Rio Grande National Forest Camping

Aspen Glade is one of a string of campgrounds along the Conejos River in southern Colorado. It's on CO 17 16 miles west of Antonito. Aspen Glade is popular and is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which is a truncated season. Too bad, because some of the best fishing on the Conejos is after Labor Day. Ironically, Aspen Glade has only a few aspens. The majority of the trees are ponderosa pines.

Aspen Glade has three loops, A, B and C. A and B are on the upper level and C is on the lower level next to the river. C is basically covered with trees, while A and B have mostly clear sky views. The filling order is typically C, B and then A. There are 9 first come first serve sites, but the majority of the sites are reservable. Most of the sites are back-in, but there are a few pull-throughs, mostly on loops A and B.

One of the primary attractions of the campground is the Conejos River fishing. The Conejos (Rabbits) is the largest tributary to the Rio Grande. It has voluminous bug hatches, notably Stoneflies, Drakes, Caddis and Blue Wing Olives. From Aspen Glade upstream to Menkhaven, it is Gold Medal Water, with special regulations for angling. The Conejos is generally easy to wade, except during runoff. Access to the Conejos is generally available, with few private land exceptions, upstream to the dam at Platoro.

Aspen Glade is convenient to the Cumbres and Toltec narrow gauge railroad, which originates and terminates in Antonito. It's a worthwhile trip to Chama from Antonito, with high desert and mountains traversed. Given that this is National Forest, there are also many hiking trails nearby.

There is no cell service at Aspen Glade. Starlink, though, would be workable on the A and B loops, with the C loop being spotty at best.

Aspen Glade is one of our favorite campgrounds close to home. Recommended.