Saddlehorn Campground — Colorado National Monument

This campground is very well maintained. We stayed in loops A. The sites are spacious. Loop B has incredible views! I felt the sites were spaced fairly well. Restrooms were very clean. Recycle and garbage close by. Visitor center is within walking distance, as well as several trails.

Great campground, quiet at the right times, each spot is fairly private. We were in spot #20 and it was fantastic, I could see spots next to the bathrooms being fairly noisy most the night.

We stayed on a sunday night early May. while it was still over 70% full, we found Lot C really quiet. the host was friendly and helpful. the canyon rim trail is beautiful. bathrooms are very clean.

Noisy and rude campers walking through my site same group up until 2AM drinking and being loud, I will never go back, camp sites are packed close together, expect generators all day long.

No hookups. But nice view of the valley below. Camp Host was very friendly and helped us pick a good campsite for truck camper in C-loop (where no generators allowed C-loop only).

Beautiful views, prime location in one of Colorado's most beautiful areas. Bathrooms were clean, water was readily available.

The downsides are that the sites are pretty close together and not super clearly delineated. I'm sure it depends on the night, but I came on a night when my neighbors on all sides are especially loud, one with loud conversations, one with very unhappy small children.

I planned to just drive through the Monument park, but once I got in, I just had to stay. Incredible views, great location in the park, the rangers are delightful, and the campground itself felt far enough from the lights & the city to really enjoy the beauty of it all.

The area around these campsites is gorgeous and the facilities were very nice. Had plenty of water stations, trash cans, and the bathrooms were clean! However, it is your typical campground. Spaces jammed together (15-30 ft apart) and $22/night for any site, even the FCFS sites in loop C. There is a spot to put your ticket stub on the site, so if you needed to leave for some reason your spot wouldn’t be taken.

Campsites are way too close together. Dirty bathrooms they do have hypodermic needle disposal though. Loud music blasting late into the night. Entire family set up their tents as close as possible to our spot. No privacy on this campsite. Great views but not worth putting up with the sites.

This is an occasional quick hit for us, close to where we live. NO OPEN WOOD FIRES due to natural tinder-box ecosystem. Excellent plumbed restrooms. Very quiet, great variety of high desert wildlife, including deer, bighorn sheep, and small critters. This is an easy stop for I-70 travelers, so reservations are advisable. Be aware of gate fees, and steep grades into and out of the CNM. For an extra thrill, leave "the back way" and see the rest of the park. Visitor's Center is excellent. And please watch your kids and pets! Massive drop-offs are literally everywhere.

This place is a must. There are some size limitations based on what we saw, so be mindful of that and check ahead of time, but if you can fit absolutely check this place out. Within 5 minutes from the campground are breath-taking views of the monument and less than an hour drive will take you around the rim with dozens of pull-offs to check out the history of the area. 

This national monument has a spectacular history with this relentless individual (Otto) who fought to make this place a protected location because of how beautiful he found it. You will not be disappointed to stop here and check it out. 

On your way down from the monument, check out the dinosaur museum and some of what else Grand Junction has to offer. Great stop!

Great price and beautiful views. Some sites are not level -so bring lots of leveling blocks- the game of Tetris. Lots and lots of big horn sheep. Even on in the campground. Most spectacular views in this NM Host was super friendly and helpful

This park is way less crowded than other areas of Colorado, so you have more of a dispersed feel at the campsites. It was a truly incredible stay - our favorite campground we’ve ever been to. The sites are very clean and have a bit of shade. The views are breathtaking from all around. And at night, the stargazing is insane! We camped in early October and it didn’t get too cold (42 degrees or so).

We were able to stay in the C loop for four nights and were blown away by the scenery not only in the park, but also from our campsite.  The sites were spacious with plenty of privacy, the stars were fantastic at night, the volunteer camp host was extremely friendly, and the bathrooms were impeccably clean.  This stop has been one of the highlights of our trip across the U.S. so far.

Wow awesome spot! The views are incredibles!!!!!

We loved our one night stay here! The bathrooms were nice and clean. The site was level and there is a lot of variety in each site. Picnic table, charcoal grill provided. The best part, of course, is the nearby scenery. Impressive views and trails are within walking distance, as is the visitor center.

The best campsite I have ever been in. Spectacular views. Clean toilets and lots of water points. We showed up mid-week end of Aug and it was nearly empty.

Great campground with an amazing view. $22/$11 senior. Loops A-B (sites 2-51) are all reserved and more designed for RVs and TTs. Loop C (sites 52-80) are all first come and cannot be reserved but are limited to tenters, truck campers, van campers...no travel trailers, RVs or schoolies in loop C. Water, trash, recycling and great cell signal on ATT, Verizon and TMobile. Campground host onsite. No wood fires, only charcoal. .

After the thunderstorm passed through we had a great time here. The campground was clean, sites are well spaced. Easy access to trails from the campground with stunning views and a beautiful sunset. Site 37B was a few steps from great overlooks.

This is one of the greatest campgrounds I have ever stayed at. The B loop site we stayed at was less than 100 ft from amazing sandstone cliffs. Super quiet. Excellent hiking close by. Sites available by reservation, but also C loop is first come first serve. If you haven’t stayed here you are seriously missing out.

Campground is clean, has great views, and easy access. Sites are close together but that didn’t matter.

Many campsite have amazing views of the valley or the monument. Many sites had really unlevel spaces. Creative leveling required. Not designed for big rigs or 5th wheels. Nice canyon rim hikes right from the campsite.

This was our second time staying at Saddlehorn. We learned our lesson the first time: don’t stay on the inside of the loop with a trailer! The sites on the outside of the loop are much bigger and easier to navigate even with a smaller rig like ours.

We stayed in Site 30. Plenty of room to spread out a rug, screen house, chairs, and enjoy our fire bowl at night. The bathroom facilities were clean and there is a water spigot right outside. Definitely worth the $22 to stay here and enjoy the amazing hiking that Colorado National Monument has to offer!

Loops B and C are closed this time of year and we had the campground to ourselves, with the exception of a late arriver. We normally look for dispersed, free camping, but this was good as far as paid sites go. And, Colorado Natl. Monument is gorgeous.

For a campground with close spaces this was as nice as it gets. We usually camp primitively but decided to try the National Monument campground because someone told us the spots were big, which we needed for our tent. They also told us they were spread out. They were neither. There were a couple larger spots of which we were able to secure one. As another review said they have good vegetation between them that make them seem more private. One of the better national park campgrounds. It filled up quick in the afternoon on a Tuesday so be ready to get out early and secure a spot. First come, first serve is limited to loop C only.

October 15, 2020

I am not a fan of campsites .... would prefer wild camping and boondocking.  We decided to stay at Saddlehorn for a night and we were very impressed.  The sites are close to each other, however, there is enough natural landscape and trees to allow for privacy.  Each site had a place for 1 car to park, a picnic table and a grill for charcoal.  No fire rings.  The views are spectacular and we did a few hikes that were breathtaking.

The bathrooms are very clean and although we didn't need ADA accommodations, I was very happy to see a couple of sites dedicated to those who may need it.  

Loved this place enough to want to come back!  If you don't need RV hook up, its first come first serve.  We arrived on a Thursday, early afternoon and there were only a few sites to choose from, so plan accordingly!

Enjoy!

This campground is beautiful! Great setup and clean bathrooms with running water. We got an inside site but did check out the view along the edge around sunset, so pretty! Sites are on the closer side but I never felt too close to my neighbors. Would 100% stay here again!

Colorado National Monument is one of the treasures of the National Parks system. It is worth purchasing an annual pass just to visit the park and traverse the miles of great hiking and biking trails.

Camping at Saddlehorn can be challenging depending on your setup. Loop C is the largest loop and is only open to tent campers and those with a vehicle or small Class C camper. Loops A & B have gravel and a few paved camping sites that can accommodate travel trailers up to 25'. For those thinking about pulling that new travel trailer you just bought up to the monument to camp for a few nights, here are some things to consider:

1. Learn to love driving switchbacks with little to no shoulder and the occasional guard rail. You shouldn't be going any faster than 25mph up to the campground or back down to the entrance, but you will get impatient drivers who think they are driving LeMans. Ignore them, but watch out for cyclists!

2. There are no hookups at these sites. Water spigots are available in a few locations on each loop, but you'll be walking (or driving) your 5 gallon container back to your site. You may want to consider packing in the water you'll need during your stay.

3. Only a few of the sites are level. Be prepared to orient your camper in tight spaces where there may already be another travel trailer or camper parked directly across the road from you, making navigation difficult.

4. To that point, consider getting a site on the outer part of the loop rather than the inner! The sites on the outside of the loop are larger and you will not be nearly as close to your neighbors. For those using solar panels, you'll also have more room to orient and rotate your panels during the day without shadows being cast by the landscape (and your neighbors!)

Site reservations are $22/night and only $11 if you have a National Parks annual pass. Well worth the price of admission for some of the best views you'll find in Colorado.

Good sites, not too close to each other.  Clean bathrooms, and flush toilets!  No showers.  Drive up was great and we explored other places to camp outside the park but were concerned of bears.  Highly recommend this site!

Located inside of Colorado National Monument, Saddle horn is a great spot for a base camp. The spots are not bad, We got lucky and chose one towards the canyon. We had a great view for sunset and a quiet night with no one around us. The parking was a bit small for us, car was pretty much on the road. 

Each spot had a fire ring and picnic table. Restrooms located around the campground and cost was 22 a night. Overall we would stay here again, its very minimal but perfect if you want to explore the monument. 

Reserve spots through Recreation.gov