USDA Forest Service · Colorado

Riverside (Co)

USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States

Open on the map Drive there Reserve Official page Directions
Sites
19
Hookups
18 no hookups
Season
May 15 to October 11
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
8,048 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
AT&T weak · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
RIVERSIDE CG (NFSR 96.A) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
Lake
PSICC
Nearest town
Lake George
Address
P.O. Box 74, Lake George, CO, 80827
Activities
Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Rock Climbing

18 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.

About

Overview

Riverside Campground lies across the road form South Platte River, providing a scenic base camp for fishing, hiking and rock climbing. The campground is tucked in the Eleven Mile Canyon, a delightful place to view polished granite walls surrounding the open valley of the river.

Wildlife is abundant in the surrounding areas, with opportunities to see elk, mule deer, chipmunks and porcupines.

Recreation

Hard Rock Interpretive Trail, accessible from the campground, is a 1-mile self-guided interpretive walk that leads to an impressive overlook of the canyon. The trail explores the diverse life of the region and offers a chance to see plenty of wildlife and take photos of the sweeping views.

Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout can be caught from the South Platte River. Benches along the river allow anglers to relax in comfort while waiting for fish to bite.

Facilities

Riverside Campground offers nearly 20 reservable campsites. Parking aprons are grass and gravel and can fit RVs up to 30 feet in length. Tent sites are walk-in only. Each site has a picnic table and a campfire ring. Vault toilets are onsite. Bring your own drinking water.

Natural Features

Riverside has large, open campsites at an elevation of 8,000 feet. The South Platte River flows on the other side of Route 96. Eleven Mile Canyon was carved by the river and is bordered by polished gray granite cliffs.

Downriver is the Eleven Mile Reservoir, spanning 3,405 surface acres and 5 miles in length.

Nearby Attractions

Visitors enjoy the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January33°8°-21°52°11 of 11
February36°9°-14°54°11 of 11
March43°20°-6°66°11 of 11
April55°27°6°69°11 of 11
May62°39°11°79°7 of 11
June78°50°35°88°0 of 11
July82°55°47°89°0 of 11
August79°53°47°86°0 of 11
September75°48°21°85°1 of 11
October62°35°10°74°8 of 10
November49°25°-8°63°10 of 10
December36°9°-8°54°10 of 10

Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.

Nearby campgrounds

All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-06-18. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.