Ansel Watrous Campground, CO

Ansel Watrous Campground is located in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (41 min northwest of Fort Collins, CO) with an elevation of 5,800 feet. There are a total of 17 campsites including 4 tent-only sites. The campground is open all year. 13 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 33 and 40 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring with grill. Prices start at $25.00 per night. Some amenities include drinking water, restroom, trash dumpster. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, hiking trails, floating sports.
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Ansel Watrous Campground, CO

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (91)

4.5 out of 5

5 star
68%
4 star
20%
3 star
5%
2 star
1%
1 star
3%
@MatthewG245698 · Camped on Oct 6, 2024 at Campsite #5
The campsites are really close together. We could hear our neighbors conversations.
@DaveM7344120 · Camped on Sep 30, 2024 at Campsite #1
A very nice Campground close to the Poudre River. A nice getaway with lots of hiking trails close by
@Elizabeth93265 · Camped on Sep 16, 2024 at Campsite #17
Beautiful area and the camp host was most helpful!
@BrockT4B1E032E · Camped on Sep 15, 2024 at Campsite #17
Absolutely beautiful campsite. We saw male and female mule deer coming over the mountain to get some water from the river. It was a great place to stay. Bathrooms and trash cans were a short walk. Picnic table and fire ring provided. Few camp sites down had a fire going. We fished and cold plunged in the river.
@GaryC9619428 · Camped on Sep 9, 2024 at Campsite #6
Beautiful campground, right on the river. Very clean!The draw backs are that the camp sites are a little close together and most are small.And the campground is close to the highway.But I will come back. We really enjoyed the 3 days we were there.
@AnthonyW983D96 · Camped on Sep 5, 2024 at Campsite #17
We have camped here for years. Wonderful campground.
@JosephC1997223 · Camped on Aug 28, 2024 at Campsite #6
Great campground! Clean and next to the river. Downside, Noisy highway traffic, especially motorcycles. Apparently there is no law enforcement on the highway to curb the speeding.Another downer, the mens toilet was locked and no signage to point this out.All-in-all, it was a good experience. My wife and I had camped there years ago. We plan on visiting again before cold weather hits.
@NicoleD1279157 · Camped on Aug 5, 2024 at Campsite #4
Quite a few steps down to the river from this site. Not much of a beach off the river. Lots of large boulders along the river bed. Sites 3 and 5 had areas clear to sit in the water.
@MarkW2201412 · Camped on Jul 16, 2024 at Campsite #5
Very clean and peaceful campground right next to the river. Sleep with the river as your music
@PeterR5227973 · Camped on Jun 26, 2024 at Campsite #5
Great spot for Mishwaka concert!
@SarahW8627049 · Camped on Jun 19, 2024 at Campsite #15
Campground is well maintained and bathrooms are clean
@Elizabeth29438 · Camped on Jun 13, 2024 at Campsite #16
I would love it if Colorado residents would be allowed to reserve sights prior to the m being opened to the rest of the world.
@ToddR1327438 · Camped on Jun 11, 2024 at Campsite #7
So I go here every year, it's a great campground. I try to get something in the upper lot as it has much better shading/trees than the lower one. Very scenic, tranquil and clean.
@LorenaF3561409 · Camped on May 27, 2024 at Campsite #14
Loved this spot! It was super private and secluded from the others! It had its own little shaded and wooded space down by the river that was perfect for fishing! This spot is full sun almost the whole day fyi so bring a pop up tent!
@CharlesH720196 · Camped on May 27, 2024 at Campsite #6
The sound of the river is wonderful! It drowns out much of the noise from other campers. The bathrooms this year are so much cleaner than last year. We have very much enjoyed our experiences at Ansel Watrous.
@TheresaK315269 · Camped on May 21, 2024 at Campsite #16
Very nice, small campground. Right on the river, its very scenic. Hiking trails are a short drive down the canyon.
@LaurenR3836852 · Camped on May 10, 2024 at Campsite #15
We had a great spot (within walking distance to the Poudre). Lots of rafting, kayaking and tours happening on the Poudre. The street by this campground has a lot of loud traffic (motorcycles, people honking to be jerks, etc.). There was also a lot of cars that entered the campground and then left (probably looking for first come first serve spots). I think this was the biggest negative was the noise of the traffic. Clean bathrooms, but they don't have lights so take your flashlight. Service was good (we have Google Fi). Since we went early in the season, it did get chilly at night.It was a busy campground and most spots were booked up. Overall, a good area and experience.
@JeffB8180041 · Camped on May 10, 2024 at Campsite #8
Very nice spot. The walk-up sites are well marked; the parking is good. Vault toilets were clean but it didn't look like there was a lot of cleaning of the sites. The fire pits for example were nearly full of ash and in one site there was a lot of junk that a camper had left the day before. But, I would go back again in a heartbeat!
@JessicaP263047 · Camped on May 3, 2024 at Campsite #16
Our family loves this campground and we kick off our camping season nearly every year. Its always clean and well maintained. Its right across from a wonderful hiking trail. These are perfect river side sites.
@DustinT1613239 · Camped on May 3, 2024 at Campsite #7
10/10 Perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Close to fresh water, bathrooms, Young Gulch, listening to the Poudre and waiving at white water rafters. Lots of shade.
@CraigE2678952 · Camped on Oct 23, 2023 at Campsite #3
Nice campground, next to a nice stretch of the Cache la Poudre river, but highway noise detracts from the setting. But the campground stays open year round, so it's great for a end of season camping trip.
@CharlesH720196 · Camped on Oct 2, 2023 at Campsite #5
Very Good place to camp. The noise from the flowing Poudre river is soothing.
@KeithM1093EDD2 · Camped on Sep 21, 2023 at Campsite #17
Beautiful location and friendly staff working the campground occupancies.
@ArmandoL176016 · Camped on Sep 6, 2023 at Campsite #1
I understand this isn't simple and easy, but the lack of a dump station and fresh water for an RV is tough to manage. It would be a very welcome feature for the campground.
@AmandaABCD7E42 · Camped on Aug 22, 2023 at Campsite #16
Not enough privacy but enjoyed being so close to the river. Our kids took awhile to fall asleep because the river is pretty loud when everything else is quiet at night. All in all we had a great time.

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