wildernet

Canyon Lakes Ranger District

Quick Facts

Mountain Park Campground

Elevation:	6,650 Feet (2072.9 Meters)
Length of Stay:	14 Days
Number of Sites:	45
Reservation Contact:	National Reservation System: 877-444-6777
Reservation Status:	Accepted

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

Mountain Park Campground is located 33 miles west of Fort Collins in the Poudre Canyon. It sits adjacent to the Poudre River. Nearby activities include fishing and hiking. Kreutzer Nature Trail and Mt. McConnel Trail, both National Recreation Trails, are nearby. The area has access to the Cache La Poudre Wilderness. The campground has campground hosts.

Facilities:
Mountain Park Campground has 45 campsites. It has drinking water, toilets, tables, fire grates, electricity, and showers. No large trailers are permitted.

Directions from Fort Collins: Travel northwest on Highway 14 approximately 33 miles to the site.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Services Available: Mid-May through Late September (NOTE: These dates are approximate based on demand and freeze potential.) .

Fee Information

Type	Price	Remarks
Camping, Single Unit	Call for Current Fee	Fees are reduced when services

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Filed By: Al Breitwieser (Highlands Ranch, CO) Number of People Encountered: 25-50 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Absolutely gorgeous campground right on the Poudre River. The hosts were extremely friendly, and kept the restrooms (vault toilets, no less) and showers immaculate. They even go in after a family leaves a campsite and clean out the firering and rake the whole site! The sites right on the river are first come-first served, and some are extremely nice. We had a reserved site one loop up from the river. It was only a short walk to the river, and we could hear it from our site. Very nice way to go to sleep. Lots of trees in our site, with good privacy. Plus we did have electrical hookups for our trailer. Some sites are more open that others. We fished (no luck), hiked the Mt. McConnell trail (whew!), played horseshoes and just generally enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. We arrived on a Wed about midday, and there were first come-first served riverside sites available, but by Thursday they were all gone and the campground was full. Conditions: A brief rainstorm on Wed, otherwise nice and sunny. A bit warm during the day, cooled off quite a bit at night. Site was level for the trailer, and tent pads on every site. As mentioned above, the hosts groom each site between campers! Water Availability: There was a water faucet at every outhouse, and an outhouse in every loop. Plus the pay showers, 25 cents for two minutes. Nice to have! Filed By: Amy (Fort Collins, CO) Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Went for a few hours on the Mt McConnell trail, did not see a single person out. Gates were closed so I parked on the road and hiked into the area, hiking poles were the most important thing I brought with me today. Conditions: There was about 1-4 inches of snow, depending on where you were on the trail. It was sunny, but in the afternoon the trail is on the opposite side of the slope from the sun - gets breezy. Water Availability: I had 2.5L of water with me, as well as some iodine - I didn't run out and didnt find a place to use the iodine besides the Cache La Poudre River. Number of People Encountered: 25-50 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Very clean, even the pit toilets smelled good. The hosts were especially helpful and friendly. Our site was right next to the river, what a nice way to fall asleep. Number of People Encountered: 50+ ppl Recommend to a Friend: Neutral Report: FAIRLY COMPACT SITES. VERY VARIABLE. SOME ARE ON TOP OF EACH OTHR AND SOME ARE MORE PRIVATE. THE BEST SITES ARE ACTUALLY AWAY FROM THE RIVER AS THEY BACK UP TO THE WILDERNESS. THE ROAD UP THE CANYON IS RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER SO THERE IS SOME TRAFFIC ALWAYS GOING BY IF YOU CAMP NEXT TO THE RIVER. THE TRAIL UP MT MCCONNELL IS A FAIRLY STEEP BUT ENJOYABLE DAY HIKE.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	RV Camping	No large trailers.	Yes
	Tent Camping	Mountain Park Campground	Yes
	Camping	Mountain Park Campground	Yes
	Cold Water Fishing	Poudre River and nearby tributaries.	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Kreutzer Nature Trail and Mt. McConnell Trail	Yes
	Attending Talks & Programs		Yes
	Viewing Wildlife	general area	Yes

Related Activities

Greyrock Trail - The trail climbs from the Poudre Canyon to the base of Greyrock. Great views are offered from the top of Greyrock. The Greyrock Loop branches from this trail.

Mt. Mcconnell Trail - The trailhead for these trails is located at the Mountain Park Campground in the Poudre Canyon, west of Fort Collins. The Mt McConnel Trail begins at the high point of the Kreutzer Trail.

More Information

Visitor Information:

Estes Park Chamber Resort Association, 500 Big Thompson Ave. , Estes Park, CO, 80517, Phone: 800-44-ESTES, Fax: 970-586-6336, www.rockymtntrav.com/estes

Links to other sites:
Campground Reservations - Reserve your campground online here with reserveamerica.com