Map of Alvarado Campground
ALVARADO CAMPGROUND
ALVARADO CAMPGROUND
ALVARADO CAMPGROUND
ALVARADO CAMPGROUND

Available sites

35 total sites

About Alvarado Campground

Alvarado Campground, located at an elevation of 9 ft., is a prime location for accessing easy to challenging hikes in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. The variety of trails lead to high elevation lakes, picturesque waterfalls, and a number of stunning scenic overlooks. Alvarado is designed for a range of campers, with facilities for tent, RV and equestrian campers. Pike-San Isabel National Forests include over a million acres of wilderness and over half of Colorado's mountain peaks that reach above 14 ft.

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Hiking

Hiking

Year-round
Horseback Riding

Horseback Riding

Year-round

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 closed

Campground Amenities

Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

35 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 01, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 02, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 03, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 04, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 05, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 06, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 07, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 09, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 11, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 12, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 13, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 15, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 17, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 21, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 22, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 25, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 26, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 27, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 29, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 32, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 33, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 34, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 35, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 37, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 38, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 39, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 42, Loop: ALVARADO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
⛺ 44, Loop: ALVARADO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 45, Loop: ALVARADO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 46, Loop: ALVARADO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 47, Loop: ALVARADO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 48, Loop: ALVARADO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🏕️ E1, Loop: ALVARADO Equestrian
8 guests · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🏕️ E2, Loop: ALVARADO Equestrian
8 guests · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🏕️ E3, Loop: ALVARADO Equestrian
8 guests · Pet Friendly · Campfire

Reviews (379)

What Guests Are Saying

Alvarado Campground offers a clean, well-maintained environment with friendly and helpful camp hosts. Many visitors appreciate the beautiful scenery, quiet atmosphere, and excellent hiking trails in the area. While there are some concerns about site accessibility and occasional water issues, the overall experience is highly praised, making it a recommended spot for campers.

Review Summary

4.6
379 reviews
5
75.2%
285
4
16.6%
63
3
4.7%
18
2
1.8%
7
1
1.6%
6

Kevin S

Verified

September 14, 2021 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Hidden treasure- dry camping without amenities except for the natural beauty and peacefulness. Great site (9) that was perfect for our van camper

Jonathan W

Verified

September 13, 2021 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Alvarado campground was wonderful. There are fantastic views in the campground itself and it is a great basecamp to explore the nearby wilderness. A note about the water. There is drinking water available but there are not threads on the spigots to fill up your camper. Fill your camper ahead of time.

Jonathan W

Verified

September 13, 2021 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Alvarado campground was wonderful. There are fantastic views in the campground itself and it is a great basecamp to explore the nearby wilderness. A note about the water. There is drinking water available but there are not threads on the spigots to fill up your camper. Fill your camper ahead of time.

PAT M

Verified

September 9, 2021 • Stayed at: 33, Loop: ALVARADO

1

Alvarado is one of our most favorite camping spots ... until this year!
We have a small 23’ RV ...
The lack of site maintenance is becoming very discouraging...there is a lot of lost revenue when when so many sites aren’t usable due to not grading...not just from a leveling standpoint but the hugh run off ditches that make them unusable...the feedback I hear is “Don’t go there” which is obvious when you see how many empty spots there are...that all equates to money lost ... give a local with a grader some employment...that would be a win win!
Speaking of giving work out to locals...
My other complaint is the group you hired to do tree mitigation ...
They decided to find a group of dead trees right next to our site #33 (major erosion site)
At 9:30am on Thurs 8-19-21...peak camping season with campers everywhere...we also came close to having one of there trees hitting us as we came off the Rainbow trail...another brilliant plan of theirs...mitigate trees next to the car parking area midday at the entrance to the Rainbow trail.
So you ask “how was our experience at Alvarado this year?” HORRIBLE!
Camping was bad enough dealing with all the rude & noisy newbies but then add bad park management to the equation... it sucked!

PAT M

Verified

September 9, 2021 • Stayed at: 33, Loop: ALVARADO

1

Alvarado is one of our most favorite camping spots ... until this year!
We have a small 23’ RV ...
The lack of site maintenance is becoming very discouraging...there is a lot of lost revenue when when so many sites aren’t usable due to not grading...not just from a leveling standpoint but the hugh run off ditches that make them unusable...the feedback I hear is “Don’t go there” which is obvious when you see how many empty spots there are...that all equates to money lost ... give a local with a grader some employment...that would be a win win!
Speaking of giving work out to locals...
My other complaint is the group you hired to do tree mitigation ...
They decided to find a group of dead trees right next to our site #33 (major erosion site)
At 9:30am on Thurs 8-19-21...peak camping season with campers everywhere...we also came close to having one of there trees hitting us as we came off the Rainbow trail...another brilliant plan of theirs...mitigate trees next to the car parking area midday at the entrance to the Rainbow trail.
So you ask “how was our experience at Alvarado this year?” HORRIBLE!
Camping was bad enough dealing with all the rude & noisy newbies but then add bad park management to the equation... it sucked!

Gary D

Verified

September 8, 2021 • Stayed at: 02, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Campground is a mix of RV and tent sites. Good sources of water and trash facilities. Campground host was very helpful upon arrival.

Gary D

Verified

September 8, 2021 • Stayed at: 02, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Campground is a mix of RV and tent sites. Good sources of water and trash facilities. Campground host was very helpful upon arrival.

Julie G

Verified

August 24, 2021 • Stayed at: 11, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Great!

Julie G

Verified

August 24, 2021 • Stayed at: 11, Loop: ALVARADO

5

Great!

Chase B

Verified

August 22, 2021 • Stayed at: 15, Loop: ALVARADO

5

host was a great help!

Location & Directions for Alvarado Campground

Co. Rd. 140, Westcliffe, CO 81212 United States

Elevation: 2,750 ft

Getting There

From Westcliffe, CO, take State Route 69 south 3 mi to the campground sign (County Road 140). Turn right and go 1.8 mi to the stop sign. Continue straight through the stop sign for 2.8 mi until you hit another stop sign (RD 141). Turn left onto RD...

Nearest town

Westcliffe, CO - 10 mi

About 18 min to downtown

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

  • Real-time information is unavailable; contact the San Carlos Ranger District for inquiries.

Site capacity

  • Campground limits: 8 people per site, with options for 2 tents and 2 vehicles or 1 RV.

Wildlife & food storage

  • Store food securely to avoid attracting bears; keep food out of sight and remove after use.

Safety & rules

  • Only certified weed-free hay is allowed at the campground.

Site types & loops

  • Electric hookups are not provided at this campground.
  • Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

General

  • Click here for more information on Pike and San Isabel National Forests

Fires & fuel

  • Do not transport firewood; purchase it locally and burn it on-site to protect trees.
  • Purchase firewood at the host site for $10 per bundle.

Fees & deposits

  • Camping fee includes 2 vehicles; $10 charge for each additional vehicle.

Utilities

  • Water available via handpump/spigot; do not connect RV hoses to the system; fill tanks before arrival.
  • No dump station available; nearest facility is at a nearby campground not operated by ExplorUS.

Nearby Campgrounds


Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Westcliffe, CO

Population: 419

Nearby larger city

Pueblo, CO

Approx. 53 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 7,864 ft

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