U.S. Forest Service · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands · Colorado

Platte River

First-come, first-served10 sitesPets okFires okTents only

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 · tent only in Colorado · pets allowed in Colorado

Platte River
Photo from the area. Heath Alseike (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
3fires
active
Harris Park Broadcast Rx (prescribed burn) · 22 mi away · 390 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

This campground has 10 campsites for tent camping only at an elevation of 6,400 feet.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Seasonyear-round
ForestPike-San Isabel National Forests
BookingThis campsite is strictly first-come, first-served basis.
Fees$24.00 fee per site for overnight camping. T wo (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.
RulesREMEMBER! You must be in a designated campground to stay overnight. Fires are permitted ONLY in the campgrounds, no fires are allowed in the picnic areas. NO SHOOTING ALLOWED! Much of the property along the river is privately owned. Please respect the posted signs. Additional, the following restrictions apply to this campground: Maximum 8 persons per site: 2 tents and 2 vehicles.

Pike-San Isabel National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Platte River20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.51 inches of precipitation, 7.0 inches of snowFebruary: 0.55 inches of precipitation, 7.4 inches of snowMarch: 1.21 inches of precipitation, 11.2 inches of snowApril: 1.52 inches of precipitation, 10.3 inches of snowMay: 1.78 inches of precipitation, 1.9 inches of snowJune: 1.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.56 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.24 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowOctober: 1.00 inches of precipitation, 5.7 inches of snowNovember: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 7.0 inches of snowDecember: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 29.2°F averageFebruary: 30.9°F averageMarch: 37.6°F averageApril: 43.4°F averageMay: 52.7°F averageJune: 63.0°F averageJuly: 68.4°F averageAugust: 66.3°F averageSeptember: 59.3°F averageOctober: 48.0°F averageNovember: 37.9°F averageDecember: 29.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cheesman, 7 miles from the campground at 6,880 feet, station USC00051528 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 59 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates39.2976° N, 105.2082° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    22 mi from the campground · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    O'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx

    24 mi from the campground · 267 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rainbow Gulch Rx

    25 mi from the campground · 912 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗18.3 mi
RV sales & serviceBerkenkotter Motors ↗19.2 mi
Outdoor gearMammut ↗19.6 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Platte River Campground Review

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.9 mi
    Log Jumper ↗
    7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.9 mi
    Noddle ↗
    7.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.1 mi
    Kelsey Cut-Off
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.2 mi
    Kelsey Loop
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.5 mi
    Devils Revenge ↗
    9.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 4.1 mi
    Little Scraggy ↗
    9.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

Lost Creek Wilderness begins about 3.9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Platte River?

No. Platte River is first-come, first-served. This campsite is strictly first-come, first-served basis. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Platte River?

$24.00 fee per site for overnight camping. T wo (2) vehicles per site are included in the camping fee. $11.00 for a third vehicle.

Source: Forest Service

How many sites does Platte River have?

10 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Platte River?

Platte River is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

Are pets allowed at Platte River?

Yes, pets are allowed at Platte River. Leash rules apply.

Source: Forest Service

Can I have a campfire at Platte River?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 3 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. REMEMBER!

Source: Fire nearby

What if Platte River is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Ouzel (1.9 mi, partly first-come), Kelsey Campground (3.4 mi), and Lone Rock Campground (3.5 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby