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

David B

August 23, 2025

1

There were 3 cars and multiple tents setup in my reserved campsite. I went to look for the camp host and tried knocking on their camper door, no response and could not be found. There is no cell service in this area so there was no other option but to find a spot on the side of the road to camp instead of the reserved spot I paid for. Then when I applied for a refuund I got 75% of my money back and did not get to camp where I wanted to. This was extremely frustrating

Jeremy H

Verified

August 17, 2025 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LOWER

4

Easy to get to, most spots are near the river, site 17 was great, plenty of trees for shade, short walk to facilities, potable water right across the way.

The staff was helpful and the roar of the Poudre River drowned out any unwanted noises. Nice hiking just across the road at young gulch.

My only complaints were the sites are closer together than I would like, and there's some road noise from cars (but mostly during the day)

Brian D

Verified

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

5

Nice little campground

Brian R

Verified

August 12, 2025 Stayed at: 013, Loop: LOWER

3

Normally we stay in the upper loop which we enjoy. This time we stayed in site 13 in the lower loop. We didn't care for this site as much. It is right next to the main road, making the traffic loud during the night. Also there is barrier between the site and the road, making it a little disconcerting.

Laura W

Verified

August 11, 2025 Stayed at: 012, Loop: LOWER

3

This camping spot provides easy access to the river where you can swim and play in a couple of small areas. Great for all ages, with supervision. The water was still quite cold even in early August, but most of our group still enjoyed getting in and splashing around. The vault toilets and well-water pump add additional convenience.

Cooper C

Verified

August 4, 2025 Stayed at: 008, Loop: UPPER

5

Came here for a one-night stay with my wife, 2 year old daughter, and 2 dogs. These are beautiful creek side sites and the nearby road is fairly quiet, especially at night. Each site has its own bear box, and ours was left in good condition, nice and clean.The toilets are relatively clean (it is a pit toilet after all) and water was readily available. Our camp host was very nice but not over bearing. Checked in with us after arrival and had firewood for sale. The tent sites are spacious, enough for one 6-person tent and likely two 2-person tents. Not many trees well suited for hammocks down by sites 8-10, but possibly better chances in 1-7. Lovely beach spot at site 8, nice cool water and relatively shallow but fast moving all the way across. Seems like good fishing, the camp host pulled out a couple trout the evening we arrived.

Zachary G

August 2, 2025

5

beautiful site right next to the river. no data

Richard V

Verified

July 29, 2025 Stayed at: 016, Loop: LOWER

5

One of my favorite places to sta; it’s so relaxing

Joyce E

Verified

July 20, 2025 Stayed at: 015, Loop: LOWER

5

Our family had all of the campsites on the lower loop except one. This turned out to be one of our favorite camping spots! The entire campground was well maintained-including the bathrooms. The scenery was beautiful-especially those campsites right along the river. There were hiking trails nearby, rafting, fishing in the river and not too far from Ft Collin’s. None of us had cell phone service—which was a plus for us, in order to disconnect and spend time together.

Mike F

Verified

July 19, 2025 Stayed at: 010, Loop: UPPER

1

Host was unpleasant to work with and needlessly confrontational.

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

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