Aspen Glade Campground

Good to know

• Campground
• Under 1 kmfrom Antonito center
• Wheelchair accessrestroom
• Parking
• Good for kids
• Dogs allowed
• Restroom
• 4.7 / 560 reviews
• Antonito

Why Aspen Glade Is Worth the Drive

Aspen Glade's real selling point is its location: it sits right on the Conejos River, about a quarter mile downstream from a stretch designated "Gold Medal" water — an honor Colorado bestows on only 168 miles of its roughly 9,000 miles of trout stream, reserved for the largest, healthiest native and stocked trout fisheries in the state. The river is fly-fishing only in front of the campground, so the fishing pressure is light and the banks are quiet enough to hear birds overhead. Even if you don't fish, the sound of moving water and the shade of the river-side loop make the place feel like a hideaway.↗↗

The campground also sits at a convenient hinge in southern Colorado's mountains — between the Carson and Rio Grande National Forests, a few miles from the New Mexico border, and within easy day-trip range of one of North America's great narrow-gauge rail lines. It is high enough to feel like mountain country (the aspen color change arrives early) and close enough to Highway 17 that you can fill a cooler in Antonito and be sitting at your fire ring within the hour.↗↗

Inside the Campground: Three Loops, 32 Sites

The layout is the simple, walkable kind you only get at small Forest Service campgrounds. Loops A and B are lightly wooded, set down among Ponderosa pines with a soft understory of grass and pine needles — sunnier, breezier, and good for campers who like a star view over the treetops. Loop C is the river loop: heavily shaded by tall, mature spruce, aspen, and fir, with the Conejos running close alongside it. Seven of the 32 sites are pull-throughs, which is a relief for anyone towing a camper or a longer rig.↗↗

Each site comes with a picnic table and a steel fire ring, and there are multiple vault restrooms scattered through the loops plus potable water on-site. There are no showers, hookups, or dump station, and no horse or livestock use is permitted, so the crowd skews toward tents, vans, and RVs up to about 45 feet that are happy with the basics. Dogs are welcome on a leash no longer than six feet, and the campground is generally quiet, with a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. quiet hours window.↗

Fly Fishing on the Conejos

The river in front of the campground is the reason many guests book here year after year. Just a quarter mile upstream, the Conejos is classified as Gold Medal water — top-tier trout habitat — with the stretch immediately adjacent to the campground restricted to fly fishing. It is a classic high-country tailwater: cold, fast, and lined with alders and aspen where brown and rainbow trout hold in the seams. Bring waders for the shoulder pockets, or wade the riffles with a dry-dropper rig through the long summer evenings.↗↗

If you want to extend the fishing day, the Conejos River canyon below Antonito is dotted with public access, and the higher tributaries off Forest Road 250 are reachable for a short walk or a longer bushwhack. Ice fishing picks up in the winter once the river slows, though the campground itself is closed outside the summer season.↗

Scenic Drives, Hikes, and the Cumbres & Toltec

Forest Road 250 climbs out of the canyon just above the campground and is one of the most rewarding drive-bys in the Conejos country, opening into sweeping views down the length of the Conejos Canyon. Take it slow in a high-clearance vehicle, pull out at the wide bends, and let the landscape do the talking.↗

For a proper trail day, the Sheep Creek Trail is close by and is regularly recommended for hikers who want more than a riverside stroll — expect wildflowers, creek crossings, and views back across the forested bench. From Antonito, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs a 64-mile round trip on a restored narrow-gauge steam line through a string of abandoned mining towns and the high trestles of the Cumbres Pass country; booking an excursion to pair with a night or two at Aspen Glade is one of the best ways to see southern Colorado's mining West without strapping on boots.↗↗

Practical Information for Visitors

Aspen Glade operates a short summer season, typically from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, at 8,500 feet — pack for cool nights even in July, and don't be surprised by an afternoon thunderstorm rolling through the canyon. Reservations are made through Recreation.gov (1-877-444-6777) and are worth locking in early for holiday weekends. Day-use is $12, a single site runs $29 per night, and a double site is $58; Interagency Senior and Access passes take 50% off a single site.↗

From Antonito, head south on US 285 for about a third of a mile, then continue onto County Highway 17 and drive roughly 15.4 miles until you see the campground sign — turn left and go another fifth of a mile to the entrance. There is on-site parking at every campsite, plus wheelchair-accessible parking and restrooms.↗↗

This is bear country. Food must be stored properly and lids kept tight on the bear-proof trash containers, and fires are only allowed inside the designated steel rings and must be dead-out and cold to the touch before you leave your site. Buy or gather firewood near the campground rather than hauling it in, and check current conditions with the Conejos Peak Ranger District (719-274-8971) before you drive up the canyon — mountain weather and road status can change quickly.

Who Will Love It Here

Aspen Glade is for campers who want the old-fashioned Forest Service version of a mountain campground — quiet, river-fronted, no hookups, no show. Fly anglers and their partners are the heart of the regular crowd, joined by families with kids who want a safe, walkable loop and a creek to skip stones in, photographers chasing the early aspen color in late September, and railroad tourists stringing the Cumbres & Toltec together with a night or two under the pines. If you need Wi-Fi, showers, or full hookups, this isn't that place — but for a few nights of pine shade, fly hatches, and river sound, it is one of the most pleasant little campgrounds you'll find in southern Colorado.↗↗