Camping Near Gold Hill
For those that don’t know, Gold Hill is a (very) small town nestled into the Front Range about ten miles northwest of Boulder. The town itself has a quaint, old-timey feel, with small residences built by gold-rushing miners in the 1800s. However, we didn’t go up to Gold Hill for the town, we went there for what’s just down the road: some excellent camping and bike riding.
All of the camping takes place in the foothills of Roosevelt National Forest, surrounded by ponderosa pines. The area is beautiful, despite the fact that it seems to be a convenient place for college parties (it sounded like a rave was happening down the hill from us for most of the night) due to its proximity to Boulder and the Denver metro area. There is an extensive network of fire roads leading back into the mountains that provide convenient access to camping, and a little bit of hiking, as well.
Additionally, we were camped near a memorial site for a couple of dancers who died in 2016 after their vehicle drove into a mineshaft. It’s an interesting, albeit sad, story, and it’s obvious that many people still visit the memorial regularly.
We spent two nights camping at our beautiful spot in Gold Hill, and went on a bike/mountain biking session up at Brainard Lake with some friends. (See here and here for more about Brainard Lake.) I can confirm that the Sourdough trail was not ideal for biking on this occasion, with lots of obstacles and mud throughout the path. Though I have hiked that trail before and it was much better on foot.
If you live in the Denver area and need a super-quick getaway for a weekend, this campsite will not disappoint. (Though you may want to bring some earplugs, just in case.)
