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 Pet Friendly
River Access River Access

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

13 total sites

RV Sites

9 sites

Tent Sites

4 sites

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

Reviews (208)

What Guests Are Saying

Ansel Watrous campground offers a beautiful and well-maintained setting by the river, providing enjoyable camping experiences with friendly hosts and great access for fishing and hiking. Many guests appreciate the cleanliness of the facilities and the peaceful atmosphere, making it a favorite spot for relaxation and outdoor activities. However, some reviewers noted issues with site reservations and occasional road noise, but these concerns did not overshadow the overall positive experiences shared by most campers.

Review Summary

4.5
208 reviews
5
70.7%
147
4
16.8%
35
3
7.2%
15
2
1.9%
4
1
3.4%
7

Cleryson H

Verified

October 27, 2025 Stayed at: 006, Loop: UPPER

1

Camp host sold my site to someone else I arrived a day later which I get it’s my fault and it’s stated in the fine print. Until there I can’t complain since I wasn’t aware of the policies. Drove for 4 hours with little kids and when I arrived I asked him for help and he said he couldn’t care less if I had kids and I should have read the agreement. Rude and disrespectful. I’m surprised these people deal with others.

Gabriela S

October 18, 2025

5

Loved this little site.

Jacob G

Verified

October 16, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: UPPER

5

Was clean and enjoyable. The only issue we had were the semis on the road using their Jake breaks at 2 AM but other than that everything was clean and well kept

Nicholas L

October 13, 2025

4

The actual site was the best campsite I've ever used. Great location. Everything was clean and things went well.
The only issue is when I arrived someone else was trying to squat on my site. I had to tell them I reserved the site and they politely left.

Eric P

Verified

October 5, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: UPPER

5

Killer spot to camp and walk up for a show at the Mish!

Heidi P

September 18, 2025

5

The cleanest ans nicest pit toilets I've ever seen. A lovely place that's well attended to.

Jenny L

Verified

September 18, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: UPPER

5

Clean and quiet!

Richard O

Verified

September 18, 2025 Stayed at: 006, Loop: UPPER

5

Nice quiet, clean camp spot right by the river.

kevin H

Verified

September 16, 2025 Stayed at: 002, Loop: UPPER

5

My favorite campsite of the entire 2-week trip. Stayed at upper loop for 2 nights, with campsite right on the river. Our site was level and wide enough to park our little truck with rooftop tent at an angle to open straight toward the river, rather than towards our neighbors. Other sites were close, but not right on top of each other, and this is not really a typical campground loop - all sites are on the river side of the small road - nothing across from us.
This campground is very well managed and maintained. Camp Host was fantastic. Friendly and took his job seriously. Constant presence on site and kept all the reservation info current at each site number post.
Always a little nervous about how vault toilets will be at a site, but there was always plenty of toilet paper, and very clean toilet rooms. Only smell was outside on the day the septic company came to pump it clean. Seriously, this place was cleaner and than another Forest Service campground we stayed at with flush toilets and showers.
A little bit of noise from passing vehicles, but not enough to wake us up, especially with the constant sound of the river flowing just below us.
I am not a fisherman, but other campers were catching trout lunch just steps from their campsites.
There is a good hiking trail just across the road - easy hike up into the mountains.
I would have been happy to stay here longer, waking up to the river every morning.

Charlotte S

Verified

September 15, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: UPPER

5

Great location for a show at the mish. Close to the river. Road noise is loud.

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.

Elevation: 1780 feet

Distance to downtown

99 mi drive to downtown Morrison (about 1 hr 47 min)

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 1, 2026

USDA Forest Service Logo
Managed by USDA Forest Service