Cripple Creek KOA review- The Highest KOA in the World!

If you want to be able to boast to your friends that you stayed at the highest KOA in the world, better book your stay at the Cripple Creek Colorado KOA! The campground is built on the side of a mountain, and sits at 10,000 feet above sea level. The Cripple Creek KOA campground offers RV sites, tent sites and camping cabins. In this post, I’ll review what it’s like to stay at a 1 bedroom camping cabin at the Cripple Creek KOA – let’s go!

Cripple Creek KOA Details

Location:
2576 County Road 81
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813

Season:
This is a seasonal campground and is typically open from May until the mid September. I stayed here the very last week they were open for the season!

Amenities:
Camp store
Bathrooms and showers
Camp kitchen
Playground

KOAs have the reputation of being expensive, and yes, for camping, it’s true. Each KOA is independently owned and operated, and these campgrounds offer lots of amenities that you’re not going to get at other campgrounds – clean bathrooms and showers, maintained sites and grounds, spotless cabins, camp kitchens, a great gift shop/store, etc. When you stay here, you’re paying for these services. I personally don’t mind – I’m not a camper – I stay in the cabins because while I like being outside, I prefer to have a roof over my head. That said, the camping cabins without bathrooms are usually a lot cheaper than a hotel (that’s not always the case though – so you’ll have to do your research — but at the Cripple Creek KOA, yes, the cabins were cheaper).

Staying at the Cripple Creek KOA

The views from the camp sites and cabins are wonderful – you’re right in the mountains and the campground itself is very quiet. The one negative is that there isn’t much shade at any of the campsites or cabins. Being that I stayed here in the fall, temperatures were in the high 60s during the day and just below freezing at night. There are dirt walking trails that lead into the woods – I saw lots of other guests taking their dogs for walks on the trails.

I stayed in an adorable camping cabin with no bathroom, as I usually do when I stay at KOAs. The camping cabin was spotless – I’ve never stayed at a KOA where this wasn’t the case. If you ever have doubts about these cabins, don’t worry! KOA is extremely consistent with the cleanliness of their cabins.

The bathrooms and showers were spotless. They’re located behind the camp store, so depending on where your site is, you may have a bit of a walk to reach the facilities. Always remember to bring headlamp or lantern when you stay at a KOA in case you need to use the restroom after dark – it gets extremely dark here, as there is very little light pollution.

Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Unfortunately during my stay, there was a fire ban so I couldn’t have a campfire.

The Camp Kitchen was just a short walk from my site – it’s a lovely covered outdoor kitchen, with sinks, stoves, grills to cook your meals. I just used it to wash my utensils, as I have a camp stove. It looked like a great setup!

The final point I want to note is that being at 10,000 feet isn’t a joke. You might not want this to be your first stop on a Colorado road trip if you’re coming from somewhere at sea level. You need time to acclimate to the elevation, and you may get altitude sickness. Prior to my stay here, I was in Colorado Springs for several days, where I hiked the Manitou Incline, visited Garden of the Gods and drove up Pike’s Peak. I came down with altitude sickness immediately after coming down from Pike’s Peak – and I’m not one to get altitude sickness – EVER! For some reason, Pike’s Peak hit me hard, and I felt sick for about a day. I slept 14 hours, and after that, I was fine.

I only stayed here one night – I would’ve loved to have stayed here longer. I definitely would return to the Cripple Creek KOA campground in a heartbeat!

Nearby Attractions

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument – 30 minutes
Victor, Colorado & the Vindicator Mines trail – 10 minutes
Molly Kathleen Mine – 10 minutes

Cripple Creek KOA in Colorado – Final Thoughts

Pros:
Wonderful campground, clean facilities
Reasonable prices for a KOA

Cons:
At 10,000 feet, if you’re not acclimated to the elevation, you may experience altitude sickness.
Very little shade
Closes mid-September for the season

Have you ever stayed at a KOA? Have you stayed at the Cripple Creek KOA? Let me know you’re thoughts – I’d love to hear them!