Planning on camping in Colorado this summer? Check out the Mount Princeton Campground in Chalk Creek Canyon just a few miles from Buena Vista, Colorado. The campground is located near its namesake 14er: Mount Princeton. The mountain views in the area are breathtaking. The hiking is top-notch. The Mount Princeton Hot Springs are a few minutes from the campground. The mountain town of Buena Vista offers restaurants, shopping, coffee shops, and your favorite spirits. We highly recommend the following stops if you are in the area.
Mount Princeton Campground
We loved the beauty and location of the campground. The sites are well-spaced and each has a picnic table and fire pit. There are no hookups so plan accordingly. Reservations are available at recreation.gov. Plan ahead because this one books up fast.
Browns Creek Trail
Just south of the campground is Browns Creek Trailhead. The trail is in the San Isabel National Forest and connects to several trails including the Colorado Trail. The views are gorgeous and the trail passes by the Browns Creek Waterfall. Unfortunately, we did not make it to the waterfall on our hike because of a thunderstorm moving into the area. Wish we started the trail earlier in the morning 🙄.
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort
I wish every hike ended with hot springs! The resort is a must-see if you are in the area. Hot springs, four pools, a steam room, and a spa are available for the public. To take advantage of the situation, we treated ourselves to the Mt Princeton hot springs day pass. It was worth it. The resort would also be a great place to stay 🙂.
Buena Vista
We enjoyed all of our favorite things in Buena Vista. We are already planning a return trip.
Buena Vista Roastery Cafe
Do you love freshly roasted coffee? Look no further than Buena Vista Roastery Cafe. We enjoyed brunch and coffee on the outside patio to take in the mountain views.
Buena Vista Whitewater Park
The Arkansas River is on the east side of Buena Vista and is home to Whitewater Park. We did not see rafters during our stay but we did enjoy the Riverside Trail. The trail passes by Surf Hotel & Chateau – another great option for a place to stay.
Terrace on Main
Overlooking Main Street is Terrace on Main. We enjoyed drinks and small bites around a cozy fire pit. The mountain views are on all sides of this rooftop venue.
The Slammer
No visit to Buena Vista would be complete without a trip to The Slammer! The bar is located in the historic Buena Vista Jailhouse. The Slammer is known for its extensive whiskey and craft beer menu.
We planned our final hike of the 52 Hike Challenge while “in the slammer”!
We decided to head south towards the Great Sands Dunes National Park and Preserve. We hated to leave this beautiful area but the weather was looking bleak so time to move on!
One response to “Camping in Colorado: Mount Princeton Campground”
[…] a new destination when the weather takes a turn for the worse. We found ourselves in that situation while visiting Buena Vista, Colorado. The forecast was calling for several days of rain so we canceled our current […]