If you’re planning a trip to camping near Garden of the Gods in Colorado, you’ve probably already noticed the problem: the park itself has no overnight camping, and the RV options clustered right around Colorado Springs fill up fast and charge accordingly. The smarter move is to base camp 45 minutes south in Cañon City—and Mountain View RV Resort gives you a solid reason to do exactly that.
Why Cañon City Works as a Garden of the Gods Base Camp
Garden of the Gods sits just off US-24 on the northwest edge of Colorado Springs—about a 45-minute drive from Cañon City. That’s not nothing, but consider what you’re getting in trade. Sites in Cañon City run cheaper, the crowds are thinner, and you’re also parking yourself one mile from the Royal Gorge Bridge—one of Colorado’s other signature landmarks. Two icons, one trip, one home base. Canon City is spoke in the wheel of attractions in Southern Colorado. Besides the Royal Gorge Bridge, there is the Royal Gorge Train, dinosaur museum, prison museum and white water rafting nearby. Canon City is an hour away from Cripple Creek – Colorado’s first gold rush town – West Cliff, Salida, Gunnison and Bishops Castle.
The drive up US-50 and then CO-115 into the Springs is scenic and easy. Most mornings you can roll into Garden of the Gods well before the parking lots hit capacity. Go early, walk the Central Garden Trail before 9 AM, and you’ll have the red rock formations largely to yourself. By the time the tour buses arrive, you can be headed back south to spend the afternoon at the Royal Gorge.
What You Get at Mountain View RV Resort
Mountain View RV Resort opens April 1st and runs through the season with 41 full-hookup RV sites, each one on a concrete patio—no gravel, no mud. That matters when you’re setting up a rig for a multi-day stay. Sites include 30/50 amp service, water, and sewer. The resort is gated, which cuts down on drive-through traffic and keeps things quiet after hours.
A few specifics worth knowing:
- Starlink WiFi on-site—actual broadband, not the throttled campground variety. Remote workers and streamers take note.
- 4-pet policy—bring the whole pack. Most parks cap at two.
- Glamping domes available if someone in your group isn’t traveling by RV but wants to come along anyway.
- One mile from the Royal Gorge Bridge, so you can walk or bike over without moving the rig.
Planning Your Garden of the Gods Visit from Here
Garden of the Gods is free to enter—the park is owned by the City of Colorado Springs and has been public since 1909. The main lot fills by mid-morning on weekends from May through September, so either arrive by 8 AM or use the overflow lot and ride the free shuttle. Weekday mornings are much calmer.
The paved Central Garden Trail (1.5 miles) is the crowd favorite and accessible for most visitors. If you want something with a little more elevation, the Perkins Central Garden Trail loop adds some rock scrambling. Allow two to three hours for a proper visit including the visitor center, which has good interpretive displays on the geology (spoiler: those red rocks are about 300 million years old).
On the way back to Cañon City, CO-115 runs through Fort Carson and then drops into some genuinely pretty canyon country before hitting US-50. It’s a better drive than the interstate and only adds a few minutes. Stop in Florence for gas—it’s consistently cheaper than Colorado Springs prices.
If you’ve got an extra day, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park is right at your doorstep. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad departs from downtown Cañon City and runs through the gorge itself—worth booking in advance, especially for summer weekends. Shelf Road, one of Colorado’s best sport climbing areas, is a short drive north of town if anyone in your group climbs.
Ready to Book?
Mountain View RV Resort fills up through peak summer—Memorial Day through Labor Day in particular. If you’re planning a Garden of the Gods trip for June, July, or August, don’t wait until the week before. Check current availability and rates, then lock in your site.