U.S. Forest Service · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands · S.Platte Ranger Dist, CO

Kelsey Campground

Kelsey is one of two campgrounds within the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, about an hour's drive southwest of Denver, Colorado. Visitors enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and trout fishing.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov17 sites60 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
KELSEY CAMPGROUNDKELSEY CAMPGROUNDKELSEY CAMPGROUNDKELSEY CAMPGROUND
Photos via Recreation.gov
3fires
active
Harris Park Broadcast Rx (prescribed burn) · 19 mi away · 390 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups15
Tent-only2
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 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

17 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFires
001StandardBack-in35GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
002StandardBack-in40GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
003StandardBack-in45GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
004StandardBack-in40GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
005StandardBack-in40PavedFullNo / No8 / 2Yes
006StandardBack-in20GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
007StandardBack-in35GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
008StandardBack-in40GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
009StandardBack-in40GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes
010StandardBack-in45GravelNo / No8 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length60 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground offers single-family sites, some of which are designated for tent camping only. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings with grills. Vault toilets are provided. Drinking water is available from a hand pump, but hookups are not available. Kelsey Campground has 17 single-family campsites at an elevation of 7,400 feet in Pike National Forest. Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Each site has a parking spur (up to 30 feet), table fire ring and grill. You can have up to 8 people and 2 vehicles per site. Campground amenities include drinking water, vault toilets and trash collection. Firewood is also available to purchase from the camp host. Cell service is poor in the area.

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

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonEarly May to Late September
ForestPike-San Isabel National Forests
BookingPhone 877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance. Friday and Saturday night minimum required stay on weekends. Three nights minimum on holiday weekends.
Fees$28.00 fee per site for overnight camping. Two (2) vehicles or one (1) RV per site is 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.
RulesThe following restrictions apply to this campground: Maximum 8 persons per site, 2 tents and 2 vehicles or 1 recreation vehicle. 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. Bears frequent the area and a bear closure order is in place.

Pike-San Isabel National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kelsey Campground20°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

From Denver, take Highway 285 southwest to Pine Junction and turn south on Jefferson County Road 126. Travel approximately 17 miles to the campground.

Nearest townS.Platte Ranger Dist, Colorado
Coordinates39.3164° N, 105.2667° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    19 mi from the campground · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    O'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx

    24 mi from the campground · 267 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rainbow Gulch Rx

    28 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 ↗18.8 mi
RV sales & serviceBerkenkotter Motors ↗22 mi
Outdoor gearColeman Factory Outlet ↗22.1 mi

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

Explore

Video

Kelsey Campground - Pike National Forest

Worth a stop

The drive along County Road 126 southwest from Pine Junction affords magnificent views of the valleys below. Pikes Peak, at 14,110 feet, can be seen in the distance and other prominent rock formations present themselves throughout the scenic drive.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.7 mi
    Kelsey Cut-Off
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Kelsey Loop
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Little Scraggy ↗
    9.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2 mi
    Shinglemill
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    Buffalo Burn
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Nice Kitty
    3.9 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 1.1 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 sits at an elevation of 7,400 feet in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Summer temperatures are mild and range from 75-80 during the day to 55-65 at night. The Kelsey Overlook is just north of the campground along County Road 126, offering beautiful views of the valley below.

Recreation

The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is home to a 40-mile trail system most popular with mountain bikers, but hikers and horseback riders enjoy the area as well. Several trailheads are within the area, including Little Scraggy Trail, just 3 miles north of the campground. Access to the Colorado Trail and the Buffalo Burn Trail begin from this trailhead. Shinglemill Trail is also nearby. Buffalo Creek is a popular fishing stream for brook trout. The area offers great wildlife viewing opportunities for turkey, elk, mule deer, chipmunks and porcupines.

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 Kelsey Campground?

Sites at Kelsey Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Phone 877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Kelsey Campground?

$28.00 fee per site for overnight camping. Two (2) vehicles or one (1) RV per site is included in the camping fee. $11.00 for a third vehicle.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Kelsey Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Kelsey Campground?

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is Kelsey Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Early May to Late September.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Kelsey Campground have?

17 sites, including 15 standard sites without power and 2 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Kelsey Campground?

The longest site here provides 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Kelsey Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Kelsey Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Kelsey Campground?

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. The following restrictions apply to this campground: Maximum 8 persons per site, 2 tents and 2 vehicles or 1 recreation vehicle.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Kelsey Campground?

FCC coverage maps show 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 Kelsey Campground?

The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is home to a 40-mile trail system most popular with mountain bikers, but hikers and horseback riders enjoy the area as well. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Kelsey Campground?

S.Platte Ranger Dist, Colorado. The drive along County Road 126 southwest from Pine Junction affords magnificent views of the valleys below.

Source: Getting there