Tent Sites
Phillip B
VerifiedJuly 30, 2024 Stayed at: 2, Loop: Main Loop
campground was immaculate and gorgeous area
Helpful
Featured amenities
Pet Friendly
About Penitente Canyon Campground
The canyonlands of Penitente Canyon offer a blend of peaceful surroundings and diverse recreation opportunities less than 10 mi from a major highway. Although the BLM manages the 4,552-acre Penitente Canyon primarily for rock climbers, the area also offers opportunities for heritage tourists, mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians.
Available sites
17 total sitesSeasonal information
2026
(Current year)
2026 Season availability
Current season
Upcoming seasons
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Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
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Currently open - Apr 1 to Dec 31
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
Missing information?
Rates, Sites & Availability
Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.
17 Sites Available
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1, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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10, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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11, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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12, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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13, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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14, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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15, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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2, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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3, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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4, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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5, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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6, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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7, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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8, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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9, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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Group Site 1, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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Group Site 2, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
No sites found matching your criteria.
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Site Details
Select a site to view details
17 Sites Available
Site
Price
⛺
1, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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10, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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11, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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12, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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13, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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14, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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15, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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2, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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3, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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4, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺
5, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺
6, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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7, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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8, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
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9, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺
Group Site 1, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺
Group Site 2, Loop: Main Loop
Tent
Pet Friendly · Campfire
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews
259 reviews
Summary
Penitente Canyon Campground is praised for its stunning rock formations, beautiful sunsets, and quiet, secluded atmosphere, making it a perfect spot for stargazing and hiking. The campground features clean facilities, well-stocked bathrooms, and ample hiking and biking trails nearby. However, some visitors reported issues with aggressive dogs from the camp hosts and challenges in finding certain campsites, which may detract from the overall experience.
Based on guest feedback
4.1
Overall rating
Based on 259 reviews
5 stars
47.5% (123)
4 stars
33.2% (86)
3 stars
8.1% (21)
2 stars
3.1% (8)
1 star
8.1% (21)
Showing 259 reviews
Verified Only
Sort by: Newest First
Emily C
VerifiedJuly 27, 2024 Stayed at: 10, Loop: Main Loop
Great location. Trails could be better marked, I did get lost. But the amenities were great and the pit toilets didn't smell too bad.
Helpful
Emily C
VerifiedJuly 27, 2024 Stayed at: 10, Loop: Main Loop
Great location. Trails could be better marked, I did get lost. But the amenities were great and the pit toilets didn't smell too bad.
Helpful
Phillip B
VerifiedJuly 26, 2024 Stayed at: 4, Loop: Main Loop
Camping areas were spotless. Other visitors were respectful. The area is gorgeous.
Helpful
Phillip B
VerifiedJuly 26, 2024 Stayed at: 4, Loop: Main Loop
Camping areas were spotless. Other visitors were respectful. The area is gorgeous.
Helpful
Bradley B
VerifiedJuly 24, 2024 Stayed at: 14, Loop: Main Loop
Remote, very quiet, amazing night sky. Campsites are fairly open, a few with some shade. Only pit toilets.
Helpful
Bradley B
VerifiedJuly 24, 2024 Stayed at: 14, Loop: Main Loop
Remote, very quiet, amazing night sky. Campsites are fairly open, a few with some shade. Only pit toilets.
Helpful
Susan R
VerifiedJuly 17, 2024 Stayed at: 7, Loop: Main Loop
We arrived to find that our reserved campsite #7 had a large, very heavy concrete picnic table located in the center of the designated trailer parking area, leaving no space to park our 16 ft trailer on the site. The picnic table was not shown in the online photos of the site during the reservation process. We drove miles out of the park until we managed to pick up a weak internet signal and reserved another site. The internet signal didn't last long enough to cancel the existing reservation. A phone call to recreation.gov to cancel the existing reservation resulted in being put on hold until the call was dropped due to the weak cell signal. This is a nice park, but the issue encountered with the originally reserved campsite, and the effort required to change sites was a very frustrating start to our camping trip.
Helpful
Susan R
VerifiedJuly 17, 2024 Stayed at: 7, Loop: Main Loop
We arrived to find that our reserved campsite #7 had a large, very heavy concrete picnic table located in the center of the designated trailer parking area, leaving no space to park our 16 ft trailer on the site. The picnic table was not shown in the online photos of the site during the reservation process. We drove miles out of the park until we managed to pick up a weak internet signal and reserved another site. The internet signal didn't last long enough to cancel the existing reservation. A phone call to recreation.gov to cancel the existing reservation resulted in being put on hold until the call was dropped due to the weak cell signal. This is a nice park, but the issue encountered with the originally reserved campsite, and the effort required to change sites was a very frustrating start to our camping trip.
Helpful
Karen H
VerifiedJuly 10, 2024 Stayed at: 14, Loop: Main Loop
The canyon is beautiful and the campground is very spacious.
Helpful
Location & Directions for Penitente Canyon Campground
Blm San Luis Valley Field Office, Monte Vista, CO 81144 United States
Elevation: 2,413 ft
Getting There
From U.S. 285, turn west onto Saguache County Road G. After 6 mi you will pass the La Garita Trading Post. Go another 0.5 mi to a Y intersection; take the left fork (County Road 38A). The entrance to the recreation area is another 0.5 mi, on your ...
From U.S. 285, turn west onto Saguache County Road G. After 6 mi you will pass the La Garita Trading Post. Go another 0.5 mi to a Y intersection; take the left fork (County Road 38A). The entrance to the recreation area is another 0.5 mi, on your right. Elevation = 7.9 ft.
Highway access
The campground is accessible via U.S. Highway 285, which is approximately 6.5 miles away.
Near Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
The closest entrance is: Great Sand Dunes Entrance Station
Approximate drive: 51.6 mi · over 1 hr (89 min)
Policies & Rules
Pets
- Pets must always be kept under control.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: October 24, 2026
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Explore Monte Vista, CO
Population: 4,141
Nearby city: Pueblo, CO
Approx. 95 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 7,664 ft
Monte Vista, CO
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