Golden Eagle Campground — Hotel in Fort Carson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five-Star Review *(with an asterisk)

My family and I (plus our two dogs) camped at Golden Eagle from July 3rd to July 6th, and we had an amazing time! We love tent camping, and the location was perfect—just 25 minutes from home, yet it felt like we were deep in the wilderness. We’re already planning our return.

Pros:

📍 Location: Conveniently close to necessities—there’s a Safeway just 10 minutes away—but still remote enough to feel like a true escape into nature.

🚿 Water & Showers: The spigot at our site provided fresh, crisp spring mountain water that tasted amazing. The showers? Chef’s kiss. If you’re a fan of skin-melting hot showers like I am, you won’t be disappointed.

👷🏽‍♂️ Staff: Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Camp hosts frequently patrolled the area in case someone needed firewood or assistance. We felt safe, looked after, and truly welcome.

🏕 Campsite: We stayed at site #205, a full-hookup spot with water and electricity. It was close to the bathroom/showers and within walking distance of the dumpsters. Everything was clearly labeled, with helpful signage to keep campers informed about local wildlife and safety.

🐶 Dog-Friendly: Pets are welcome! Our two pups loved it. Just be mindful—there’s a $50 fine for off-leash dogs, so bring a tether or leash to stay compliant and safe.

🔇 Peace & Quiet: Quiet hours are from 10 PM to 8 AM, and they were respected. The campground had a calm, family-friendly vibe the whole time.

*Cons (but not dealbreakers for us):

🛁 Facilities: The bathrooms and showers could use some updating—think more LaQuinta than Hilton. If you’re tall or broad, the shower stalls might feel tight (I’m 5’4” and could touch the ceiling). That said, they were always clean. No hair clumps, no messes, no funky smells. Major kudos to the staff for that.

🐻 Wildlife: This is bear country, so if you’re nervous around wildlife, consider bringing a camper or RV for peace of mind. We only saw a turkey and a doe during our stay, but always take proper precautions with food and trash storage.

Extras:

We hiked the shorter trail (#3 – just one mile round trip), and it was perfect for a light adventure. There’s a longer five-mile trail for those wanting more of a workout. The fishing lake is small but adequate, and the mountain views were absolutely stunning. Check-in was smooth and fast, and the overall vibe was welcoming and relaxed.

⸻

Bottom line: Whether you’re a seasoned camper or just getting started, Golden Eagle offers a beautiful mix of comfort and nature. It’s close to the city but feels like a true getaway. We had a five-star experience—and the asterisk is just to remind future campers to set realistic expectations for the rustic facilities....

This park is located a few miles south of Colorado Springs on a hilltop that backs up to Cheyenne Mountain. You feel like you're camping in the woods with deer, turkey and rabbits nearby. Also nearby is an Army base, Fort Carson, where they hold regular ammunition exercises. In researching this location I saw very little mention of this, maybe that's because most people stay over the weekends and there's no drills. During the days you can hear gunfire which wasn't an issue for us since it was during the day. Yesterday during the day and all through the night there were huge booms from very large ammunition. So big at times the shock waves rattled the camper. Not the parks fault but I felt it worth mentioning.

About the park, nice that it's on a hill for mountain breezes but it ends there. We chose a FHU site (non-deluxe) and we're jammed into a space that took several attempts to get the camper in position - and it was listed as a pull thru spot. No way will we be able to pull through to exit, the drop off at the exit of the site is so steep that we'll risk our Jack's at the back of the camper. So if you really want to stay here - spend the extra bucks on the deluxe so you have a spot you can actually pull through. Sites aren't level, and I mean 3 sections of our level, off. The electric and water are shared. Water, no biggie. Electric however only has 1 30amp and 1 50amp connection. So if the person next to you checks in first and takes the 50amp, you're stuck with 30. They do have adapters you can borrow with a deposit. There are nice trails around the park for dog walking and the state park is 2 miles up the road for more activities, including mountain bike trails. The park doesn't offer a weekly rate or any discounts whatsoever. Their monthly sites are limited and have been sold out for 2018. There is laundry and 2 bath houses onsite, we didn't use either. WiFi was as you'd expect at an RV park - marginal. The entrance and exit of the park could be tight for large MH with toad. We took the corner wide with our pickup and 35' TT...

We spent a week at Golden Eagle in August(staying in the 400 section). The staff were all wonderful and super helpful. I chose our campsite for the lake view advertised online only to find out upon arrival the lake is empty and it is now a weeded view. This should be advertised. They do have 1 pond you are able to fish in (beautiful view). Our campsite was a full hookup site but it was set up very weird. Our firepit was on the back side of our camper with the sewage dump and water connection. Not a great location to relax with a fire. Our firepit also sat too low to get any oxygen so our fire was a puff of smoke without our fan on it. The campsite was not super busy during our stay and Im sure if we asked we could have moved locations but honestly that seems like more of a hassle once all set up. The bug museum was very interesting, a little high on price, not something my family would have came to outside of camping there but if you like bugs then go see it! The bathrooms were kept clean and stocked! We prefer to shower in a shower house over the camper and we were blown away with how clean they are! Each shower has privacy with a curtain and the water was hot!! A+ on the shower house! They do advertise over 900 acres and 12 miles of hiking...no. Yes, they have the land but no you are not welcome to explore all of it.The amount of land does help make the campgrounds very quiet and peaceful though! The hike is actually only 1/2 mile. You can explore the "pet walk" which looks to be old campsites no longer used. The campgrounds are kept very clean aside from the long term stays, their sites could use some major cleaning BUT they are kept separated from the temporary campers..so that helps. I think a week was way too long for what we had in mind. But a good place to come and stay a few days wouldn't be bad. Overall, not a bad place to camp but their website needs updated with how things currently are....