Handcart
Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.
More like this: first-come in Colorado
Amenities & rules
The campground has 10 sites available for tent camping only. Off of Park County Route 60, from US Hwy 285, the Handcart Campground is surrounded by lodgepole pine trees. Visitors may expect full service from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The area also has an extended season when services such as water or a host may not be available during the fall, winter and spring. All dates are weather dependent
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Season | year-round |
| Forest | Pike-San Isabel National Forests |
| Booking | This is a first-come, first-served basis campground. No reservation is required. |
| Fees | $24.00 fee per site for overnight. Two (2) vehicles per site are included in the camping fee. $11.00 for a third vehicle. $11.00 day use fee if not camping overnight. Fees are payable by cash, check or money order. Scan and Pay is available. |
| Rules | The following restrictions apply to this campground: Maximum 8 persons per site, 2 tents and 2 vehicles. Dogs must be leashed at all times. No discharge of firearms or fireworks. Only licensed vehicles can operate inside campground. Camping is NOT ALLOWED behind a LOCKED GATE. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 39.4824° N, 105.7999° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
16 mi from the campground · 390 acres
- WildfireWillow
38 mi from the campground · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedO'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx
41 mi from the campground · 267 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Arapahoe Basin Base Lodge ↗ | 11.7 mi |
| Dump station | Dump Station ↗ | 32.9 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 36.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no fee schedule, no directions or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 1.5 miGibson Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 9.4 miSilver Dollar Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 12.6 miClear Lake Picnic Site ↗Day use
- 12.8 mi
Trails nearby
- 0.2 miRed Cone Trail ↗5.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
- 1.4 miGibson Lake2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.7 miBurning Bear ↗5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.9 miSouth Park ↗15.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, snowshoe and 1 more
- 3.2 miBuno Gulch1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.4 miJefferson Lake Loop2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trailheads within three miles
- 1.5 miGibson Lake Trailhead ↗Pike-San Isabel National Forests · Season Open year-round
- 1.8 miBurning Bear West Trailhead ↗Pike-San Isabel National Forests · Season Open year-round
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Mount Evans Wilderness begins about 5.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 5.6 miMount Evans Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 73,416 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
Historic landmarks nearby
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Handcart?
No. Handcart is first-come, first-served. This is a first-come, first-served basis campground. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Handcart?
$24.00 fee per site for overnight. Two (2) vehicles per site are included in the camping fee. $11.00 for a third vehicle.
Source: Forest Service
Is Handcart open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season year-round.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Handcart have?
10 sites.
Source: Forest Service
What if Handcart is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Hall Valley (0.3 mi, first-come), Timberline Campground (4 mi), and Aspen (4.5 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby