Openings · last 7 days
31
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 31 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-234512
When Ansel Watrous reopens
Ansel Watrous's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
47
Openings · last 90 days
48
Only 48 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 17 monitored sites
Of the 3,111 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 1,091 open for online reservation · 187 reserved · 566 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative) · 1,267 closed. Of the facility's 17 monitored sites, 13 can be reserved online and 4 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
64.9% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 1,091 of 3,111 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027Not open online64.9%
Open site-nights1,091 / 3,111
Reserved (of online inventory)187 / 1,278
Weekday openings657
Weekend openings434
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 657 fall on weekdays and 434 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Mar 2027December holds the most room. 217 of 527 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 17 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 7 | Open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 7 | Open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 7 | Open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 7 | Open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 7 | Open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 7 | Open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 7 | Open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 7 sites are available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 7 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 7 sites are available for the complete two-night stay.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 009 | 165 |
| 010 | 165 |
| 008 | 164 |
| 006 | 156 |
| 002 | 153 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
Next open weekendFri · Oct 23
The next bookable night is Sep 22; the first open weekend starts Oct 23. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
1,091 open site-nights across 7 sites at Ansel Watrous, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 33 2-night, 28 3-night, 8 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 010.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 40 ft. 13 sites take 25 ft, 7 sites take 35 ft, 6 sites take 40 ft. 3 sites of 17 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
All 7 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 009 | Not recorded | None | 165 | 146 nights | Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 8, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +153 more |
| 010 | Not recorded | None | 165 | 139 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 11, Oct 12 +153 more |
| 008 | Not recorded | None | 164 | 153 nights | Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 18 +152 more |
| 006 | 40 ft | None | 156 | 139 nights | Oct 1, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 8, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 22 +144 more |
| 002 | 40 ft | None | 153 | 139 nights | Sep 28, Oct 4, Oct 8, Oct 13, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 22, Oct 25, Oct 26, Oct 27 +141 more |
| 007 | 40 ft | None | 148 | 125 nights | Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 8, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 22, Oct 25, Oct 26, Oct 27, Oct 28 +136 more |
| 003 | 40 ft | None | 140 | 124 nights | Oct 8, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 18, Oct 25, Oct 26, Oct 27, Oct 28, Oct 29, Oct 30, Oct 31, Nov 1 +128 more |
About Ansel Watrous
Overview
Ansel Watrous Campground is located on the Cache la Poudre River, 22 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., along Highway 14. Visitors enjoy the area for its great rafting, fishing and hiking opportunities.
Recreation
The Cache la Poudre River offers whitewater rafting and fishing. Anglers cast for brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout, among other species of fish.
Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are in the surrounding area, including the 4-mile Young Gulch Trail.
Other popular activities enjoyed by visitors to the campground include birding and wildlife viewing.
Facilities
The campground offers accessible single-family sites, each equipped with a 12-by-15 tent pad, a picnic table and a campfire ring with grill.
Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Dead and downed firewood may be gathered in the forest or purchased from the campground host.
Natural Features
The canyon's vegetation varies from dense forests to open meadows and the campground is surrounded by steep mountains. The campground is situated among Ponderosa pines on the banks of the Cache la Poudre River, Colorado's first river designated as a National Wild and Scenic River.
17 monitored sites4 FCFS sitesRVs up to 40 ftNo hookups12 shadedPets OKMax party 8
Getting there
From Fort Collins, take Highway 14 northwest for 13 miles.
9054 U.S Hwy 285, Morrison, CO 80465970-295-6700
BikingBirdingBoatingCampingCanoeingFishingHikingKayakingMountain BikingRaftingWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-234512 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-234512 · Ansel Watrous · Morrison CO12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Ansel Watrous?
Reservations for Ansel Watrous are made through Recreation.gov. 1,091 of 3,111 tracked site-nights are currently open (35.1%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 48 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Ansel Watrous?
Campsite Sniper detected 31 site-date openings at Ansel Watrous in the last 7 days, 47 over 30 days and 48 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Ansel Watrous?
28 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site 010. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Ansel Watrous fit a 35-foot RV?
7 of the 17 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 40 ft. 14 of those 17 sites have a recorded maximum length and 3 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Ansel Watrous?
December 2026, with 217 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 527.
When is the next open date at Ansel Watrous?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Oct 23. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.
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