Pelton Creek
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- Sites
- 1814 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 13 notices
In the agency’s own words
The campground is at the eastern edge of the Platte River Wilderness, and has 14 sites. It is a single loop with one side running parallel to Pelton Creek among Lodgepole pines. Some sites overlook the creek and a meadow. The understory is grass and the sites are fairly close together providing minimal privacy. A trailhead provides wilderness access via the Douglas Creek Trail or the Platte Ridge Trail. 14 day stay limit. Stock unloading facility near campground, however no stock are allowed in the campground. Picnic tables, toilets, drinking water, and campfire rings. Fishing is available in Douglas Creek. This campground will be first-come, first-served for the 2026 season. Keep reading
Recreation
In addition to the camping and fishing provided by this campground, the Platte Ridge and Douglas Creek Trails take off from the north end of the campground and go deep into the heart of the Platte River Wilderness Facilities Pelton Creek Campground has 14 campsites, 4 of which can accomadate longer or trailered setups in a pull-through site. Sites are equiped with campfire rings and picnic tables. All sites have access to a water handpump near site 1, two vault toilets, and trash collection. No electrical hook-ups, water hook-ups, or black water hook-ups are available. Handpump water is typically available in this campground from July to September. These dates may vary due to weather, well and/or pump maintenance, and water testing requirements. As such, we encourage you to bring your own water or call ahead.
Natural Features
Pelton Creek Campground lies at the convergence of Douglas Creek and Pelton Creek, just outside of the Platte River Wilderness. Although the Mullen Fire went through this area in 2020, the campground was spared and it remains as a remote oasis for developed recreation. The campground itself still retains tall pine trees that provide excellent shade and ambiance for a summer camping destination. The meandering creeks and tall brush can attract moose so be sure to know what's around you if you venture down to the water's edge. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (307) 745-2300.
Nearby Attractions
Platte River Wilderness mainly lies within the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming, but also includes a small portion within the Routt National Forest in Colorado. It is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is located on the Brush Creek/Hayden, Laramie and Parks Ranger Districts. Average elevation is 7,700 feet. The United States Congress designated the Platte River Wilderness in 1984 and it has a total of 23,492 acres. Colorado contains approximately 743 acres. Wyoming contains approximately 22,749 acres. The North Platte River features blue-ribbon trout fishing, as well as rafting and kayaking. North Gate Canyon is a popular white-water rafting section of water. Douglas Creek is also noted for its' excellent trout fishing opportunities. Hiking, backpacking and hunting are other popular activities. The Douglas Creek Trail follows the creek for 9.5 miles through an open canyon with trailheads at both ends. You can hike a loop from the Pelton Creek Trailhead by exiting the Douglas Creek Trail to return via the Platte River Trail.
Charges & Cancellations
Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame.
What the agency tells you
Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame.
Check-in time is after 2:00 p.m. on the first day of the reservation.
Check-out time is 1:00 p.m. on the last day of the reservation.
Everything else this campground posts · 10
There are no electric, water, or sewer hookup services.
If the reservation holder doesn't show up on the first day of the reservation, the campsite is released at check-in time (2 pm) the next day.
Maximum length of stay is 14 days.
Campfires at this site are only allowed in USFS approved metal fire rings.
Dogs must be on leash.
Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing organisms by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org
Sites must be occupied the first night and camping equipment can not be left unoccupied for more than 24 hours. If not occupied the first night the site may be released to first come first serve customers.
You are responsible for reading the site descriptions and booking a site that will accommodate your equipment.
Please print off your reservation and display it on your vehicle's dash. Reservation receipt will double as a voucher for day use sites in the Medicine Bow National Forest for the reserved days.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 18 · 1 group
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Shade
- 11 of 14 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- VAULT TOILETS on 14 of 18 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- DRINKING WATER (HAND PUMP) on 14 of 18 campsite records
Around the campground
- On the water
- River, Creek, Meadow
- Backpacking
- Birding
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Off Highway Vehicle Trails
- Stargazing
- Wilderness access
- Wildlife viewing
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 14 of the 18 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 9
What you actually pay
“Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature a…” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
18 sites
All 18 sites
| Pelton Creek | 01 | type not stated |
| Pelton Creek | 02 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 03 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 04 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 05 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 06 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 07 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 08 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 09 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 10 | group standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 11 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 12 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 13 | standard nonelectric |
| Pelton Creek | 14 | standard nonelectric |
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 2 | type not stated |
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 3 | type not stated |
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 4 | type not stated |
| Scan and Pay | Standard | standard nonelectric |