This is probably the best park in Durango. It is set back at least 250 meters from busy road US 550. The pull-through sites are gravel, level and well maintained. The nightly rate is steep but not uncommon for the Durango area. We frequently visit the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado and prefer to stay in equally nice parks for much less cost near Montrose, Dolores and Cortez. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We loved this park! It's well-staffed with friendly, helpful people. Whatever you need, you only need ask and they will help you find it. Loved the dog "pasture" a very nice amenity to have such a large off-leash area for the dogs. The park is very well-maintained and it's a great location. We hope to be back next year! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Generally speaking okay park if you are of the "older" generation. Washing of motorhome/vehicle allowed with charge of $10.00. They do not like you to leave ANYTHING out even if you are outside using it. You will be told to put it away. Campsites are tight. If you have slide outs, you will be in your neighbors slide out room. Rates are extremely high for what you get. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We got here this afternoon and were greeted at the stop sign and immediately led to the site - can check in later. Wow. Site was fine but no shade. Roads can be tight as are some spaces - like ours. Pool looks to be more hot tub size. We like Wi-Fi - we don't live on the computer; too busy doing other things, but when a place says it has Wi-Fi one expects it to work in a reasonable fashion. I kept having issues and called the office. Oh yeah, there are a dozen people on right now so you will have a problem. Best you try very early in the morning or very late at night, I am told. Kind of like - yeah, we know it is bad, but take it or leave it. Attitude issue to be sure. Will have some time tomorrow and will check out another park down the road; we are only here a couple of days but would not come back again or recommend it. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
An immaculate and well run park. We stayed for 5 days and the only downside were the seasonal mosquitoes. We will stay at this park again. FYI: Verizon 3G Internet data worked flawlessly here, but ATT wireless voice was dismal. We camped here in a Motorhome.
When we stopped in here last month and made our reservations for this month we were told we'd be in one site and when we got there we were put in another and basically told to like it or lump it. We were unable to use our satellite because of this. Not that big a deal, but the bait and switch was at best, tacky. They do have cable, but it's very limited. The Wi-Fi is terrible. They must only have bandwidth for 2 people to be on at the same time. On the upside, this campground is very quiet and while there are lights in the park, they are fairly unobtrusive. There are many campgrounds in the Durango area and I think we'll make another choice next time around. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here mainly because it was the only campground near Durango with cable. The cable was very limited with only about 10 channels. The campground is well maintained and the hosts are friendly and helpful for the most part. The Wi-Fi is slow at times. The campground is usually full. There are nice views of the surrounding mountains from some of the sites. Overall, we were fairly pleased with our stay except for some persistent barking dogs which annoyed my husband. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Don't make a reservation here under any circumstances! I had health problems and could not complete our trip therefore I canceled 72 hours prior. They still refused stating that if I had made a 5 day reservation I would have to cancel 5 days in advance. I plan to return to Durango next year but it will definitely not be here. Their attitude was uncompromising and non-negotiable. Don't deal with these folks. There are too many decent campgrounds in that area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Great staff and friendly park! All facilities are nicely maintained and clean. Wi-fi is very weak. Parking is tight and tow vehicle had to park away from 5th wheel. Great fenced dog walk area. We would return again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We spent 3 nights here, and wished we could have stayed longer. Staff: great! Sites: level, clean, spacious, many with shade. Pet area: best I have ever seen, a huge field, completely fenced in. 2 miles north of the town of Durango. Spectacular drive to the north to Black Canyon of the Gunnison outside of Montrose, 3 high passes to climb, so made it a day trip without the trailer. Wifi and cell can be spotty depending on location within the park. Loved it! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Terrific campground a few miles from Durango. Beautiful views of the mountians. Very well maintained place. We stayed a week and noticed many other big rigs doing the same. Good wifi. The only thing that bothered us is that when we made the reservation we were told we would be in a premium site with lots of grass and a good view. We ended up in a premium site with nothing but gravel. The campground was not flexible in changing sites. Not sure why as there were plenty of other sites open. Even with that we would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nicely maintained park. Big-rig front sites are in open flat field; back sites climb a hill under big trees and are hard to get level. Good laundry. Karaokee some nights. Outside of town; need car. Stayed a week. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Alpen Rose is a very nice park with an extremely friendly staff. The sites are roomy and accessible and the views are excellent. It's just far enough north of Durango that you're not in the crowds but can still be in town in five minutes. The dog run area is a few fenced acres (no kidding) so dogs of all sizes and energy can romp. The showers, bathrooms and laundry were very well maintained and worked well. Wi-Fi was easy and fast. Highway noise was negligible. Bonus!...the narrow gauge train runs right across the road from the park. It was a beautiful spot and we will definitely stay there again when in the Durango area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great place. Good views. Couple miles from Durango. Immaculate bathrooms, roomy showers, lots of hot water. Super nice management. Highly recommend. Will stay here again when in Durango. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice enough campground situated 2 miles north of town. Clean and well maintained. Seems to be somewhat overpriced for the setting since there is absolutely no shade in the front part of the park and the amenities are clean but just basic. Also, like so many other campgrounds that we have been to that advertise free wi-fi, they have it and you can connect to it, but because of low bandwidth, it is mostly unusable. So, if you are like us and need to have reliable internet access every few days, then stay away from this park, or just go the town library and hook up there. If you don't need internet access, then this is a nice place to stay in Durango, but there are others to choose from. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Friendly (and in our case, helpful) management. Lots of room between adjacent sites. Very pleasant and quiet surroundings in a valley about 2 miles north of Durango. We'd definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a beautiful place to stay. The campground is situated about two miles North of Durango, so it is convenient if you want to ride the train or go to Mesa Verde. It is surrounded by red rock hills and is just beautiful and very well maintained. The bathrooms are spotless. The staff was very helpful. When we first arrived, the camper next door said we would not be able to have our dog outside because his wife was afraid of dogs. We went to the office and told them about it and they moved us immediately. They also have a nice system where they meet you at the gate when you first arrive, and if you have a reservation, they guide you to your site and ask you to register after you get settled. They have a five acre fenced area at the front where your dog can run. If I was going to say anything negative about the place, it would be that they have mostly side by side hookups. But they seemed to try to leave space wherever possible. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Very nice park just off of Hwy. 550. We came in from the North (we started out from Montrose, CO.) and let me tell you that was one hairy ride to the summit. Very narrow roads with no shoulders or guardrails. So, when we arrived at the Alpen Rose it was a welcoming sight!! Pretty park with lots of grass between the pull thru sites. Awesome views of the mountains and right next to the park is a pasture with horses. Some sites are shaded and others are out in the open. There are back-in sites towards the rear of the park with lots of shade trees. Site was level, plenty of room for all the slide outs and awning. Cell phone, Aircard and Satellite all had good reception. Wifi signal was low where we were located so I just used the Aircard. They have a game room, laundry, pool and they also have a group pavilion for get togethers. Propane is sold on site and the office/store had a few RV things and soda, ice cream, and other various goodies. Our price was for a pull thru, 30 amp site with a “goodwill” discount. I would have given the park a 10 if it wasn’t for the road noise. Ask for a site near the rear of the park if you don’t need a pull thru, it should be much quieter there. We would most definitely stay here again! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful park, super friendly and helpful staff. Super clean restrooms, large laundry facility. Plently of room for big rigs and satellite reception in front area only. Traffic noise is tolerable with very little later in evening. Close to town and other scenic areas. Highly recommend for your next stay! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This park is several miles north of Durango on US-550. Getting to the park from the south required a trip through Durango itself, but US-500 is a wide 4-lane road with no challenges for big rigs. Access to the park is relatively easy, as it is identified by a large sign at the road. From the south, there is no left turn lane and traffic can be heavy at times, so caution is needed. Check-in was efficient and staff is quite friendly and accommodating (most are work-campers). At all but the busiest of times, site escorts meet incoming traffic and bring rigs with reservations directly to their site without needing to go in the office first. This park was built in several sections. All interior roads are gravel and sites are gravel or rock, with varying sizes available. The area behind the office is all smaller, shaded sites with a mixture of angled pull-thrus and back-ins in the 20-35’ range. The area in the front/right is newer with better satellite access and larger spaces handling big rigs in a combination of angled pull-thrus and back-ins. The newest area, to the front/left, is large, well-spaced right-angle pull-thrus with a crushed rock base. Throughout the park, most sites share hook-ups with a neighbor, so patios rarely have to look at the neighbor’s connections. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the park. The park owners have recently fenced and mowed a large (1 acre+) field adjacent to the highway for use as an excellent dog run. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great views staff was great and the best breakfast in town. Golf was outstanding and the wildlife was beautiful and all over the place. They also have a 4 plus acre dog run fenced. Great place. We camped here in a Motorhome.
After spending 4 nights in the N.F. outside of Silverton we stumbled upon Alpen Rose with no reservation and 2 tired boys. From the moment Gerald Connors greeted us in his golf cart we felt at home. They gave us a space in the shade and made us feel at ease. We had a tasty breakfast the next morning and did all of our laundry. My 4 year old son and I caught a fine rainbow trout from the trout pond (3.50) that fed us all for lunch. We decided to stay an extra night and were able to go out and enjoy Durango. I will stay here again and wish all the staff at Alpen Rose my best. We are a young family in an Airstream and sometimes feel out of place at RV parks,but we found the Alpen Rose friendly and warm. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We actually never got to camp there because we made our reservation several months in advance in order to secure a premium spot. I was told over the phone by their employee what our site number was, what the deposit amount was and that she would make a note in the computer not to move us. She promised me that we would not be moved especially because we were paying for a premium spot. I just happened to call them this week to change our arrival date by one day and they had moved us to a non-premium spot which is out in an open meadow. She denied ever having the conversation with me about the premium spot even though my credit card was charged for a premium amount and I had the spot number written down. I tried to talk to the manager about the situation and he would not even let me talk to him. He refused to listen to my problem and said he didn't believe me because they don't hold specific spots. This was after his employee told me twice that there was a box they could check in their computer that said "do not move." He refused to refund my whole deposit even though they made the error. They charged us a $10 cancellation fee when this was not our fault. He was very rude to me, raised his voice, wouldn't let me explain which is very poor customer service. I told him I would have my husband call and speak with him instead and he said "I don't care if you have Jesus himself call me!!" and he hung up on me. After this experience and speaking to others who have stayed there and had a horrible experience with the management we will never give them our business. Just thought others needed to know what they might be dealing with. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great park, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Cable tv was great, clean laundry facilities, really one of the nicest, friendliest places we've stayed. Would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is only 2 miles north of Durango. We had a pull through sight that allowed us to actually enter without unhooking. Very friendly staff in office. You can choose wide open or shaded sites. We will definitely return in the future. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice place. Beautiful views and only a couple of miles north of Durango. Management is very helpful and likable. I will go back. This is a good place. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We use this park every year for a week and feel comfortable here. There's lots of room in most of the spaces and the view of the mountains can't be beat. On the negative side, we have noticed that the gravel in the rv pads are getting very thin, the pads are not level anymore and the upkeep around the premium spaces is bad. It rained during our stay and the leveler started to sink. We asked for more gravel and was told, "No". We camped here in a Motorhome.
Stayed in preium pads. Good view of train. Great view of country side. 5 miles out of town. We have stayed there several times, not great but real nice. Off of 550 so real close to mines and many off road trails, and great hikeing. River walk a must in spring. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice place, just got stuck in a bad site. Don't let them put you right behind the bath house and it might be a great campground. Seemed really friendly, but would not even consider moving us, even though there were other spots available during our stay. We were there for a week and others that were there for one night got better spots. Will not stay there again. Hard to get TV reception with all the trees, but cable worked so it was all right in the end. Well maintained place and friendly staff, just not eager to help if you wanted a better spot. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Excellent park. Gravel and level. Not sure what other posts are complaining about. Can listen to train toot on way to and from Silverton. WIFI is a little weak, but we were farthest site from office. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nice park in a resort area--the sites are gravel, but the campground is well maintained. It is about 5 miles outside of Durango and right off the highway; but road noise is not an issue. The Durango-Silverton Railroad runs parallel to the highway, so you can take pictures, if desired. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We loved the park and all it's amenities. The staff who worked here were very accommodating to us, especially when we wanted to extend our stay from a week to unknown. Did I also mention we arrived a day earlier. The park was full with 2 big groups coming in, they found a spot that was 30 amp vs. 50 amp. which was a back in, but it was great. Fortunately for us a workkamper had just left. We would stay here in the future and I definitely would refer Alpen Rose to others. We moved twice in order to stay here. There is also a little fishing pond with trout. The location of the park was perfect for all our excursions. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Staff was very nice and friendly, but we were a little disappointed with the quality of the campground. The spaces were very close together and muddy. It took some time to level out the trailer. The scenery is great, but the park needs a little maintenance. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Clean and FRIENDLY, I even asked about the grumpy owner others have referred to. I applaud the owner for not putting up with horses patoot's! We will stay here again next year. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I would like to echo all the nice things said about this park. One word descriptions to keep it brief: friendly, clean, quiet, good dog walk, good WiFi, etc... I find it amazing that when I go to these nice parks, there is always someone who has a review that seems to say nothing but derogatory info. You just can't make everyone happy, I guess. I like this park and next time I am driving through Durango and Colorado, I will be back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
What a great place to stay while touring the Durango/Silverton area. This is one of the prettiest areas of the country. The park was very clean and the owners are super friendly with a very friendly and helpful staff. We couldn't have been happier staying here and our dog loved the big grassy pasture lot adjacent to the camping area where he could get lots of exercise within a safe fenced area. We definitely plan to return to this RV park in the future. The Durango/Silverton steam trains blow their steam whistles in the morning (not too early) which really adds to the overall great experience at Alpen Rose. Highly recommended. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
When we booked our reservation at Alpen Rose, we requested a “big rig site” because my coach is 40 feet long and I’m towing a car so my total length is 65 feet. We ended up in a site that was too small to accommodate our needs and one that was flooded and very muddy. The site was so tight that the slide topper awning on my driver’s side slide was overhanging the awning of my neighbor! We kindly requested help from the manager, but got thrown out for “being complainers”. Here are the details of our story… I'm a professional marketing support engineer with 40 years experience in dealing with the public. and a strong Christian who believes in treating everyone with kindness and respect. I tell you this so you’ll know how I’ve been trained in dealing with people over my past 40 year career. When we checked into Alpen Rose RV Park in Durango, I noticed that my campsite was flooded with several inches of water because of the recent heavy rains. I did NOT complain or even say a word of the mud or flooding at check-in. After a couple of days, I kindly mentioned in passing to the desk person that "If it might be possible to spread a couple of buckets of gravel around my electric and water hookups, I'd surely appreciate it because the mud there is really bad". The next night we had another very hard rain, and I asked the desk person if it was OK for me to park my car in the empty site next to mine because the place where I was parking was blocked by a new coach that pulled in next to me and the rest of my site was flooded under several inches of water. The lady at the desk was courteous and said "OK". The next morning, the campground manager drove to my site and told me that I'm not permitted to park in that site and that I must move. I told him that I had permission from the front desk because of the extreme flooding to park there and that since the site I was parked in was flooded it was unlikely anyone would be camping there anyway. Then I went up to the camp office to buy some postcards and rent a movie. I mentioned to the lady at the desk that "when I pay $250 a week for camping, I don't expect perfection, but I do expect a site with gravel and no mud". The campground manager then walked in the office and proceeded to "rake me over the coals". He said that I had been doing nothing but complaining since the day we arrived, and that he wanted me to leave immediately. I explained to him that actually it was the guy in the coach next to me that had been doing all the complaining and he was moved to a different site because of his "complaining". The manager then made several unfounded accusations against me and then when I attempted to explain, he called me a liar. He charged me for the 3 nights stay at the daily premium rate of $45 a day and forced me to take a refund for the rest of the week. I told him we just wanted to stay there and finish our week. He was extremely rude and demanded that I leave the property immediately. Then, to top it all off, after 90 minutes, he drives by my campsite in a golf cart (as we are packing up the coach) and yells to me in a loud voice so all the neighbors would hear that "If I'm not gone in 10 minutes, he was calling the police and filing charges of trespassing!" YIKES! Holy Moses! This guy was undoubtedly the most rude and crude campground manager I've ever met. I have never in all my 10 years of camping ever been treated in such a rude and unprofessional way. We left there and we will never be going back. I would never recommend that any of my friends ever stay there, and I strongly suggest that you don’t stay there either. Read the other “1” rated review and you’ll see that my experience is not an isolated one, but this manager has a long history of this kind of rude treatment of customers. As we drove to Cortez, my wife and I finally realized why all the employees there seemed to have such an obvious attitude problem. Now we know it is a reflection of this manager who has no idea of how to treat a customer and build repeat business through customer loyalty. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I will be returning to this park. The staff was very friendly, the sites clean and spacious with shade. Durango is a wonderful town and this is the park to stay at while visiting. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Family friendly, clean, quiet, and friendly neighbors and staff. Huge grassy dog walking area. Although there were no bags for pet clean up and no garbage by dog walking area. Just a few miles North of Durango and 30 minutes south of Purgatory Mountain. For 10$ a day they will walk your dog twice a day while you go into town. Nice general store. The sites in the back have more shade than those in front. Our only complaint was that we were asked not to flush our sewer tanks for the night as they were working on the main sewer system. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice campground convenient to Durango. It was raining when we arrived - someone met us in a golf cart and took us straight to our site. Since we had reservations, they told us not to worry about "checking in" until after the rain stopped (which was very nice). Some of the sites are very close to each other and the big rig sites have very little shade, but the upside is you can get a satellite signal. They have a a very small pool, small swing set, volleyball net, and basketball hoop for the kids; and a nice big area to walk the dog. They have a dog walking service if you would like to take an all day excursion (which the train is, by the way). For $10, they walked our dog twice. We will return to this campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really enjoyed the park. Especially our premium site 70 which featured a private grass lawn and good satellite reception. Great breakfast offered. Wifi was a little funky and unreliable. Supposedly a new system. Great location overall. Only negative is all of the dust from campground traffic. Hope to stay again sometime. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Continues to be one of our favorite stop-overs, once in the Spring and again in the Fall going to & from the West Coast. Pricey but we requested one of the "big rig" sites and got exactly what we asked for, including WiFi. However, we always seem to return to the places that make us happy. In fact, we changed our original route back just for the privilege of enjoying two of the best restaurants in town: Ariano's and the Mahogany Grille. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We used this as a stop while visiting friends in the area. We were escorted to our site, which was gravel and level. It was a bit of a walk to get to the restrooms, showers, and laundry. This was the most expensive stay during our trip. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really enjoyed this campground. We were surrounded by big, beautiful mountains and were able to see the Durango-Silverton Railroad from our rig. The campground was clean and well maintained. The staff was very friendly. Can't wait to go back! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2006
$34
We enjoy staying at this park. Staff is pleasant and helpful. The sites in the trees are closer together, cooler as they are shaded, can be a challenge to get your rig level and you may not be able to dial in satellite signal. The livestock odor from the north side can be a factor. The week we were there, they were working on the game room and had it closed- kids saw this as a negative. We will probably ask for a site in the open area next time as these sites are a little larger- not as cramped feeling. Still one of the nicest parks available in Durango. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
After researching RV Parks and making reservations in April for a month stay beginning July 1, 2006 at the Alpen Rose RV Park in Durango, CO we were really looking forward to our first RV experience. Upon arriving our 35' motorhome was put in a spot that would not totally accomodate it. We could not open our awning and we had to retract our main slide in order to get in to the storage bins. We notified the staffers about this the next morning and asked if there was another site available. We were told that there wasn't any at the time, but to check back the next day as they were always getting cancellations. We did that and were then told that while there might be other sites available it was very difficult to change their computer system and move people around. We asked if we could speak to a manager and they replied that the managers were busy getting preparations done for the 4th of July picnic and could we possibly come back on the 5th. We said okay and attended the picnic which was very nice. We also felt that the park overall was very nice, just not the space that we were put in. On the 5th, we asked if there was a manager available and they said not at the moment. We then asked for a manager to come to our site. When no one came that day, on the morning of the 6th we left a note on the front door of the camp store. Around 8:30am a man named Bob who identified himself as the manager came to our site. We explained our problems and he immediately called us complainers and told us to get out by 11am. We explained that we did not want to leave but simply wanted to work with them on getting a better site since we were going to be there a month. He finally replied that he was refunding our money and that "they didn't need people like us" at their park. This being our first experience we put our tail between our legs and left. It was impossible to find another campground in the Durango area so we had to go 60 miles to Pagaosa Springs, CO. We know that all of the reviews for Alpen Rose are extremely favorable, but please be careful when attempting to deal with an unfavorable situation. Most other campers that we have talked to were flabbergasted at what happened to us. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We loved this campground. Staff was all very helpful, friendly, and accommodating. We had a pull through site in the trees and it was so nice and idyllic. The site was big enough for our 37' motorhome and our Jeep tow vehicle. Cable at the site. There is a great store that is very well stocked. They have a wonderful pancake breakfast and on July 4th they had a cookout with everyone bringing something. We had not booked our site for the night of the 4th and we really wanted to stay a day longer. They worked very hard to find us another site for that night. It took some work, but they did it. I can think of no negatives for this campground. Location to Durango is great, views of the surrounding mountains are stellar. Very clean and well kept campground with reasonable rates. Will stay here again and again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice campground depending on your site. Some sites have shade trees and other larger pull thru sites are out in the "flat lands" closer to the hwy. We had a beautiful end spot but others were in close together sites with very uneven surfaces. WiFi was intermittent. Workkampers went from very friendly to rude. They definitely don't like having to move you around in the the park, just too difficult to deal with the computer. Not great customer service in the office. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Decent, friendly, well-managed park. Experienced Workampers keep returning season after season so must like the owners/mgrs. Asked for & got ned site of Big Rig row but WiFi (free) signal seemed to be weaker when more RVs were in spaces between our site and the Office. Sudden wind gusts kept awnings in most times. Winds from a certain direction reminded us of the pastoral setting with horses in the fields surrounding us. Still, we stayed 2 wks and enjoyed the park's hospitality and complimentary popcorn! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is by far the best park we have visited. While the area around Durango is know for its majestic mountains and narrow gauge railroad. The park is situated in Animas River valley pasture land, off-set by red rock clifts. The picture used on the web site does not do this park justice. Staff is outstanding, and the morning all you can breakfast is the best deal around. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice place. We also stumbled on this place without a reservation, and then spent 3 nights here. We appreciated the dog walking service. For a fee one of the park ladies came to our trailer twice during the day and walked our two dogs while we took the train to Silverton. I'd stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We made reservations by calling just a few days in advance and were fortunate enough to get a site (beginning July 4). We wound up staying 9 nights -- while we waited for parts and had warranty service work done on our fiver. The people in the office were extremely friendly and helpful. We ended up playing "musical sites" because we kept going back to the office to add a couple of more nights each time we'd talk to the service manager about the status of our axles. Each time, the park staff found an empty site that was suitable. We were so glad we had a comfortable place to stay! The office personnell frequently asked us how things were going. One evening, when walking back to our site from the pool, a staffer picked my son up and gave him a ride because he was carrying his shoes. He was thrilled! The pool was wonderful -- very warm! The biggest negative I can think of is the wifi, while free, is spotty. Not all parts of the park get a decent connection. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2005
$34
Great staff. Very helpful and friendly. They helped us a lot with planning and reservations for activities during our stay. All lots were nice and level, some shaded and some in the open. The pool area was clean and well kept. Store was well stocked. We just stumbled on this campground without reservations, but plan to visit again on our next trip. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Not a bad place!! The campground was nice and the staff great. They have free wifi and the sites are good size. We will stay here again!! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great for the off season. We were told that rigs can be stacked up 4 or 5 deep waiting for cancellations during the summer, so reservations a must. Huge dog walking area, great for our 3 dogs. Very clean and friendly. Perhaps a little pricey, but worth it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
There are many side by side sites that are not shaded ( good for Sat reception). The park
is well maintained and the view is nice. The sites are O.K. Some side by side sites share a grill. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2004
$34
Overall a very nice park with many amenities and a very friendly and helpful staff. The only negatives we found were that the cable was horrible and we couldn't get a Sat. signal due to being under many trees and the advertised fishing pond was a very nasty mosquito infested puddle that was closed off anyway. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2002
$28
Sites run a full range: some shady, some sunny, some cramped, some not cramped. Location of the campground very convenient and easy to find. Separate room for computers and internet use. Breakfast available; very nice laundry and bathrooms. The best point of the campground is the staff--the friendliest and most helpful I've come across in all my years of camping. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
2001
$30
Sites are long pull thrus. Most have decent size front area with grass. One draw back is that your neighbors RV back is about 2 ft from your RV back.If you have dogs don't let the wordage on the brochure scare you. It states absolutely no barking will be tolerated. We were afraid one bark might have us kicked out of the place and since we knew we were going into town, we went into the office to figure out what we could do. The lady was very nice and stated that the brochure was a little strong and not to worry. Place was well kept. We camped here in a camper.
This is a bare bones campground. We arrived in Durango with no reservations...called a couple of campground and they were all full. We were told by one of the campgrounds that Cottonwood did have sites available. We called...and the they did. We arrived to be greeted by a very nice lady and her husband. They let us have our pick of the sites... The park is old, and dusty..but quite. The only problem that I had was the price...extremely over priced...but beggars can't be choosers... We would probably not stay here again, but only because of the price... it would be a nice stopping place at about $20 per night. We camped here in a Motorhome.
A really nice KOA and very reasonably priced. It's not a large park. Escorted to our site and also when leaving. Cable TV was excellent as was the Wi-Fi. Very friendly owners. Has an enclosed dog park. Quiet. Spaces were plenty wide with some trees. Our only complaint was that they had a large group coming in and we couldn't stay longer. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a nice KOA. There is a lot for kids to do. Very friendly people running it. We were escorted to our site. Wi-Fi good. Cable good. Well maintained and clean. Sites are not really big but not too small either. Typical KOA site width. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Rate is with a KOA card. Escorted to our site. A nice park with shade and mostly level sites. Locals say they have not had much rain this year, so the area is a little on the brown side. Most of the water is allocated to the farms. This is a little outside of Durango proper, but an easy drive. Currently, the weather is very pleasant. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It is a small campground, but very well maintained with super friendly staff. The pull thru sites were a little hard to get into, but adequate. There are lots of kids activities, ice cream and movies every night, and pancake breakfasts. It is convenient to Mesa Verde and the Durango-Silverton train. The only complaint is that it's very close to the main road and you could hear some road noise. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The staff was very nice upon arrival and escorted us to our site. We spent several nights here. They have an ice cream social and movies nightly. The sites were level and we had lots of shade in the area we were in. The pool and playground were clean. The bathrooms were always clean no matter what time it was, which was nice. The owner makes pizzas nightly and offers free delivery to your site. Not all sites have fire pits, ours didn't, but we were able to use the BBQ grill instead. It was not ideal, but it worked. The location is not far from town. In early morning you could hear some highway noise from where we were, but it wasn't too bad. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice shade. Playground, pool, kids activities and other facilities. Easy to find. Fairly level campingsites. Clean and renovated bathrooms. We camped here in a Motorhome.
While pricey, this place is top notch. Escort to the site, even though it was an easy drive. Help backing in, etc. Asked for next to the bathrooms, and I ended up 20 feet from it. Very helpful staff with clean restrooms and endless hot water. We stayed for two nights. I would return, but I would have to factor in the price with other places, depending on the season as my price is "off" season. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Fairly level dirt and gravel sites. Picnic table and grill at site. Facilities were clean and functional. Electrical connections were toward the front and sewer more toward the back of our site. Rigs with rear electrical connections might have a problem with power cord or sewer hose length. Right next to a busy highway but noise did not seem to be an issue. Playground, swimming pool, and activities. We would stay there again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Previous reviewers are correct in saying that this is a nice park but I think their perspectives (tent trailer and camping cabin) made them a little too easy in giving it 10s. The park has very good facilities (FHU, cable, WI-FI, and a pool). The park layout conforms to the natural setting - hilly terrain, trees, dirt, curvy roads. This could be a problem for big rigs and those who want cement pads and no intrusions by mother nature. The hilltop location affords some nice views of Durango and the surrounding mountains. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Since our trips are usually relatively close to home and quick, we usually stay at KOA campgrounds. The Durango KOA is the best that we have visited. The hosts were friendly and very helpful, excellent pancake breakfasts (omelets on the weekends), heated pool, Wi-Fi worked great, very clean rest rooms and the cleanest showers we've seen at a campground. We stayed here over the July 4th weekend, and went into Durango to see the parade and fireworks (hint, park at the Albertson's grocery store and walk down the river to the small park off of 9th for a great view). We'll definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
I've stayed at other Durango cgs but this one has it all - RV and tent sites, cabins, pool, immaculate restrooms, WiFi, recreation, game room, TV lounge, free nightly movies, dog exercise course, morning pancakes, nightly pizza delivery, and a great view of the city. You can choose from a tree shaded site to a deluxe cabin or park your rig and toad in one of the well prepared pull through sites. Friendly camp workers escort you to your site and then regularly tour the grounds to make sure everyone is happy. Since it's 7 miles from historic downtown, it has a woodsy, state park feel but it's close enough that you can take part in everything Durango has to offer - the narrow gauge railroad, river rafting, horseback riding, and the river trail for biking and hiking. Nearby day trips include the San Juan Skyway, Mesa Verde National Park, gold mine tours, and lots more. I will definitely go back. We camped here in a Campground Cabin.
Very nice campground: especially the river front sites. Not sure why some reviewers were so critical, unless they haven't been to many RV parks. We have been to many and this one rates among the better ones. The facilities were neat and clean and staff was friendly. As for the cost: yes, a bit pricey, but we don't mind paying for a nice campground. We have friends (who also have a lot of RV camping experience) who recommended the park, and they too thought this was a really nice park! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is what I call a broken down park. Sites are terribly small, limited parking, poor layout, very narrow roads and way over priced. They are relying solely on the "river" and that is very limited. Don't waste your money. We camped here in a Motorhome.
we loved this park. WI-FI & phone signals were great, and we had over 50 cable channels. If you have a big rig, go for RV sites 18 through 31. They are level & have more width to them. The other big rig sites were closer together and not as level, but we were still happy with our space. We will definitely come back, but will request the bigger sites. The pool, store, staff and all accommodations were excellent in my opinion. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Our site was on the river and was beautiful. Shower facilities were too few and very small. Good all-you-can-eat breakfast. Staff very nice. Huge complaint about size of sites. We had a back-in that took 20 minutes to get in to. They are so packed together that it was ridiculous. Everyone we talked to complained about the same thing, not enough room and all of the rigs are right on top of each other. We would not go back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground is under new management and ownership. It is in the process of becoming a membership campground. We had camped here before when it was a KOA and we were very happy with it. Now, the sites are smaller and there are more cabins on the river. The river sites are all back in and they are very close together. Our site was so close to our neighbor in fact that our awning was nearly touching their slide out and their sewer connection was under our awning. Yuck! If you are not on the river I would pass this one up. The staff was very nice but I would never pay a yearly fee to camp here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
After reading previous comments, I had to check the web site to be sure we were talking about the same campground. We were there in June and enjoyed it tremendously. The people were extremely friendly and helpful. Our only problem was having to change sites during our stay because of some confusion when booking. We don't have a slide but those on both sides did and we didn't feel cramped at all. We have 2 dogs and there was no problem about them. We plan to stay there again next year. We got a night free for staying over a week. The laundry facilities were great. There was trash pickup. We haven't camped a lot but this place seemed exceptionally nice to us. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We only camped on night here but liked it so much we are coming back next week. The staff was very friendly and helpful and even showed us all the sites so we could pick what we liked. Not all sites are level, but they are working on it as it is under new ownership. The grounds, restrooms and showers are immaculate. The store is well stocked. I found access to the river quite easy for a little fishing. Now the bad news: sites will only be available through Oct. 31,2008. After that, this campground, Durango Riverside Resort, will be membership only. We like this place but it is true that the sites are tight. Don't know what the deal is with membership. Maybe that is why it is in such great condition. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nature lovers are going to thank me for this one! We stopped in here on our way home and were so sad we only had one night to stay! This is formally the KOA North. It is 12 miles North of Durango. If you like to "rough it" in your motorhome or travel trailer, this is the place to be! It is right on the river and well maintained by super friendly staff. Check website (www.durangoriversideresort.com) for full amenities but I saw coffee bar, cafe (I think only used for free pancake breakfast), heated swimming pool, trash pick-up service, nice store with gift shop, cabins for rent, playground, movie of the night poster and of course the spectacular river views. Rates vary based on pull through vs. back in and river proximity. We backed in to a river space and slept with the windows open and enjoyed the sounds of the river 8 foot away all night long. Downsides for those of you who are picky... sites are dirt and are not super level; pets are $5 per day; More than 2 guests per site are charged (even children - see website for fees) and spaces are a little tight to get into. We stayed here in a 37.5' motorhome and got into a 35' back in space. I'm only sharing this park with you because I want it to remain open for years to come so we can go back and enjoy it as it is choice river frontage. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The Aug 06 reviewer must have been paid by the camp to write the review. The restaurant was basically non existent, they overcharged when it was open but that's Durango The food was marginal. It looked like quite a few sites were not level but the management says, what do you expect, it's the mountains. They discouraged fishing in the river and the if you reserved a river site well in advance, you might not get it. The office manager was not very friendly-in fact quite often just rude. It's a potentially wonderful park but it needs some managerial changes and some serious TLC - that's tender loving care. We'll not be back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We were very pleased with this KOA campground outside of Durango. The interior roads are dirt but are well kept, with many shade trees and beautiful views of the mountains. There is a cafe on the premises, serving breakfast, lunch and two nights there were BBQ's available. The personnel could have been a little bit more friendly but we will definitely return to this RV park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is the most useless situation I have even come across. You pay to camp on the Animas River but you are not allowed to fish in the river in the camp area nor is anyone allowed to play in or near the river. And, to boot, the customer service is terrible. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a very neat and clean Koa. When they say it's 12 miles north of Durango their not lying. The pool is heated which is a big plus because it was in the 50's at times when we where there. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Nice campground north of town far enough away from the congestion but close enough to all the conveniences. The Animas River flows through the CG - it was reaching flood stage when we were there but that didn't cause any problem. Great base camp for Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and San Juan Skyway. Didn't see much of the owners/managers, and the cafe, ice cream shop, and movie pavilion weren't open yet. Guess it was too early in the season. Will definitely go back. We camped here in a ?.
Actually, we stayed here in 1999, but the site won't let me choose that option. My purpose in posting this review is to point out that, at least as of Sept. 2006, this CG is no longer listed on the KOA website, and word from friends who have also stayed here is that it has been sold. No word yet on whether it will remain a CG, but in any case is no longer a KOA. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
This park, unfortunately, didn't live up to expectations from previous reviews and from their website. We were taken back by the appearance as we drove in. We thought we had pulled into a junkyard at first, only to find out this was indeed the park. To be fair, there are two entrances, and the north entrance is the one I'm referring to. The south entrance takes you through a "nicer" part of the park. Many permanent residents, and several were in rather old dilapidated trailers. We had to back into our site and our back window overlooked several rusted out 1940's vintage farm trucks and tractors (30 feet away) with grass overgrown around them. There are no bathrooms, showers or laundry here. There also is some kind of oil field facility across the road that runs all night and sounds like a train engine. Very noisy and didn't get much sleep because of it. On the positive side, the owner is very friendly, the sites were level, power good(50 amps). However the water pressure was pretty low. I had to remove my pressure regulator to get what little pressure they did have. Lots of trees, but the sites are pretty close together. In addition, you are almost 15 miles from Durango, so if you're looking to do anything in this part of the state, you're going to have to drive. Next time, we'll spend a little more money to get in Durango, and not having to drive back and forth will probably save money. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a very nice, reasonably priced park. The owners are very nice and accommodating. This is definitely a no-frills park, but the location is convenient, and the price is right! They are open year 'round, so this is a good place to stay when you are skiing at Purgatory. The park is quiet and pleasant. We stay here 2-3 times per year, and we will stay there again in the future. I would rate it higher if there were cable tv. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is the most friendly park we have ever stayed in. The two owners and on site manager are the friendliest down to earth people that have a lot of interesting history and background. The rates are the best anywhere and the location and scenery are great. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We loved this park. Campground hosts were helpful and friendly. They actually cared whether we were satisfied or not. Bathrooms and showers were clean. There was no road noise. Setting was beautiful. Wi-Fi was excellent. The only issue we had was a small one. It was that where our site was was rather crammed. We were too close to our neighbors. But there were trees and brushes between us so there was plenty of privacy. We would be glad to stay here again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Lovely campground with lots of shade and feels more like a State Park, although the stream was dry when we stayed here. The pet park is excellent; a reasonably spacious, fenced in area with obstacle course see-saw and jumps for the smart pups!! Sites were level with nice grassy areas alongside, with cabins dotted between the RV sites. The pool appeared spotless, as was the whole campsite. Very friendly staff help you back into your site, and the campground seemed extremely well run. A small store on site has basic necessities available. We would definitely stay here again when visiting the Durango area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very nice hosts! Escort to the site and they help you to get situated. Several sites not level fore and aft (not a real problem), but ours was perfect side to side. Sewer was a bit far and they provide an extension if you need it. Hosts knowledgeable of area attractions and can make some excellent suggestions! Bring your hummingbird feeder! Lots of other birds to watch too! Our AT&T cell phone didn't work until we walked up the hill to the office. No cable, so bring your dish. Some with fixed dishes had problems with trees, but I had portable and had no problem with reception. Location had minimal road noise, just the wind in the trees and the birds. We will come back again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice quiet park in the woods. Some of the sewage connections are not placed in the best location. However, they have extensions that they will provide for those situations. Most parks won't go to that extent. Staff was very friendly. Pool was clean and the pet park was great for the dogs. Would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This was a very nice park with gravel sites right on lightner creek. The sites were not the most spacious but not cramped either. The park owners are very nice and accommodating. There is plenty of shade and the kids had a great time building rock dams in the creek. The ice cream socials on Tuesday and Friday are a great way to meet other campers and for the kids to make friends as well. We used this campground as a home base to do the Durango-Silverton Steam Train and to hit all of the jeep trails around Silverton, Our, Telluride, and Lake City. The campground is only a few miles from town but makes you feel as if you were in the back country of Colorado. We have a 38.5 foot motorhome and were well accommodated although you want to make sure that you have an 50 to 30 amp adapter if you're in a big rig. With the climate in this area it is no problem to get by with one a/c unit. We stayed for five nights and had a great time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Full marks for beauty. Zero marks for the person who was so unbelievably rude that we cut our stay short and left. I'm happy for those who had a good stay but we would never consider going back nor recommending it to any of our friends. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is the first "10" I've ever given to a campground. We stayed 6 nights in a premium site by the creek (#34). Our site had plenty of room for our hammock, picnic table, lounge chairs, gas grill and hummingbird feeder. Everything in the campground was clean and well-maintained. Our site offered electric/water/sewer and the WiFi was consistent and speedy. An ice cream social was held on Tuesday and Friday nights. The campground is only five minutes from downtown Durango but it borders the San Juan National Forest and there is a nearby trail head for hiking and mountain biking. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Beautiful little camp with a country feel, but only minutes away from Durango. Camp staff were very friendly. Nice pet area. Pull through sites were a little narrow but we were still able to get our slides and canopy out. Our rig was too long to camp next to the creek, but we could still hear it from across the street. We would definitely stay again when traveling this direction. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very pleasant, quiet campground with easy access to Durango. Paved, level sites with trees. Heated pool. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Staff and camp hosts helpful and pleasant. Bathrooms clean, showers comfortably sized. Facility is well maintained. Close enough to town, but definitely has an away from it all feel. Quiet and beautiful. We were alongside the stream. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
May 2009
$34
Nice park a few miles from town. Very quiet area, nestled along a creek. The wi-fi worked only up the hill at the office while we were there, but was told would be in all the campground in a few days. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We have camped here twice so far. Each time we enjoyed very much. This campground has beautiful campsites located along the creek. Make sure to get one of those...they are the best. Sites are not only alone the creek, but nestled in-between trees...and very shady sites. The pool is fine, and the restrooms are clean. I highly recommend this campground for families. We camped in a Travel Trailer. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Thanks to this web site I found this park for a 5 night stay. Toward the end of the season for tourism in Durango (I was told) so I had a back in, stream spot with very few "neighbors" for my stay. My site #4 didn't have sewer which was the only down side. The owners/staff were all very nice and helpful. The bathrooms were the cleanest I have seen in an rv park. Laundry room was also extremely clean but up the hill and not very convenient. Wifi worked well but tv reception was all but non existant. Enjoyed my stay. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Sites were very close together, but very shady and right on the stream (price is $4 extra for a stream site). My boys fished outside our back window and caught a few small brown trout. There are many lakes close by as well, so they had a great time. It was tough to get into our space since it was a back-in location, but they provide spotters to help, so we got in there pretty quickly. On-site staff is very friendly and very helpful. Mr. Barnett helped us find some area lakes for fishing and gave us some tips on lures and bait. We would definitely camp here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice place, beautiful setting. Sites are too close together, and it's rather expensive. Small picnic table, no grill or fire ring, and only a dozen feet from our neighbor's sewer pipe when sitting down to dinner. Still, the people running the place couldn't be better. From the guy at the front desk letting me dig through his change looking for state quarters, to the workamper couple who let me into the pool early to find the ring my daughter lost, everyone was very customer oriented, so maybe the fees were worth it. The WiFi was a very strong signal. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great Park! We had a site on the stream, (price reflects stream site). From check-in to departure, the owners and staff go out of their way to ensure you are comfortable. There is no cable (one local channel out of Albuq.) and we were unable to get the satellite tuned in due to the trees and mountain setting. WiFi (free) worked great from our site. Pool was clean and refreshing. Restrooms were clean. We did not use the laundry. Sites are larger than most parks in Durango area. If you are looking for quiet, mountain setting, this is the park to stay in Durango. Will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really liked this campground for the closeness to Durango and Mesa Verde. The staff was very helpful and friendly. They escort and help you set up at your site. We had a pull-thru and was very level. The roads were all paved. There is only one TV channel but the WIFI was the fastest we had in our western travels. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We arrived on 4th of July and the owners were very helpful. When you arrive they escort you to your site and even help you set up! The owners also helped us find out where the fireworks show would be in Durango and were to see them best. The kid were welcome here as well. We liked the fact the campground was not near the highway and it was in a beautiful and quiet setting.When we left some of the staff helped my husband hookup the trailer while I was finishing laundry.We have a tricky hitch. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I have to say this was the most enjoyable camping trips I've been on in awhile. The owners have been wonderful from the beginning of reserving the sites to our stay. Our extended family (16) stayed here and couldn't stop complimenting the campground as well as the location. In fact, we are planning on coming back next year! We had narrowed our choices to 3 campgrounds in Durango and after seeing them, we were glad we chose this one! The pool, restrooms and the office are all well maintained. The creek added a nice ambiance to our evenings while looking at the surrounding mountains. If you're going to Durango, stay here and you won't be disappointed. The Kent Clan. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This experience was close to perfect! Great owners, view, restrooms, stream, and the surroundings were fantastic. Highly recommend!! This is a true gem! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We loved the secluded feeling of the park. But was close to town. The owners were very friendly and helpful. Not very good TV reception. The WiFi hookup was excellent. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really enjoyed our stay at this campground. From the moment we pulled onto the property, we felt like we were at friends. The host’s escort you to your site and ensure you have everything needed. Then a number of times each day, the hosts and owner came around keeping the park clean as well as friendly discussion. The pool was clean. If you are able to get a creek site, these are similar to a state park with vegetation between you and your neighbor. The hummingbirds were abundant- we had to fill 2 feeders each day. The only reason for not rating this park a 10 is there is no cable and your satellite wont work due to the mountains. You can pick up 1 local channel with your antenna. There is no WiFi but you can connect to a modem at the office area. This is the nicest campground in Durango. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a great campground. While some of the sites might have the electric box for the site next to you under your awning it was really no problem. It is so quiet and peaceful. The owners and camp workers are first class and some of the friendliest people you would ever meet. The sites are clean and the restrooms and showers are immaculate. They even have a dog walking service if you plan to be gone for the whole day. Highly recommend the Lightner Creek Campground in Durango, CO. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a wonderful campground! It is located in a quiet valley that is just minutes away from Durango. The owners, Cheryl and Joe, are gracious hosts. There are several very nice host couples who guide you to your site, tour the area to see if there is anything to be done, keep the campground meticulously neat, or stop for a friendly talk. A previous review notes that not all campsites are created equal, but we were satisfied with ours, and most are very nice, if somewhat close together. Other guests are sociable, and we enjoyed the ice cream social. This is definitely a destination campground; we stayed for over a week. The only thing missing was a WiFi connection. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Lightner Creek is one of my favorite campgrounds in the U.S.! The staff/owners are exceptional and the camp hosts are great. The modern bathrooms are ultra clean. The park is small, but it is and cozy. Our site was by the stream which was very enjoyable. I love the paved roads. The great thing about Lightner Creek Campground is that it is secluded, yet right near Durango. It is also convenient for visiting Mesa Verde National Park. There are no seasonal or permanent residents except for the camp hosts. We will visit Lightner Creek everytime we pull west! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We had a wonderful time at the park, excellent staff, clean and well maintained facility. My granddaughter enjoyed the heated pool and watching the Hummingbirds. The park even followed up with a thank you card for staying with them. I would highly recommend this park if you want to get out of a RV PARKING LOT and stay in a wonderful family place with a great view. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Can't say enough good things about this CG. It is well off of the highway and nice and quiet. Owners are terrific people as are their workampers. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The RV park is nicer than most of the other parking lot styled "campgrounds" in the Durango area. The photos on their website are misleading in that you are not separated all that much from your neighbors. The camp hosts are exceptional from the time you arrive until you leave, very helpful and knowledgable about the area. They do not have a dog run area to use so that people let their dogs poop whereever they want and you need to hope they clean it up. This needs improvement. There are sites for any type of camping from tents to big motorhomes and should please anyone staying in the Durango area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Wonderful campground, used it as a base for going to Silverton, Ouray and Mesa Verde. We had a stream side site which was very private. The owners were very friendly and helpful. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The owners and employees of this campground are wonerful and very helpful. The only reason why I didn't give it a 10 is that no campfires are allowed. I was told this is because of all of the on and off restrictions placed on campfires in the area by the forest service. None of the campgrounds in the Durango area allow campfires. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2004
$40
Loved this campground. Hummingbirds were awesome! Not a parking lot type of campground. This is why I bought the trailer. Great place to use as a base camp or just to relax. Enjoy the town by day and watch the stars at night. Wish we lived closer to so we could go every year. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Very nice campground 5 miles from Durango. Peaceful and quiet in a pleasant setting. Some sites are outstanding, some are poor, so check the site before moving in. The sewer hookups use a non-standard connection, and are also a very long way from the site (you may need an extension). We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2000
$25
An excellent campground, probably the best in the Durango area. Beautiful valley full of trees for shade, with some open sites as well. Paved interior roads. A stream runs thru the campground, several sites are streamside. There are several bath houses/restrooms, all immaculately clean. There's a separate area for larger rigs with pull thrus, and there are camping cabins also available. There is also a lodge with lodge rooms available. The facilities are all nicely laid out, although the entry/exit is a bit steep, but not a detriment. The swimming pool is located away from the camping area, allowing for quiet in the campground area. The entire area is away from the hustle and bustle of Durango, yet very easy to get into town -- less than 5 miles from the Durango-Silverton Railroad. The owners and staff are wonderful, and very knowledgeable about events in the Durango area, to include arts, crafts, and museums. A wonderful place to stay, very family friendly! We camped here in a camper.
This campground is a find! There are lots of shade trees, it is clean, the staff is friendly and the best part is that the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs right through the park and offers great photo opportunities. We had a little trouble getting the trailer level but the site is large enough to have a picnic table and room for our chairs. You are a bit close to the slides of the trailer on the driver side once you are in: so what. This is a great place to relax and it's close to town for shopping, sightseeing, etc. Plus there is a trolley that comes by every 20 minutes that you can take into town and back. We stayed here two nights. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
An excellent park with ample, level parking slots. We spent 3 nights here and enjoyed it a great deal. We would stay at this park again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
What a beautiful park. We had 6 rigs and the parking to register was not large enough for us all. The check-in person told us our site numbers and to go and park and return later to register. What a great way to treat your clients. Got some beautiful pics of the train as it came through. Didn't use the facilities so I only graded a 9. Exceptional place to stay in Durango and the free trolley makes it even better. No hassle parking downtown. If in Durango stay here: almost like being at home. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice quiet campground with shade. The lanes are fairly tight and my 39' 5'ver filled up my site. Roads and pads are gravel, but they are wetted down frequently to keep the dust to a minimum. WI-FI would not connect in my trailer. The Durango train runs through the park which is nice. OK park, but it's not my favorite. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice quiet campground, friendly staff, clean facilities. There is a free trolley that passes every 20 min that will take you to town. Nice shade on campground in the evening. The road into the CG is a little steep but no problem. Rated it an 8 because the sites were a little tight and the restrooms could have been a little larger, considering the size of the tent campground. I would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I stayed here with three of my grandsons for a few days to river raft. There is a great rafting service right up the road and easy to get to on the trolley line. Speaking of the trolley, it is free and can take you into town to most of the attractions and eating establishments. The park is very nice. Pool area, restrooms, showers, and laundry are very clean and the management couldn't be any nicer. The train runs right through the park for great pictures. Spaces are a little tight in some places but we were happy even though we were in a space close to the road. The tent area was the nicest I've seen and separate from the RV area. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed three nights. The sites were level, but the entry was very steep with loose gravel. The showers were clean, but it was a long walk from the site. The Wi-Fi only sometimes worked. The campground was very pretty with the train passing through it, but a little on the expensive side. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I stayed at this park for a week. They give a 10% weekly discount for cash. This park might not be on the water but the Durango Steam Train passes through it's grounds twice a day (4 times a day from June to August). There are great photo ops here! WiFi works well when there are fewer than 10 campers but more campers than that, it cuts out often in the evening. Verizon Digital is available but the signal is weak so you only get about 300 kbps. Still, it is much better than the local WiFi. This is a great location if you want to tour the town, ride the train and walk down the river trail to town. There is also a free Trolley that stops in front of the park, 7:30A to 7:30P. Technical note: The sewer drains in this park are unusual in that they can be 8" to 12"deep in an 8" pipe. Bring a "Straight-in" sewer line adapter. Alternate solution: Some campers just cut off their hose and stuffed it down the pipe. Kids Note: They have two very cute Shetland ponies in the barnyard. They are very spoiled. So while they will approach the kids at the fence, you really need to bring Carrots to get them within petting range. Carrots are available at the "City Market" 1.3 miles south. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Really enjoyed our stay here. Only complaint would be the length of the sites. They are fairly wide but short. Even though they are pull-thru you can't leave your Toad hooked up as it will block the street. A neat thing is that the Durango-Silverton RR runs right through the park. It's fun to stand by the tracks and wave to the tourists as it goes by or point out your rig as you ride the train. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really enjoyed this park located at the north side of Durango. We stayed here for a week in August. The restrooms, showers & laundry were very clean. The pool was heated & warm. The camp store was well stocked and open long hours. Most of the sites were shaded with large trees. Most sites were fairly short but we all fit, barely for the 40 footers. The tent sites were well kept, grassy & have a great view. The work camper staff were friendly & helpful. One even stopped by our site to visit awhile one afternoon. This park was conveniently located to explore Durango & the nearby mountains. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This park is convenient for visiting Durango and the people are very friendly. The site we had was all gravel and very small. It took a great deal of maneuvering to get out. We will stay some where else next time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
United is a fun campground. The Durango Silvertin train goes right through the campground (starting at 8am)and does blow a whistle, so if you like to sleep in this place isn't for you. It was great for us. It is a bit congested, your neighbor is very close, but other than that, really great! WIFI works great. The kids were able to smash pennies on the train tracks and ride bikes through the campround. The Town Trolly service makes stops at United every 20 minutes from 7am - 10pm and it is a short ride to the main part of town. Views are nice depending on your site. Some condos have been built close to the site impeding views that used to be there (15 years ago). Bathhouses were clean, roads were wet down twice a day to deal with the dust issue and overall we had a great time. I give it a 9 due to the congestion issue. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very cozy park with beautiful old trees. The Durango and Silverton Railroad runs through the park, and offers a treat each time it comes through. Wi-Fi is good. Problems with this park are that sites are generally unlevel. It is incredibly tight getting in and out with a big rig, and they don't have nearly enough rock on the roads and the sites, creating a duststorm throughout the day each day. If I were a "camper" I would love this place but, with a big rig, it is less lovable. Still, I would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great Park. Our back window had a perfect view to watch the twice daily Durango Silverton Steam Engine passenger train go by. What fun, everyone would stand by the tracks and watch it go by, wave to everyone, and take photos. We stayed three days, and never got tired of joining the whole park to greet the train twice daily. Great views of the mountains. Free Wi-Fi. A little pricey RV Parl. but we enjoyed it and felt it was worth the price. Would stay again. Very friendly atmosphere. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This park's amenities, including free Cable and WiFi, worked very well. The owners are friendly and helpful. The park's location at the northern edge of town was convenient. It was fun seeing and hearing the Durango to Silverton train come through the park twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Although the park is adjacent to Hwy 550, most sites are located far below the level of the road, and traffic noise didn't bother us. The sites are too narrow and short. The large number of huge trees in the campground pretty much block out the sun, making the atmosphere too dark and oppressive for our taste. The trees and the narrow roads make maneuvering into the sites tricky. Entering and leaving the campground is also tricky due to the bumps at the roads edge and the steep, narrow gravel driveways. For those of you who will be riding the scenic railroad, we highly recommend that you take the motorcoach to Silverton and the train back to Durango. Our bus driver, Les, gave a marvelously informative narrative during the bus ride. You get no such narrative on the train. Take note that, although it didn't bother me, my husband became ill on the train due to the constant jerking back and forth and from breathing the coal smoke. Just a note to anyone who might be predisposed to such problems. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The location here is far enough from a busy highway to be relatively quiet. Cable, elec, water, all work well and WiFi good enough. There is a lot to see here so the campground stays in the background. Site sizes range from average to small. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very clean and quiet campground. Very convenient having the Durango Trolley stop at the campground to get to downtown on. Neat having the old steam train pass through the campground. We were pleased with our stay here. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We stayed here twice before, once in 91 and in 96. The most amazing thing is not one single thing is changed for better or worse, place is in a time warp. We enjoyed our stay but the bathrooms could use some improvement on the upper level and some paved roads would be a great improvement. We were in the top overflow lot and could not see the train. For just a gravel spot ,it's a little pricey, but all in all, not bad. The trolley is convenient and we enjoyed town. Would stay again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Park was well maintained. Roads were gravel and a mister truck came thru each morning to wet them down. CG is at the end of the Durango Trolley system which was very convenient. Trolley was 50 cents per adult 1 way and went to downtown Durango. Silverton NG railroad split thru the campground. The grand kids loved it. Pool was nice but closed due to thunder. Needs a playground. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
All sites and roads are good gravel. All sites are side by side hookup's, wide, and not level. Views here are great, plus you have lots of large trees to park under. WiFi was free. Animas river very close to campground. Durango & Silerton train runs thru campground each day(nice to see). Campgrounds was very clean. Owners were very helpful at check in. Durango is four miles south, nice to tour, great places to eat and shop. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nice campground right on the Durango and Silverton tracks. The sites are fairly good size with large trees trimmed so they don't damage your RV. The restrooms on the lower level were closed. The ones behind the office were up a steep walk. Not a problem for us though. Our sewer hookup was a long distance from our RV's outlet. The other hookups were within reach. Our cable TV hookup didn't work so we used the one in the empty site next to us. It's only mid-April and I suspect they are trying to catch up on maintenance. I didn't not find the owners to be very friendly. Too many years of dealing with campers I guess. Campground has some nice views to the north and east. We would stay there again. We chose a pull-thru 30A site. Above price included tax. There are no discounts given. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is one of the nicer Durango campgrounds. They have a pool and a small stream in the campground. The river is nearby but you can't get to it from the campground. The bathrooms were clean, but they only had curtains for privacy in the shower dressing area. Like most Durango campgrounds, the sites are close together. We camped here in a Motorhome.
One of the nicest parks we have stayed in. Lots of trees, quiet, pretty setting along the river. Management was nice and efficient. Wi-Fi was good. Only a few problems. The sewer location was one... it was about 20 feet from our outlet. Also, the spaces are fairly small. Finally, there are not enough bathrooms/showers for a park of this size. Otherwise a great location (close to Durango). The Durango/Silverton narrow gauge RR comes by four times a day (twice in the morning and twice in the early evening), but this is more of an photo opportunity than a bother. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
A very tight campground for big rigs. They really pack them in. An extra point for being right on the Druango-Silverton NGRR tracks. Wifi was okay. We will try another park during our 2007 trip to Durango, CO. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice campground within sight of the Animas River in a grove of large cottonwood trees. Interior roads and sites are gravel. Like most private campgrounds, the sites are close together. Sites were fairly level. Strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the campground at no extra charge. Small pool but little else for children to do. The Durango-Silverton railroad runs beside the park. A maximum of six trains run each day burt only during daytime hours so it is not annoying but provides excellent photo opportunities. A beautiful tent area with 90 large sites is across the railway and it, too, sits in a grove of large cottonwood trees. If the RV sites were larger and spaced further apart and had concrete pads and patios and if the interior roads were paved, I would give this park a 10. Those with small children may want to stay in a park with more amenities for kids. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a nice camp. Lots of shady sites. Restrooms were very clean and the pool was nice too. The Durango steam train goes right through the camp. Staff was friendly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful, beautiful campground! Family owned & operated. Very nice, efficent & helpful staff. Campground is nestled in the Rocky Mountains, just north of Durango. The 1800's Durango-Silverton Railroad tracks run thru the RV park. Every morning, 2 antique trains pass thru the campground in route to Silverton, returning in the evening to Durango. The train passengers wave at the campers & the campers like to wave back. It is so neat to hear the train whistle & watch the old iron horse chugging thru the campground. The park is also next to the Animas River where we got some trout fishing in. The park offers wonderful amenties, is beautifully maintained, has nice roomy sites & is very quiet! It has become our campground of choice in Durango. We will be back!!!! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nicely shaded sites and free wireless internet. The owners were very friendly and helpfull. There is a Durango Trolly (bus) stop in front of the park and for $0.50 you can ride into Durango. Very clean showers and restrooms. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park is nice enough. We made reservations here 3 months ago, but were given a site that barely fit our TT. Think we'll try another CG next time we're here. This one is way overpriced for what you get. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice park with some pretty views and level sites, no problems getting in or out in our 30 ft class A. In general we don't love side-by-side hook-ups but since we didn't have any neighbors the two nights we were there it was not an issue. Bathrooms and showers were clean and well kept, laundry also clean with plenty of room. Having a beautiful pastoral view almost made folding laundry enjoyable. Pool was not open when we were there. Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was only running a half trip in April when we were there but it is a trip we would recommend to anyone. Especially loved the views from the open air car and got a kick out of having the train go right by our RV. We would stay at this park again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice park. All roads and sites are gravel. Trees in park are large, lots of shade to park under. Durango & Silverton railroad track run through middle of park. You can wave at the steam train as it makes its way up to Silverton. Staff was very nice at check in. Town is a fun place to see and park is four miles north of town, we will return here in future. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We didn't have reservations & availability was nil so this park worked out well for us. We prefer our own bathroom & shower facilities so the lack of such was not a problem. We were in a spot where we had a spectacular view & were able to see the steam trains coming & going. Although close to the road we didn't hear any road noise inside our rig. We paid for a week, & stayed an extra day because of rain & chose not to hook up or travel since we weren't going that far. The couple who checked us in & were doing the watering duties, etc. were most friendly. Although there was no pool, restrooms, laundry etc. the price reflects the Durango area. We would stay here again if in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a limited services park that opened in the summer of 2009. Its base was a rather rundown mobile home park about 5 miles north of Durango. The new owner has replaced all the utilities and added gravel. At this point there are no restrooms or showers at this small park, however guests are offered a discount at Trimble Spa & Natural Hot Springs which is directly across the road. I understand that the park owner, who is also one of the owners of Trimble Spa, plans to add restrooms in the future. But until then this park probably only makes sense for self-contained rigs. Sites at the park are nicely spaced, with well kept grassy areas with picnic tables between the solid packed gravel pads. The on-site camp host was very helpful and diligent keeping the park tidy. Several mature apple trees add nice ambiance, but some need to be trimmed to make it easier to maneuver a 45 foot big rig like ours. It rained hard during our stay and at least one site developed quite a little pond. It’s not a great park, but one to consider if your preferred Durango location is full and you don’t need showers. We camped here in a Motorhome.