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Pike-San Isabel/Alvarado
Overview
Alvarado Campground, managed within the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, offers a high-elevation retreat at approximately 9,100 feet. This destination provides a serene escape for RVers who value a back-to-nature experience over resort-style luxuries. Nestled at the foot of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the park serves as a gateway to some of Colorado's most pristine wilderness areas, providing visitors with cool mountain air and an incredibly quiet atmosphere.
Location & Surroundings
The park is located about 10 miles south of Westcliffe, Colorado, nestled within the picturesque Wet Mountain Valley. Visitors are treated to sweeping alpine views and a lush forest environment consisting of aspen and mixed conifer trees. Because the nearby town of Westcliffe is a certified International Dark Sky Community, the nighttime environment at the campground is exceptional, offering campers unparalleled views of the Milky Way without the interference of light pollution.
Amenities & Park Features
As a traditional national forest site, the amenities at Alvarado are basic but well-maintained for rustic travelers. You will find vault toilets and communal potable water spigots available during the peak season. Each individual site is equipped with a sturdy picnic table and a fire ring for evening gatherings. While there are no electrical or water hookups, the sites are reasonably spaced and can accommodate various trailers and motorhomes, generally up to 35 to 40 feet in length.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
Outdoor recreation is the primary draw for this high-altitude destination. The renowned Rainbow Trail passes directly through the campground area, offering miles of terrain for hiking, mountain biking, and even off-road motorcycling. For those who enjoy a challenge, the trails leading to Comanche and Venable Lakes provide breathtaking scenery and high-altitude fishing opportunities. The nearby town of Westcliffe also features local shops and the historic Smokey Jack Observatory.
Who This Park Is Best For
This campground is ideal for adventurous RVers who enjoy dry camping and prefer being fully immersed in the wilderness. It is a fantastic choice for hikers, birdwatchers, and photographers who wish to explore the San Isabel National Forest right from their doorstep. If you are looking for a peaceful, secluded basecamp to disconnect from modern technology and reconnect with the natural world, Alvarado is an excellent fit for your travel style.
Amenities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Karin Crain
It's a wonderful campground with lovely campsites & great views. So obviously I am not rating it as a hotel!
Keith Willy
We love Alvarado campground. Not revealing our favorite site! Love rainbow, cottonwood trails right off of the site.
Tom Mcclelland
A great place for those who love to hick, or just to enjoy the Wet Mountains. Spaces are large. Bathrooms were clean. Host was very friendly and knowledgeable. Prices were reasonable. Clean water available. Campground was clean and well maintained.
Matt Anderson
Great entry point to the Comanche and Venable peak trails. Fantastic campsites, views and clean outhouses!
Mike Allred
Nice quiet campground with a camp host and decent sites. There's a creek through a few sites and an equestrian loop as well. Nestled in the pine and Aspen at the base of the sangre de christo mountains. A couple of trailheads are next to the campground. We were here for memorial Day and the trails still had snow near the top.
Seth Rieck
The lady camp host kicked us out of our spot after one day because she claimed our unit was too big for the campsite. This was about three hours after setting up camp at a site that she had recommended we stay at. She said, “my husband doesn’t agree with me, but you guys gotta go.” Hopefully the not smart lady camp host doesn’t come back next year because she is really bad at her job. Other than that it’s a nice place.
Tyler Shinn
The camp host told me I couldn’t have a shade cover at my parking spot and said I can’t camp there, when we were clearly not camping, we were just getting shade. They micro managed us and didn’t make us feel welcome. We camped at 47 which is a walk to spot, a tough walk to spot with a rocky path, so we didn’t pack everything up there and figured they would be understanding if we wanted to sit by our car and have a shade cover. Literally no one else was camping next to us and we were in no one’s way but we needed to move our stuff out of our own spot, not to mention we technically had 2 parking spots reserved and were only using one of the spots. We did not take up more than our parking spot and camp site, and then to make matters worse they wrote a letter and posted it on my gear in all caps like they were yelling and seemed to have went through my stuff as it was moved around a little. No showers and no amenities also, and you better make a reservation for the medium quality food if you want staff to make you feel welcome at that lodge restaurant nearby right before you enter the campground. Not use to being treated that way. Last but not least they say to not take showers at your camping spot. Ridiculous, we won’t be back. That was supposed to be our relax full vaca.
Angela England
There are no showers, no water hookups and you’re informed you cannot wash your dishes or yourself at their campsites . No shade near parking and are not allowed to set up a shade tarp, camp host will put a note to put it all in your campsite after she’s rifled through your belongings and leaves things open for you. The note says it’s not a camp spot , well we were not camping under a tarp in bear country with fifty degree evenings. No one was camped at any of the tent spots near us. We parked in a single spot and were made to feel completely unwelcome. This may be my last trip to Colorado for camping. For the money people pay to travel and then to pay ridiculous fees for no amenities and they have one trash on the far side of the park so everything you do you have to trek for it. I would find someplace else. The beauty of this place is not worth their ridiculous standards. If I could negative stars , they would have all of them. P.S. don’t leave any valuables , we have no idea if they took something yet as we packed for a week from Oklahoma . P.S. there are zero listings to reach your camp hosts to ask questions before you come . . You can call the forestry people and you can call the people linked to making reservations and they will literally pass you back and forth to each other .you can have two cars but you can’t have a car and your tiny trailer. Glad we didn’t bring it . Losing a day paid in camping to find a motel because we would rather get away from these types of people. You have zero right to touch other peoples property and you have zero rights to this land just because you want to volunteer for a free camp spot till your ugly soul moves on .
michael ware
This tiered campground is essentially built into the hill. It is well laid out and makes use of the space properly. You can enjoy a neighbor or find separation. It's situated at the base of a great trail head so you can come and go into the wilderness as you please. We picnic there and friends have stayed occasionally in the camp. We all enjoyed it. Never had any trouble with others.
Lindsay Hunt
Very beautiful - stayed at lot 26. Lots 26-28 are on a hill with no easy trail to the bathrooms. Lot 26 didn’t have any flat space for our tent so we ended up putting it up in the parking spot. Lots of trees and wildlife, it was beautiful. Larry was super kind and helpful - brought us firewood to the site upon request. Bathrooms were okay. I feel like they need a better way of telling you what space you’ll have for a tent.