If you plan to visit any of the four national parks in Colorado, you will find many different accommodations. It will depend of course of your preferences as to whether you will want to stay within a national park. Lodging of the most basic type is available on site, but if you envision a comfortable hotel room or rustic cabin, you will need to find a place outside the park. All four national parks in this state only permit camping, including RVs, as the most comfortable on-site option.
Staying in the Park
If you want to stay on site, you will want to call ahead as soon as possible. While some sites are on a “first-come first served” basis, others require reservations, so you will always want to be sure to check ahead to determine and reserve the type of camping site you and your family and friends would want. In addition, since camping and lodging are often seasonal within the parks, you will want to make sure to consider this when arranging your visit. Below is specific information about onsite lodging:
- Mesa Verde National Park: At Mesa Verde National Park, the Far View Lodge is the closest you will come to national park lodging nearest to the park. The accommodation consists of primitive cabins without televisions, internet and other popular amenities. They are only open from early April to late October. This is also true of the Moorefield Campground (open to tents, trailers and RVs) and the more primitive camping sites.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve: The Park has limited camping available on a first come first serve basis, as well as some reserved sites too. RVS are allowed but there are no hook-ups. Winter camping on the other hand, is not permitted within the park.
- Gunnison National Park: There are over 100 campsites at the park with three that are the closest to the major attraction – Black Canyon. There are no reservations and no showers, just comfort stations, though RVs are allowed at some of the sites.
- Rocky Mountain National Park: Of all the national parks, this one offers visitors the greatest variety of camping options. RVs, onsite camping with amenities, and backcountry camping are available from spring to late fall. A few sites are also open for late fall and winter use. These are located in the Moraine Park Campground, which alone offers 244 camping spots during the summer and 77 during the winter months.
National Park Lodging
For those who find lodging to be a tent or RV, national parks offer you the chance to stay on site. While most, including Rocky Mountain National Park, permit RVs, they may not all have the luxury of amenities. For those who prefer national park lodging to include all the amenities of home, plenty of options exist outside the park. So for those who love their comforts and are visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, the hotels, motels and cabins of Grand Lake will be perfect for you.
