We camped at the Bank Campground near the Shelf Road climbing area near Canon City in Colorado. It’s a convenient spot for many outdoor activities and visiting Canon City.
Shelf Road Recreation Area
We met up with some friends who are avid climbers to go camping at the Shelf Road Recreation Area of Canon City, Colorado.
Shelf Road is one of the most popular climbing areas in all of Colorado, with nearly 1,000 climbing routes on vertical limestone cliffs.
The terrain around the Shelf Road climbing area is beautiful and has plenty to do for climbers and non-climbers alike.
Instead of climbing, I biked Shelf Road from Cripple Creek back to the campground and the scenery was outstanding. Plus, it was downhill the whole way!
There are two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campgrounds right at the Shelf Road Recreation Area: the Bank Campground and the Sand Gulch Campground.
The map below shows the layout of the Shelf Road Recreation Area, including the Bank Campground, Sand Gulch Campground, Shelf Road from Canon City to Cripple Creek, and recreational opportunities. Click on the map image to expand it.
This is located about 14 miles north of Canon City in the high desert.
The Bank Campground
We stayed at the BLM Bank Campground (sometimes referred to as the Banks Campground) in our Airstream in September 2020.
It can be a little rough getting up the dirt road to the campground, but we managed fine in our 27-foot Airstream by going slowly up the rutted dirt road.
Despite online listings referring to it as both the “Bank” and the “Banks” Campground, we believe the official name is the Bank Campground (without the “s”). The campground’s sign, where the “s” is blacked out as shown in the photo above, supports this.
Directions to the Bank Campground
The Bank Campground is located just to the north of the Sand Gulch Campground as you’re heading up Shelf Road.
We missed the sign for the Bank Campground and made the mistake of heading down Shelf Road looking for it.
Don’t do this as there’s nowhere to turn around your RV and we had to back out a few hundred yards once we realized that we went the wrong way!
Once you see the signs for the Sand Gulch Campground, the Bank Campground entrance is just north on the left.
Don’t let the signs for Shelf Road distract you; avoid following them.
Stay to the left on the road to head to the Bank Campground, as indicated by the orange arrows in the satellite image below.
We’ve heard of others making this same mistake and having to back up a trailer up Shelf Road, which is not what you want to have to do!
Bank Campground Layout
There are two loops with campsites in the Bank Campground.
Campground designers tailored the A loop for tent campers, whereas the newly expanded B loop accommodates larger RVs with its 22 campsites.
If you have a larger rig, you can go to the top of the campground, and then turn around in the day use parking area to enter the B-loop camping area since it’s a tight turn over a cattle guard.
We camped in site B19, which easily fit our 27-foot Airstream, our full-size truck, and our friend’s Sprinter campervan.
Most of the campsites at the beginning of the B-loop are designed for smaller rigs up to about 30 feet in size, but once you pass the bathroom, there are a few larger campsites.
A typical campsite looks like the photo below, for campsite B16.
These include four pull-through loop campsites, where you don’t have to worry about backing in your camper.
The four loop campsites are B28, B29, B30, and B32. These sites could easily accommodate fifth wheels and other larger rigs in these pull-through campsites.
Prickly cactus plants abound around the campsites, so ensure your pets, unfamiliar with such terrain, tread carefully!
The rear hatch of our Airstream opens, so we were able to take in the beautiful views while inside our trailer.
Bank Campground Amenities
All of the campsites are gravel and include a picnic table and a fire ring.
You may also be interested in our post about the Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado.
It can get very hot here in the high desert, so we highly recommend bringing a portable sun canopy tent, if you have one.
Even though our Airstream has an awning, we used the canopy tent to shade at the picnic table. We definitely appreciated it in the hot sun.
This is dry camping, with no water hookups, no electricity, and no dump station available.
Be sure to bring all of the water you need, as this is the high desert, and you’ll need to drink plenty.
Simple vault toilets are available, but no sinks or water.
Bank Campground Campsite Cost
The Bank Campground has group campsites and individual campsites.
The individual campsites are $7 per night with a limit of two vehicles and eight people.
The group campsites are $14 per night, with a limit of four vehicles and 20 people.
Once you start to climb the hill, the self-pay station for the campsites is located on your left. You can pay by cash or by check.
Once you pay, you put your envelope stub on your campsite post to show you’ve paid for the campsite.
This means you can pay and then leave the campsite and no one else can take it over.
It’s always a good idea to leave an inexpensive camping chair or other items as well to show the campsite is occupied.
Reservations are not accepted. It’s first come, first served.
There’s also a campground host, if needed.
Sand Gulch Campground
The Sand Gulch Campground is located in a flatter area than the Bank Campground, so if you’re afraid of hauling your trailer or new RV up to the Bank Campground, it’s a great choice in the same area.
It is also a BLM campground without any hookups or water available, but is slightly smaller than the Bank Campground.
It has 14 individual campsites and one group campsite.
You will pass the Sand Gulch Campground on your left as you head up to the Bank Campground.
Climbing along Shelf Road
The limestone cliffs in the Shelf Road area are known as a sport climber’s mecca as there are so many different climbing routes available.
The climbing areas are a short walk from the Bank Campground, so the campground is very popular with climbers. You can see the climbing cliffs from the Bank Campground.
The Bank Campground also offers overflow parking for climbers, making it a popular staging area due to the available vault toilets and ample parking at the road’s top.
The parking area is marked for day use parking.
Trails lead from the day use parking area at the Bank Campground to the climbing areas.
The short hikes to the climbing areas from the campground have beautiful views.
Posted maps also display the different climbing areas in relation to the Bank Campground and the Sand Gulch Campground.
Our friends who we went camping with did quite a bit of climbing while we were there so we got to see the area from a climber’s perspective too, well, at least from the ground up.
Well-marked trails lead back to the Bank Campground from the limestone cliffs.
Enjoy Your Trip!
The area around Canon City and the Bank Campground is filled with activities to keep you entertained.
During this trip, we also went to the Museum of Colorado Prisons in Canon City, which provides an interesting history!
Just be sure to bring everything you need to the campground with you, as there are no amenities, including water.
Also be prepared for the intense sun in the high desert. It’s a beautiful area of Colorado definitely worth exploring.
