Full hookups are harder to find around Denver than the size of the metro suggests. The 2 big state park campgrounds, Cherry Creek and Chatfield, run electric-only sites, so every stay there involves managing tanks and lining up at the dump station on checkout morning. RVers who want water, electric, and sewer plumbed to the pad are really choosing among the metro’s private parks, and the closer you get to downtown, the shorter that list gets.
Applewood RV Resort in Wheat Ridge is one of the closest full hookup parks to the city center, about 15 minutes from downtown and right off I-70. Of its 76 sites, 65 are full hookup, split between 38 pull-throughs and 27 back-ins, with 50-amp service on 14 sites and 30-amp on the rest. It also runs year-round, which matters along the Front Range, where winter camping without sewer gets old quickly. This guide covers how Applewood’s full hookup sites break down, what they cost monthly, and how the state park alternatives compare.
What Full Hookup Looks Like at Applewood
All 65 of Applewood’s full hookup sites put water, electric, and sewer at the pad, so you skip the dump station queue entirely. The split is 38 pull-throughs and 27 back-ins, with 14 designated 50-amp sites for rigs running 2 air conditioners and 30-amp service on the rest; 11 electric-only sites round out the 76. Set expectations honestly: pads are gravel, sites run tight, and the park is urban rather than scenic, so big rigs should call the office before booking to confirm fit. The on-site public dump station ($20 for the public, free for registered guests) sounds redundant next to sewer hookups, but it earns its keep for a mid-stay tank rinse or a traveling friend who needs a dump and a $10 fresh-water fill on the way through.
Monthly Full Hookup Rates Near Denver
Applewood’s monthly rates run $1,425 for a full hookup back-in, $1,550 for a full hookup pull-through, and $1,300 for electric-only, with extra vehicles at $50 per month. That buys a real Wheat Ridge address with a King Soopers and a TA truck stop nearby, the RTD light rail about a mile away, and downtown Denver 15 minutes off. The monthly crowd is a mix of traveling nurses, remote workers, construction crews, and snowbirds wintering along the Front Range, which tells you something about who the math works for. For shorter stays, confirm current nightly rates with the office before you book, since nightly pricing varies by season.
Full Hookups vs Electric-Only State Parks
Cherry Creek (in Aurora, about 9 miles southeast of downtown) and Chatfield (in Littleton, about 20 miles south) are excellent campgrounds with reservoirs, showers, and dump stations, but neither offers full hookups, and both charge roughly $28 to $41 a night plus a daily vehicle pass. For a weekend, electric-only camping there is a fine trade for the water and the trees. Past a week, tank management becomes the rhythm of your stay, and winter narrows the gap further: state park campgrounds reduce services in cold months while Applewood’s full hookup sites run year-round with your furnace and water working. Pick the state park for the setting, the full hookup park for the logistics.
Applewood RV Resort by RJourney (Wheat Ridge)
Applewood RV Resort by RJourney, at 11600 W 44th Ave in Wheat Ridge, is a centrally located Denver-metro RV park about 15 minutes from downtown and right off I-70. It is an urban, no-frills, mostly gravel park, not a destination resort, and it earns its keep on location and convenience: close to I-70, the RTD light rail, Red Rocks, and Golden, with Prospect Park and Prospect Lake right next door. The park has 76 sites, 65 full-hookup (38 pull-through and 27 back-in) and 11 electric-only, with 30- and 50-amp service. Sites are gravel and tight, so rigs run self-contained, with big-rig caution advised. Monthly rates run from $1,300 (electric-only) to $1,550 (full-hookup pull-through). As manager Melissa Soderberg puts it, it is a relaxing, centrally located base in the Denver metro.
Sites & Hookups
Applewood has 76 RV sites: 65 full-hookup (38 pull-through and 27 back-in) and 11 electric-only, with 30- and 50-amp service across 14 designated 50-amp sites and 30-amp on the rest. Pads are gravel and sites are tight, so rigs must be self-contained; there are no tent sites and no car camping, though Class B vans are fine. Big rigs should call ahead before booking, since the tight layout is the most common point guests raise. A public dump station is on-site: $20 to dump ($10 for a fresh-water fill, free tank-rinse), free for registered guests, with after-hours dumping via a cash dropbox.
What's On-Site
Applewood keeps it practical rather than resort-style: 24-hour coded coin laundry, a coded bathhouse with showers, a small fenced dog park, and package delivery at the office breezeway. There is no pool and no swimming on-site. The real draw next door is Prospect Park and Prospect Lake, where fishing is catch-to-keep with a license (no swimming or boating). The on-site public dump station ($20 dump, $10 fresh-water fill, free tank-rinse for guests, after-hours cash dropbox) is a genuine convenience for travelers passing through the metro. Set expectations for an urban, gravel park that serves both overnight travelers and long-term residents, and the location does the heavy lifting.
What Guests Say
Applewood is an urban, no-frills, mostly gravel park rather than a destination resort, and it serves both overnight travelers and long-term residents. What guests most consistently praise is the location: about 15 minutes from downtown Denver, close to I-70, the RTD light rail, Red Rocks, and Golden, with Prospect Park next door. Sites run tight and gravel, so come for the convenience and the dump-station access and set expectations accordingly. If you need a big-rig pull-through with room to spread out, call ahead to confirm a site that fits your rig.
Other Top Campgrounds Near Denver, CO
<p>Neither of the metro’s state park campgrounds offers full hookups, but both are worth weighing for shorter stays where a reservoir beats sewer at the site. Here’s how they compare.</p>
Cherry Creek State Park (Aurora)
Cherry Creek packs a surprising amount of nature into a park surrounded by suburbs, with an 880-acre reservoir popular for swimming, fishing, and sailing. The campground has paved pads, electric hookups, flush toilets, showers, and a dump station, but no full hookups. It is the closest state park campground to downtown Denver, which is both its draw and its headache: it gets crowded on summer weekends and some sites pick up highway noise from I-225. Reserve early. Visit website.
Chatfield State Park (Littleton)
Chatfield sits along the South Platte River with a 1,500-acre reservoir that draws boaters, paddleboarders, and anglers from across the metro. The campground is large and well-maintained with paved roads, flush toilets, showers, electric hookups, and a dump station, though full hookups are not available. Reservations fill fast May through September, so book months ahead for summer weekends. It is farther from the city center than Applewood, but a strong pick if you want a state park atmosphere with water access. Visit website.
Things to Do from Your Denver-Area Campground
Prospect Lake sits right next door to Applewood with catch-to-keep fishing for guests holding a Colorado license, though swimming and boating are not allowed there. For open water, the area’s state parks carry the load: Cherry Creek’s 880-acre reservoir and Chatfield’s 1,500-acre reservoir both draw boaters, paddleboarders, and anglers from across the metro, and both are within about 20 minutes of central Denver.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park is about 15 minutes from Applewood and free to enter during the day, with hiking trails winding through 300-foot sandstone formations; the Trading Post Trail is a manageable 1.4-mile loop. Mount Falcon, North Table Mountain, and Lookout Mountain all sit within 30 minutes, and the Colorado Trail starts about 45 minutes southwest in Waterton Canyon. Rocky Mountain National Park is roughly 90 minutes north.
Downtown Denver is a 15-minute drive from Applewood, with the 16th Street Mall, Union Station, the Denver Art Museum, and Coors Field, and the RTD light rail connects much of the metro. Golden, 10 minutes away, is home to the Coors Brewery and free tours. I-70 also links the metro to major ski areas: Loveland is about 60 miles west, and Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Breckenridge are within 90 minutes, making camp-and-day-trip skiing a legitimate budget strategy.
Seasonal Guide for Camping Near Denver
Spring (March through May)
Daytime temps climb from the 50s into the 70s, but nights still dip below freezing through early April and snow is possible into May. State park campgrounds start filling in late April. Applewood is open year-round, which makes it a reliable option when state parks are still shaking off winter closures.
Summer (June through August)
Peak season. Highs regularly reach 90 to 95 degrees in July, and afternoon thunderstorms roll in most days between 2 and 5 PM. State park campgrounds book out weeks ahead. Applewood holds more flexible availability, but summer weekends still go fast, so call ahead.
Fall (September through November)
September is arguably the best camping month along the Front Range: warm days in the 70s, cool nights in the 40s, and golden aspens in the mountains. Crowds thin after Labor Day. October brings the first hard freezes, and by November you will want full hookups for your heater.
Winter (December through February)
Denver averages about 57 inches of snow a year, but its roughly 300 days of sunshine mean it melts fast. Winter camping is doable with a properly insulated rig and electric hookups. Applewood’s year-round operation makes it a solid winter base, especially for skiers who would rather pay monthly than nightly resort rates.
Practical Tips for Camping Near Denver
Denver is at 5,280 feet and Wheat Ridge, where Applewood sits, is a bit higher. If you are coming from sea level, drink extra water, take it easy on day one, and hold off on a 14er until you have acclimated 48 hours. Alcohol hits harder up here too.
Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings on I-70 between Denver and the mountains can add 2 to 3 hours to a 90-minute drive. Leave early, come back late, or go midweek. Applewood's spot near the I-70 exits means you are one of the first off the highway heading home.
Applewood's sites are gravel and tight, and big-rig fit is the most common thing guests raise. Confirm a pull-through that fits your length before you arrive, and ask about the 14 fifty-amp sites if you run two AC units.
Front Range overnight lows dip into the teens, so run a heated hose or fill your fresh tank and stow the hose on hard-freeze nights. Applewood's full hookup sites work year-round, but freeze protection on your side of the spigot is your job.
Chatfield and Cherry Creek often fill 6 months out for summer weekends. Private parks like Applewood tend to have better last-minute and monthly availability, but confirm open sites before you roll in.
Denver can go from 70 and sunny to a blizzard in 12 hours, and a 40-degree swing in a day is normal. Pack layers, keep the furnace ready even in spring, and do not be surprised by snow in May.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which RV parks near Denver have full hookups?
Applewood RV Resort in Wheat Ridge is one of the closest full hookup parks to downtown Denver, with 65 full hookup sites (water, electric, and sewer) about 15 minutes from the city center off I-70. The metro’s state park campgrounds, Cherry Creek and Chatfield, run electric-only sites with dump stations, so private parks are where full hookups live in the Denver area.
Does Applewood RV Resort have pull-through full hookup sites?
Yes. Of Applewood’s 65 full hookup sites, 38 are pull-throughs and 27 are back-ins, with 50-amp service on 14 designated sites and 30-amp on the rest. Pads are gravel and the layout runs tight, so if you’re driving a large fifth wheel or Class A, call the office ahead of booking and they’ll match you to a site that fits your length.
Do Cherry Creek or Chatfield State Parks have full hookups?
No. Both parks offer electric hookups, flush toilets, showers, and dump stations, but neither has sewer at the site. They’re strong picks for weekend stays where the reservoirs and trails carry the trip. For longer stays where you’d rather skip tank management, a full hookup park like Applewood in Wheat Ridge handles the plumbing.
How much does a full hookup RV site cost near Denver?
At Applewood RV Resort, monthly full hookup rates run $1,425 for a back-in and $1,550 for a pull-through, with electric-only sites at $1,300 and extra vehicles at $50 per month. Nightly rates vary by season, so confirm current pricing with the office. By comparison, the electric-only state park sites run roughly $28 to $41 a night plus a vehicle pass.
Can I get 50-amp full hookup service near Denver?
Yes. Applewood has 14 designated 50-amp sites among its full hookup inventory, which matters if your rig runs 2 air conditioners through Denver’s 90-degree July afternoons. The remaining sites carry 30-amp service. Mention your power needs when you book so the office assigns you one of the 50-amp pads.
Are full hookup RV parks near Denver open in winter?
Applewood runs year-round, and full hookups are what make Front Range winters workable: your water and sewer keep flowing while overnight lows dip into the teens. Denver’s roughly 300 days of annual sunshine melt its 57 inches of yearly snow quickly, so winter stays are more comfortable than the snowfall number suggests. State park campgrounds reduce services in the cold months.
Book Your Stay at Applewood RV Resort
Applewood RV Resort by RJourney is a year-round RV park in Wheat Ridge, about 15 minutes from downtown Denver and right off I-70, with full-hookup and electric sites, a public dump station, a small dog park, and Prospect Park next door. Monthly rates run from $1,300 to $1,550. It is a practical, centrally located base for exploring Denver, Golden, and Red Rocks. Sites are gravel and tight, so call ahead if you run a big rig.
See all site types, rates, and live availability on the Applewood RV Resort page.
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