Cascade-Chipita Park/Woodland Park

There were a few pull-off roads off of rampart. Each pull off had a few camping spots with a place for a tent and a fire circle. The view was great and it was a beautiful area. There was a lot of trash left behind and it was pretty busy too.

Gorgeous camp sites on top of hill from where you park less than half a mile walk from them to the cars. Gorgeous views excellent spot to be far away from other people camping. We could hear the others but can barely see anyone.

I loved camping here, even with the fire ban. It was a little windy but it was absolutely beautiful and the campsites were well-spaced. I'm glad we could drive up to the campsite directly, and glad the roads were so well-managed. The only reason I take off a star was for the large amount of trash around.

Great free campsites. People are often leaving trash behind, please don't do that. Some roads could be hard to climb with out 4x4.

This campsite is great. Went up Memorial Day weekend and had no problem finding a spot that was no where near anyone else. Spectacular views of pikes peak and close to rampart reservoir (8 dollars to get into the res). Definitely some litter around though which is the only reason this is not a five.

PROS: It's FREE, as the great outdoors should be. Gravel roads are well maintained. Spots are far enough off the road w/o being too far from your car (~250 ft). Easy to access for any mobility-level or age. Peaceful and quiet except for the occasional passing car which is to be expected. Spots are relatively well spaced apart. Fire-pits galore! And our spot came w/ wood the last people left - thank you whoever you are! There's also plenty of other wood to gather if you aren't so lucky/didn't bring any. Absolutely gorgeous views - mountains, aspen, pine, wildflowers, etc.

CONS: We got there later in the evening and didn't have any issues with bugs but the next day the bees were out in full force for our lunch. There were some ants but they never really crawled on us or our stuff. Did see one tiny spider on the ground but otherwise didn’t seem like a very spider-ey place.

NOTES: Parking is only along the right side of the road so heads up. No restrooms. No water/stream access from the sites which is always nice to have but still. Farish Recreation Area is right down the street (although military only) and Rampart Reservoir is open to the public for $7/car in the same general area. 

Overall, cannot complain especially given that it's free! It's a gorgeous spot right outside of Woodland Park and only 35 minutes from Manitou Springs.

It took us a bit to find a spot that worked for 4 hammocks. It was busier than we had thought on a Sunday evening. The park staff helped us out and were very helpful. In this dispersed camping area there were some good established campsite to use. The only down side was that the people before us had left a mess of trash behind. Other than that it turned out to be a great area to camp. 

Parking right alongside the road and it was perfect. Very quiet area with great views of Pikes Peak. Definitely will return again sometime.

It's a drive out there but the views were awesome an well worth the drive out

Thank you Heather C.!! Best suggestion... Best view... Best spot if all you need is to get away....

Had to walk a bit but thats ok. Great veiws no one around. Sadly no campfires, so early to bed. Very close to great trialheads

My family of 4 and 2 dogs drove over 1,000 miles from Illinois to this area in hopes of finding a dispersed camping site with a view and we were blessed to find this spot off Rampart Range road. We arrived on a Sunday in late September around 2:00pm. This site has an amazing sunset view every night. The nights were cold some lows 32° and it snowed the first night which we were hoping for❄ The sunrises were stunning watching the sunlight slowly shed light on the golden aspens was a beautiful sight.

Access GPS Cascade-Chipita Park, CO 38.9694000, -105.0081000

To get to this spot from Rampart range road was a bit tricky pulling a 28ft trailer with a Chevy Suburban 2500 The road up after Loy Creek rd was EXTREMELY washboard for the next few miles we drove very slow we did this twice a day for 3 days it was the dreaded drive on the way back to base camp each night. Fortunately on day 4 they brought equipment in and leveled the road so the next few trips were nice and getting the camper out was a breeze. Turning off Rampart Range rd there are few ruts that were big but we made it in ok. The spot at the very end is very large and has a perfect view of Pikes Peak and plenty of hammock trees ideal if you can make it that far we were unable to make it due to a tight space between 2 trees large rocks and deep ruts so we set up camp at the spot right before this. We did help a couple with a rig a bit smaller than ours (23ft I believe) through using boards in the ruts and some guidance.

Hiking Nearby is the Rampart Reservoir via Rainbow Gulch trail I recommend walking from the site due to limited parking at the trailhead. We took this hike and it was absolutely fantastic a majestic walk through the woods brings you to flowing creek that you follow all the way down to the reservoir.

Trash, Water, Propane & Food We stopped at a campground in Woodland park on the way in and were able to fill up with water before heading up the mountain for $10. If you are heading south from Woodland park on highway 24 to the left is a brown wooden sign that says PROPANE the building also says they file taxes too we forgot the name 🤦🏼‍♀️but we refilled a propane tank and filled our 6 gallon water container for $12. Pack out what you pack in! No dumpsters! We went to the Walmart in Woodland park 25 minutes from camp a few times and it was very nice and clean.

Safety We spent most of the days away from base camp but in the late afternoon and evenings it was mostly quite. We woke up a few mornings to other campers down the road from us usually only stayed one night. We stayed 5 nights Sunday to Friday. I did get an uneasy feeling about a few vans and cars that came to the area for a short time. We seen a few abandoned camps one that was closest to us a tent with a few pots and and a sombrero oddly. It appears it could be a homeless getaway but we never seen anyone. I never felt unsafe here. We seen very little wildlife at the site only an owl and a few birds however the drive to and from camp we seen many deer be cautious at night

A Long rocky and dirt road lays ahead of these dispersed camping areas. This park has set up campgrounds, but we chose to drive off road a bit and set up camp on the edge of a rocky overlook. Given we went in October, but we were the only campers around our area. No trash or restroom facilities so be prepared to pack it out. Great views!

GORGEOUS views! The trees were turning yellow in the Fall and the weather was perfect. You could see mountains all around and the roads were really great getting there. Pretty trashed though. We cleaned up as much as we could in our camp spot so please, do your part and leave the beautiful place better than you found it :)

We love to camp and get away, but not to this campsite. We arrived and notice the trash not the beauty of the mountain. There was trash everywhere and not just camping trash. People have been dumping here. There was a lot of broken beer bottles scattered throughout the campsites. The signs posted said no shooting but there were ammunition shells everywhere and people shooting. Earth deserves better!

Beautiful views

That area has a Lot of dust and litter, some of your neighbors may not be the most out going

Campground Review: This is super primitive camping, just some pull-offs and man made fire rings, but the views are spectacular. We pulled all the way down one of the little roads and found a spot with an amazing view of Pike's Peak. The trail to Rampart Reservoir is also very close to these sites.

Gear Review: As a Dyrt Ranger, I also get gear to try out and review.

I packed my Xero sandals for this trip and I'm so glad I did. These sandals are meant to feel like you're not wearing any shoes at all and I have to say that is what it feels like. Even though they're very lightweight, they also feel durable and capable of handling just about anything. I wore them hiking, climbing around on rocks, and playing in the stream.

I would say the only downside to these is if you're not used to wearing minimalist type shoes, it could take your feet some adjusting.

I feel that these shoes are definitely Ranger worthy! Check them out at https://xeroshoes.com/shop/umara/ztrail-women/