Red Canyon Park (Canon City)
Red Canyon Park is owned by the City of Canon City and the city's own campgrounds page lists it as free. It sits about 10.5 miles north of town on Red Canyon Road (CR 9) -- roughly a 20-minute drive -- among red rock formations, with four camping areas. The city describes dispersed camping, vault toilets, fire rings and some picnic tables, and is explicit that there is NO WATER, so haul your own; there are no hookups either. Open year-round. The city's Park Rules and Regulations limit overnight camping in its Mountain Parks to 72 hours once every two weeks, with extensions available by calling the Park Department at (719) 269-9028. Fires are allowed only in the campfire rings the city provides, and the city can ban open fires outright in high or extreme fire conditions -- a Stage 2 fire ban was in effect when we checked on 2026-07-20, so check the current ban before you plan on a fire. One honest wrinkle: the same city rules PDF has a general line closing City Parks at 11 PM and a general ban on camping without the City Administrator's permission, and the campgrounds page calls this 'dispersed camping' while the rules PDF says camping is limited to designated sites. Those read as in-city-park rules, with the Mountain Parks section being the one that governs here -- but it is ambiguous in the city's own documents, so camp in an obvious established site and do not be surprised if a ranger reads it differently. Do not confuse this with the city's East Ridge Campground at Royal Gorge Park, which has been a paysite at $20 a night since 2021. The deal these towns offer is simple: camp free, and they hope you buy fuel, groceries or dinner in town. Be a good guest and it stays free for the next traveler. Town rules change often and we have not visited -- confirm current rules with the city before you go.
Everything you need — measured from Red Canyon Park (Canon City) · public land · CO
- GGrocery9 mi
- +Urgent care9 mi
- FFuel10 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- HHardware10 mi
- @Mail10 mi
- EVEV fast charger10 mi
- LLaundry10 mi
- WWater10 mi
- MMechanic12 mi
- DDump21 mi
- AAir-up25 mi
- ShShower27 mi
- OOutfitter27 mi
- PPropane28 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 9 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Red Canyon Park (Canon City)
Nearby & resupply — around Red Canyon Park (Canon City) · public land · CO (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureNorth Fork Millsap Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townMarigold · ~5.3 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelConoco · ~10.1 mi
- Propane / LPGAmeriGas · ~30.3 mi
- Dump station~21.1 mi
- GroceriesCity Market · ~9.8 mi
- PharmacyPharmacy · ~27.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicSt. Thomas More Hospital · ~9.3 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~26.9 mi
EV charging — from Red Canyon Park (Canon City) · public land · CO — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger9.9 mi straight-line S — The Faricy Boys Ford, Canon City, CO · EV Connect · J1772, CCS · 4 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach8 within 25 mi · 61 within 50 · 326 within 100 · 457 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)28.8 mi — Colorado Springs, CO - Tesla Supercharger, Colorado Springs
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO10.0 mi — CHEVY1 CPE250-1, Cañon City
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)7.3 mi — White Water Bar & Grill - Tesla Destination, Cañon City, CO · Tesla Destination · J1772, NACS (Tesla) · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-08-27 · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to all vehicles.
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 400673 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Red Canyon Park (Canon City) · public land · CO — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomSand Gulch Restroom - South · ~2.3 mi NE · BLM
- RestroomSand Gulch Restroom - North · ~2.4 mi NE · BLM
- RestroomSand Gulch Restroom - Single · ~2.4 mi NE · BLM
- RestroomThe Bank Restroom - Loop B · ~3.0 mi NE · BLM
Open Red Canyon Park (Canon City) elsewhere
Other camps near Red Canyon Park (Canon City)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Shelf Road Sites~2.9 mi
- Banks Campground~3.2 mi
- Dispersed Campsite~8.9 mi
- Gold Belt Recreation Management Area~10.4 mi
How we know this — Red Canyon Park (Canon City)
What we don’t know about Red Canyon Park (Canon City)
A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it