1
Pull-thru
USFSPSICC · Colorado
Painted Rocks
Overview Painted Rocks Campground is located a short distance from Manitou Lake Picnic Area and the Centennial Bike Trail in central Colorado.
Sites1811 reservable
Elev.7,858ft
Comf.May-Sep5 months
Max rig59 ft1 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Colorado Springs0h43real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 7,858 ft, Painted Rocks has a 5-month comfortable window (May-Sep). Winter nights average around 13°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 18 sites total: 11 reservable and 7 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 1 pull-through, and the longest takes a 59-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on cool nights and reservability. Softest on shade.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Nov
May-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
63%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 21
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 8.
56°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Colorado Springs
27 mi
0h43
02
Denver
66 mi
1h46
03
Fort Collins
129 mi
2h56
04
Grand Junction
275 mi
5h37
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 6.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 18 SITES
Color byShow only
18 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
18
Sites
★ The standout
Site 002
PAIN · good location.
To neighbor
61 ft
Location
Good
Max rig
26 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
76
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
6.8 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.