Matterhorn Campground

We showed up for a 5 night stay only to learn that they had no water as they were unable to pass inspection. Young Host told us we could cancel and get a refund. Being in an RV and expecting water we did not fill up prior to arriving. Tried to get refund and management co denied. Disputed and finally got a number for management co. Man I spoke with was so rude and did not feel we deserved a refund. We argued for a while with him tell me "the water isn't bad you just can't drink it or bathe in it". It's the kind of the definition of bad water? He finally relented and agreed to refund. I WILL NEVER STAY THERE OR RECOMMEND. Host did not know what she was talking about and the company itself isn't much better.

As stated by some of the other reviewers, there's plenty of dispersed camping in this area of Colorado. However, I found some of those locations just as crowded as the campground. I also appreciated having electricity for my stay, as there was a good bit of rain and it made being in the trailer more comfortable. I had a potable water spigot on my site, so didn't have to walk anywhere. The camp hosts were friendly, helpful and kept on eye on things.

The location of this campground is good, but still a bit of drive from Telluride. It was great for accessing the many hiking trails in the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. Although my small trailer and truck fit on the site, it was awkward to set up a shade/rain shelter tent due to some old asphalt. The sites are unpaved and mine wasn't level. The campground road is unpaved, narrow and a bit potholed. There are free showers, but they're a bit outdated and one in the women's restroom had drainage issues. The campground was quiet at night and filled with chirping birds each morning. I didn't have any cell service with Verizon and the service in Telluride was slow.

I recommend stocking up on supplies prior to Telluride, either in Durango or Montrose, as amenities are sparse and/or expensive. Clark's Market in Telluride is a decent local grocery store and there's one (expensive) laundromat on the edge of town. Gas/diesel is expensive in both Telluride and nearby Ridgway.

With all this, I'd still return, just for the hiking and views!

Quaint campground near Telluride. Lovely camp host Jocelyn was very sweet and helpful. Good location near Trout Lake. However, there's so much dispersed camping nearby thats wonderful and safe, that I'd say unless you get a site with hookups, just go down the street another couple miles and camp for free at Trout Lake Dispersed or Lizard Head Pass.

We did not have a reservation and arrived Sunday morning about 10:30 and had our choice of 3 sites. Typical of a forest service CG each site had a picnic table and fire pit. A few had electric and water but ours did not. Restrooms included toilet and shower. The camp host was very helpful and sold wood. The mountains views from the site were outstanding. The only negative is that the entire CG is fairly close to the highway, although at night it quieted down.

We loved the Matterhorn Campground! We arrived in the late fall, literally the weekend they were closing for the season. It was still beautiful out and the fall colors were outstanding! The water had been shut off due to the closing (at the site - bathrooms were still open and operational) but we still had 50A electric. We had full water tanks anyway. Camp Hosts (who had just come in to close from another campground) were wonderful. We enjoyed several visits both days we were there. Access to Telluride is easy and the drive was spectacular due to the colors!

The Sunshine Campground just down the road was beautiful as well but they had no hookups.

We stayed most of our vacation at chain RV parks. When we arrived, were greeted by the campground hosts which were knowledgeable and gracious by quickly noting there was a cancellation and they could fit us in. The lot was large, had excellent privacy, close to a nearby creek, the bathroom facilities were very clean and the nature around us was gorgeous. There was absolutely no noise during the day and especially at night. It is a destination in itself and we plan to come back as soon as possible.

We chose this spot because of its proximity to Telluride. It’s a beautiful, well maintained campground nestled among the trees. Since we worked remotely we need cell service and unfortunately we weren’t able to get any (Verizon or AT&T) within the campground. Due to that we only stayed 1 night, but if you don’t need to be connected it’s a fabulous spot!
Note: You can get Verizon cell service about 3 miles down the road toward Telluride if you need it in a pinch!