The view from the Fort Collins – Poudre Canyon KOA
Why camp here? Location! The name says it all; the Fort Collins – Poudre Canyon KOA campground is located about 10 miles outside of Fort Collins, Colorado, and right across the road from the Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway. In our case, Fort Collins is about halfway between our kids, so it was the perfect meeting spot for a Mother’s Day family weekend. (Except for the major snowstorm, but that’s a different story.)
The RV sites have patios and picnic tables.
This was only our second trip with our new Cyclone 4000, which is 45-feet long, so we were a little nervous about being able to fit into one of the sites. It wasn’t a problem lengthwise; there was room for our truck at one end and our son’s truck at the other. There’s additional parking nearby as well. It was a little snug between the sites, but we had room to put the slides out and set the grill on the patio.
All of the RV sites are pull-throughs with full hookups, picnic tables and brick patios. The 50-amp sites also have wrought iron patio furniture and a little more space. In addition to the RV sites, there are cabins and tent sites, both with and without electricity; some of the electric sites even have a covered shelter.
There are shade trees and a large row of giant spruce trees that provide a screen between the park and the road. The campground is very well-maintained, although a little more gravel on the roads would help during mud season. It seems like a great place to bring the family, and even have a family reunion, in the summer.
Other amenities: Swimming pool, playground, a large camp kitchen, bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. The office has a few supplies and snacks. The convenience store at the Shell Station across the street has a surprisingly good selection of groceries.
Connectivity: AT&T cell coverage is good. There is wifi, but we were camped in the last row, and it was not strong enough to tap into from our site. You can hook up to cable TV and we were able to tune in quite a few channels with our antennae, but we were not able to access networks through either.
Fun fact: Money Magazine named Fort Collins the best place in the country to live.
Would we camp here again? Yes. It was clean, convenient and served our purpose quite well. The biggest downside for me was noise from the highway, but it didn’t bother my husband at all.
Be sure to visit Old Town Fort Collins.
What’s nearby? The campground is about 15 minutes from Fort Collins, home to Colorado State University, Old Town Fort Collins and more breweries than you can shake an empty beer mug at. Horsetooth Reservoir is just west of Fort Collins. The Cache la Poudre River and Scenic Byway are just minutes away and are popular with hikers, bikers, anglers, kayakers, picnickers and campers. There are lots of campgrounds on the byway for tents, pop-ups and smaller RVs. You can take a scenic drive to reach Rocky Mountain National Park, and it’s less than an hour from Laramie, Wyoming.
Getting there: From Highway 25, take exit 269B to Riverside (3.3 miles), turn right on Riverside (1 mile), then right on U.S. Highway 287. Drive 10 miles and watch for the KOA sign on the right. There’s a Shell Station on the left.
Stay tuned for more Tales From the Empty Nest!
Tales From the Empty Nest 