Spruce Group
Spruce Group Campground, located in the Lake Isabel Recreation Area, is a great place to bring groups for picnicking and camping on the scenic Lake Isabel. The campground accommodates 50 guests for day-use and 40 guests for overnight camping. Some RVs can fit in the paved parking area for added convenience. Lake Isabel is one of the few lakes in Colorado developed purely for recreation purposes. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the lake attracts campers who enjoy hiking, canoeing, fishing and watching for wildlife. St. Charles Creek flows near the campground and offers additional opportunities for fishing.
More like this: reservable in Colorado · pets allowed in Colorado · group sites in Colorado
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Group sites | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Entry | Surface | Shade | Water / sewer | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Back-in | Paved | Full | No / No | 40 / 20 | Yes |
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
| Hookups | None |
| Equipment | RVs & trailers, Tents |
| Pets | Allowed |
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
Spruce has a picnic shelter that seats 25 to 30 people, plus a horseshoe pit and volleyball court. Two 3-foot wide grills are onsite and individual sites have campfire rings. Drinking water is provided via a hand pump and an accessible double vault toilet is in the campground. There are no defined tent pads. The road through the group site is paved, and a parking area fits a limited number of RVs.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Pike-San Isabel National Forests |
| Booking | Call 1-877-444-6777 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 | $140 per night Day capacity - 90 Night Capacity - 40. A fee of $10 for extra vehicles will be collected at the entrance to the Lake Isabel Recreation area. |
| Rules | Group campers only. Limited parking. No refunds for bad weather. 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
From Pueblo, drive 25 miles south on Interstate 25 to exit 74. Go west 18 miles on state Highway 165 and turn into the main entrance at the Lake Isabel Recreation Area. Drive to Forest Road 374 and turn left. The entrance to the group campground is beyond the St. Charles Campground entrance behind a closed gate.
| Nearest town | Canon City, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 37.9678° N, 105.0672° W · Directions ↗ |
Charges and cancellations
Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use 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. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.
Fire nearby
- WildfireAspen Acres
4 mi from the campground · 102,007 acres · 90% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 27.5 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Great Divide Ski Bike & Hike ↗ | 32.6 mi |
| RV sales & service | Windish RV Center ↗ | 54.6 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 1 miCisneros ↗11.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 1.1 miLake Shore Ada ↗0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.1 miSt. Charles ↗9.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 1.2 miCampground Lake Access0.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.3 miSnowslide Access From Fsr 3710.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 1.4 miPicnic Area Spurunder 0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness begins about 4.5 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 4.5 miGreenhorn Mountain Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 23,116 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
Natural features
The St. Charles Creek runs next to the campground, and dense spruce trees surround the site. The shoreline of Lake Isabel meets the rocky slopes of the Wet Mountains at an elevation of 8,600 feet. The Pike and San Isabel National Forest includes over a million acres of wilderness and over half of Colorado's mountain peaks that reach above 14,000 feet.
Recreation
Lake Isabel welcomes non-motorized boating and fishing. Brown and brook trout are stocked in the lake and the St. Charles headwaters reap brook trout. Visitors can enjoy hiking, bicycling or motorcycling on either the Snow Slide Trail or Cisneros Trail. The 15-mile Cisneros Trail, also open to ATV riders, leads to the heart of the Wet Mountains, through forests and open, wildflower speckled valleys. Along the way, the trail connects to St. Charles Trail, which heads to St. Charles Peak.
Nearby
The Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway is a great route to explore and shoot photos.
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 Spruce Group?
Sites at Spruce Group are reservable on Recreation.gov. Call 1-877-444-6777 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 Spruce Group?
$140 per night Day capacity - 90 Night Capacity - 40. A fee of $10 for extra vehicles will be collected at the entrance to the Lake Isabel Recreation area.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Spruce Group?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Spruce Group?
Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
Source: Charges and cancellations
Is Spruce Group open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Spruce Group have?
1 site, including 1 group site.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I bring an RV to Spruce Group?
Spruce Group is listed for tents only.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are pets allowed at Spruce Group?
Yes, pets are allowed at Spruce Group. Leash rules apply.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Spruce Group?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Group campers only.
Source: Fire nearby
What is there to do at Spruce Group?
Lake Isabel welcomes non-motorized boating and fishing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Spruce Group?
Canon City, Colorado. The Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway is a great route to explore and shoot photos.
Source: Getting there
What if Spruce Group is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Ponderosa Group (under 0.1 mi), St Charles Campground (0.9 mi), and Southside Campground (1.2 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby