Ansel Watrous
Its 17 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Peak Season Single Site: $29 per night, and it is open year-round. Ansel Watrous is a National Forest campground near Rustic, Colorado.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
1 / 6Cache la Poudre River. Photo: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- National Forest
- Managed by
- 40 ft
- Max RV length
Ansel Watrous sits inside Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Peak Season Single Site: $29 per night
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 17
- Tent sites
- 1
- Walk-in sites
- 3
- Accessible sites
- 13
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Site driveways
- Back-in
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Potable water
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Toilets, potable water, and pets allowed.
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Campsites
17 sites in 2 loops; the longest takes a 40 ft vehicle. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 011 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Yes | Book loop LOWER, site 011 |
| 012 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Not on record | Book loop LOWER, site 012 |
| 013 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Yes | Book loop LOWER, site 013 |
| 014 | LOWER | Tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWER, site 014 |
| 015 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Not on record | Book loop LOWER, site 015 |
| 016 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Not on record | Book loop LOWER, site 016 |
| 017 | LOWER | Standard nonelectric | 33 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Not on record | Book loop LOWER, site 017 |
| 001 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 36 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Full | Book loop UPPER, site 001 |
| 002 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Full | Book loop UPPER, site 002 |
| 003 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Full | Book loop UPPER, site 003 |
| 004 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 004 |
| 005 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 005 |
| 006 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 006 |
| 007 | UPPER | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | Yes | Full | Book loop UPPER, site 007 |
| 008 | UPPER | Walk to | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 008 |
| 009 | UPPER | Walk to | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 009 |
| 010 | UPPER | Walk to | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop UPPER, site 010 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Pets
- Allowed
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 5,800 ft
40.6907, -105.3444 in Larimer. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Ansel Watrous is open year-round .
Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Ansel Watrous?
Sites at Ansel Watrous are reserved through Recreation.gov (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234512).
How much does it cost to camp at Ansel Watrous?
Camping at Ansel Watrous costs Peak Season Single Site: $29 per night.
How many campsites does Ansel Watrous have?
Ansel Watrous has 17 campsites, including 1 tent site and 3 walk-in sites. 13 sites are accessible.
Are there accessible (ADA) campsites at Ansel Watrous?
Yes, 13 sites are designated accessible at Ansel Watrous.
Are there pull-through sites at Ansel Watrous?
Recreation.gov lists no pull-through sites at Ansel Watrous; 14 sites with a stated driveway are back-in or parallel.
Is there drinking water at Ansel Watrous?
Yes, Ansel Watrous has potable water. It also has toilets.
Are dogs allowed at Ansel Watrous?
Yes, pets are allowed at Ansel Watrous.
When is Ansel Watrous open?
Ansel Watrous is open year-round.
Who manages Ansel Watrous?
Ansel Watrous is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Around Ansel Watrous
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $29 per night
- Sites
- 14
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $29 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $29 per night
More campgrounds: camping near Rustic and campgrounds in Larimer.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-30
- recreation.gov (reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, maxRvLengthFt, drivewayType, petsAllowed, sites, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
Photo credits
- Photo 1: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 2: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 3: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 4: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 5: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 6: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)