Camp Between the River & the Peaks
Camping & Public Lands Near Nathrop
Creekside tent sites, full-hookup RV camping, Arkansas River campsites, Browns Canyon, and high-country Forest Service campgrounds along Chalk Creek.
Find Your Basecamp
Camping Around Nathrop
Nathrop sits in one of the best camping locations in the Arkansas River Valley. The river and Browns Canyon are immediately to the east, while Chalk Creek climbs west toward the Collegiate Peaks, National Forest, and St. Elmo.
That gives you several very different ways to camp. You can stay at a full-service private campground with showers and RV hookups, reserve a basic campsite beside the Arkansas River, or head farther into Chalk Creek Canyon for a quieter Forest Service campground beneath the mountains.
Buena Vista and Salida are also close enough for groceries, restaurants, supplies, and day trips without giving up the quieter setting around Nathrop.
Choose Your Campsite
What Kind of Camping Are You Looking For?
Creekside Camping With Amenities
Chalk Creek Campground combines tent camping, creekside RV sites, full-hookup RV sites, showers, restrooms, a campground store, and cabins in one place.
Best for: families, RVs, tents, longer stays, showers, creek access, and travelers who want a comfortable central basecamp.
Camp Along the Arkansas River
Ruby Mountain and Hecla Junction put you directly beside the Arkansas River with fishing, trails, river access, and Browns Canyon nearby.
Best for: fishing, paddling, Browns Canyon, tents, smaller campers, and people who want the river outside camp.
Head Into the Mountains
Four Forest Service campgrounds line Chalk Creek Canyon between Nathrop and historic St. Elmo, surrounded by forest, creeks, trails, and high peaks.
Best for: hiking, fishing, mountain scenery, St. Elmo, OHV trips, tents, and traditional National Forest camping.
The All-Around Basecamp
Chalk Creek Campground & RV Park
Chalk Creek Campground is the most versatile camping option around Nathrop, with tent sites, creekside RV camping, full-hookup sites for larger rigs, and cabins all on the same property.
The lower campground sits among mature trees along Chalk Creek. Some RV sites are directly beside the water, while tent campers can choose creekside, meadow, and more private shaded sites.
Lower-campground RV sites have 30-amp electric service, with potable water and a dump station available in the upper campground.
The upper RV park has full-hookup sites with water, sewer, and 30- or 50-amp electricity, including large pull-through sites for bigger RVs.
Hot showers, restrooms, a playground, campground store, picnic tables, fire pits, creek access, and fishing make this a much easier place to settle in for several days.
The location is also hard to beat. Mount Princeton Hot Springs, Browns Canyon, the Arkansas River, St. Elmo, Buena Vista, Salida, and miles of National Forest are all within easy reach.
Good for: tents, vans, RVs, big rigs, families, dogs, longer stays, creek camping, and travelers who want actual campground amenities.
Pick Your Site
Ways to Camp at Chalk Creek Campground
Tent Camping
All tent sites are in the lower campground, with options beside Chalk Creek or beneath the trees in the meadow and standard camping areas.
Sites include picnic tables and fire pits, and creek access is available throughout the campground.
Creekside RV Camping
The lower campground has shaded RV sites beneath cottonwoods, including several premium sites directly on Chalk Creek.
These sites have electric service rather than full hookups, with potable water and a dump station available nearby.
Full-Hookup RV Sites
The upper campground has water, sewer, and 30- or 50-amp electrical hookups along with both back-in and pull-through sites.
Large 60-foot full-hookup sites make this one of the easier options around Nathrop for bigger rigs.
Camp Beside the River
Arkansas River & Browns Canyon Camping
Nathrop sits beside the northern end of Browns Canyon, and two Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area campgrounds provide developed camping close to the river.
Ruby Mountain Campground
Ruby Mountain sits beside the Arkansas River at the northern end of Browns Canyon National Monument and is one of the area's most popular river campgrounds.
The campground has 22 basic and tent-only sites with picnic tables, grills, tent pads, vault toilets, changing facilities, potable water, and river access.
Trails lead directly from the campground into Browns Canyon National Monument and the surrounding Fourmile trail system.
The boat ramp also makes Ruby Mountain a busy river-access site during summer, so don't expect complete solitude during the middle of the day.
Good for: fishing, hiking, Browns Canyon, tents, river access, mountain biking, and smaller camping setups.
Hecla Junction Campground
Hecla Junction sits at the downstream end of Browns Canyon with 23 basic campsites overlooking and near the Arkansas River.
A short trail follows the river downstream from the campground, and Browns Canyon National Monument can also be accessed from the recreation site.
Hecla's access road is steep, winding, and unpaved, so take your time, particularly with a trailer or larger vehicle.
This is a basic campground rather than an RV resort. Check current water availability before arriving and come prepared to be self-sufficient.
Good for: river access, fishing, Browns Canyon, tents, smaller trailers, hiking, and scenic river camping.
A Different Kind of Campsite
Camping Inside Browns Canyon
Browns Canyon National Monument contains primitive camping along the Arkansas River, but this isn't a conventional drive-up campground.
River-based dispersed camps are primarily useful to boaters traveling through the canyon and are managed as part of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.
There are no campground amenities. Dispersed campers must carry a portable toilet system and, if having a fire when fires are allowed, use a portable fire container. Rock fire rings are prohibited.
If you want easy vehicle access to Browns Canyon, Ruby Mountain or Hecla Junction are much simpler options.
Head West Into the Mountains
Camping in Chalk Creek Canyon
County Road 162 climbs west from Nathrop alongside Chalk Creek, passing Mount Princeton Hot Springs and continuing toward the Chalk Cliffs and historic St. Elmo.
Four developed Forest Service campgrounds are located along this corridor: Mount Princeton, Chalk Lake, Cascade, and Iron City.
Mount Princeton Campground
Don't confuse this with the nearby hot springs resort. Mount Princeton Campground is a small Forest Service campground beside Chalk Creek about seven miles west of Nathrop.
Campsites have picnic tables and campfire rings, with vault toilets in the campground. Some sites can accommodate trailers and smaller RVs, while others work better for tents.
The campground is popular and can fill by Thursday or Friday during busy summer periods.
Good for: creek camping, fishing, tents, smaller RVs, hot springs visits, and exploring Chalk Creek Canyon.
Chalk Lake Campground
Chalk Lake Campground sits farther up the canyon at roughly 9,000 feet beside Chalk Creek, with Chalk Lake only a short distance away.
The location works especially well for fishing, hiking, exploring the Chalk Cliffs, and continuing farther toward St. Elmo.
This feels noticeably more like high-country camping than staying near the valley floor in Nathrop.
Good for: fishing, tents, mountain scenery, families, and cooler summer camping.
Cascade Campground
Cascade sits in a dense mix of Douglas fir and aspen at about 9,000 feet near Cascade Falls.
It's one of the more forested campgrounds in Chalk Creek Canyon, with good access to hiking, fishing, mountain roads, and the upper canyon.
Like the other developed campgrounds here, summer weekends can fill quickly.
Good for: shaded camping, hiking, fishing, fall color, tents, and a more secluded mountain setting.
Iron City Campground
Iron City is the farthest of the four developed campgrounds up Chalk Creek Canyon and sits close to historic St. Elmo.
The small campground has 15 sites and is available on a first-come, first-served basis rather than through advance campsite reservations.
The historic Iron City cemetery sits at the edge of the campground, and St. Elmo, mining history, four-wheel-drive roads, and mountain trails are nearby.
Good for: St. Elmo, historic sites, OHV trips, tents, mountain exploring, and campers comfortable without a guaranteed reservation.
Important
You Can't Just Camp Anywhere in Chalk Creek Canyon
This is one of the most important things to know before heading west from Nathrop looking for a campsite.
Camping and campfires along the main Chalk Creek Canyon corridor are restricted to the four developed Forest Service campgrounds: Mount Princeton, Chalk Lake, Cascade, and Iron City.
In other words, an old pullout or fire ring along County Road 162 is not automatically a legal campsite.
If the developed campgrounds are full, legal dispersed camping is available in specific areas farther away, including above St. Elmo on County Road 267, near Hancock, and in the Browns Creek area.
The road above St. Elmo toward the dispersed camping area requires a four-wheel-drive-capable vehicle.
Know Before You Go
Nathrop Camping Tips & Rules
Reserve River Sites Ahead
Developed Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area campgrounds, including Ruby Mountain and Hecla Junction, are reservation-only.
Reservations can be made on the day of arrival when space is available, but summer weekends often fill.
Don't Depend on Cell Service
Service becomes less reliable around Browns Canyon and as you travel farther into Chalk Creek Canyon.
Download maps and campsite information before leaving Nathrop or Buena Vista.
Check Fire Restrictions
Chaffee County and federal land agencies can impose fire restrictions during dry periods.
Never assume an existing fire ring means fires are currently legal.
AHRA Dispersed Camping Has Special Rules
Campers outside developed AHRA campgrounds must carry an approved portable toilet system.
If fires are allowed, they must be contained in a portable fire container. Rock fire rings are prohibited.
Bring Water
Water availability varies by campground and season. Primitive and dispersed camping areas may have no potable water at all.
Bring enough for drinking, cooking, dogs, and unexpected changes in plans.
Expect Cold Mountain Nights
Nathrop itself sits lower in the valley, but the campgrounds along Chalk Creek quickly climb toward 9,000 feet and above.
Even summer nights can be cold.
Store Food Properly
Bears live throughout the surrounding National Forest. Keep food, trash, coolers, dog food, and scented items secured whenever you're away from camp.
Have a Backup Plan
Chalk Creek Canyon is popular and the developed Forest Service campgrounds are relatively small.
Don't drive into the canyon late on a Friday evening with only one campsite in mind.
Use Existing Legal Sites
Where dispersed camping is permitted, use existing durable sites rather than driving into vegetation or creating a new campsite.
Camp in the Middle of It
Nathrop Gives You the River and the Mountains
Few places in the Arkansas River Valley give campers this many different environments within such a short drive.
Stay beside Chalk Creek with showers and hookups. Camp along the Arkansas River at the edge of Browns Canyon. Or keep driving west until the cottonwoods give way to aspen, fir, old mining roads, and the high peaks around St. Elmo.
And because Nathrop sits between Buena Vista and Salida, you can still reach groceries, restaurants, hot springs, and town without giving up the feeling of camping outside it all.
Keep Planning
More Places to Stay Around Nathrop
Hotels & Lodging
Find hot springs resorts, mountain lodges, campground cabins, and other places to stay around Nathrop and Chalk Creek.
Cabins & Unique Stays
Find private hot spring cabins, creekside retreats, campground cabins, and other unusual stays around Chalk Creek Canyon.
Explore Nathrop
Find hot springs, Browns Canyon, hiking, fishing, St. Elmo, scenic drives, and more things to do.