The park has 575 campsites scattered over five campgrounds, with nearly half of them at Moraine Park on the park's east side. Reservations are accepted at Moraine Park and Glacier Basin from Memorial Day to early September, and both are often completely booked in advance, especially on weekends, with the tent sites filling first. However, if by some odd quirk of fate a site is available, you won't be turned away.
As much as 5 months before your visit, contact the National Park Reservation Service (tel. 800/365-2267 or 301/722-1257; TDD 888/530-9796; http://reservations.nps.gov). Office hours are daily from 10am to 10pm Eastern Time, except Christmas and New Year's Day. Payment can be made by credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa) or by check or money order (allow at least 21 days), which must be received within 7 days of making your reservation. Payment cannot be made at the park for these reservations. You will receive a reservation number to identify you when you arrive at the park. If your plans change, call NPRS Customer Account Services (tel. 800/388-2733). Cancellations are subject to a fee, depending upon when the cancellation is received.
For other camping information, call the park (tel. 970/586-1206). In summer, arrive early if you hope to snare one of the first-come, first-served campsites.
Moraine Park Campground, our favorite because we have always seen elk and other wildlife there, has 247 sites and is located on the west side of Bear Lake Road not far from the Moraine Park Museum. Glacier Basin Campground, which is about 500 feet higher in elevation than Moraine Park, is farther down Bear Lake Road on its east side and has 150 sites. Both campgrounds have tent sites -- some are set well back from the road -- and sites for pickup campers and larger rigs. Glacier Basin also offers a group camping area (small, medium, and large sites $40-$70). Aspenglen Campground is just inside the Fall River entrance to the park and has 54 tent and RV campsites. The other campground on the east side of the park is Longs Peak, located off Colo. 7 south of Estes Park, with 26 sites for tents only. Timber Creek Campground is about 7 miles north of the Grand Lake entrance and has 98 sites for tents and RVs.
There are restrooms accessible for travelers with disabilities at all campgrounds except Longs Peak and Aspenglen, and there is an accessible backcountry campsite at Sprague Lake, open in summer only. The amphitheaters are fully accessible at Moraine Park and Aspenglen, moderately accessible at Glacier Basin, and only marginally accessible at Timber Creek. Three campgrounds are open year-round -- Timber Creek, Moraine Park, and Longs Peak -- but no water is available at the campgrounds from October to late May. Aspenglen and Glacier Basin are closed from November through April.
Camping fees are additional to park entrance fees; they are $20 per night when water is available (generally during the summer), and $12 in the off-season when water is turned off. No showers or RV hookups are available in the park, although drinking water is available in summer. Quiet hours are in force between 10pm and 6am; pets are allowed but must be in your tent or vehicle, or on a leash, and they should never be left alone. Summer camping is limited to 7 days, except at Longs Peak, where the limit is 3 days; the winter camping limit is 14 days.
