Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park: Glacier Basin & Aspenglen Campgrounds
Our first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park didn't go quite as planned. A major leg injury meant hiking and camping were off the table, so we spent the trip exploring the park from the car instead.
This time, we came back with a plan.
We reserved our campsites months in advance and spent weeks planning hikes. We had originally hoped to camp at Aspenglen Campground during our first visit, so it felt good to finally return and do the trip the way we'd imagined.
Quick Tip: If you're planning to camp in Rocky Mountain National Park, reserve your campsite as early as possible. Reservations open six months in advance and fill quickly, especially during summer.
Since we couldn't book all of our nights at one campground, we split our stay between Glacier Basin Campground and Aspenglen Campground.
Glacier Basin Campground
Our first night was at Glacier Basin Campground, just off Bear Lake Road. We arrived around 6:00 p.m., checked in with a ranger, and settled into Loop A, Site 17.
Although campers are allowed to store food inside their vehicles at Glacier Basin, we still used the bear locker for everything. After camping in Yosemite, it just felt like the better habit.
The campground has flush toilets, running water, and even soap, which felt downright luxurious after some of the places we'd camped.
A small camp store sold firewood, ice, and even ice cream. We picked up a bundle of locally sourced firewood before settling in for the evening.
This was our first camping trip that involved flying, so all of our gear had traveled in suitcases instead of our usual camping bins. Even so, we had camp set up in less than thirty minutes.
Our campsite backed up to a grove of tall pines that made it feel surprisingly private. We had recently picked up a Serac hammock, and relaxing between the trees quickly became one of the highlights of our stay.
For dinner, we rented a backpacking stove from Estes Park Mountain Shop since we weren't sure about flying with our own. It worked perfectly. We also tried one of our first dehydrated backpacking meals, a gluten-free vegan marinara pasta, and were honestly impressed. It was so good I'd happily eat it at home.
That night was cold. Even with warm sleeping bags, insulated pads, and every layer we owned, we woke the next morning to a tent covered in frost.
We headed out for an early hike around Sprague Lake, but before long, dark clouds rolled in. That's when we suddenly remembered we'd left our tent open while the rainfly dried. We raced back to camp expecting soaked sleeping bags.
Instead, our wonderful neighbors had noticed the rain starting and pulled the rainfly over our tent for us. They completely saved our campsite.
With another storm threatening, we packed everything into the car, hoping the damp gear would dry while we spent the day hiking to Alberta Falls and Mills Lake.
Aspenglen Campground
After a long day of hiking through snow, rain, sleet, and sunshine, we arrived at Aspenglen Campground. Our site backed up to a quiet fenced natural area, and because Loop A is reserved for tents, the campground felt especially peaceful.
Not long after setting up camp, two deer wandered directly through our campsite. They made the funniest chattering sounds before casually disappearing back into the trees.This campground was a cozy home for two nights. The weather gradually warmed each night, so the freezing first night led to a very comfortable last night. Lots of wildlife surround the area here, so we heard lots of birds, owls, deer, and some sounds we just didn't recognize. The last night, some coyotes were barking like crazy for about 40 minutes around 4am. That was entertaining.
Each night became a little warmer than the last, making for much more comfortable sleeping. Between the birds, owls, deer, coyotes, and a few mysterious nighttime sounds, there was always something happening around camp. One morning we even woke around 4:00 a.m. to coyotes calling back and forth for nearly forty minutes.
One of our favorite memories came on our final morning. The family camping next to us had made breakfast tacos and, after noticing our less-than-exciting breakfast of granola bars, invited us over to join them. Of course we accepted.
Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park turned out to be everything we'd hoped our first visit would be. Between the incredible hiking, quiet evenings around camp, and constant wildlife sightings, it quickly became one of our favorite national parks.
During our stay we saw a moose, plenty of elk and deer, bold chipmunks, ground squirrels, marmots, and more birds than we could count. If you visit, remember to give wildlife plenty of space and let them stay wild.
Before leaving the park, we also drove as far as Trail Ridge Road was open. Snow still blocked the higher elevations, but even from Rainbow Curve, the views of snow-covered mountains and towering evergreens were unforgettable.
