A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Dowdy Lake

Forest Service campground in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG, Larimer County, Colorado. About 8,200 feet. 29.7 miles from Estes Park.

Managed by
Forest Service Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
Elevation
About 8,200 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
62 52 standard electric, 10 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
75 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Dowdy Lake Campground is located 48 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., near the village of Red Feather Lakes. Visitors enjoy the area for its canoeing, fishing and trail opportunities.

Recreation

Canoeing and fishing are popular activities on the 115-acre, no-wake Dowdy Lake. Motorized boats are allowed on the lake, but a 10 mph speed limit is enforced. Anglers cast for brown, brook, cutthroat and lake trout. Several additional lakes are in the vicinity.

Many hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are in the surrounding area, including the 4-mile Mount Margaret Trail. Several off-road vehicle trails are located within five miles of the campground.

Other popular activities include viewing wildlife and visiting the nearby Redfeather Visitor Center.

Facilities

The campground offers 60 accessible single and double family campsites with electric hookups. Ten sites are designated for tent camping only and do not have hookups. Each site contains a tent pad, picnic table and campfire ring with grill.

Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Dead and downed firewood may be gathered in the forest or purchased in bundles from the campground host.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a ponderosa pine forest on the shore of Dowdy Lake, at an elevation of 8,200 feet. Afternoon thunderstorms can be expected during spring and summer months.

Due to the mountain pine beetle infestation and removal of hazardous trees, some sites have reduced shade.

Nearby Attractions

The small village of Red Feather Lakes is nearby, offering limited dining options, gift shops, general stores, a library, post office and a golf course.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • boating
  • camping
  • canoeing
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • mountain biking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Dowdy Lake

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated September 2, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.