CAÑON CITY, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office will begin accepting reservations for the 2021 camping season at The Bank and Sand Gulch campgrounds north of Cañon City to improve campers’ experiences at these sites. Reservations can be made through Recreation.gov beginning March 8, 2021.

“We are offering reservations in response to the increased demand at the site over the past few years,” said Royal Gorge Field Manager Keith Berger. “With the reservation system in place, campers can know that a site will be waiting for them prior to traveling to the campground.”

Both campgrounds are well known as a destination for rock climbers recreating on the limestone cliffs of the Shelf Road climbing area. Approximately half of the sites at both campgrounds will be reservable.

The Bank campground was renovated in 2019 and has 31 individual campsites and two group sites capable of accommodating up to 20 campers each. Seventeen individual sites and both group sites are ADA accessible.

The Sand Gulch campground has 16 individual sites and one group site. One individual site and one group site are ADA accessible.

For individual sites, campers can make reservations up to 14 days in advance of their stay. Group sites can be reserved up to 90 days in advance of arrival. Reservations can be made by visiting the recreation.gov website or by calling (877) 444-6777.

Non-reservable campsites in both campgrounds will be available on a first-come, first-served, night-by-night basis. Campers may only stay in the campground for 14 days, whether reserved or occupied on a first-come basis.

Campers are encouraged to bring water and pack out their trash; water and trash service are not available on-site at either campground. For more information on camping on BLM lands in the Royal Gorge Field Office, please call (719) 269-8500 or visit the field office website (https://www.blm.gov/office/royal-gorge-field-office).

In fiscal year 2018, recreation on land managed by the BLM in Colorado contributed about $652 million to the economy and supported more than 5,000 jobs.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 11 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $111 billion in economic output across the country in fiscal year 2020—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 498,000 jobs.

 

BLM Colorado Royal Gorge Field Office

Media Contact: Brant Porter (970) 901-9581

March 2, 2021