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Rustic Creek Ranch

98%

· Bailey, Jefferson, Colorado

160 acres hosted by Debbie M.

22 RV/tent sites · 1 tent site

Best in Colorado: 1st place

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2024.

Great for groups

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for larger groups.

Amazing views

Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.

Family-friendly

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.

The 160 acre ranch was homesteaded by my grandfather over 100 years ago. He was an engineer. The plan was to use this property as summer grazing for his cattle. The cattle were wintered at the other ranch about 10 miles away, which was homesteaded by my great grandfather. Because my grandfather could survey, he made sure the property lines zigzaged up the valley so the small creek was in the middle to provide water for the animals. He chose well. It is a beautiful, quiet place with elk, deer and wild turkeys. There are tons of wild flowers in the summer. Columbines, the Colorado state flower, wild roses, paintbrushes and lots of wild chokecherries. With nice views of nearby mountains, open pastures, evergreen forests and aspen groves, it looks like it did 100 years ago. Plus, there are a couple of ponds for your dogs to cool off in. Since the first cattle, the ranch has also been home to goats, chickens, horses, and now more goats, alpacas and llamas. And of course the Great Pyrenees ranch dogs. I had a house built a few years ago and live on the property full time. The ranch is surrounded by Pike National Forest with the Colorado Trail connecting the property in a number of places. Some of the highest ranked mountain bike trails are nearby. There are lots of places on and off the property to hike, mountain bike and ride your horse. On a clear night you can see thousands of stars and hear coyotes howl. For a drone video of the ranch check out: YouTube's Midsummer 2020 Flyover. Elevation 8,000 feet, Average Summer Temperatures: Days 60-80 f, Nights 45-60 f, Sunshine Average 73-80%, Colorado Trail Segment 3, USGS Maps: Windy Peak; Green Mountain quadrangles. This is the official info. Basically, the weather is usually similar to the Denver area - just 10 degrees cooler. About 8 miles away is the small town of Bailey. It has just about everything you might need: small grocery store, coffee shops, gas, laundry, a dollar store, hardware store, camping and sports equipment, brew pub, winery, a few restaurants, potable water station and more.

Activities

Biking

Fishing

Hiking

Horseback riding

Natural features

Forest

River, stream, or creek

Mountainous

Field

98%

1087 ratings · 797 reviews

Mk K.recommends

October 1, 2024

# 7 Ponderosa

A *++

Hello, full disclosure, I did not stay on Ponderosa because the host, Debbie, recommended that I check out a few other available sites and I pretty much had my pick of the land. Ponderosa was furthest into the camp and she suggested that with my bus I could be happier at another site, which proved to be true, but I have zero reservation that I wouldn’t have been happy on Ponderosa too, after seeing the site. She was so very helpful in picking out a site and I chose #11 because of its levelness and beautiful seclusion. Honestly, I looked at a lot of sites and they all seemed great. I stayed on #11 and later on #2, for multiple nights on both, and they were both great. We were greeted by mini horses, alpacas, dogs and goats, so if you love animals this is a wonderful place. Out of 5 nights I have zero complaints and if we ever find ourselves back in that part of Colorado we would stay there.

Darren W.recommends

September 20, 2024

#9 Wild Rose

Enjoyed tent camping here, lovely campsites, host Debbie was very friendly, enjoyed walking around and would highly recommend a stay here. Make sure you follow Debbie's directions, they were spot on. Thanks Darren & Karen, NZ

Afton J.recommends

September 19, 2024

# 7 Ponderosa

Magical Homestead Camping!

Loved camping here! Debbie let us pick from several different campsites since the dogs had been barking a lot. We chose #11 and it was perfect! Lots of trees and higher elevation so we felt very secluded. All the bathrooms were spotless and smelled great! We woke up one morning to a group of Alpacas grazing in our campsite and it was magical. We would definitely stay again and even longer next time. We did take an alternate route to and from town that was a much more pleasant drive since the suggested route was insanely bumpy.

Aaron E.recommends

September 18, 2024

#10 Creek Song

Another great spot at rustic Creek! Always one of my favorite places to go and Deb is a great host!

Ronald H.recommends

September 17, 2024

#6 Pie Rock

Rustic Creek Rocks!

We booked the site online and had no idea what to expect. We drove 1000 miles from Arkansas and was blown away by the beauty of Rustic Creek! The site was wonderful and exactly what we expected AND needed! Mrs. Debbie was the most gracious host! She is friendly and personable, but not overly intrusive. She checked on us and made sure our stay was good and offered her help in any way to make it better. The scenery was breathtaking, and the alpacas, llamas 🦙, goats🐐, dogs and ponies 🐎 that roam the place were awesome! The restrooms were clean and welcoming! An unusual amenity when staying at a primitive campground, but so appreciated! We would really recommend this place to anyone that is a true camping enthusiast. Rustic Creek Rocks!

Jill T.recommends

September 17, 2024

#19 The Dog House

Do it!

This place is magical! Whether you’re with the kiddos or you’re a kid at heart, all the animals are a part of your day (and evening). Debbie is also a great host - very engaged and available. We can’t wait to return!

Location

Bailey, Jefferson, Colorado, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Tséstho’e (Cheyenne) and Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking