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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Rainbow Lakes Campground

Forest Service campground in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG, Boulder County, Colorado. About 10,000 feet. 4.6 miles from Nederland.

Managed by
Forest Service Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG
Elevation
About 10,000 ft As the Forest Service states
Reservations
Not on Recreation.gov Usually first come, first served. Confirm with the office
County
Boulder County

This campground is open mid-June through mid-September and located at 10000 feet at the end of the Rainbow Lakes Road and adjacent to the Indian Peaks Wilderness . This road is closed for winter and typically reopens in June. Before traveling to this area, check the Road Status Table . There are 18 first-come, first-served campsites that accommodate tents (on 14X16 foot tent pads) and small trailers. A maximum of eight people are allowed per site. Campsite 8 is oversized and accomodates up to 15 people. Campsites 15 - 18 are walk in sites for tents. Picnic tables, fire grates, vault toilets and trash services are provided at each campsite. 14-day stay limit. This campground does not feature drinking water, electricity, hook-ups, dump stations, nor showers. Please remember to bring water. Rainbow Lakes Campground is normally full for the weekend by Friday morning so plan to arrive early. No reservations are accepted. Click here for a map of this campground.

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

What people do here

  • camping

The land around Rainbow Lakes Campground

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

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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