Outdoors
National forests, parks, lakes and recreation areas with hiking trails near Castle Rock, closest first.
Good to know: Carry more water than you think you need, check the managing agency’s page for trail closures and fire restrictions, and start early on hot days.
14 mi west · USDA Forest Service
Please Note: Must be in possession of a horse in order to camp in the equestrian campground. The Indian Creek Equestrian Campground is an ideal camping site for avid horseback riders looking to explore the Indian Creek Equestrian Trail.
17 mi northwest · US Army Corps of Engineers
Chatfield Dam, located southwest of Denver on the South Platte River, was the second of three dams built to protect the Denver region from floods.
22 mi southwest · USDA Forest Service
Lone Rock Campground, located along the South Platte River, boasts spectacular views and top-notch fly fishing waters. Hikers thoroughly enjoy the nearby Gill Trail and kayakers are drawn to the rapids of the rushing river.
Map of 31 places loads as you scroll.
Please Note: Must be in possession of a horse in order to camp in the equestrian campground. The Indian Creek Equestrian Campground is an ideal camping site for avid horseback riders looking to explore the Indian Creek Equestrian Trail.
Chatfield Dam, located southwest of Denver on the South Platte River, was the second of three dams built to protect the Denver region from floods.
Lone Rock Campground, located along the South Platte River, boasts spectacular views and top-notch fly fishing waters. Hikers thoroughly enjoy the nearby Gill Trail and kayakers are drawn to the rapids of the rushing river.
Kelsey is one of two campgrounds within the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, about an hour's drive southwest of Denver, Colorado.
Bear Creek Dam, the last of three dams built to protect the Denver region from floods, is located on the southwest edge of suburban Lakewood at the confluence of Bear Creek and Turkey Creek.
Colorado Campground is a favorite family destination near Manitou Lake Picnic Area north of the town of Woodland Park. A short trail leads to the lovely lake, where visitors enjoy fishing, bird watching and canoeing.
Manitou Lake Picnic Area, is located 7 miles north of Woodland Park, Colorado,. The Manitou Lake Pavilion is located inside the picnic area and is a wonderful group day use picnic area for groups up to 50 people.
Painted Rocks Campground is located a short distance from Manitou Lake Picnic Area and the Centennial Bike Trail in central Colorado.
Meadows Group Campground offers a wonderful opportunity for groups to enjoy the great outdoors.
Pike Community is a group campground located about 6 miles north of Woodland Park in central Colorado. It is a popular choice for of all ages, complete with a baseball field, sand volleyball court and a horseshoe pit.
Buffalo Campground is one of two facilities within the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, about an hour's drive southwest of Denver, Colorado.
Red Rocks Group Campground is located 4 miles north of the town of Woodland Park, Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for hiking, biking and visiting the nearby 5-acre Manitou Lake.
Located about 10 miles from the town of Woodland Park, Colorado, Meadow Ridge Campground is pleasantly situated on a ridge above the Rampart Reservoir. Here, campers have access to prime fishing and mountain biking and hiking trails.
Thunder Ridge Campground, located above the Rampart Reservoir, is one of two campgrounds within the Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area. The campground overlooks the reservoir, which is popular for fishing.
This 15,000 acre site provides a Refuge for both wildlife and visitors. Through wildlife management, species like the endangered black-footed ferret are thriving in the wild and raising their young.
Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge is a natural oasis with native wildlife and plants in an urban setting.
The beautiful Spruce Grove campground is positioned beside large rock outcroppings on Tarryall Creek. Magnificent hiking trails to the Lost Creek Wilderness Area are just steps away from the Creek Bridge.
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world.
Round Mountain is a small, rustic campground that sits just 6 miles from Lake George and Eleven Mile Canyon, 11 miles from the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and 15 miles to Eleven Mile Reservoir.
Fossils of well-known species of large dinosaurs have been discovered at this site over the last 120 years.
The Gold Belt Tour Back Country Byway retraces the historic travel routes for the World’s Greatest Gold Camp, Cripple Creek. Travel on a historic, narrow-gauge railroad bed, an old stage road, and a county road on the Byway.
The Strawberry area includes approximately 8 miles of Single-track, non- motorized trails that are collectively known as the Phases.
Developments include 5 campgrounds with 151 campsites and 3 boat-launch ramps. A concession-operated public marina located at the north end of the lake (970.667.1062).
This beautiful high-alpine tundra and Area of Critical Environmental Concern contains significant biodiversity. There are several small parcels of BLM land here, with unique geological formations and 18 rare plant species.
Flatiron Dam and Reservoir are located on Chimney Hollow Creek 8 miles southwest of Loveland, Colorado. The dam and reservoir are features of the Colorado - Big Thompson Project . One campground with 41 campsites. Access is good.
Peaks to Prairies - Tracks to Trails Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands ( forest locator map ) cover nearly 3 million acres, between the prairies of western Kansas and some of Colorado's…
East Portal Reservoir is a feature of the Colorado - Big Thompson Project. This charming campground sits at the base of a mountain in the midst of a pine forest.
Lake Estes, a feature of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project , is formed by Olympus Dam constructed across the Big Thompson River.
Granby Dam and Lake Granby, features of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project are on the Colorado River near Granby, Colorado. Developments include 260 campsites and 3 boat-launch ramps.
Recreation at Pueblo Reservoir is managed by the Colorado State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, Eastern Colorado Area Office, Loveland, Colorado.Pueblo Reservoir was created by Pueblo Dam which crosses the Arkansas…
Shadow Mountain Dam and Reservoir, Colorado-Big Thompson Project , are on the Colorado River below its confluence with the Grand Lake outlet. Developments include 1 campground with 80 campsites and 2 boat-launch ramps. Good access exists.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Castle Rock. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
The short climb in Rock Park toward the butte that gives the town its name, with views over downtown. A Short shared by Espi Agency | Colorado Real Estate.
Watch on YouTube ↗
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
Climbing Challenge Hill, the steep staircase nicknamed the miniature incline, at Philip S. Miller Park. A Short shared by DadandAshton.
Watch on YouTube ↗Indian Creek Equestrian Campground (USDA Forest Service), about 14 miles west of Castle Rock as the crow flies. Next are Chatfield Lake (17 mi) and Lone Rock Campground (Co) (22 mi).
Based on Castle Rock’s average highs, September–June. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.