92.6131
We'll monitor this campground and alert you the moment sites become available.
Free to start · paid plans add 2-min scans
256,000+ sites monitored · Email alerts to start; SMS and in-app with an account
Learn more about alerts →Organized groups who book the historic cabins early for summer, can handle zero cell service, and plan to paddle the St. Croix, swim Lake Clayton, or hike to the fire tower for a forest panorama.
Families or groups expecting personal space: sites cluster tightly with thin foliage between them, and reviewers flag more friction with neighboring parties than at most group campgrounds, and there's no potable water or hookups on site.
Camper Report Card
Rated higher than 43% of graded campgrounds
Graded on what 213 campers actually wrote - graded on 14 things that make or break a trip. Each topic is graded against every other campground on it - A is among the best, C about average. No star ratings.
Strengths
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Each topic is graded against every other campground on it; a topic campers liked never grades below C−. ± shows the 95% confidence range from the sample size.
Context for the broader area surrounding Group Campground, sourced from the federal Recreation.gov rec-area record.
Lake Estes, a feature of the <A HREF="https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=432">Colorado-Big Thompson Project</A>, is formed by <A HREF="https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=249">Olympus Dam</A> constructed across the Big Thompson River. The afterbay storage in Lake Estes and the forebay storage in Marys Lake enable the Estes powerplant to meet daily variations in energy demand. Recreation facilities include a nine-hole golf course, five picnic and associated day-use areas, and a marina. Good access to recreation areas. The reservoir has approximately 185 water surface acres, 213 land acres and 4 milesof shoreline. Power boating is limited, but available. Sailing opportunities. Fish species available are largely rainbow trout. Facilities are closed in winter due to ice and snow.
Site is about 2 miles east of Estes Park, Colorado.
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Summer offers the warmest, most reliable weather. Daytime highs of 70–85°F and cool nights in the mid-50s to mid-60s. Long daylight hours and warm water make swimming, paddling the St. Croix. Fishing, and long hikes ideal. Evenings around a campfire highlight the historic group cabins. Expect moderate crowds, especially holiday weekends, so reserve the cabins early for peak summer dates. Fall brings comfortable weather and notable foliage, plus mushroom foraging opportunities. Winter transforms trails into a snow-covered network for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, but cold can be harsh. Early spring and late fall tend to be nearly empty, chilly, and muddy.
Mixed hardwoods imply strong fall color and hiking/biking opportunities; park size aids leaf viewing.
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The park provides reservable modern group centers and primitive group camps and offers drive-in, walk-in, backpack, and horseback campsites. No other specific amenities (showers, potable water, hookups, toilets, etc.) are explicitly listed on the official page.
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