Painted Rocks

Just north of Woodland Park is the Painted Rocks campground. Located 7,800 feet above sea level amongst the colorful rocks after which it was named, this campground is the perfect place to get away from urban life. It's known as the perfect place for a family vacation in nature -- and that includes all four-legged family members as well!

There are 18 single-family sites here. Rigs up to 36 feet can be accommodated, but any larger and you'll have a terrible time maneuvering through the narrow camp roads. Don't expect any fancy amenities or hookups here -- things top out at vault toilets, water taps, and campfire rings. There are also picnic tables for your convenience and dumpsters to keep the bears from checking out your site for garbage.

The main attraction here is Manitou Lake, which all campers can access free of charge by way of the Centennial Bike Trail (which also connects up with two other campgrounds). The lake is always stocked, making it an excellent spot for anglers to try their luck. An especially neat park feature is all of the rock formations that can be found on the campground (or just a short walk away). Kids will love exploring all of the nooks and crannies of this amazing terrain, looking much like The Garden of the Gods -- which is also just a car trip away! Some of the campsites even have these formations on them, so if that is a feature you think your family would enjoy, reserve a "rocked" site in advance.

Canine campers are welcome here, but the park does ask that you keep them leashed at all times to respect the other campers on the property. There are also bears, so it's a good idea to keep your pooch close by anyway. As always, please do your part in keeping this campsite puptacular by always stooping and scooping your woofer's business.  

We are sure that any adventuring family will have a wonderful time exploring this amazing park. Oh, and did we mention, in the town south of the park, there is a shop that sells giant donuts? Be sure to check that one out!