Ansel Watrous

Cache la Poudre River
Ansel Watrous entrance sign
Ansel Watrous Camp Site 15
Ansel Watrous road
Ansel Watrous Camp Site 15 Overview

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly
River Access

About Ansel Watrous

Ansel Watrous Campground is located on the Cache la Poudre River, 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., along Highway 14. Visitors enjoy the area for its great rafting, fishing and hiking opportunities.

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 1 to Sep 19

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly
River Access
Water Access

Water Access

  • River Access
Pets and Policies

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.

13 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 002, Loop: UPPER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 003, Loop: UPPER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 006, Loop: UPPER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 007, Loop: UPPER
No Hookups
Price not available
008, Loop: UPPER
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
009, Loop: UPPER
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
010, Loop: UPPER
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 012, Loop: LOWER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 013, Loop: LOWER
No Hookups
Price not available
014, Loop: LOWER
8 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 015, Loop: LOWER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 016, Loop: LOWER
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 017, Loop: LOWER
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (182)

What Guests Are Saying

Ansel Watrous Campground offers a fantastic setting right by the Poudre River, with well-maintained sites and clean facilities. Many guests appreciate the friendly camp host and the easy access to hiking trails and fishing spots. While some reviewers noted issues with noise from the nearby road and close campsite arrangements, the overall experience is highly rated, making it a popular choice for campers.

Review Summary

4.5
182 reviews
5
71.4%
130
4
15.9%
29
3
7.1%
13
2
1.6%
3
1
3.8%
7

Doug G

Verified

May 10, 2022 Stayed at: 007, Loop: UPPER

5

Well maintained. Excellent hosts. A great stay.

Jeffrey B

Verified

May 9, 2022 Stayed at: 008, Loop: UPPER

4

The site was awesome and so was the camp host.

Clint E

April 30, 2022

5

Great place close to home!

Shawn S

April 25, 2022

5

lovely, a bit if in and out traffic, yet still peaceful.

Marvin F

Verified

April 23, 2022 Stayed at: 003, Loop: UPPER

5

A beautiful, small campground next to the Cache Poudre river with a cliff wall on the other side of the river. The perfect place for us to relax for a weekend. We'll be back.

Maya A

April 20, 2022

5

Bathrooms were clean. Didn’t mind being close to the highway—the river drowns out sounds of most everything else which was nice! Super close to the Mishawaka which is cool too.

Cheryl D

Verified

April 4, 2022 Stayed at: 009, Loop: UPPER

3

Overall, campground was great and camp host was very nice and helpful. Site near river and in the trees is wonderful and relaxing. Highway is nearby, so some traffic noise but river noise offset most of it. Campground was having some management issues. No campfire for sale, drinking water had not yet been turned on even though website said that it was turned on by March 1 each year and no trash dump available onsite because it was full. Camp host said that he had alerted management company to all issues, but they were having service problems like most companies. Trash being full was due to some misunderstanding or dispute with private trash removal company. None of these were big issues, although it would have been nice to know about them beforehand. In the end, we were able to adapt with an extra trip into town (about 30 min away) to purchase firewood and potable water. We would come back to this campground again.

Fred K

March 27, 2022

5

Some of the cleanest bathrooms on the planet! Love listening to the water at night since you are really, really close to the river. We stayed there 3/18*20, 2022. Short drive to Jax's to refill propane bottles and pick up any groceries we might need. Camp host was helpful and offered to help us back our trailer into the site.

Alexander H

Verified

March 23, 2022 Stayed at: 006, Loop: UPPER

5

Highly recommend! The access to the river is wonderful.

Ian H

Verified

October 17, 2021 Stayed at: 015, Loop: LOWER

5

The site (including bathrooms) was very clean. The host was helpful and knowledgable about other recreational opportunities in the area. Firewood was readily available and fairly priced. We look forward to coming back!

Location Ansel Watrous

Address:
9054 U.S Hwy 285
Morrison, CO, 80465
United States

Highway access

The campground is accessible via Highway 14, which is a major road leading northwest from Fort Collins.

Latitude & Longitude: 40.6897 / -105.349

Elevation: 1780 feet

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: July 11, 2026

USDA Forest Service Logo
Managed by USDA Forest Service