Monarch Park

This Campground is Closed for the 2024 Season for renovation. Will reopen in 2025.

Monarch Park is nestled at the base of Monarch Ridge, a short drive north of Monarch Pass on Highway 50. Some campsites at the family-friendly destination are located on the banks of the South Fork Arkansas River, while others lie along a creek. Popular activities in the area include hiking the Colorado/Continental DivideTrail and fishing. Beaver ponds near the entrance to the campground make a great fishing spot for families with young children.

Monarch Pass is a high mountain pass along the southern part of Colorado's Sawatch Range. The pass crosses the Continental Divide at an altitude of 11,312 feet.

Drinking water from a hand pump is available. Vault toilets are available and one is wheelchair accessible. All sites come with picnic tables and campfire rings. Firewood is sold onsite. No electrical or sewer hookups are available.

The nearest RV dump station is at the Poncha Springs Visitor Center located at 7001 Highway 285 (near the intersection of US Highway 285 and US Highway 50) in Poncha Springs, CO.

Notifications and Alerts

This campground is closed this season for renovations. Will reopen in 2025. See you then!

Need to Know

Thunderstorms are common; take extra precautions for lightning
This is a high elevation facility, please use caution when traveling from lower elevations and be prepared for chilly evening temperature even during the summer months.
Be bear aware; keep all food out of sight in approved containers or locked inside your vehicle and remove all food from area after eating
Vehicles must fit on parking spur
No firearms or fireworks
No RV hookups are available
No dumping of wastewater
For more information on Pike and San Isabel National Forests, click here
Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing organisms by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.
Two vehicles or one RV per site is included in the camping fee. $10.00 for a third vehicle. $10.00 fee for day use if not camping overnight.

Natural Features

The elevation is 10,500 feet, and visitors should plan for cool nighttime temperatures. Some campsites are located near the south fork of the Little Arkansas River.

Nearby Attractions

The city of Salida is only a short drive away where visitors can enjoy unique restaurants, shops, art galleries, and antique shops. The area boasts more than 100 miles of Arkansas River to raft, fish, float or kayak, as well as fifteen 14,000 ft. mountains. Visitors can choose from recreational activities like hiking, biking, ATV/UTV riding, kayaking, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, zip lining, and swimming.

Recreation

Popular trails near Monarch Park include Waterdog Lakes, the Monarch Crest Trail and the Hunt and Boss Lakes trails. Wildflowers are abundant on these trails in late summer. The river and nearby ponds provide quality fishing for all ages. Brook trout is the most likely reward for fishing efforts.

Changes & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Contact Information

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SALIDA RANGER DISTRICT (719)539-3591 (FOR INFORMATION ONLY M-F 8AM-4:30PM) 5575 CLEORA RD SALIDA CO 81201

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: CAMPGROUNDS DO NOT HAVE PHONE SERVICE, CALLING TO CHECK AVAILABILITY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IS NOT POSSIBLE. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL: 1-877-444-6777

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

From Poncha Springs, travel west on Highway 50 for about 15 miles, then turn left on County Road 231 and drive south to the Monarch Park Campground.

Available Campsites

Photo Gallery

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