Welcome to Mountain Side Gear Rental’s three-part blog series devoted to camping in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). This edition of the series shines light on an age-old recreational favorite – car camping.

Campground Audit

For campers who prefer a home base with limitless tokens of comfort (lawn chairs, board games, kegs of beer, etc.) and their vehicle or RV parked right alongside the campsite, RMNP has five designated campgrounds within its border. Mountain Side Gear Rental’s favorites are Aspenglen, Glacier Basin and Timber Creek.

Each of the five campgrounds has a limited number of campsites and RV specifications available with a reservation (made up to six-months in advance) or on a first-come, first-serve basis. Although amenities vary, food storage lockers, potable water, flushable toilets and showers are available. A picnic table, fire ring with grate and tent pad are included at all RMNP campsites. Apart from the Longs Peak, campgrounds open May 24 for seasonal camping and close between Sept. 10 and Oct. 9.

To make your campsite reservation, visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm. Detailed information about each of RMNP’s campgrounds is available at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/camping.htm.

Planning Your Campout

Camping shouldn’t be a guessing game. We’ve created a checklist to aid in planning your trip. The list isn’t intended to be all-inclusive, but rather a thorough baseline of everything you’ll need on your car camping adventure in RMNP. These items listed are available for rent and/or purchase from Mountain Side Gear Rental.

Rocky Mountain National Park is calling. Begin planning your trip today. Read our other blog that is part of our complete Mountain Side Gear Rental RMNP blog series – Camping with Confidence in Rocky Mountain National Park