Where in Western Colorado Can You Camp for $6 a Night?
Do you enjoy camping? Do you like to camp while spending as little money as possible? Here's a place in Western Colorado where, for the time being, you can camp for only $6 a night.
The following statement was released this morning on Dinosaur National Monument's official Facebook page:
With the end of high use boating season on the Yampa River and the departure of our volunteer campground host, water will be turned off later today at the Deerlodge Park Campground until next spring. Please plan accordingly if you are going to launch for a low water trip on the Yampa at Deerlodge, or you are camping. Camping fees have been reduced to $6 per site, per night.
Dinosaur National Monument is home to six different campgrounds with over 120 campsites to choose from. Three of the campgrounds are on the Utah side, and three are on the Colorado side. Prices and options vary from campground to campground.
One of the campgrounds, Green River, currently costs $18 per night. The Split Mountain Group campground typically runs $40 per night. Echo Park campground, Gates of Lodore, and Deerlodge Park typically run $10 per night. Please note: I mentioned that those sites "typically" run at those rates. In the off season rates drop.
Right now (July 15, 2020) the rate for a night's stay at the Deerlodge campsite has been reduced to $6. What's up? It might be more accurate to ask, "What's down?" Water levels are low right now for those rafting the Yampa River, so the campground at Deerlodge is a bit slow. With that in mind, Dinosaur National Monument has lowered the camping rate at Deerlodge to $6 per site per night. This site is for tent camping only.
The remaining campground, Rainbow Park, is always $6 per night. That site is limited to tent camping only, and is available on a first come, first served basis.
I've been giving serious thought to buying one of those pop-up campers. They show up in the ads from time to time for a reasonable price. It would be fun to round up the dogs and go for a two-hour drive to Dinosaur National Park, do a night's camping, and then get back home.
The whopping price of $6 is pretty hard to beat. I know, I'm cheap. Then again, between parks passes, camping fees, registration fees on a camper, etc., I've been out of the camping game for a while. Low camping fees such as this might be just what's needed to get back to the great outdoors.