Rocky Mountain National Park Timber Creek Campground
1Heads uppark alert
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $35From, per site
- Sites
- 9780 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices
In the agency’s own words
Timber Creek Campground is the only campground located on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. All campsites are available by reservation only through Recreation.gov. To make a reservation, visit www.recreation.gov, use the Recreation.gov Mobile App, or call 1-877-444-6777. For some campsites, reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance of a desired camping date. Timber Creek Campground is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park and accessed via Trail Ridge Road/U.S. Highway 34. The campground is eight miles (13 km) north of the park's Grand Lake Entrance. Keep reading
It is located at an elevation of 8,900 feet (3000 m). Camping in a Trailer or RV? Please be advised, this campground has a total vehicle length limit of 30 feet (9 m). RVs and combined vehicles and trailers that exceed this limit cannot stay in Timber Creek Campground. Things to Know When Looking At Campsite Availability: Any sites that are open are listed as "A" for available. Any campsite listed as “NR” has Not Yet Released; this means that those campsites are not yet available to be reserved. A number of campsites are available to be reserved up to 6-months in advance on a rolling window. Some campsites are available to be reserved 2-weeks prior to your desired camping date. Some campsites are available to be reserved 1-week prior to your desired camping date. Is a Timed Entry Reservation Included with my Camping Reservation? Yes. Campers with reservations for Timber Creek Campground have a " Timed Entry (does not include access to Bear Lake Road)" reservation included with your campground reservation. Your campground reservation will serve as your vehicle timed entry reservation. Campers can enter RMNP via the Grand Lake, Beaver Meadows or Fall River Entrances beginning at 1 p.m. on the first day of your camping reservation. Remember to print and bring a copy of your campground reservation with you and keep this in your vehicle. You will be asked to show your campground reservation confirmation at the park's entrance station upon arrival. If entering RMNP on the east side of the park, check the status of Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road is a seasonal road that can temporarily close based on weather at any time. If Trail Ridge Road is closed, use alternate travel routes to travel outside and around the park. To check the status of Trail Ridge Road, call 970-586-1222. Planning to visit destinations along the Bear Lake Road Corridor? Campers staying at Timber Creek Campground will also need to make a " Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road " reservation or they will need to enter the Bear Lake Road Corridor during a time of day when reservations are not required. For details, visit the park's timed entry webpage . When Can I Check into My Campsite? Check In begins at 1 p.m. for all campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park. What Time is Check Out? All campers must check out of their campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park by noon. How Many Nights Can I Stay at Timber Creek Campground? In Rocky Mountain National Park, there is a 7-night limit for all campgrounds during the summer season. This means that campers can stay a total of 7 nights inside the park. This limit includes overnight stays at all campgrounds. For instance, a camper could spend 7 nights at Timber Creek Campground or they could stay 4 nights at Timber Creek Campground and 3 at Glacier Basin Campground.
Recreation
Rocky Mountain National Park has over 350 miles (563 km) of hiking trails. There are many wonderful trails to explore on the west side of the park, including the Colorado River Trail, Coyote Valley Trail, Green Mountain Trail, and more. Enjoy fishing along the banks of the Colorado River. The park also offers some unforgettable scenic driving routes, including Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road. Enjoy scenic views and wildlife viewing opportunities in the alpine tundra. Enjoy ranger-led programs and exhibits at Alpine Visitor Center. Are you interested in history? Take a step back in time and explore the Holzwarth Historic Site, just down the road from Timber Creek Campground.
Facilities
Timber Creek Campground has single family tent sites, walk-to sites, and RV sites (30 ft/9 m or smaller in length) without hookups. Camping as part of a group? Group campsites are not available at Timber Creek Campground. If you are looking for a group site, please check Glacier Basin Campground, located on the east side of RMNP along Bear Lake Road. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring with grate, and tent pad. During the summer season, potable water and restroom facilities are available. The campground has dish sinks available for washing dishes. A freshwater fill and dump station for trailers and RVs is available in the campground. These facilities are available for any campers to use. Dumpsters, recycling bins, and propane recycling are scattered throughout the campground for the convenience of campers.
Natural Features
At Timber Creek Campground, visitors can enjoy wildflowers in June and July in the surrounding meadows. There is a mix of Douglas fir, Lodgepole pine, and Ponderosa pine trees around the campground. Wildlife is plentiful in Rocky Mountain National Park. Mule deer and elk are commonly seen. Black bear, coyote, bighorn sheep and moose also inhabit the area, but are less common.
Nearby Attractions
The town of Grand Lake, Colorado is located 10 miles south of Timber Creek Campground (2 miles south of the park's west entrance). Dining, shopping, grocery, and other recreational activities can be found in Grand Lake. Charges & Cancellations
What the agency tells you
Need to Know - You must scroll down and read all of the "Need to Know Information" below. By completing your camping reservation, you are agreeing to the following items. Use the scroll bar in this small window to scroll and read all the information.
Camping space is extremely limited. Ensure your camping unit or equipment will fit in your chosen site. Other options may not be available. Be aware - Vehicles larger than 30-feet are not permitted in Timber Creek campground.
Entrance Fee. A park entrance fee is required to enter Rocky Mountain National Park, or show your annual or lifetime park pass. You may pay the entrance fee upon arrival. Pass Discounts on Camping. If you use a Senior or Access Pass for a camping fee discount while booking a reservation, you must present the pass and photo ID upon check-in.
Everything else this campground posts · 11
Check-in Time. Check-in begins at 1 p.m.
Site Limits. Each site is limited to eight (8) persons and one camping unit (i.e., a tent, RV, or trailer/tow vehicle) plus one additional tent per standard nonelectric site. All tents shall be located on the tent pad. All additional camp structures must be self standing without impacts to vegetation or trees. Parking is limited. Some sites can only accommodate one (1) vehicle. Each vehicle must be parked on the gravel or paved parking pad causing no resource degradation or encroachment onto the paved access road. Some sites will accommodate only one vehicle on the graveled parking pad. Extra vehicles must park in overflow areas. Maximum length of stay. The maximum length of stay during peak season is 7 nights. Please check the rules and regulations before making your reservation.
Be Advised: Trailer length is the total maxium vehicle length allowable. (Trailer Length = Trailer + Hitch + Vehicle)
Maximum Vehicle + Trailer Length = Vehicle + Trailer + Hitch = 30 ft at Timber Creek campground.
No Hookups. There are no RV hookups available. Dump Station. RV sewage and wastewater tanks must be emptied at the dump station. No Shower or Laundry. There are no shower or laundry facilities in the campground; portable showers are prohibited.
Generator Hours In Timber Creek Campground, generators are permitted in all Loops. Generators may be run in the morning from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and in the evening from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Food Storage and Wildlife. Bears, deer, elk, raccoons and skunks frequent the area. All food, pet food, cooking utensils and other scented items must be stored in a food storage locker, located in the campground.
Firewood. Firewood is available for purchase inside Timber Creek Campground or in the Town of Grand Lake. Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.
Note for RV Campers: If you plan on renting an RV or camping equipment and having it delivered to Rocky Mountain National Park, it is your responsibility to make sure that the individual or business that you are renting the equipment from has a valid permit to do business in the park. It is illegal to conduct business in a park area without a permit, contract, or other written agreement. Renting from a business or individual without a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) with the park may leave you without accommodations as the RV/camping equipment may be turned away upon delivery.
Prohibited Wheeled Devices. The use of skateboards, rollerblades, scooters and other similar devices is prohibited.
STOP THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES. Remove plants, seeds, animals, and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles. Clean your gear before entering and leaving the recreation site. Stay on designated roads and trails and follow local guidelines for firewood. CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY boats and any other recreational equipment that contacts water. Dispose of unwanted bait, worms, fish parts, or other organisms into the trash and not into the environment. For more information visit the National Invasive Species Information Center .
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 97 · 21 walk-in
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 30 ft
- Paved pads
- All
- Accessible sites
- 4
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Little
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - seasonal
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 7 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek, Meadow
- Amphitheater
- Backpacking
- Biking
- Canoeing
- Evening Programs
- Fishing
- Guided Interpretive Walks
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Ranger programs
- Kayaking
- Mountain Climbing
- Picnicking
- Scenic drives
- Night sky · 395th darkest of 522 in CO
- Bortle 3
- Fall color · reported 5 days ago, 11 km away
- Peak color
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 80 of the 97 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.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
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 · 18
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $35 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
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 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
99 records · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 80 mapped sitesAll 99 records
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 80 of the 99 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Loop A | A001 | standard nonelectric | 14 ft | 90 ft | 277 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A002 | type not stated | 25 ft | 271 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop A | A003 | standard nonelectric | 21 ft | 56 ft | 332 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A004 | standard nonelectric | 21 ft | 41 ft | 366 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A005 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 41 ft | 377 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A006 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 48 ft | 456 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A007 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 48 ft | 490 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A008 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 61 ft | 519 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A009 | walk to | 15 ft | 49 ft | 596 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A010 | walk to | 15 ft | 34 ft | 608 ft | $35 | |
| Loop A | A011 | walk to | 15 ft | 34 ft | 601 ft | $35 | |
| Loop A | A012 | walk to | 15 ft | 56 ft | 547 ft | $35 | |
| Loop A | A013 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 78 ft | 442 ft | $35 | |
| Loop A | A014 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 66 ft | 431 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A015 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 66 ft | 367 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A017 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 77 ft | 267 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A018 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 77 ft | 204 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop A | A019 | type not stated | 30 ft | 184 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop A | DOES NOT EXIST Old 16 | type not stated | |||||
| Loop B | B020 | standard nonelectric | 15 ft | 30 ft | 480 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B021 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 30 ft | 500 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B022 | standard nonelectric | 22 ft | yes | 46 ft | 547 ftColorado River | $35 |
| Loop B | B023 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 44 ft | 590 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B024 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | yes | 44 ft | 589 ftColorado River | $35 |
| Loop B | B025 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 46 ft | 631 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B026 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | yes | 46 ft | 614 ftColorado River | $35 |
| Loop B | B027 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 33 ft | 663 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B028 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 33 ft | 685 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B029 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 47 ft | 701 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B030 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 47 ft | 667 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B031 | type not stated | 15 ft | 702 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B032 | type not stated | 15 ft | 672 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B033 | type not stated | 15 ft | 654 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B034 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 40 ft | 611 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B035 | type not stated | 30 ft | 603 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B036 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 40 ft | 572 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B037 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 32 ft | 564 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B038 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 32 ft | 532 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B039 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | yes | 35 ft | 528 ftColorado River | $35 |
| Loop B | B040 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 44 ft | 484 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B041 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 57 ft | 434 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B042 - Host | host pad | 30 ft | 493 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B043 | standard nonelectric | 16 ft | 57 ft | 404 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B044 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 96 ft | 291 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B045 | type not stated | 20 ft | 353 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B046 | type not stated | 13 ft | 312 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B047 | type not stated | 13 ft | 357 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B048 | type not stated | 30 ft | 386 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B049 | type not stated | 20 ft | 348 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop B | B050 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 84 ft | 404 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B051 | walk to | 13 ft | 81 ft | 325 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop B | B052 | walk to | 13 ft | 81 ft | 361 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C053 | standard nonelectric | 19 ft | 99 ft | 580 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C054 - Host | host pad | 30 ft | 661 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop C | C055 | standard nonelectric | 16 ft | 38 ft | 702 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C056 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 32 ft | 733 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C057 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 32 ft | 732 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C058 | standard nonelectric | 23 ft | 23 ft | 766 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C059 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 23 ft | 787 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C060 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 50 ft | 804 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C061 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 51 ft | 734 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C062 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 59 ft | 751 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C063 | standard nonelectric | 19 ft | 51 ft | 694 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C064 | standard nonelectric | 22 ft | 42 ft | 657 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C065 | standard nonelectric | 19 ft | 42 ft | 626 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C066 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 26 ft | 565 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C067 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 26 ft | 562 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C068 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 62 ft | 480 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C069 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 62 ft | 470 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop C | C070 | type not stated | 16 ft | 378 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop C | C071 | type not stated | 16 ft | 358 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop C | C072 | type not stated | 16 ft | 435 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop C | C073 | type not stated | 16 ft | 494 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop D | D074 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 37 ft | 629 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D075 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 37 ft | 649 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D076 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 46 ft | 710 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D077 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 56 ft | 774 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D078 | walk to | 13 ft | 46 ft | 722 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D079 | walk to | 13 ft | 52 ft | 698 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D080 | walk to | 13 ft | 39 ft | 686 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D081 | walk to | 13 ft | 39 ft | 721 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D082 | walk to | 13 ft | 31 ft | 759 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D084 | walk to | 16 ft | 31 ft | 787 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D085 | walk to | 16 ft | 40 ft | 809 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D086 | walk to | 16 ft | 69 ft | 868 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D087 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 60 ft | 835 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D088 | walk to | 19 ft | 40 ft | 953 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D089 | walk to | 19 ft | 89 ft | 1,035 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D090 | walk to | 19 ft | 40 ft | 993 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D091 | walk to | 19 ft | 65 ft | 951 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D092 | type not stated | 19 ft | 936 ftColorado River | |||
| Loop D | D093 | standard nonelectric | 19 ft | 99 ft | 898 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D094 | walk to | 19 ft | 52 ft | 897 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D095 | walk to | 19 ft | 41 ft | 861 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D096 | walk to | 19 ft | 41 ft | 839 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D097 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 36 ft | 817 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D098 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 36 ft | 784 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D099 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 61 ft | 795 ftColorado River | $35 | |
| Loop D | D100 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 67 ft | 724 ftColorado River | $35 |
The agency files 2 more records here that aren’t sites for the night. It names them host pads. They’re in the table above, marked for what they are, and none of them is counted as a site.
25 of 99 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Grandview CampgroundRoosevelt National Forest · 8.2 mi
Long Draw CampgroundRoosevelt National Forest · 10 miPines CampgroundRoutt National Forest · 11 mi
Green RidgeArapaho National Recreation Area · 12 mi
AA Bar Ranch (AA Barn) Group Picnic SiteArapaho National Recreation Area · 12 mi
Cutthroat Bay GroupArapaho National Recreation Area · 13 miFrom Grand Lake, Colorado:
Drive north on U.S. Highway 34 and enter Rocky Mountain National Park via the Grand Lake Entrance. Drive along Trail Ridge Road for 8 miles (13 km) from the park entrance and follow signs to Timber Creek Campground. The campground will be on the left.
From Estes Park, Colorado:
Enter Rocky Mountain National Park via the Beaver Meadows or Fall River Entrances. Follow Trail Ridge Road west for approximately 35 miles, crossing the Continental Divide. The entrance to Timber Creek Campground is located on the right side of the road.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Grand Lake, CO
Typical weather
Typical October night 23°F, day 55°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 5°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Rocky Mountain National Park Timber Creek Campground is in Colorado’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Joe Neguse (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →