Camping near Empire, Colorado

Camping near Empire at a glance

Public campgrounds

1 (1 National Forest)

Getting a site

1 first-come

Cost

Lowest posted fee at Mizpah: "Single Site: $23 per night"

Distance from Empire

6 miles in a straight line

Elevation

9,200 ft at Mizpah (the only one on record)

Drinking water

1 of 1

Distances are straight-line miles from Empire's point in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2025), not driving distances. Every other fact comes from each campground's own sourced record, linked from its page.

More campgrounds within 30 miles of Empire

• West Chicago Creek, 5.7 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $25 per night); listed under camping near Idaho Springs.
• Robbers Roost, 6.5 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Winter Park.
• Clear Lake, 7.6 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $23 per night); listed under camping near Georgetown.
• Columbine, 8 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Midland Group Campground, 8.1 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Winter Park.
• Echo Lake, 8.5 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Idaho Springs.
• Pickle Gulch Group Campground, 10 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Pickle Gulch, 10 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Guanella Pass, 10 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Georgetown.
• Idlewild, 11 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Winter Park.
• Cold Springs, 11 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $27 per night); listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Cold Springs - Arapaho Roosevelt NF, 12 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Byers Creek, 14 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ; listed under camping near Grand.
• St. Louis Creek, 15 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Grand.
• Kelly Dahl, 15 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Gilpin.
• Geneva Park, 16 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Park.
• Burning Bear Campground, 17 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $28 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• Rainbow Lakes, 18 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $22 per night); listed under camping near Nederland.
• Sugarloaf, 18 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $24 per night); listed under camping near Parshall.
• Deer Creek Campground, 19 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Site: $28 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• South Fork, 19 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $27 per night); listed under camping near Parshall.
• South Fork Group Site - Arapaho NF, 19 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Grand.
• Meridian Campground, 19 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Site: $28 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• Hall Valley, 20 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ($24 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• Handcart, 20 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Site: $24 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• Lowry, 22 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Summit.
• Prospector, 22 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Frisco.
• Windy Point Group Campground, 22 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Frisco.
• Timberline, 23 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Park.
• Pawnee, 23 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Ward.
• Heaton Bay Campground, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $31 per night); listed under camping near Frisco.
• Pine Cove Campground, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Frisco.
• Peak One, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $28 per night); listed under camping near Frisco.
• Blue River, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $27 per night); listed under camping near Silverthorne.
• Horseshoe, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $23 per night); listed under camping near Parshall.
• Jefferson Creek, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Jefferson.
• Kenosha East, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Site: $24 per night); listed under camping near Park.
• Kenosha Pass, 24 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Grant.
• Aspen, 25 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $24 per night); listed under camping near Jefferson.
• Lodgepole, 25 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Jefferson.
• Arapaho Bay, 25 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Grand.
• Michigan Creek, 26 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ($22 per night); listed under camping near Jefferson.
• Pawnee, 26 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Boulder.
• Camp Dick, 27 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Allenspark.
• Peaceful Valley, 27 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Allenspark.
• Sunset Point, 29 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $33 per night); listed under camping near Grand.
• Prairie Point, 30 miles from Empire in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $23 per night); listed under camping near Heeney.

Things to do near Empire

Public land and water within 30 miles of Empire, the public land its campgrounds sit in, and landmarks at those campgrounds, nearest first.

• Georgetown Lake fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 4.8 miles from Empire; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Mizpah (6 miles from Empire) sits inside this national forest; publiclandsdb.com has its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary.
• James Peak Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 9.4 miles from Empire; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Vasquez Peak Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 9.8 miles from Empire; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Golden Gate Canyon State Park, a state park whose mapped point is 12 miles from Empire; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Mount Evans Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 14 miles from Empire; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Kriley Pond fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 14 miles from Empire; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Slough Pond fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 15 miles from Empire; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Pike and San Isabel National Forests, a national forest whose mapped point is 15 miles from Empire; its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Byers Peak Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 17 miles from Empire; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.

Supplies and emergencies near Empire

Groceries

• Empire Food Mart convenience store · 0.1 miles
• Circle K convenience store · 3.1 miles
• Valero convenience store · 3.1 miles · (303) 569-2092

Fuel

• Phillips 66 fuel station · 0.1 miles
• Circle K fuel station · 3.1 miles
• Conoco fuel station · 3.2 miles

RV dump station

• Dump Station RV dump station · 15 miles
• Golden Clear Creek RV Park RV dump station · 24 miles

Pharmacy

• Walgreens pharmacy · 22 miles

Laundromat

• Clear Creek Laundry laundromat · 8.8 miles · (303) 567-9940 · Hours 06:00-22:00
• Luxury Laundry laundromat · 9.7 miles
• Hiwan Laundromat laundromat · 21 miles

Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of Empire: propane, potable water fill, and ice. Stores, fuel, propane, dump stations, water fill, laundromats, and pharmacies are the nearest few mapped within 25 miles, straight-line, © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of 2026-10-01; this extract under the ODbL). Hours are as mapped; call ahead.