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Glacier Basin Campground
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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#2 of 7 campsites in Rocky Mountain National Park
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HOTEL STYLE
Charming
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Property amenities
Babysitting
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Shuttle bus service
Location
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Getting there
Denver Intl Airport
94.1 km•
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105 Restaurants
within 10 kilometers
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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9 of us spent 1 night on one of the group campsites here. Great location, plenty of space, bathrooms close by with flushable toilets and Sprague Lake was only a 15 minute walk away. Overall a wonderful stay and I could have happily spent longer here.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled on business
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Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We've stayed at Glacier Basin Campground 3 times now over the last several years. It's one of the best campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes. Great views, clean bathrooms (FYI, no showers or hot water), and well placed camp sites each with their own table and fire ring.
Which brings me to the title of my review and the reason it's not a 5 star review. There is an elderly woman who comes in most nights from 5:30-8pm to sell firewood, kindling, and ice cream. Not at 5:25, or 5:29...5:30!!! And don't get in line for ice cream before all the people buying wood are done because "WOOD FIRST!!!" Also, you better have small bills as is $1's and $5's or she will lecture you about the fact that she's not a bank. Wood is $5.50 per bundle, limit 3... And don't think you can buy $20 worth of items and give her a $20 bill because you guessed it...lecture time that she can't make change for other people with that, yada yada yada. Trust me, just bring small bills unless you want a hassle.
As is the case with much of the park, they lost a lot of pines to the beetles, but here they have replanted lots of new pines that are growing slowly but surely.
You'll enjoy this place, so beautiful and peaceful. Quiet time starts at 10pm and pretty much everyone complies.
Which brings me to the title of my review and the reason it's not a 5 star review. There is an elderly woman who comes in most nights from 5:30-8pm to sell firewood, kindling, and ice cream. Not at 5:25, or 5:29...5:30!!! And don't get in line for ice cream before all the people buying wood are done because "WOOD FIRST!!!" Also, you better have small bills as is $1's and $5's or she will lecture you about the fact that she's not a bank. Wood is $5.50 per bundle, limit 3... And don't think you can buy $20 worth of items and give her a $20 bill because you guessed it...lecture time that she can't make change for other people with that, yada yada yada. Trust me, just bring small bills unless you want a hassle.
As is the case with much of the park, they lost a lot of pines to the beetles, but here they have replanted lots of new pines that are growing slowly but surely.
You'll enjoy this place, so beautiful and peaceful. Quiet time starts at 10pm and pretty much everyone complies.
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I went to this park the first time this August. I camped for a week at Glacier. My campsite was in a section of the grounds that had the trees removed due to beetle infestation. My campsite did not have any trees around it. However, I didn't mind this. As a result the sky views were fabulous. Trust me when I say that it is a huge advantage to sit at your campsite and sky gaze here. Because the park is so removed from nearby cities, the luminosity of the stars is incredible. Each morning/evening as I walked to/from the shuttle stop, I walked past a vast panorama of beautiful mountains. Every time the view was different, thanks to the varying light scape.
An advantage this park has is that it is right across from the park and ride of the shuttle system. You can easily access the 3 shuttles that run in the park. A shuttle does come into the campground, but you can also easily walk to the park and ride. I took Estes Shuttle from Denver to the front of the park and then used the park shuttle system the whole week. I did 5 days of hiking and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The campground also has an amphitheater where they have Ranger programs most nights of the week. Each night has different talk. I enjoyed them all. The staff at the campground were extremely nice.
So wine told me that the campground would be noisy since it was full. I did not find that to be the case. Yes, in the early evening you could hear kids playing, but that was fine. As soon as it got dark, the campground got quiet.
I would recommend this campground. It is set in a beautiful place. The (now) open meadows are beautiful. (There were quite a few baby pines growing around my site. It will be interesting g to see what this site will look like over time.) It is very convenient and also very clean and well maintained. There are trails that lead out of the campground that connect up to trails to much of the favorite sections of the park.
An advantage this park has is that it is right across from the park and ride of the shuttle system. You can easily access the 3 shuttles that run in the park. A shuttle does come into the campground, but you can also easily walk to the park and ride. I took Estes Shuttle from Denver to the front of the park and then used the park shuttle system the whole week. I did 5 days of hiking and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The campground also has an amphitheater where they have Ranger programs most nights of the week. Each night has different talk. I enjoyed them all. The staff at the campground were extremely nice.
So wine told me that the campground would be noisy since it was full. I did not find that to be the case. Yes, in the early evening you could hear kids playing, but that was fine. As soon as it got dark, the campground got quiet.
I would recommend this campground. It is set in a beautiful place. The (now) open meadows are beautiful. (There were quite a few baby pines growing around my site. It will be interesting g to see what this site will look like over time.) It is very convenient and also very clean and well maintained. There are trails that lead out of the campground that connect up to trails to much of the favorite sections of the park.
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Date of stay: August 2014Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Awesome camp ground surrounded by beautiful mountains. More quiet than Moraine campground. The bathrooms were also very clean and well maintained (something very important to me when camping). Also, there are some hikes that leave right from the area, be sure to talk to the ranger for more details!
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were camped in the meadow in an RV, the views were stunning. If you are tenting I would suggest camping in thw trees as it can get quite windy. We spent 3 nights here and besides the views, elk frequented the meadow in the evening.
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Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 4 nights in Glacier Basin the first week of June. Our first site was 149, which is in the D Loop. No shade in this loop, but wide open views of the mountains and beautiful sunsets. We also stayed in site 108, which is the C Loop. Lots of privacy at this site with many trees.
The rangers have a strong presence here, coming through the camp grounds multiple times a day. We saw them often. Each ranger that we visited with was friendly, and offered great suggestions for hiking.
The campground was clean, and the other campers were quiet for the most part. At least one person near us ran their generator during quiet hours. We did not use the restrooms, as we were in a travel trailer.
The Park and Ride lot to the Bear Lake area is just across the street, and though the lines were long, it was nice to not have to fight for parking spot at the trailheads on a busy Saturday.
Our six year old rode her bike through campgrounds morning and evening, as there was little traffic, and our dog had plenty of space to stretch her legs.
We’ve camped both here and Moraine, and we prefer Glacier. The views of the mountains are hard to beat.
The rangers have a strong presence here, coming through the camp grounds multiple times a day. We saw them often. Each ranger that we visited with was friendly, and offered great suggestions for hiking.
The campground was clean, and the other campers were quiet for the most part. At least one person near us ran their generator during quiet hours. We did not use the restrooms, as we were in a travel trailer.
The Park and Ride lot to the Bear Lake area is just across the street, and though the lines were long, it was nice to not have to fight for parking spot at the trailheads on a busy Saturday.
Our six year old rode her bike through campgrounds morning and evening, as there was little traffic, and our dog had plenty of space to stretch her legs.
We’ve camped both here and Moraine, and we prefer Glacier. The views of the mountains are hard to beat.
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lack of privacy at this campsite was hysterical. We were five feet from other campers on every side. We pretty much knew where everyone was at any given time. My sister and I were invited to a campfire but were too shy to attend. The noise was a little much, but there was something hilarious about the whole experience. It was like some giant hippie commune in the mountains with a meadow and an insanely beautiful view.
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Room Tip: C loop for mountain views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everything was beautiful, and wonderful EXCEPT the horrible person who sold firewood and ice. I would recommend buying from the town of Estes and bring it in. If you must deal with this horror of a person, come with not just cash but exact change. That monster was the only issue. Beautiful place and would stay again. I'll just be getting my wood elsewhere.
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Date of stay: August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We traveled here and stayed at Glacier Basin Campground for 2 nights over 4th of July weekend. This campground is in a great location, we were near Bear Lake and were able to hike the trails down near our campground here to check out some neat lakes and waterfalls. We took trail ridge road which was only about 5 minutes from this campground. We took it all the way to the end and turned around and came back, the views were breath taking! It is better than I could have ever imagined. We saw elk right next to the road, a lot of elk! We saw a moose, we saw marmots and we were able to get out and park a few times and hike some trails to better views and to the highest part of the trail ridge road we hiked up and saw people snowboarding! The campground was nice to walk around in, there were bathrooms with running water, no showers though. We had an elk come right into the campground one night, it had an enormous rack on it! It was breath taking with the mountains in the background.
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for one night during the closing weekend. Nice camping spots (travelling with tent). There is a lot of wildlife around (tent was shaking couple of time) and elk were wandering nearby during breakfast. Simply fantastic. Small shop offers ice(cream) and firewood. Only cash.
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Date of stay: September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes you can and it is recommended.
LOCATION
United StatesColoradoRocky Mountain National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
150
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Claim Your ListingGLACIER BASIN CAMPGROUND | UPDATED 2024 Reviews (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Glacier Basin Campground
Which popular attractions are close to Glacier Basin Campground?
Nearby attractions include Emerald Lake (6.4 km), Rocky Mountains (7.6 km), and Sprague Lake (1.2 km).
What are some restaurants close to Glacier Basin Campground?
Conveniently located restaurants include Cinnamon's Bakery, Donut Haus, and Scratch Deli and Baker.
Are pets allowed at Glacier Basin Campground?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Glacier Basin Campground?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Holzwarth Historical Site (11.7 km) and The Birch Ruins (8.4 km).