OutReserve

Purgatoire Campground

PURGATOIRE CAMPGROUND
PURGATOIRE CAMPGROUND
PURGATOIRE CAMPGROUND
PURGATOIRE CAMPGROUND
PURGATOIRE CAMPGROUND

About Purgatoire Campground

Purgatoire Campground is nestled near the headwaters of the Purgatoire River in the beautiful Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The primitive campground is laid out on two loops. One is a large grassy meadow with sites that accommodate equestrian campers and one that is wooded with aspen and spruce. Constructed by the Youth Conservation Corp in 1976, Purgatoire was originally named Potato Patch Campground. The river provides nice fishing and a trailhead attracts hikers and horseback riders.

Number of accommodations: 13

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - May 15 to Sep 19

Campground Amenities

Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

13 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 02, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 04, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 06, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 07, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 08, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 09, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
11, Loop: PURGATOIRE
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 14, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
15, Loop: PURGATOIRE
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 18, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 20, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 21, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 22, Loop: PURGATOIRE
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (119)

What Guests Are Saying

Purgatoire Campground is praised for its peaceful, remote setting and beautiful natural surroundings, making it a favorite among campers. The camp host, Mark, receives consistent commendation for his attentiveness and cleanliness of the facilities. While the road can be rough and some sites are not suited for larger RVs, the overall camping experience is described as wonderful, with access to great hiking and fishing opportunities.

Review Summary

4.5
119 reviews
5
65.5%
78
4
23.5%
28
3
8.4%
10
2
0.0%
0
1
2.5%
3

Kevin R

Verified

January 14, 2020 Stayed at: 04, Loop: PURGATOIRE

5

Ideal campground. Our spot was right along the creek, which was perfect. Got to our reserved site and the paperwork was all set up waiting for us. Great beginner hiking straight out of the campsite. Easy access to bathrooms and water. Other campsites were spaced out well so there was no issues with noise etc. Nearest grocery was close enough to make resupplying easy. Will definitely stay there again.

Kevin R

Verified

January 14, 2020 Stayed at: 04, Loop: PURGATOIRE

5

Ideal campground. Our spot was right along the creek, which was perfect. Got to our reserved site and the paperwork was all set up waiting for us. Great beginner hiking straight out of the campsite. Easy access to bathrooms and water. Other campsites were spaced out well so there was no issues with noise etc. Nearest grocery was close enough to make resupplying easy. Will definitely stay there again.

Randy S

January 13, 2020

5

Great campground that has never been crowded when we’ve been there. There’s an awesome trail up into the mountains right at the camp. The rushing river by some of the campgrounds makes for super CO mountain ambience.

Randy S

January 13, 2020

5

Great campground that has never been crowded when we’ve been there. There’s an awesome trail up into the mountains right at the camp. The rushing river by some of the campgrounds makes for super CO mountain ambience.

CHERYL C

Verified

December 31, 2019 Stayed at: 22, Loop: PURGATOIRE

5

I camped at Purgatoire last summer from July 13-15. The campground is remote and beautiful with great access to hiking. Nice elevation for campfires and chill in the evening air even in July. The host was especially attentive, helpful and very knowledgeable with tips about the surrounding area. There were some campers who ran a generator all night. It wasn't me that complained, but I was happy my neighbors asked the host to please enforce the quiet time rules. It's great when you come across a host who's willing to be the "bad" guy so the rest of the campers can enjoy peace and quiet.

CHERYL C

Verified

December 31, 2019 Stayed at: 22, Loop: PURGATOIRE

5

I camped at Purgatoire last summer from July 13-15. The campground is remote and beautiful with great access to hiking. Nice elevation for campfires and chill in the evening air even in July. The host was especially attentive, helpful and very knowledgeable with tips about the surrounding area. There were some campers who ran a generator all night. It wasn't me that complained, but I was happy my neighbors asked the host to please enforce the quiet time rules. It's great when you come across a host who's willing to be the "bad" guy so the rest of the campers can enjoy peace and quiet.

Valerie S

December 23, 2019

3

We love Purgatoire Campground! We have stayed here several times and has always been great! This year we stayed three days with lots of family and friends, was a blast. There were only a few negative things about the campground. The first was the host, he didn't do much but be a grump about lots of things. The spots were overgrown with grass and weeds so you kind of had to trample down your area, we were just glad it was green! You could definitely tell the host had done no upkeep on anything! We love the area and will always go back, but I would think if you were going to be a camp host you would at least like people and nature! Hoping next year brings someone better as host!

Valerie S

December 23, 2019

3

We love Purgatoire Campground! We have stayed here several times and has always been great! This year we stayed three days with lots of family and friends, was a blast. There were only a few negative things about the campground. The first was the host, he didn't do much but be a grump about lots of things. The spots were overgrown with grass and weeds so you kind of had to trample down your area, we were just glad it was green! You could definitely tell the host had done no upkeep on anything! We love the area and will always go back, but I would think if you were going to be a camp host you would at least like people and nature! Hoping next year brings someone better as host!

rakkasan84

rakkasan84

July 30, 2019

1

The two forestry service law enforcement officers that disturbed me and my girlfriend during our camping trip at the Purgatoire river campsite were extremely impersonal and aggressively looking for any reason to evict us from our stay. Our vehicles were both displaying a current license plate tag (military veteran tags at that), campsite was clean and there was no trash laying around.

When I came to greet them and shake their hand they seemed reluctant to introduce themselves, and seemed to be alarmed that I had a small knife holstered on my belt, telling me to "keep that thing holsteredl". All I did was introduce myself and shake their hand. He immediately started asking my identification and aggressively questioning me about my stay.

I was surprised at how well outfitted in body armor and other fancy gadgetry these guys were wearing. Shiny new gear that looked much nicer than I wore in Iraq while deployed fighting a war for this country. I hope you guys feel really safe harassing campers on their vacation.

They didn't ask how we were doing or any other basic conversation like you would get when dealing with a normal human being. When we mentioned our veteran status they didn't seem to care or thank us for our service. I hope you guys feel great about yourselves harassing disabled veterans on their camping trip!

Google Maps

Location Purgatoire Campground

Address:
San Carlos Ranger District, 3028 East Main Street
Canon City, CO, 81212
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 37.2525 / -105.109

Elevation: 2959 feet

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

  • For real-time information, contact the San Carlos Ranger District at (719) 269-8500.

Site capacity

  • Campsite capacity is limited to 8 people, with options for 2 tents and 2 vehicles or 1 RV.

Wildlife & food storage

  • Secure food and cooking utensils to prevent bear encounters and maintain cleanliness.
  • Only certified weed-free hay and feed pellets are allowed.

Safety & rules

  • Fireworks and firearms are strictly prohibited in the campground.

Site types & loops

  • Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

General

  • For more information on the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, click here
  • Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing organisms by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.

Fees & deposits

  • The camping fee covers 2 vehicles; an extra fee of $10 applies for additional vehicles.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: June 5, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service