Established Camping
Cottonwood Lake Campground
About
National Forest
Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Overview
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Facilities
The campground is situated on a gently sloping hillside surrounded by aspen trees, within walking distance to the lake. It is a popular campground for anglers and sites fill up quickly on weekends. If the campground is full, dispersed camping is permitted along road 344 half-mile west of Cottonwood Lake.
Location
Cottonwood Lake Campground is located in Colorado
Coordinates
38.782798 N
106.290197 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
Beautiful but crowded
Really beautiful scenery. Love the lake with plenty of fishing and kayaking/boating. Camp sites are diverse and interesting and well kept. Most are smaller and very few accommodate a big rig. The lake is VERY popular so during the day especially it is very busy. Night time was quiet and great for looking at stars. Would recommend.
Cottonwood lake camp ground
Amazing hosts and well kept grounds. Able to be in an Aspen grove and walking distance to the lake
Beautiful mountain campground
A beautiful campground nestled in an aspen grove and evergreens. Cottonwood creek and Cottonwood lake are close by. The first come first serve sites are spacious and well laid out. There is a very nice day use picnic and fishing docks on the lake. Beautiful lake for SUP, kayaking, fishing or just passing time. Easy access to the lake and surrounding area. Added bonus if you head further down the road from the campground there is ample disbursed camping in the area if that works for you!
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Beautiful
Sites are spaced decently. Near lots of great dispersed camping & great alternative if unable to grab nice dispersed site.
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Really beautiful!
This is a great campground, as most sites are spread out... Feels fairly private.
Cottonwood Lake is a pleasant campground in a nice setting.
Cottonwood Lake campground near Buena Vista is my favorite campground on this particular road (my other favorite campground in the vicinity is Cascade). Some of the campsites are roomy and have a fair amount of privacy due to the Aspen trees around the area. Sunrise was nice and the lake was pretty. It’s far enough from the main road that there isn’t any traffic noise. Some of the campsites are on hilly terrain and are terraced with steps between different levels of the campsite. The lake is just a short walk from the campground.
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Most everything needed but showers and electrical.
This campground has what I desire most in one, a lake, and rushing waters within walking distance of campsite. It has decent fishing for small rainbow trout and is stocked on the regular. The sites have trees around them or in them and that is always a plus for me when choosing a campground. There are vaulted toilets, in both the campground itself and near the fishing pier's at the lake. FCFS-(1st come, 1st serve), which I like. It isnt too long of a drive back in to town for supplies and I have always felt safe camping here! Enjoy
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Best spot
Awesome spot for what ever you like to do while you camp!
Just as beautiful as last time!
this campground is always a beautiful time. the weather was cool, but warm in the sun. plenty of things to do like fishing, hiking, ATV trails, etc. the lake is just breathtaking scenery. Highly recommend!
Love this Campground!
Frequent camper here.
Lots of trees, so hammocking is a great option. Fills up fast and first come first serve, so arrive accordingly. Toilets are always clean and stocked. Very easy to find and the road is not bad on the way in. In a neat little valley surrounded by mountains, and by the side of Cottonwood Lake. People come here just to fish, so bring your gear! Lots of deer activity.
Quiet and beautiful
We came here last year during the summer and it was so beautiful and quiet. Great scenery, not crowded, plenty of sites to choose from. Mosquitos were killer, so bring plenty of bug spray or whatever you use for repellant! We will be coming back this summer!
Great aspens in fall
You can drive up to this campground and it’s a primitive site (vault toilets, minimal water). Amazing views of the lake, Collegiate Peaks, Continental Divide, the valley, wildlife. It’s a great base camp for some serious day hikes and 14ers. Thankfully you can only use human-powered boats on the lake, so bring a kayak if you have one. You need to take a dirt road to get to the campground but it’s accessible to sedans unless there’s been a lot of heavy rain/snowmelt. There are no reservations so get there early in the summer. All the sites seemed to be equally beautiful, ours had phenomenal views even though though it seemed a little close to our neighbors. Buena Vista is not pronounced the way you expect :)
Great for fishing & families!
The sites at Cottonwood Lake Campground are surrounded by a large grove of aspens, so they're relatively secluded. The campground is situated about a quarter mile from Cottonwood Lake, a small, pretty lake with a wide boatlaunch area - no motorized boats allowed though! The last part of the road to get to the campground is dirt, but it is well-maintained so nearly any car can handle it. The campground is also nearby the Cottonwood Hot Springs and Buena Vista if you need a nice soak and a pizza after a long day of fishing! 4 stars out of 5 because it is lacking in expansive views.
Beautifully Pricey
First come first serve has never seemed to let our family down; 4 out of 5 times we'll get a spot on a late Sautrday morning. It's great for multi-tent car camping with family & friends. Very well kept & clean sites with fire/grilling pits & picnic tables. Well placed sites allow for a more secluded feel & your neighbors aren't 5 feet from your tent. It's pricey, but for good reason I suppose
Cottonwood Lake Campground
This campground is a decent size, not too big but has several sites available if you are looking for basic car camping. No showers, vault toilets and beautiful scenery. It's a short walk to access natural water and has moderate shade. It's especially beautiful for Aspen Fall colors.