Sites & Rates
Average nightly rates17 total sites
RV Sites
17 sites
About Sand Gulch Campground
Number of accommodations: 17
Activities & Attractions
Nearby
Hiking
Year-round
Hiking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Parking
Pet friendly
Restrooms
Fire Pit
Water and Hygiene
- Restrooms
Cooking and Fire
- Fire Pit
- Campfire Ring
Parking and Transport
- Parking
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
17 Sites Available
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Site Details
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17 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (62)
What Guests Are Saying
Sand Gulch Campground offers spacious and beautiful sites with good privacy and well-maintained facilities, including clean restrooms and concrete picnic tables. Visitors appreciate the stunning views, peaceful atmosphere, and friendly camp host, Jerry. While some sites may lack shade and the campground has limited amenities, the overall experience is highly positive, with many eager to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Sand Gulch Campground offers spacious and beautiful sites with good privacy and well-maintained facilities, including clean restrooms and concrete picnic tables. Visitors appreciate the stunning views, peaceful atmosphere, and friendly camp host, Jerry. While some sites may lack shade and the campground has limited amenities, the overall experience is highly positive, with many eager to return.
Review Summary
Douglas L
VerifiedMay 9, 2021 • Stayed at: Group Site 1, Loop: Sand Gulch
When I arrived at my campsite (group site), there were three vehicles with four people already camping there. I tried to contact the Forest Service by phone (dead phone number) and I tried to use the help menu on rec.gov. Rec.gov's help menu is a complete joke. All of the features in the menu kept sending me in a big worthless circle.
Fortunately, the people squatting on my reserved site at Sand Gulch agreed to move. They said the rec.gov site showed the group site was not reserved. I showed them my confirmation email and they agreed to move.
Despite that, Shelf Road camping is essentially the same as it always has been for the 20+ years I've been camping there, primitive but excellent.
Bennett S
April 26, 2021
Great campsite! Clean, well maintained bathroom, easy to find, well marked.
For the first few days some friends booked a first come first serve site next to us. Once my reservation expired, we had to go to a site one over (one we were there, it's cheaper to book it first come first serve, rather than find another one online).
Having every other site reservable/first come first serve makes it awkward for larger groups planning to stay there, since there will (likely) always be a group in between your group on busy days. Maybe change it to every 3rd site reserveable + the last few? (that way 50% are still reservable online and larger groups can still camp next to eachother if they are at the site already).
Location Sand Gulch Campground
Address:
Bureau Of Land Management
Canon City, CO, 81212
United States
From Highway 50 in Cañon City, Take Dozier Avenue north following it as it turns west. At the four-way stop sign turn right on Field Avenue and follow it north until it turns into CR 9. In approximately 10 miles, take a left turn at the sign for Sand Gulch Campground.
Sand Gulch Campground is accessible via Highway 50 in Cañon City, which provides a major route to the area.
Elevation: 1967 feet
14 mi drive to downtown Canon City (about 28 min)
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
1PM
Check out time
11AM
General
- There are no hookup services, no trash collection services and no potable water.
- Bring your own drinking water.
- Maximum length of stay is 14 days.
- Individual campsites are limited to 8 people and 2 vehicles per site. Group campsites are limited to 20 people and 4 vehicles per site.
- Campsites are various sizes, some are smaller and designed to accommodate tent or van camping. Sites 1-16 accommodate longer trailer units (5, 7, 11 are pull through sites).
- No overnight camping in day use parking areas.
- Fires are only allowed in BLM approved metal fire rings, do not build rock fire rings. Bring your own firewood.
- This includes, but not limited to, generators, music, loud voices, and loud pets.
- Generators during non-quiet hours are highly discouraged, for the consideration of other campers.
- Sites 1-15 and Group Sites are Reservation Only, Sites 16-29 are First Come, First Serve, pay at the Pay Station at the entrance. Reservations can be made the day of. Cellphone Coverage is limited, it's recomended that you make your reservation before arriving.
- Please keep your reservation number on hand for reference.
- During the months of June, July and August, the extreme heat and the presence of pinon gnats, flies, ants and other insects can make camping during these months unpleasant. It’s advised to plan accordingly if you plan to camp during this time of the year.
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Last updated: September 3, 2026
