USDA Forest Service · Colorado
Sleeping Elephant Campground
USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 7,884 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SLEEPING ELEPHANT CG (NFSR 136.0) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
- Nearest town
- Spencer Heights
- Address
- CO
- Activities
- <p> Occasionally you will find empty campsites in the Sleeping Elephant campground along the Cache la Poudre River on a Friday afternoon, as it is approximately 54 miles from Fort Collins.</p>
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
Site map · loading…
About
This campground is located adjacent to Highway 14 in an open ponderosa pine setting near its namesake, Sleeping Elephant Mountain. The mountain and the inherent sleeping elephant is visible from the campground. The Cache la Poudre River is nearby but it is mostly on private land within the immediate vicinity. There are 15 sites each with a picnic table and fire pit. This is an older facility and will not accommodate larger RVs. Popular activities in the area include fishing, hiking and scenic driving.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | -14° | 44° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 33° | 16° | -8° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 40° | 19° | 0° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 47° | 25° | 3° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 56° | 34° | 16° | 68° | 9 of 11 |
| June | 73° | 44° | 33° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 79° | 52° | 41° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 77° | 50° | 43° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 71° | 45° | 22° | 81° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 55° | 34° | -11° | 67° | 6 of 10 |
| November | 44° | 20° | -4° | 58° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 35° | 13° | -6° | 47° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Big South Trailhead (#944) · 3.8 mi as the crow flies
Big South 11 mi Hike · Drive there - Rawah Trailhead (#961) · 6.9 mi as the crow flies
Rawah 13 mi Hike · Drive there - Long Draw Parking (Winter) Trailhead · 8.2 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
- Blue Lake Trailhead (#959) · 8.3 mi as the crow flies
Blue Lake 7.1 mi Hike · Drive there
All 460 trails in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Big Bend Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Big South Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Tunnel Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Aspen Glen Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi
- Chambers Lake · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi · 51 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.