Kelsey Campground

Overview

Kelsey is one of two campgrounds within the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area, about an hour's drive southwest of Denver, Colorado. Visitors enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and trout fishing.

Recreation

The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is home to a 40-mile trail system most popular with mountain bikers, but hikers and horseback riders enjoy the area as well. Several trailheads are within the area, including Little Scraggy Trail, just 3 miles north of the campground. Access to the Colorado Trail and the Buffalo Burn Trail begin from this trailhead. Shinglemill Trail is also nearby.

Buffalo Creek is a popular fishing stream for brook trout. The area offers great wildlife viewing opportunities for turkey, elk, mule deer, chipmunks and porcupines.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites, some of which are designated for tent camping only. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings with grills. Vault toilets are provided. Drinking water is available from a hand pump, but hookups are not available.

Kelsey Campground has 17 single-family campsites at an elevation of 7,400 feet in Pike National Forest.

Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Each site has a parking spur (up to 30 feet), table fire ring and grill. You can have up to 8 people and 2 vehicles per site.

Campground amenities include drinking water, vault toilets and trash collection. Firewood is also available to purchase from the camp host. Cell service is poor in the area.

Natural Features

The campground sits at an elevation of 7,400 feet in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Summer temperatures are mild and range from 75-80 during the day to 55-65 at night.

The Kelsey Overlook is just north of the campground along County Road 126, offering beautiful views of the valley below.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (303) 647-2366.

Nearby Attractions

The drive along County Road 126 southwest from Pine Junction affords magnificent views of the valleys below. Pikes Peak, at 14,110 feet, can be seen in the distance and other prominent rock formations present themselves throughout the scenic drive.

Charges & 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.