4.59170 reviewsSelect a month, then check for open campsites
Price
Varies
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Sites
2 campsites
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Showers and widespre...
Cell
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Pets
Pets Allowed
Select a month, then check for open campsites
Price
Varies
Booking
Reservable
Sites
2 campsites
Season
Showers and widespre...
Cell
No Service
Pets
Pets Allowed
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Learn more about alerts →Backpackers who want a short, low-commitment overnight without driving far from Kansas City. Fall is the best window: comfortable temps, fall foliage, migrating warblers and tanagers, and almost nobody else out there. Only two sites exist, so book early.
No water on-site, period. You're packing in every drop and packing out everything else. Add thorny understory, ticks in spring, summer heat and humidity, and periodic military jet noise, and anyone expecting even a vault toilet will be disappointed.
Context for the broader area surrounding Backcountry Camping, sourced from the federal Recreation.gov rec-area record.
East Portal Reservoir is a feature of the Colorado - Big Thompson Project. This charming campground sits at the base of a mountain in the midst of a pine forest. The campground within East Portal contains 70 campsites that provide amenities such as RV hookups, two shower houses and tent camping. A trail head leads into Rocky Mountain National Park and a free shuttle provides access into the town of Estes Park during the summer. The small reservoir has approximately 2 water surface acres where rainbow trout are occasionally caught by Anglers. Moreover, there are 70 land acres and 1 mile of shoreline located at this reservoir. No boating is allowed. Facilities are open May 15- Oct. 15.
Site is near Loveland, Colorado, on the Wind River at East Portal of Alva B. Adams Tunnel, 4.5 miles southwest of Estes Park.
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Fall is the sweet spot: daytime highs in the mid-50s to mid-70s°F in October, colorful oak foliage, active wildlife, and few other campers. Spring (late April through early June) brings migrating birds and comfortable temperatures but also ticks and occasional mud. Summer is hot, humid, and buggy, though the main campground's showers (open mid-April through October 31) are a bonus if you hike out for a rinse. Winter camping is allowed but challenging. Freezing temps, limited water access (one frost-free spigot at the main area), and you'll need solid cold-weather gear.
Peak season with warm days. Most facilities open. Reserve ahead.
Reservation tips, booking windows, and free cancellation alerts.
Two designated backcountry backpack sites accessed from the McAdoo Trail. Sites are primitive with no developed utilities on-site; park-developed amenities (showers, water, dump station, visitor center) are located in the main campground/day-use area.
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