Rocking M Ranch — A Colorado Mountain Campground Within Reach of Denver, Colorado Springs, Canon City, and Pikes Peak
Not every great campground requires a long drive. Rocking M Ranch sits at 10,000 feet in Cripple Creek, Colorado, within easy reach of the state’s largest cities and most visited landmarks. If you have been looking for a mountain RV park with full hookups, wooded sites, and a genuine high-altitude experience, here is how close it actually is.
About 2 hours from Denver
Camping Near Denver, Colorado
Denver is home to one of the most outdoor-focused populations in the country, and the Front Range provides no shortage of weekend camping options. What most Denver-area campers eventually want, though, is elevation — real elevation, above the treeline, with cool nights and mountain air that does not feel like a city park with a mountain backdrop.
Rocking M Ranch is about two hours from Denver heading south on I-25 to Colorado Springs, then west on US-24 through Woodland Park and over Wilkerson Pass. The final stretch through Victor on CO-67 winds through historic gold mining country and delivers you into Cripple Creek with views that make the drive feel like it was already worth it before you even unpack.
For Denver RVers, the math works well for a long weekend. Leave Friday afternoon, arrive before dark, and have two full days in the mountains before an easy Sunday drive home. The campground is quiet by design — no generators, quiet hours from 10pm to 8am — so you actually rest rather than listening to your neighbors all night.
Denver to Rocking M Ranch: I-25 South to Colorado Springs, then US-24 West through Woodland Park and Divide, south on CO-67 through Victor into Cripple Creek. Approximately 2 hours. Grocery and fuel available in Woodland Park, 20 minutes from camp.
About 45 minutes from Colorado Springs
Camping Near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is the closest major city to Rocking M Ranch, and the drive is straightforward enough that guests from the Springs regularly come for just a night or two mid-week to take advantage of the midweek discount. The campground is about 45 minutes west on US-24 through Woodland Park, then south on CO-67 through Victor.
For Colorado Springs visitors, Rocking M Ranch works as both a destination and a base camp. Pikes Peak Highway is under an hour away. Garden of the Gods is about an hour. The Royal Gorge in Canon City is an hour in the other direction. You can take any of those as a day trip and come back each evening to a wooded site at 10,000 feet.
Staying here also puts you just 10 minutes from historic Cripple Creek and 15 minutes from Victor — two of the most authentic gold mining towns in Colorado that most Colorado Springs visitors have on their list but rarely get to when staying at lower-elevation parks on the east side of the mountains.
The elevation difference is also worth noting. Colorado Springs sits at about 6,000 feet. Rocking M Ranch is at 10,000. That 4,000-foot jump changes the temperature, the air quality, and the whole feel of a camping trip. Nights that are warm in the Springs are genuinely cool up here, even in July and August.
Colorado Springs to Rocking M Ranch: US-24 West through Woodland Park and Divide, then CO-67 South through Victor into Cripple Creek. Approximately 45 minutes. The Pikes Peak Highway entrance at Cascade is about 45 minutes from camp.
About 1 hour from Canon City and the Royal Gorge
Camping Near Canon City and the Royal Gorge
Canon City and the Royal Gorge area draw visitors from across the country for the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, white water rafting on the Arkansas River, and the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. What many of those visitors do not realize is that Cripple Creek and Victor are only an hour away, and Rocking M Ranch makes a natural second stop on a multi-destination southern Colorado trip.
The drive between Canon City and Cripple Creek can be done two ways. The paved route goes north through Florence and then up into Victor on CO-67. The more memorable option is Phantom Canyon Road — an unpaved scenic route that follows the grade of the old Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad through a narrow canyon with dramatic rock walls and creek crossings. It is passable for most passenger vehicles in good conditions and is one of the more remarkable drives in Colorado. Give yourself about 90 minutes and do not be in a hurry. Note: always check road conditions before you head out through the rockies.
If you are planning a week in southern Colorado and want to cover the Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak, the historic mining towns, and the Pike National Forest trails — Rocking M Ranch is the logical basecamp. You can reach most of what the region offers within an hour in any direction and come back each evening to a quiet site in the trees.
Canon City to Rocking M Ranch: CO-115 North through Florence, then CO-67 North through Victor into Cripple Creek. Approximately 1 hour. Alternatively, Phantom Canyon Road (unpaved, allow 90 minutes) offers one of the most scenic routes in Colorado. Royal Gorge Route Railroad departs from 401 Water St, Canon City.
On the southwestern slope of Pikes Peak at 10,000 feet
Camping with Views of Pikes Peak, Colorado
Most people who visit Pikes Peak do so as a day trip from Colorado Springs or Manitou Springs. They drive up the highway, spend a few hours at the summit, and drive back down to a hotel at 6,000 feet. Rocking M Ranch offers a different approach — staying on the mountain itself at 10,000 feet, waking up with it visible from camp, and using it as the backdrop for your whole trip rather than a single excursion.
Both are full-day experiences worth planning ahead — timed entry reservations are required for the highway in summer, so book at coloradosprings.gov before your visit.
From the campground’s open meadow area on clear days you can see the high ridge of the Pikes Peak massif to the northeast. The surrounding terrain — the Pike National Forest, the Horsethief Trail, Mueller State Park just a few minutes down CO-67 — is all part of the same high-altitude ecosystem you are camped in. This is not a campground near Pikes Peak in the same sense that Denver is near the mountains. You are on the mountain.
Nights at 10,000 feet run cool even in midsummer, typically dropping to the low to mid 50s in July and August. The UV exposure is stronger than at lower elevation so bring sunscreen even for overcast days. If you are coming from sea level or a low-elevation city, give yourself the first afternoon to take it easy and let your body adjust before heading out on a trail.
Rocking M Ranch is at approximately 10,000 feet on the southwestern slope of Pikes Peak in Cripple Creek, CO. Pikes Peak Highway entrance at Cascade is approximately 45 minutes via CO-67 North and US-24 East. The Cog Railway at Manitou Springs is approximately 1 hour. Timed entry reservations for the highway are available at coloradosprings.gov.
About Rocking M Ranch Campground
Rocking M Ranch has 30 RV sites at 12654 CO-67 in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Six extra-long pull-through sites in the open meadow accommodate big rigs and toy haulers up to 55 feet. Twenty-four back-in sites are tucked into the trees for shade and privacy. Every site includes 50/30/20 amp electric and water hookups. Sites 25 through 30 offer full hookups with sewer. A dump station is near the campground exit and honey wagon service is available twice a week for a fee.
On-site amenities include restrooms and showers, a fenced dog run, a nature trail through the woods, a playground, a lawn games area, and firewood for sale. Up to 3 dogs are welcome per site, two included with the reservation. Please check our Rules & Regulations page for the most current pet policy details. Quiet hours run from 10pm to 8am and no generators are permitted on the property.
Weekly rates are available with a discount that applies automatically when you book 7 nights. A discount is also offered for active military and veterans (give us a call to reserve). Seasonally we offer a midweek discount of 10 percent off when your stay includes a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night — if this is being offered it will automatically apply at checkout.
The campground is open May through October. Your gracious hosts (owners) Lowell and Julie are on-site throughout the season.
Book Your Stay at Rocking M Ranch
Pull-through and wooded back-in sites available online. Summer weekends fill early.
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