Estes Park Campground at East Portal is a popular camping destination located near the charming town of Estes Park, Colorado. Situated at the entrance to the magnificent Rocky Mountain National Park, this campground offers a unique camping experience with its stunning natural surroundings and easy access to a variety of outdoor activities. Whether you're seeking a peaceful retreat or an adventurous exploration of the park, Estes Park Campground at East Portal has something to offer everyone.
Environment: Estes Park Campground at East Portal is nestled amidst a mature blend of Ponderosa and Lodgepole pines, interspersed with groves of Aspens, creating a picturesque and tranquil setting. The campground is located at an elevation of 8,300 feet, offering stunning views of the snow-covered peaks within Rocky Mountain National Park. The proximity to the East Portal Reservoir adds to the scenic beauty of the area and provides opportunities for water-based recreation.
Services and Facilities: Estes Park Campground at East Portal offers a range of services and facilities to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable:
Activities and Features: There are plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stay at Estes Park Campground at East Portal:
Campground Promotion Information:
Estes Park Campground at East Portal offers a remarkable camping experience for those seeking a tranquil and scenic getaway in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. With its variety of activities, stunning views, and convenient location near Estes Park and the national park entrance, it's the perfect place to create lasting memories with loved ones.
Onsite services
Picnics
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom
RV camping
RV electric hookup
RV water hookup
Hiking
Gender-neutral restroom
Picnic tables
Public restroom
Public shower
Restroom
Running water
Slides
Swings
Tent sites
Camping fee
Credit cards
Debit cards
Good for kids
Kid-friendly hikes
Playground
On-site parking
Paid street parking
Dogs allowed
We have stayed at the East Portal a number of times over the last decade (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2024) and always enjoyed it. Our most recent stay was about a week ago. We tent camp but still enjoy having flush toilets and a hot shower so it’s a nice compromise for us. They now have three (3) bathroom/shower locations so it’s pretty close for carrying dishes to wash or making a trip to the bathroom (headlamp recommended after dark). The bathrooms are by no means luxurious but are reasonably clean and well maintained. The tent sites each have a picnic table, bear proof storage, and campfire pit with a cooking grate. Firewood and extra ice can be purchased when you check in. They have upgraded their picnic tables from wood to metal which has been nice (sometimes the wood tables were warped and uneven) and I’m glad to see they finally put in bear proof storage at every site. This was not always there and was long overdue. A lot of tent sites now have a built up level site which is also greatly appreciated. The hosts have always been friendly and the other campers respect the quiet hours 99% of the time. **The only negative we have experienced was on this last trip and it was atypical based on our past experiences. That being said, we had someone steal our firewood during the night. I was woken up between 3-4am by continuous footsteps and what appeared to be a headlamp near our tent. I thought it was someone getting up exceptionally early to enter the park before time entry is required (prior to 5am) and making a number of trips to the bathroom and cleaning dishes. In the morning, all of our firewood bundles were gone. Based on that experience, I would not recommend leaving ANYTHING out while you are away from camp OR at night. Always a bad apple out there somewhere I guess**. Overall, we would definitely camp here again as this was the only time we had an issue and hopefully it was just a one off.
I highly recommend coming here if you are looking for a quiet campground with some amenities. 1) small trailers/popups/tents only 2) advance reservations are required 3) sites are very uneven, so be prepared for leveling 4) city water hookups, 30 amp electric available, and on site dump station 5) showers are available and are free with camping 6) the only critique is that there is no recycling so that was like stepping back in time to the 1970s. That should be quite embarrassing for management. Maybe half of the trash in the dumpster was recyclables. You will likely see wildlife in the campground. The playground is the best I have ever seen at a campground!
Our camping experience here was great. The location is perfect while being close to the town of Estes park with plenty of shops/food/coffee and only 10min from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The campground is quiet, has friendly staff and very clean. The updated shower house was a plus with hot water and a large sink outside for dishwashing. You can also hike into the park straight from the campground.
This is a wonderful campground! Nice hosts, a playground, quite a bit of shade, perfect distance from Estes and RMNP! Hot showers and clean bathrooms. We stayed in 48 which did have a kind of steep hill, but was still great l.
Great place to stay. We were there for three nights in our custom class C 19ft and enjoyed the grounds, staff,and access to the park/trails. The bathrooms were clean, the store stocked, ,and wildlife a plenty. The new playground was a hit for our kiddo.