Ansel Watrous Campground, CO - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

Ansel Watrous Campground is located in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (41 min northwest of Fort Collins, CO) with an elevation of 5,800 feet. There are a total of 17 campsites including 4 tent-only sites. The campground is open all year. 13 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 33 and 40 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring with grill. Prices start at $25.00 per night. Some amenities include drinking water, restroom, trash dumpster. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, hiking trails, floating sports.

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Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (120)

4.4 out of 5

5 star		67%
4 star		17%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		5%

@JeremyH3099258 · Camped on Aug 15, 2025 at Campsite #17

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)

@BrianD6953183 · Camped on Aug 5, 2025 at Campsite #7

Nice little campground

@BrianR3295011 · Camped on Aug 3, 2025 at Campsite #13

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.

@LauraW5748533 · Camped on Aug 1, 2025 at Campsite #12

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.

@zacharyg876A80 · Camped on Jul 28, 2025 at Campsite #5

beautiful site right next to the river. no data

@CooperCF78D604 · Camped on Jul 27, 2025 at Campsite #8

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.

@RichardVA9C352 · Camped on Jul 21, 2025 at Campsite #16

One of my favorite places to sta; its so relaxing

@JoyceE2CC8B7BE · Camped on Jul 9, 2025 at Campsite #15

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 Collins. None of us had cell phone servicewhich was a plus for us, in order to disconnect and spend time together.

@MikeF4658277 · Camped on Jul 6, 2025 at Campsite #10

Host was unpleasant to work with and needlessly confrontational.

@NormB7158436 · Camped on Jul 3, 2025 at Campsite #11

Great views and camp sites. Wouldl recommend this to anyone looking for an awesome experience.

@DavidB5075483 · Camped on Jul 2, 2025 at Campsite #11

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

@SophiaM6F3C27E · Camped on Jul 1, 2025 at Campsite #3

See private comments to management team.

@DougG5309217 · Camped on Jun 30, 2025 at Campsite #17

We had an excellent stay at Ansel Watrous Campground. The site was well marked and clean. We loved the hike into Young's Gultch which is right next door. Our time by the Poudre Casche River was really nice.

@RYANB8651630 · Camped on Jun 29, 2025 at Campsite #6

Stay was great!

@KarinH87D2BF75 · Camped on Jun 27, 2025 at Campsite #13

Great campsite, no traffic noise at night, even though right next to highway; great trail access and fun you sit by river watching rafters float by!

@JakeB729A8B422 · Camped on Jun 26, 2025 at Campsite #6

Camp host was rude, unprofessional, and had an overly aggressive dog. Also overcharged us for our number of parked vehicles.

@cheryls3753416 · Camped on Jun 22, 2025 at Campsite #5

This is a wonderful base camp to enjoy the river and has easy access to Young Gulch trail right across the road. Campsites are well spaced and the bathrooms are super clean!

@JenniferS83796 · Camped on Jun 19, 2025 at Campsite #12

We found the campsite to be very clean and well-kept. Recent weather made it easy to stake down our tent, which was a plus. The restroom facilities were also clean, though the heat did cause a strong odor at times.One thing to note: we were hoping to spend more time by the river, but the area was already occupied by other campers who had set up hammocks and were fishing and lounging, making it difficult to access or share the space.Also, shade is quite limited throughout the site. Aside from the riverbank, there arent many places to escape the sun. During our stay, temperatures were in the 90s, so be prepared for full sun exposure during the day.Overall, a clean and pleasant site, but best suited for cooler weather or if youre prepared for the heat and limited shaded areas.

@DouglasS589227 · Camped on Jun 19, 2025 at Campsite #2

I have been staying at Ansel off and on for 10 years. What happened this year??? The host was rude to say the least. When I arrived he basically accused me of not being the person that reserved the spot. He never asked for an ID, but said that many people take a spot that is not theirs. That was just the beginning. I witnessed him arguing with another camper- why? Also, the mens bathroom was almost unusable. It was the dirtiest that it has ever been. Why? This used to be my favorite campground in the Poudre, but not anymore. And why is it OK for the host to have a full size wash machine and dryer in his spot??? What is happening to our forest campground? I could go on and on, but you get the idea! Im not sure if it was this host or the new management company, but it has gone so downhill that you should be embarrassed.

@SteveH6337222 · Camped on Jun 18, 2025 at Campsite #7

We drove in and parked at our site....did our set up and ate dinner with no interference from the camp host. Friends have told us of really bad experiences with the host, but we had none...never saw him.

@LizabethK3BBB7 · Camped on Jun 15, 2025 at Campsite #9

great time to watch the raft parade. Grounds are clean and well kept

@TriciaS3277476 · Camped on Jun 11, 2025 at Campsite #17

Beautiful spots right by the river.

@MichelleK34912 · Camped on Jun 10, 2025 at Campsite #6

Beautiful campsite. Bathrooms are clean and stocked. Will for sure come here again. Like having a campground host

@LoisW2133F09F9 · Camped on Jun 8, 2025 at Campsite #5

Neat and clean. River is right next to camp sites.

@KennethH931014 · Camped on Jun 1, 2025 at Campsite #15

Great spot on the river and a close walk to the Mish

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Ansel Watrous Campground, CO - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

Ansel Watrous

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (120)

4.4 out of 5

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