Upper Rampart Range Road Designated Dispersed Campsites 2-50

After seeing that this location is no longer free, I thought I’d test it out myself to see what I found. I arrived around midnight on a Saturday Night.

I’m in an old VW Bus—the road is dirt and very bumpy, but wide; no issues for me or the many others hauling full size campers/toy-haulers.

Upon entry I noticed a sign that said Dirt Bike Race this Sunday. Yeah, definitely not a spot to stay and relax for very long.

I drove up the road a bit just to find a spot—every “dispersed camping” site south through Beaver (st./path/ crossing) was occupied. There were a few folks partying, heavily enjoying themselves by a bonfire further down; the only lit camp. I found a parking spot close by to sleep.
[—By 5am these guys were gone! Cleared out. Whether they were kicked out early due to the event, or they were skipping out on the fee, there was zero trace of them the next day.]

I woke up to trucks, trailers and suvs blasting down the road by 6am. By 7:30am the dirt bikes were incessantly on the trails.

TLDR:
Great if you’re into trail riding, a bit too much noise if you’re not. This is OHV country, and around those parts, you’re better off finding a different spot if rest and relaxation is what you’re looking for.

FEE?
I never had a problem with the fee; maybe this is due to my late arrival, or my site adjacent parking, or even my early departure. The next morning, there was someone at the gate presumably taking payment. I did not pay for my 7hr visit.

As of May 2021 Rocky mountain recreational controls the previously free dispersed camping and are now charging $15 per night to camp.

Otherwise, still a great spot to spend some time.

Lots of spots (about 50) around 25% are able to accommodate a travel trailer.

Whole lot of OHV with lots of trails to ride.

So close to Denver.

BMans BBQ in Sedalia was wonderful.

Absolutely NO AT&T CELL SERVICE

NONE.

I’ll start out by saying that the road to each campsite is not maintained at all. It was extremely bumpy.
However, that was the only negative about this place. When we went, there was still snow on the ground, which made it so much more beautiful. It was so quiet and so peaceful. At night, you can see an incredible amount of stars. We didn’t run into any wildlife, either. There was more than enough room for our 2001 Chevy Astro. We had cell service but it was kind of slow.

We loved this spot! It was perfect weather for fall! The leaves were gorgeous. There were many spots that were able to fit our 31 foot class c rig. We stayed in several different ones over the course of a couple weeks. This spot is fairly close to Manitou Springs- and Cave of the Winds - which was so fun for us and our kids!
There was quite a bit of trash left by others but we always do a service clean up with our kids. Always leave it better than you find it!

Very secluded & peaceful. If you want to just getaway for a few days in a quiet little spot with a very nice view for a few days, THIS is your spot. We traveled from across the country and this is by far one of our favorite spots. There are a lot of deer so be careful. Also, the hill to get up can be a little steep, but we don’t have 4x4 and we got up just fine, we just put the RV in 1st gear and we were all good. Also the dirt road is about 1/2 mile - 3/4 mile long and can get pretty bumpy at times but small price to pay for a super awesome spot.

This was one of our first extended boondocking experiences, stayed for 7 days in June 2020. There are numerable spots, many aren't terribly flat but we were able to manage without leveling blocks for our short skoolie. The area we stayed had a great view of Pikes Peak although there was a lot of trash left behind. We cleaned it up before we left, we try to look at it as the price of staying and leave it better for the next people.

Near us was a very large site that was a bit noisy due to them playing music super load, but they did quiet at night. The roads are fairly busy so expect some OHV and other campers. Verizon cell service was solid without a booster. Overall it was a good experience although we've since had many better stays. We would return if we are in the area.