Rocky Mountain National Park Moraine Park Campground

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Rocky Mountain National Park

1000 US-36
Estes Park, CO 80517

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Details

Campsites: 238 (jump to sites)

Accepts Reservations: Yes

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Online Reservations

Reservations for this campground are handled through Recreation.gov

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Overview

Moraine Park Campground is open for the winter season. This campground is first come, first served.

Are you planning to camp summer 2023? Moraine Park Campground will be closed for a major construction project beginning late May 2023 through early Summer 2024.

Moraine Park Campground (8,160 feet/2400 m) is located in Colorado's awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain National Park, near the Beaver Meadows Entrance on Highway 36. It is situated on the north side of Moraine Park, offering beautiful views of the vast park and the surrounding mountains.

From lush valleys to craggy peaks reaching elevations over 14,000 feet (4250 m), visitors are provided opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures. Scenic driving, hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are popular activities in the park.

Recreation

Rocky Mountain National Park has 355 miles (570 km) of hiking trails that range from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain peak climbs. Visitors enjoy the park's various lake trails (Bear Lake, Cub Lake, Mills Lake), waterfall trails (Adams Falls, Alberta Falls, Ouzel Falls) and summit trails (Deer Mountain, Twin Sisters Peaks, Flattop Mountain).

The park also offers some unforgettable scenic driving routes, including Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road. Trail Ridge Road reaches 12,183 feet (3700 m) above sea level and is America's highest continuous highway. It climbs above the park's evergreen forests to its windswept alpine tundra, where visitors enjoy sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.

Driving along the historic Old Fall River Road is like motoring through an earlier era. Constructed in 1920, this steep, one-way, uphill, gravel road punctuated by switchbacks quietly leads travelers from Horseshoe Park through the park's wilderness to Fall River Pass, 11,796 feet (3595 m) above sea level.

Several visitor centers are within the park, offering ranger-led activities, education and history about the park, and seasonal nighttime programs.

Facilities

Moraine Park Campground contains single family tent-only sites, walk-to tent sites and RV sites without hookups. There is no group camping at Moraine Park Campground. If you are looking for a group site, please check Glacier Basin Campground.

Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring with grate, sharable food storage lockers, and tent pads of various sizes. Roads are paved and parking spurs are gravel. Flush toilets, dish-washing stations, and drinking water are provided at designated comfort stations.

Water. Loops B and E have vault toilets only, and water is limited in the winter to one location near the Ranger Station. Two solar-shower stall facilities are located within Moraine Park Campground. Campers are encouraged to bring their own solar-shower bags as the campground does not provide them. There are no other types of shower facilities in the park, but hot showers are available in nearby communities. Portable showers are prohibited in individual campsites.

Summer (May to October). The Ranger Station is open during the peak season and a dump and fill station are open for use to all campers. This service is located by the yellow bear sign and green dumpsters near the campground entrance. Additional dumpsters and recycling areas are scattered throughout the campground for the camper's convenience.The campground contains three main buildings at its entrance. Reservation information and check-in should be completed at the kiosk. Across the way, the Ranger Station provides information and services pertaining to all of Rocky Mountain National Park. Rangers are able to answer questions, provide Junior Ranger program booklets and badges, as well as give insight on planning your hike(s). Additionally, firewood is for sale at the firewood hut during the evenings; it is located next to the yellow bear sign, near the campground entrance.

Ranger-led programs take place at the campground amphitheater in the C-loop. These programs are only offered in the evenings during the summer. For more information contact the Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

Rocky Mountain National Park's free shuttle bus stops at the campground and provides access to the Cub Lake Trail, Fern Lake Trail, Bear Lake, Glacier Gorge, Sprague Lake and many other trailheads located along the Bear Lake corridor, eliminating the hassle of finding available parking. Campers are encouraged to use the free shuttle bus, as parking fills quickly.

Winter (October to May) . The Ranger Station is closed during the winter. Water is limited in the winter to one location near the Ranger Station. The shuttle service does not operate in the winter nor are ranger programs offered.

Natural Features

A pleasant mix of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and the occasional Engelmann spruce forests the campground, offering partial shade in this open area. Grasses, shrubs and seasonal wildflowers fill the open meadows.

Wildlife is plentiful in the park; mule deer and the majestic Rocky Mountain elk are the most commonly seen. Black bear, coyote, bighorn sheep and moose inhabit the region as well, but can be harder to stumble upon.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Estes Park lies just outside the park's main east entrances, and is a short drive from Moraine Park Campground. Dining, shopping, rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding and golfing opportunities await. Lake Estes offers boating, sailboarding and fishing.