West Chicago Creek Campground
Arapaho National Forest
Write a Review West Chicago Creek Rd. Idaho Springs, CO 80452 303-567-3000 970-295-6600 Reservations: 877-444-6777 Official WebsiteGPS: 39.6791, -105.6573
Overview of West Chicago Creek Campground
Open season: Mid - May to September
Water currently not available as system being repaired
Last Price Paid: $15
Reported by Roro on 5/23/2021
Longest RV Reported: 30 feet (Travel Trailer)
Reported by thecrazygoodlife.com on 6/21/2016
Number of Sites 16
Pad Type dirt
Reservations yes
Open Seasonally mid-May - Sept.
Elevation 9,612 ft / 2,929 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about West Chicago Creek Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 303.567.3000
Shawn asked on 6/25/2021
I have an F150 and a 25 ft trailer. I'm worried about the switchback road and the conditions of the road. Anyone have...
Reviews of West Chicago Creek Campground 7 people have reviewed this location.
“Lovely ”
Reviewed 5/23/2021
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 7 |
Overall Rating
Stayed for one night. Arrived in the evening. The road up is winding, with a bit of sinkhole and some washboards. The location is beautiful, bathrooms and sites were clean. They are working on providing water up there in the future said the host. They do sell wood, but they had none for sale that day. We did have some noisy neighbors, ... more
Stayed for one night. Arrived in the evening. The road up is winding, with a bit of sinkhole and some washboards. The location is beautiful, bathrooms and sites were clean. They are working on providing water up there in the future said the host. They do sell wood, but they had none for sale that day. We did have some noisy neighbors, even after quiet hours. 4.5/5.
No water, or electricity. A dumpster is provided by the bathrooms.
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T-Mobile
Roro would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lovely ”
Reviewed 5/23/2021
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 7 |
Overall Rating
Stayed for one night. Arrived in the evening. The road up is winding, with a bit of sinkhole and some washboards. The location is beautiful, bathrooms and sites were clean. They are working on providing water up there in the future said the host. They do sell wood, but they had none for sale that day. We did have some noisy neighbors, ... more
Stayed for one night. Arrived in the evening. The road up is winding, with a bit of sinkhole and some washboards. The location is beautiful, bathrooms and sites were clean. They are working on providing water up there in the future said the host. They do sell wood, but they had none for sale that day. We did have some noisy neighbors, even after quiet hours. 4.5/5.
No water, or electricity. A dumpster is provided by the bathrooms.
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T-Mobile
Roro would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“CLOSED”
Reviewed 9/25/2020
| Days stayed: | 0 |
|---|
Overall Rating
Make sure to check website well!
Charsha would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Remote and peaceful”
Reviewed 9/18/2020
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 3 |
Overall Rating
We travel with no plans other than sights to see. We were struggling to find something between Denver and our destination of Arches National Park. We read reviews of this campground and thought what the heck. The reviews were correct. The 5 or 6 miles of paved road was fine and interesting to drive down. The 3+ miles of dirt track ... more
We travel with no plans other than sights to see. We were struggling to find something between Denver and our destination of Arches National Park. We read reviews of this campground and thought what the heck.
The reviews were correct. The 5 or 6 miles of paved road was fine and interesting to drive down. The 3+ miles of dirt track for me was like a Michigan two track road. There are a handful of residences on the way but they disappear when you get near the switchbacks. We have a 25’ Winnebago View which handles it just fine. You just need to go slow because of the washboard, rocky and rutty road.
The sites are nice and we lucked out and had our choice of sites to stay in. The fee was only $15 and on the honor system. There was no host there when we stayed. It was extremely peaceful.
There was no cell service at all and my wife works mobile so we had to pull out early morning in the dark to get down the road for service. It would have been nice to enjoy morning coffee and a sunrise in the valley of the mountains.
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Verizon
MoochdockOma would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Remote rendezvous”
Reviewed 8/25/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 26' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Mountain v. Flatlander. Beware of the road to this campground, including five switchback corners; it tried to have my retractable step for lunch. Just take it easy and you will be rewarded with a beautiful, stunning, remote, small campground. Hint: the water-well pumps were not working. Easy access to the creek and some trails. Great d... more
Mountain v. Flatlander. Beware of the road to this campground, including five switchback corners; it tried to have my retractable step for lunch. Just take it easy and you will be rewarded with a beautiful, stunning, remote, small campground. Hint: the water-well pumps were not working. Easy access to the creek and some trails. Great dog walking. Close to Idaho Springs and not too far from Denver. Zero Verizon.
Hi-Ho would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 8/9/2019
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 0 |
| Site Number: | 2 |
Overall Rating
Stayed at West Chicago Creek campground (National Forest) for three nights. It's only about an hour and a half west from Denver. Great campground host, Mike was very knowledgeable about the area. Flowers blooming in wild profusion. Had a really tasty lunch at Echo Lake Lodge. I can recommend the mushroom swiss cheese burger. Deer wande... more
Stayed at West Chicago Creek campground (National Forest) for three nights. It's only about an hour and a half west from Denver. Great campground host, Mike was very knowledgeable about the area. Flowers blooming in wild profusion. Had a really tasty lunch at Echo Lake Lodge. I can recommend the mushroom swiss cheese burger. Deer wandered through the campsite every day and everyone was startled at about 5 a.m. when a bear tipped over a large dumpster trying to get into it. The next day the state wildlife employees set a trap for it (second time offense) but it hasn't yet returned. There's only fifteen sites and it is a bit popular so recommend reservations. Most all sites are level from side to side and maybe a slight incline or decline from front to back. Some sites are close together but not badly so and #1 and #2 have good separation. Last 1/8 mile getting to campground go slow due to rough road and very steep grade. However, while there I saw a 45' fifth-wheel pull in, but I can't recommend anything larger than 25' for most sites. About 150' west of the campground is a trailhead that is popular and did create considerable traffic and dust from the dirt road. But, it is very quiet once the sun sets.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pristine, Quiet, Amazing!”
Reviewed 6/21/2016
| Nightly rate: | $10 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 7 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
I LOVED this campground! We just got back from a 4700 mile trip around the West in which we stayed about about 9 different campgrounds ranging from private, state park, national park, national forest and Cracker Barrel. Out of them all, this was by far my favorite. If you enjoy peace and quiet with a big dose of fresh air and aspen... more
I LOVED this campground! We just got back from a 4700 mile trip around the West in which we stayed about about 9 different campgrounds ranging from private, state park, national park, national forest and Cracker Barrel. Out of them all, this was by far my favorite.
If you enjoy peace and quiet with a big dose of fresh air and aspens, this is the place for you. It is dry camping, so it's not for everyone. We didn't have reservations so we just showed up hoping for a site on Memorial Day. We were in luck with only 4 other campers in the CG. Be warned, the drive up is a little bit harrowing, especially if you are pulling a camper. Coming off of the interstate it's about a 4 mile drive when you pull onto a dirt road. From here it's about another 2-3 miles. The last mile or so will test your mettle a bit as there are a couple intense switchbacks that my wife was quite a bit unsure of. The last few hundred yards are a bit bumpy but then you arrive and you forget it all.
As we arrived, the CG hosts rushed out to meet us and welcome us. It's like they hadn't seen a person in a week and couldn't wait to say hey. They were extremely friendly and helpful, probably the most so of any CG host I've ever met. We did a quick drive through and decided on site 7 which I loved. We have a 30' TT and could probably fit into most sites.
The site itself was pretty level, only needed one set of blocks under the wheels and not much needed front to back. The quirk was that the fire ring and picnic table were on the opposite side of our door but not a huge deal. The table was good quality but a bit low to the ground.
So why was I so taken by this CG? I think it's just the solitude and peacefulness of it. It's so far up the road that you're unlikely to have much if any traffic, even in the busy times. When we arrived, the freshness of the air and the sound of the river below and the view (this site had a good view) put me in an instant chill mode and put a smile on my face.
There's a trail about 100 yards from the CG. We hiked about half a mile of it and it was pretty. Supposedly moose had been spotted recently. While you're here, make sure to go up to the top of Mt. Evans (it was closed the day we were there).
Just of note, there is one water spigot with REALLY good water pressure and a two door vault toilet that was clean and smelled good. You could also purchase wood bundles from the CG host for $5. No cell service at all. Overall, one of the best places we've ever stayed!
thecrazygoodlife.com would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
1 review not included in the overall rating
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“Love my office ”
Reviewed 11/6/2019
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 250 |
| Site Number: | 3 |
Overall Rating
Two years as campground manager and I love my office! Opens the week before Memorial Day and closes the last weekend of the calendar summer. I highly recommend reservations at recreation.gov between Memorial Day and Labor Day as weekends are always booked solid and the popularity has seen increased reservations throughout the week as ... more
Two years as campground manager and I love my office!
Opens the week before Memorial Day and closes the last weekend of the calendar summer. I highly recommend reservations at recreation.gov between Memorial Day and Labor Day as weekends are always booked solid and the popularity has seen increased reservations throughout the week as well. If you don’t have a reservation, don’t plan on a walk-in site being available. There are 4 walk-in/first-come-first-served sites (1, 14, 15 & 16) and the 2020 season will have site 13 back in use, for a total of 15 rentable sites.
Sites 2,4,5,7,9,11 & 12 have a path from the site down to the creek about 40-60 meters downhill. Most foot traffic down to the creek follows a ‘closed road’ that provides access to the privately owned cabins in the area.
As long as you don’t have AT&T, you can probably get 1-2 bars of 1X signal, but you will have to climb up to ‘cell phone rock’ uphill across from the entrance... or drive into town.
2018 had great water, but 2019 the well was dry and I expect 2020 will also have a dry well. Plan on bringing at least 2 gallons of water per person per day for drinking and cooking. The creek water can be used to put the fires out... drinking water is precious.
Mike would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
noted 11/6/2019
Two years as campground manager and I love my office! Opens the week before Memorial Day and closes the last weekend of the calendar summer. I highly recommend reservations at recreation.gov between Memorial Day and Labor Day as weekends are always booked solid and the popularity has seen increased reservations throughout the week as well. If you don’t have a reservation, don’t plan on a walk-in site being available. There are 4 walk-in/first-come-first-served sites (1, 14, 15 & 16) and the 2020 season will have site 13 back in use, for a total of 15 rentable sites. Sites 2,4,5,7,9,11 & 12 have a path from the site down to the creek about 40-60 meters downhill. Most foot traffic down to the creek follows a ‘closed road’ that provides access to the privately owned cabins in the area. As long as you don’t have AT&T, you can probably get 1-2 bars of 1X signal, but you will have to climb up to ‘cell phone rock’ uphill across from the entrance... or drive into town. 2018 had great water, but 2019 the well was dry and I expect 2020 will also have a dry well. Plan on bringing at least 2 gallons of water per person per day for drinking and cooking. The creek water can be used to put the fires out... drinking water is precious.
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44 reviews
West Chicago Creek Campground
Date of Travel: May 30-31, 2016 Total Cost Per Night: $10 Address: W Chicago Creek Rd, Idaho Springs, CO 80452 Site: 7 (Dry camping) Elevation: 9600′ Have you ever experienced that sensation where yo...
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Recreation
- fishing
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- firewood
- restrooms: vault
Pets
- pets
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