Spillway Campground near Lake George, Colorado
There are multiple campgrounds within the Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area — this review is for the Spillway Campground that we stayed in. The site we had was at the end of the loop and right next to the river. There were lots of trails and rocks for the kids to frolic on.
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At A Glance: Spillway Campground
Rating: 3 of 5
Vibe: Secluded, riverside sites good for a group of friends, families with kids, and dogs (limited cell service)
Skip It If: You want to explore a lot as it’s a lot of work to leave the canyon or if water levels are low (bugs may be bad without water flow)
Elevation: 8,500 feet
Location: About 9–10 miles up Eleven Mile Canyon via County Road 96 off Highway 24, roughly 10 minutes south of Lake George, Colorado (map)
Reservations: Available at Recreation.gov on a 6-month rolling calendar
Cost: $24/night + day-use vehicle pass for Eleven Mile Canyon
Season: Mid-May to mid-October, weather dependent
Vehicle Accessibility: Paved/graded county road in; ATVs and off-road vehicles are prohibited on it
Maximum Vehicle Length: 20+ feet, site specific (some sites are walk/hike-in)
Water Access: Potable water on-site via hand pump/well
Restroom Type: Vault toilets
Campfire Regulations: Fires only in the installed metal/concrete fire ring, firewood available for sale by camp host
Wildlife Considerations: Bear-resistant food storage required (bear bags, bear boxes, or a hard-sided vehicle). We saw deer and a lot of chipmunks.
Amenities & Extras: Hiking trails, river shoreline, limited cell service; Site 16 (the one reviewed) is at the edge of the loop and notably private
Would We Return? Yes, with a group of friends. This is a secluded campground and the majority of our enjoyment came from having friends (both kids and adults) to keep us entertained. Getting out of the canyon to do any additional exploring was a haul and we only did it once over the weekend.
Before You Book Anything…
The free family camping packing list is the one I actually use while I load the car. It covers shelter, layers, first aid, kid gear, and the kitchen stuff that’s easiest to forget.
No strings, just adventure.
Spillway Campground Review: The Eleven Mile Canyon
We stayed at this site on a hot weekend so this review may be a bit biased to the weather. Our campsite (site 16) was at the edge of the loop and very private. We had three tents setup and everyone had their own space, even with kids in the mix. The sites were spread out and this particular site had a huge boulder that made it even more private.
The bathrooms were easily accessible and relatively clean (especially considering how far out this campground was!). The river wasn’t running high so there was a lot of shoreline for the kids and dogs to play on.
Be sure to set you GPS to Spillway Campground. If you set your GPS to just “Eleven Mile Canyon” you will get a delayed treat of an extra 30 minute drive down the canyon to get to your site. We did not account for this and arrived with a hangry child.
Our Experience: We arrived at the campsite in the early evening on a Friday night and immediately jumped into cooking dinner (see above mention of hangry child!). Our friends arrived later and after a lot of kid trading we all got our respective tents set up. The first night we were all in survival mode as we got situated and worked to get the kids settled.
Needless to say, after a long day, none of the adults made it back out of the tents after getting the kids to sleep. Whoops. Luckily we had the campsite for two nights.
On the second day (Saturday) we had a slow morning with a simple breakfast to allow for a lot of time to crawl on the rocks and play at the river’s shoreline. We knew the day would get hot so we tried to make the most of the morning at camp before loading into the car.
We drove to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument for hiking, ranger talks, and a picnic lunch. The adults and kids seemed to be enjoying themselves but the dogs were roasting in the sunshine. We did what we could to find shade but it didn’t take us long to decide the river’s shoreline was a better choice for our crew.
After a coffee stop (Costello’s Coffee House) we headed back to the campground. All of this driving gave us nearly 90 minutes in the car but our kids were still at the napping age so it did end up helping us out. The tents were far too hot for naps.
Our second evening was much more mellow. We had tired kids and there was time for a true campfire. Weather did eventually roll in giving us a bit of a reprieve from the heat. We didn’t get rain but the clouds were very welcome.
Sunday morning was another rather slow day but with the parents packing away all of the camping gear while the kids played. After the heat of Saturday we were actually looking forward to a drive home in air conditioned cars.
Meals We Cooked: Sweet Potato Tacos via Fresh off the Grid, Oatmeal Bowls, Kid-charcuterie Lunches, Kielbasa and Potatoes via Fresh off the Grid.
Gear We Used: Big Agnes Big House 6 (+ Vestibule), Nemo Roamer Sleeping Pads, ALPS Mountaineering Camp Seat, Pop N Sit Toddler Chair
Places We Visited: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Costello’s Coffee Shop, Fat BBQ Shack
Let’s Make Packing Easier
I love lists. I live for lists. And I want to share my lists. I have uploaded my color coordinated packing list and I want to send it to you. It has everything you need for a family camping trip. It’s all on one page, it’s detailed without being overwhelming, and I don’t use it to sell you anything but a great adventure. Promise.
