Can you reserve a site at Burning Bear Campground?

Yes, Burning Bear Campground is reservable through Recreation.gov.

What is the maximum RV length at Burning Bear Campground?

50 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.

Are pets allowed at Burning Bear Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Burning Bear Campground.

Are campfires allowed at Burning Bear Campground?

Campfires are allowed at Burning Bear Campground. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Burning Bear Campground, Colorado — 13 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

Located on the Pike and San Isabel National Forest at an elevation of 9,813 feet, Burning Bear Campground offers cooler temperatures during the hot Colorado summer months. Along the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, this campground is near prime spots for wildlife viewing, scenic driving, landscape photography, hiking and roads open to off-highway vehicles.

Recreation

Numerous hiking trail opportunities are available along Geneva Road. Mount Evans Wilderness is directly behind the campground allowing for access to the Abyss Trail (sometimes referred to as the Scott Gomer Trail).

Although Mount Evans Wilderness is closed to mountain biking, Burning Bear Trail across the road from the campground is a wonderful trail for mountain biking and hiking alike.

Facilities

Burning Bear Campground has 13 sites to accommodate RV, trailer and tent camping. Drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables and grills are provided. Parking aprons are dirt and the campground road may be rough.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled in a beautiful valley on the way to Guanella Pass. Although somewhat open, a scattering of ponderosa pines provides some privacy to campers.

Mount Bierstadt (elevation 14,060 feet) is north on the Guanella Pass road – a Scenic and Historic Byway, and one of the most popular scenic drives on the Pike and San Isabel National Forest. The Guanella Pass road is a great place to watch for bighorn sheep, elk, deer, moose, marmot, pika, and bear

Nearby Attractions

Mount Bierstadt summit is approximately 7 miles north of the campground and offers amazing views of the valley below.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (303) 647-2366.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

The facts

Season: Early May – Late December — USDA Forest Service, Aug 24, 2026
13 bookable sites
Vehicles up to 50 ft
Up to 8 people per site
Loops: Loop 1

Site types

12 Standard Nonelectric
1 Tent Only Nonelectric

Amenities

Campfires allowed
Picnic tables
Grills
Shade
Pets allowed

Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups, fire pits.

Book on Recreation.gov

13 campsites at Burning Bear Campground

Check-in 2:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PM

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Grade	Max rig	People
01	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Pull Through	Gravel	Moderate	50 ft	8	🐾
02	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	32 ft	8	🐾
03	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	28 ft	8	🐾
04	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	30 ft	8	🐾
05	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	24 ft	8	🐾
06	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	30 ft	8	🐾
07	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	30 ft	8	🐾
08	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	44 ft	8	🐾
09	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	40 ft	8	🐾
10	Loop 1	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	18 ft	8	🐾
11	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Pull Through	Gravel	Moderate	40 ft	8	🐾
12	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	30 ft	8	🐾
13	Loop 1	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	34 ft	8	🐾

Getting there

Travel from Denver south on US Highway 285 toward Fairplay to the town of Grant. Turn north on Park County Road 62, towards Guanella Pass. Burning Bear Campground is 5 miles north on the right.

39.51391, -105.71000 · 39°30'50.1"N 105°42'36.0"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 75°F in Jul, down to 33°F in Dec.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	34	36	43	49	59	70	75	72	66	54	42	33
Low °F	9	9	16	22	30	38	43	42	35	25	17	9
Precip in	0.6	0.7	1.0	1.5	1.7	1.4	2.6	2.3	1.4	1.0	0.7	0.6

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 4 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Common questions about Burning Bear Campground

Can you reserve a site at Burning Bear Campground?: Yes, Burning Bear Campground is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does Burning Bear Campground have?: 13 sites.
What is the maximum RV length at Burning Bear Campground?: 50 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
Are pets allowed at Burning Bear Campground?: Yes, pets are allowed at Burning Bear Campground.
Are campfires allowed at Burning Bear Campground?: Campfires are allowed at Burning Bear Campground. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Also listed by

Burning Bear Campground also appears in other federal recreation data. Facts below are matched by name and location, not confirmed by Burning Bear Campground's operator.

USDA Forest Service — data as of Aug 24, 2026

$28.00 fee per site for overnight camping. Two (2) vehicles or one (1) RV per site is included in the camping fee. $11.00 for a third vehicle. $11.00 fee for day use if not camping overnight. Fees are payable by cash, check or money order.

Restrictions:

Maximum 8 persons per site, 2 tents and 2 vehicles or 1 recreation vehicle (RV).
Only licensed vehicles can operate inside campground.
No discharge of firearms or fireworks.
Dogs must be leashed at all times.
Camping is NOT ALLOWED behind a LOCKED GATE.

Accessibility:

Universally accessible picnic tables and vault toilet are available.

USDA Forest Service's own page

Camping near Burning Bear Campground

Geneva Park Campground 1.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Handcart 5.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Hall Valley 5.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Timberline Campground 6.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Guanella Pass 6.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Kenosha East 7.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Whiteside Picnic Area 2.4 mi · Campground
Hall Valley Campground 5.5 mi · Campground
Guanella Pass Scenic Byway 5.6 mi · Facility
Mount Evans Summit / Interpretive Site 6.2 mi · Facility
Mount Evans Wilderness: Arapaho & Roosevelt 6.2 mi · Facility
Gibson Lake Trailhead 6.3 mi · Facility

Contact

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-08-04.

Burning Bear Campground