USFSArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG · Colorado

Rainbow Lakes Campground

This campground is open mid-June through mid-September and located at 10000 feet at the end of the Rainbow Lakes Road and adjacent to the Indian Peaks Wilderness .

Sites0all reservable

Elev.9,957ft

Comf.Jun-Sep4 months

Max rigtents

Electricnonesites

From Denver2h07real road time

The honest read

Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 9,957 ft, Rainbow Lakes Campground has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 10°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. Within about 4 miles: 11 peaks, lake or river access.

The campground at a glance

01 · CHARACTER

Reads strongest on cool nights and quiet. Softest on quiet.

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

Jun-Sep

Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.

63%

Of summer weekend-days are dry.

Jun 15

Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 13.

45°F

Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS

Denver

53 mi

2h07

Fort Collins

79 mi

2h36

Colorado Springs

121 mi

3h20

Grand Junction

246 mi

5h54

By drive time

Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 3 mi away.

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Trail segments

Peaks

Water & Access

Lake / river access

yes

To nearest major road

3 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.

Check availability on Recreation.gov →