On a recent visit to Denver, Colorado in our Airstream, we soon came to realize that there really aren’t a lot of good options for RV parks or campgrounds in the Denver area. We ended up staying at a county run park near Denver at the Boulder County Fairgrounds campground.
And the pool of available RV parks and campgrounds shrinks even further in the fall and winter months in Colorado.
Many RV parks and campgrounds in Colorado close in October and don’t open again until spring.
However, there’s a convenient RV camping option in Longmont, Colorado, about 35 miles north of Denver.
The Boulder County Fairgrounds is a public fairground that hosts livestock and equestrian fairs, farmer’s markets, and the annual Boulder County Fair.
And it also has an RV park that is a available for anyone’s use, whether or not there is an event taking place at the fairgrounds. Tent camping is not allowed.
Boulder County Fairgrounds Campground Location
You get the impression that the fairgrounds were once in a rural area of Longmont, which has seen a large amount of residential and commercial growth due to the increasing sprawl around the Denver metro area.
All of this puts the campground smack in the middle of modern-day conveniences, as evidenced by the SuperTarget and Home Depot located across the street from the Boulder County Fairgrounds.
The campground is located in the middle of the fairgrounds, at 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501. It is easy to find and accessible by all sizes of RV.
As a landmark, the Humane Society of Boulder Valley building is located on the corner at the street where you enter the fairgrounds. (This also makes for an entertaining parade of dogs through the fairgrounds as volunteers walk the dogs each day.)
RV Campsites at the Fairgrounds
The Boulder County Fairgrounds has 96 RV campsites in this RV park near Denver.
The RV campsites in the fairgrounds are divided into two parking areas — one area with 8 large pull-through campsites and a larger campground area with 88 smaller RV campsites.
The 8 pull-through campsites were large enough for us to be able to fit a full-size F-350 pickup truck and 27 foot Airstream with no problems. These are campsites number 1-8.
To access the “large campers” area of the campground with the 8 long pull-through sites, turn right as you first enter the fairgrounds and see the sign below that says “large campers.”
If you continue past this sign, you’ll enter the larger campground area with 88 smaller campsites.
The 88 regular size RV campsites resemble a large parking lot, with many sites being quite small.
However, there are varying sizes within this area and we saw a few large Class A motorhomes and fifth wheels parked in several of these sites without any issues.
Most of these sites are also pull-through campsites, with back-in sites around the perimeter of the campground.
RV campsites in both the “large campers” section of the campground and the smaller campsites are all fairly tight.
There’s not a lot of personal space for individual campers.
But if you’re looking for a convenient location that puts you near the many attractions of the Denver area, then the Boulder County Fairgrounds might fit your needs. It was the best RV park near Denver that we could find for our stay in the Denver area.
Campground Amenities
The Boulder County Fairgrounds campground has three types of campsites available (as of October 2018):
- No hookups ($15/night)
- Electric or water hookup ($20/night)
- Electric and water hookup ($25/night).
Compared to other private RV parks in the Denver area, these prices are very reasonable.
Water is available at campsites number 1-8 and 16-51.
30 amp power is available at all campsites. 50 amp power is available at sites 1-8 and 16-51.
However, water is only available during the warmer months. A sign indicated that starting in October 24, 2018, the water would be turned off at the campground for the winter months.
In a main campground bathroom attached to the campground office building, there is also a campground bathroom with a kitchen sink, flush toilets, and hot showers.
Campers need a four-digit code to enter the building.
It is not entirely clear how campers are supposed to obtain this code, as the campground office is not staffed and the number is not printed on the receipt one obtains when paying for a campsite.
We found a fairgrounds worker who was able to give us the code, but this is something to consider if you’re planning to arrive on a quiet weekend day or in the evening.
According to the sign above, the bathroom building will also be locked during the winter months.
This means that during November through March, campers will only have access to electric connections at their campsites as water will not be available.
There is also an RV dump station available in the campground with potable water.
Non-campers can pay $10 to use the dump station. Its cost is included in campers’ campsite reservation fees so campers can use it for free.
We had strong AT&T cell phone signals at this location.
Campsites are First-Come, First-Served
Reservations are not accepted for the campsites at the Boulder County Fairgrounds.
They are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.
When we visited in mid-October, the campground was only about 25 percent full, but it likely fills up in the summer months or whenever there are events scheduled for the fairgrounds.
To check the fairgrounds schedule, visit this calendar on their website.
Campers can select any available campsite and pay at the campground registration office by the bathrooms.
The campground is not staffed, so campers must pay using an automated process.
The campground rules are clearly posted.
To pay for your campsite, you will use an automated payment machine that accepts only cash or credit cards.
Campground payment procedures are clearly posted.
Once you make a payment, a receipt is printed. You tear off one section to post at your campsite and a second section to drop in receipt box by the payment machine.
Boulder County Fairground Activities
When we arrived at the fairground on a weekday, it was quiet with no activities taking place except for regular maintenance.
The campground is located across the main fairgrounds street from several fairgrounds venues, including an indoor arena.
The indoor arena was quiet for most of our stay.
But on one weekend day, there was a local horse show and the area became a flurry of activity. Horses were everywhere, with riders warming up at the small ring outside the arena.
We walked over the horse show to watch the festivities.
It turned out the event included a Halloween costume contest for horses, which was quite entertaining.
Final Thoughts on the RV Park at the Boulder County Fairgrounds
The Boulder County Fairgrounds campground is a great option for staying convenient to Denver and all of its outdoor activities. This RV park near Denver was the best one we could find for our purposes. It was also reasonably priced.
We know that finding campgrounds near major cities can be difficult, but we lucked out with the Boulder County Fairgrounds campground, as well as one near Chicago called Camp Reinberg. We also stayed at the La Plata County Fairgrounds for when we visited Denver, and the Highway 6 RV Resort for when we visited Houston. All of these are relatively close (or in) a city.
We stayed at the campground in an Airstream in October, but the campground shuts off its water supply for November through March in the winter months, so it may not be the best option during the winter.
