Pawnee Campground

Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest \ Boulder Ranger District

Pawnee Campground is located within the Brainard Lake Recreation Area (BLRA). Pawnee is generally open for camping by mid-June and stays open through mid-September. BLRA usually opens a week earlier and remains open for day use through mid-October depending on the weather. Campers are subject to BLRA fees.

Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing and canoeing in nearby reservoirs and hiking in the adjacent Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. BLRA sits at an elevation of 10,350' on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. It is located 35 miles south of Estes Park and the main entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. The town of Nederland is 14 miles south of the campground, offering grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, gas, a bank and a post office.

Pawnee has 47 campsites for tents, campers, trailers, or RVs. Eight walk-in campsites are typically available only for tent camping. Picnic tables, fire grates, water, vault toilets, and trash services are provided. There are a mix of first-come-first-served and reservable campsites. The campground, however, is almost always full to capacity on weekends and holidays, normally filling for the weekend by Friday morning or even earlier in the week. Plan to arrive early or consider making a reservation through Recreation.gov.

Enjoy our virtual tour of Pawnee Campground below and read about more campgrounds in the area: Boulder Ranger District