itOpened Guides · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
How to actually get a site at Collegiate Peaks — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Collegiate PeaksFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Collegiate Peaks Campground is located 11 miles west of Buena Vista, Colorado, along Middle Cottonwood Creek near the top of Cottonwood Pass. The campground offers well-spaced campsites and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Visitors enjoy fishing and exploring local trails. A commercial hot springs inn and spa is located about 5 miles east of the campground. "First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there. Someone may get there before you.
| Total sites | 56 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 56 |
| Area | Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands |
| Managed by | USDA Forest Service |
| Nearest community | SALIDA, CO |
| Activities | Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding |
| Directory phone | CAMPGROUNDS DO NOT HAVE PHONE SERVICE, CALLING TO CHECK AVAILABILITY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IS NOT POSSIBLE. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL: 1-877-444-6777 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Collegiate Peaks is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Collegiate Peaks around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Rampart Range Recreation Area Designated Dispersed Camping | 100 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Colorado Campground | 81 sites · same area |
| Lakeview Campground | 72 sites · same area |
| White Star | 67 sites · same area |
| South Meadows - Pike San Isabel NF (CO) | 64 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Collegiate Peaks campground page · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Collegiate PeaksFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.