Pearl Lake State Park Camping Overview
Pearl Lake State Park campground is another Colorado State Park near Steamboat Springs. Just a few miles to the east of Steamboat Lake State Park you will find Pearl Lake State Park centered on the hill next to Pearl Lake.
Pearl Lake State Park is a smaller and more primitive State Park than Steamboat Lake State Park, but it is a great place if you want to just go camping on a quiet mountain lake. There are only 36 camping sites here and they do not have electricity. Most campsites at Pearl Lake State Park Campground are flat and have good places to park a RV or camper that is less than 30 feet. If you have something longer than that, you will want to look to Steamboat Lake State Park.
Pearl Lake State Park is wakeless water and fly- and lure-only fishing, so it may not be the best camping destination for everyone. Pearl Lake State Park is great.
The campgrounds here are well groomed and taken care of. The beetle kill is not as bad here as in other places which allows the campground to have a good spread of trees.
Pearl Lake State Park Campground is a nice place to go camping. Because it is such a nice campground it has become quite popular and will be full and busy throughout the summer camping season so make sure to get your reservations early!
Pearl Lake State Park Campground Information
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Pearl Lake State Park Campsite Details
Pearl Lake State Park is a great place to go camping. It is more quiet and smaller than many places due to the thicker trees and the nice spacing between campsites. The campground is set on the top and side of a hill next to Pearl Lake, so it can get a little breezy here, but that only helps to keep the heat and noise down.
Most of the campsites have plenty of privacy. There are a few areas where the campsites get a little close together but these are generally where the RV’s and campers go so even though they are close, the vehicles divide each site to help give them privacy. Pearl Lake State Park campground can accommodate most RV’s and campers up to 30 feet long, though the extra-large sites are limited.
The area all around Pearl Lake State Park is a pine forest and it is a popular place to go hunting.
The campsites at Pearl Lake State Park campground are well groomed and maintained. The campground is on a hill, so many of them also have stairs you will need to climb to get up to the parking area, tents, and other places around the campsites. Most of the campsites are nice and flat. Most of the campsites also have a good amount of trees spread around them. These trees thicken towards the edges of the campsites and provide excellent shelter from the wind and from your neighbors.
The tables here at Pearl Lake State Park are the metal grate tables. These are not as comfy or good as the nice permanent wooded tables. The grates are often sticky and dirty so make sure to bring table cloths for them. I have also found it helps to put sheets of poster board under the table cloth as it will help to level out the table. Use a few long bungee cords to hold it all in place. The one nice thing about these kinds of tables is that they can be moved. You may find your table at Pearl Lake State Park moved off to the side or off the camping pad altogether. It’s a good idea to keep it on the pad but it is nice to be able to move it around some.
The fire rings in the campgrounds at Pearl Lake State Park are sunken down into the ground. They are not very deep, maybe 6 to 8 inches, but this style of fire ring offers a great amount of heat to anyone around the fire. It is easy to make a fire that is too big for these types of fire rings so be careful. It is extra important to be careful during the hottest and driest months, especially with the beetle killed trees nearby. It is very easy to catch these on fire. These fire rings also come with a small grate that can be flipped over for cooking. Just be sure that your fire is not too big and you are able to flip the grate over.
Most of the tent pads in the campground at Pearl Lake State Park are your standard 12’ x 12’ size. So if you have a bigger tent, you won’t be able to quite fit it all on the whole pad. The tent pads are flat and very smooth. All of the tent pads seemed to be placed in good spots as well. Being on the side of the hill it can be easy to flood tent pads in a rain storm but it looks like the campsites here were designed well to keep the tent areas from flooding. With the ability to move around the table, you can even rearrange your campsite to accommodate an extra tent or an extra-large one if need be.
Most of the campsite’s parking areas are flat and easy to enter and exit for campers who are going camping in their RV’s or campers. There is no electricity or water at the campsites so make sure to be prepared for that.
All in all the campsites at Pearl Lake State Park are very nice and well taken care of. They are mostly spread out and all of the campsites have absolutely beautiful views of the surrounding lake and mountains. Thick trees all around the campground help with both the view and the wind.
Pearl Lake State Park Campground Activities
There are many things to do here at Pearl Lake State Park Campground for outdoor lovers. One of the main draws to Pearl Lake State Park is the Golden Trout Waters where anglers fish for Cutthroat, Brookies and even Graylings. Even if you are not an angler, Pearl Lake is a great place to enjoy your canoe or kayak.
Butting right up to the National Forest, many campers spend their days hiking into the forest and surrounding area. Many are bird watchers, wildlife photographers, or just nature enthusiasts. The wildlife is robust at Pearl Lake State Park Campground. There is a wide variety of wildlife including deer, elk, bear, bobcat, moose and more in the area. Watch the lake and the streams at dusk and dawn for your best chance to see some wildlife coming out of the thick woods for a little while. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera!
This is also simply a great place to sit back and enjoy the beautiful country and scenery. It’s small for a Colorado State Park and does not offer a large variety of outdoor activities, so people with larger boats or other activities will find themselves at Steamboat Lake State Park instead. If Steamboat Lake State Park is full, some people will camp at Pearl Lake State Park campground.
If you need something from town or want to kill a little bit of time on a rainy day, the town of Steamboat Springs is just 30 minutes. There you can find anything you may need whether it is hot meal after a cold night or replacement camping equipment.
Pearl Lake State Park Campground Camping Summary
Pearl Lake State Park is a great place to go camping during the height of camping season. If you are planning to go very early in the season or very late make sure you take some warm weather gear because it can get quite chilly here. This is a nice area and it is likely that the entire campground is going to be full most of the season so make sure you get your reservations early! If for some reason you do not get reservations and try a trip without, be ready to settle for whatever you have to. It’s best to head up into the mountains early in the week if you are looking to find a place to camp without reservations.
The weather here is usually nice and mild. The campgrounds are nicely spread out, easy to use, and well taken care of. There are many things to do here so that everyone that stays can make the most out of their time at Pearl Lake State Park campground.
The campsites do not have electricity or water hookups which will keep some campers away. You can get fresh water here from several wells in the campground.
Pearl Lake State Park Campground can be a good backup camping location if you have a spontaneous trip to Steamboat Lake State Park or the surrounding area and find that the campsites are full.
Pearl Lake State Park Campground is a great place to go camping. With plenty of wonderful outdoor activities to enjoy and the city of Steamboat relatively close Pearl Lake State Park Campground has a great mix of feeling like you are way out in the mountains while still having the convenience of modern day amenities relatively close. You’re sure to have a good time camping here, enjoying the wonderful Colorado outdoors.
Reserve a Campsite at Pearl Lake State Park Today!If you have camped here at Pearl Lake State Park Campground please comment your likes, dislikes, and suggestions below. Fellow campers would love to hear from you!
Beautiful place! We went for a couple of days and ended up staying for a week. Best camp hosts. We’ll be back for sure.
Fantastic! Glad you had such a good time. This area is beautiful!
If we bring our RV Trailer there can we obtain water to fill up within the park.
There are a couple water spigots if I remember right. However, the campsites are more for tents and trailers. A better place for RV camping might be Steamboat Lake State Park. https://campoutcolorado.com/camping-review-of-steamboat-lake-state-park-campground/