Cañon City Campground reopens after successful expansion

(CAÑON CITY, Colo.) — The Royal Gorge Field Office announced that it will reopen its Sand Gulch campground on March 1, having finished a project to increase available sites and improve the visitor experience.

The Shelf Road rock climbing area, of which the Sand Gulch campground is a part, has become very popular, attracting about 50% more visitors since reporting began in 2000, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

“The Shelf Road area provides outstanding recreation experiences,” said Kalem Lenard, Royal Gorge Field Office assistant field manager. “We’re excited to be able to accommodate the growth and interest in this area while protecting resources and caring for the area.”

The campground expansion has added twice the number of available sites, additional picnic tables, and fire rings, quadrupled on-site parking, and placed four new vault toilets. The nearby Bank campground had a similar expansion in 2019, bringing the total invested by the BLM to over $1 million.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.