Weekend availability at Ansel Watrous
Live from Recreation.gov · checked Sep 19, 8:14 AM PTSold out 4 of the next 5 weekends — exactly when cancellation alerts earn their keep.
- Fri, Sep 25Sold out
- Fri, Oct 2Sold out
- Fri, Oct 9Sold out
- Fri, Oct 16Sold out
- Fri, Oct 23Limited1/7 sites
Friday + Saturday nights, sites bookable both nights. Counts come from a rotating sweep and can lag a cancellation by up to a day — alerts watch your exact dates within minutes.
How booked is Ansel Watrous?
as of September 20Weekends book out well ahead here — 2 of the 4 Saturdays we sampled, as far out as Nov, are already sold out. When a site frees up it's gone again within minutes, so people watch Ansel Watrous and hear the instant one opens for their dates. Even midweek is filling — 1 of the 3 weekdays we checked are gone.
Weekends (Saturday night)
Weekdays (Wednesday night)
Availability checked directly against the reservation system, out to 3 months ahead.
Campsites & amenities
Site-level details from Recreation.gov's official catalog.
- Campsites
- 17
- Max rig length
- 40 ft
About this campground
Overview Ansel Watrous Campground is located on the Cache la Poudre River, 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., along Highway 14. Visitors enjoy the area for its great rafting, fishing and hiking opportunities.Recreation The Cache la Poudre River offers whitewater rafting and fishing. Anglers cast for brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout, among other species of fish. Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are in the surrounding area, including the 4-mile Young Gulch Trail. Other popular activities enjoyed by visitors to the campground include birding and wildlife viewing.Facilities The campground offers accessible single-family sites, each equipped with a 12-by-15 tent pad, a picnic table and a campfire ring with grill. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Dead and downed firewood may be gathered in the forest or purchased from the campground host.Natural Features The canyon's vegetation varies from dense forests to open meadows and the campground is surrounded by steep mountains. The campground is situated among Ponderosa pines on the banks of the Cache la Poudre River, Colorado's first river designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.Charges & Cancellations A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. Modifications for this campground must be made through Recreation.gov or by calling the call center at 1-877-444-6777 PRIOR to your reservation start date. Customers and contact center agents cannot modify reservations on or after the check-in date.
Getting there
From Fort Collins, take Highway 14 northwest for 13 miles.
Activities
- FISHING
- CAMPING
- MOUNTAIN BIKING
- RAFTING
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
- HIKING
- BOATING
- BIKING
- BIRDING
- CANOEING
- KAYAKING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Bridges River Access Point (Put-In)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG3 mi
- Pineview River Access Point (Put-In, Take-Out)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG3 mi
- Stove PrairieArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG3 mi
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG4 mi
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG4 mi
- Cache la Poudre North Park Scenic BywayArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG4 mi
Never miss an opening at Ansel Watrous
Popular Colorado campgrounds book out months ahead — but cancellations happen every day. We watch Ansel Watrous around the clock and alert you the moment a sold-out site reopens for your dates, so you don't have to keep refreshing Recreation.gov.
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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office or on Recreation.gov before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.