U.S. Forest Service · Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG · Morrison, CO

Dowdy Lake

Dowdy Lake Campground is located 48 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo. near the village of Red Feather Lakes. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and trail opportunities.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov62 sites130 ft maxElectric hookupsPets ok

More like this: electric hookups in Colorado · reservable in Colorado · big rigs in Colorado · pets allowed in Colorado

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
DOWDY LAKEDOWDY LAKEDOWDY LAKEDOWDY LAKE
Photos via Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Magic Feather Broadcast Rx (prescribed burn) · 4 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard with electric52
Tent-only10
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 84 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

62 sites in 5 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePowerPeople / vehiclesAccessible
001AElectricBack-in64Gravel20/30 amp8 / 1
002AElectricBack-in84GravelPartial20/30 amp8 / 1
003AElectricBack-in56GravelPartial20/30 amp8 / 1Yes
004AElectricBack-in48GravelFull20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
011AElectricBack-in43GravelPartial20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
012AElectricBack-in36GravelPartial20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
013AElectricBack-in43GravelFull20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
014AElectricBack-in35GravelPartial20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
005BElectricBack-in75Gravel20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes
006BElectricBack-in50Gravel20/30/50 amp8 / 1Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric
Max vehicle length130 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
AccessibilitySites 003, 004, 011, 012 and 51 more are listed accessible

The campground offers 60 accessible single and double family campsites with electric hookups. Ten sites are designated for tent camping only and do not have hookups. Each site contains a tent pad, picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Dead and downed firewood may be gathered in the forest or purchased in bundles from the campground host.

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

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
BookingMake your reservations at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 as early as 6 months in advance and at least four days prior to arrival.
RulesA single site may hold up to eight people. Double sites will accommodate more people. Tents must fit on the pads provided. RVs, trailers or other vehicles must fit on the parking spur because driving or parking off road is not permitted. The parking length ranges from 30 to 70 feet.

Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Dowdy Lake20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.47 inches of precipitation, 6.4 inches of snowFebruary: 0.50 inches of precipitation, 7.9 inches of snowMarch: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 13.0 inches of snowApril: 1.52 inches of precipitation, 15.7 inches of snowMay: 1.72 inches of precipitation, 5.5 inches of snowJune: 1.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.43 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowOctober: 1.05 inches of precipitation, 6.7 inches of snowNovember: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowDecember: 0.50 inches of precipitation, 8.1 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.6°F averageFebruary: 25.4°F averageMarch: 32.1°F averageApril: 37.0°F averageMay: 45.9°F averageJune: 56.0°F averageJuly: 62.7°F averageAugust: 61.1°F averageSeptember: 53.7°F averageOctober: 42.5°F averageNovember: 32.6°F averageDecember: 25.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Rustic 9Wsw, 10 miles from the campground at 7,700 feet, station USC00057296 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 73 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Fort Collins, take Highway 287 north for approximately 24 miles to Livermore. Turn west on County Road 74 and continue about 23 miles to Dowdy Lake Road. Turn right, then another right onto Dowdy Drive and continue to the campground.

Nearest townMorrison, Colorado
Coordinates40.7965° N, 105.5655° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Customers and contact center agents cannot modify reservations on or after the check-in date.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Magic Feather Broadcast Rx

    4 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearJAX Fort Collins Outdoor Gear ↗29 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗31 mi
RV sales & serviceColorado Mountain RV ↗37 mi

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

Explore

Video

Dowdy Lake Campground Tour: The Best Camping in Northern Colorado

Worth a stop

The small village of Red Feather Lakes is nearby, offering limited dining options, gift shops, general stores, a library, post office and a golf course.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Trail Between the Pines ↗
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.5 mi
    Frog Pond
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    East Dowdy Lake
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Mount Margaret Connector
    0.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.1 mi
    Mount Margret Stock Bypass
    0.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    Frog Pond West Loop
    0.4 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 →

Cache La Poudre Wilderness begins about 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 →

Natural features

The campground is situated in a ponderosa pine forest on the shore of Dowdy Lake, at an elevation of 8,200 feet. Afternoon thunderstorms can be expected during spring and summer months. Due to the mountain pine beetle infestation and removal of hazardous trees, some sites have reduced shade.

Recreation

Canoeing and fishing are popular activities on the 115-acre, no-wake Dowdy Lake. Motorized boats are allowed on the lake, but a 10 mph speed limit is enforced. Anglers cast for brown, brook, cutthroat and lake trout. Several additional lakes are in the vicinity. Many hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are in the surrounding area, including the 4-mile Mount Margaret Trail. Several off-road vehicle trails are located within five miles of the campground. Other popular activities include viewing wildlife and visiting the nearby Redfeather Visitor Center.

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 Dowdy Lake?

Sites at Dowdy Lake are reservable on Recreation.gov. Make your reservations at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 as early as 6 months in advance and at least four days prior to arrival. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Dowdy Lake?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Dowdy Lake open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Dowdy Lake have?

62 sites, including 52 standard sites with power and 10 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Dowdy Lake?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Dowdy Lake have hookups?

Yes, electric hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Dowdy Lake?

Yes, pets are allowed at Dowdy Lake. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Dowdy Lake?

Sites 003, 004, 011, and 012 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 55 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Dowdy Lake?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G and AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Dowdy Lake?

Canoeing and fishing are popular activities on the 115-acre, no-wake Dowdy Lake. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Dowdy Lake?

Morrison, Colorado. The small village of Red Feather Lakes is nearby, offering limited dining options, gift shops, general stores, a library, post office and a golf course.

Source: Getting there

What if Dowdy Lake is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are West Lake (0.6 mi), Bellaire Lake Campground (3.3 mi), and North Fork Poudre Campground (7.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby