Middlefork RV Park in Fairplay Colorado

by Julie Bennett
Updated: January 10, 2023
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Summer is a very popular time for travel. But for some it is a bit too hot for optimal comfort in their RVs. That is why many RVers either head to northern states, or to higher elevation. This summer we chose to escape to the cooler temps in the mountains of Colorado. One of our favorite stays so far this year is this hidden gem – Middlefork RV Park in Fairplay, Colorado.

One of the owners attended our virtual Hit the Road RV Summit online event, and later invited us to come and stay at the park for a much needed break. After seeing the location and photos of this place, we jumped at the chance! They did not ask us to write this review or share our stay at the park. We did receive a discount, but as always, we share our honest opinions.

Read on for more details about this RV Park and the surrounding area.

Location of Middlefork RV Park

Middlefork RV Park is located in the town of Fairplay Colorado. Fairplay is in an area commonly referred to as South Park. Yes, THAT South Park. At approximately 10,000 feet elevation and about an hour and a half south west of Denver, it is a great mountain retreat. A relatively easy, and beautiful drive from big cities and a nice location to reach many other great mountain towns with scenic views.

Easy Access right off of Hwy 285

Area Attractions

The town of Fairplay, originally called South Park City has some attractions in town, and is also within a couple hours of many more. Perhaps the biggest attraction in town is the historic 1880’s town/museum. The South Park City Museum is on the national register of historic places and is a wonderful restoration of an authentic mining town from the late 1800s.

With over 40 buildings and 60,000 artifacts, it is quite an impressive museum for a small town.The town of Fairplay also has a little main street with restaurants and shopping

There are also ATV and horseback riding tours, hunting, fishing, hiking and biking opportunities in abundance. The ski resort town of Breckenridge is only 23 miles from here, which is a great place to visit regardless of time of year.

Attractions Vary Depending on the Season

Though we visited in the summer, Middlefork RV Park is also a very popular RV park in the winter. Mostly because of its close proximity to the famous ski town of Breckenridge. If you plan on visiting in the winter, be prepared for some very cold temperatures (as low as -20 F at night). The camp host Markham told us it gets windy there in the winter, too.

We saw summer temps with daytime highs in the 70s – 80s F and lows in the 40s and 50s F. It’s pretty much an ideal summer location, in our opinion.

Within a two hour drive there are hot springs, white water river rafting, and virtually unlimited mountain region activities.

Amenities at Middlefork RV Park

Middlefork RV Park is a relatively small campground. Perhaps the best amenity is the location itself. Located right alongside a river in a mountain valley with snow capped mountain views, it is pretty special. There is a ping pong table and games in their fun cabin. They have a stocked fishing pond with some pretty big fish (catch and release only) – and a gold panning station on site as well. After all, Fairplay has deep roots as a gold mining town.

It is a really great location because when at your campsite, you feel like you are really getting away from town, especially if you have a riverfront site, as we did for part of our stay, with the rushing water. But at the same time, you can literally walk to the grocery store, brewery, restaurants, the hardware store or downtown Fairplay in just a few minutes.

Front office cabin

Learn how we camp for (almost) free with our Thousand Trails membership

Practical Amenities at Middlefork RV Park

There are bathrooms with showers and a small laundry room. Middlefork RV Park also offers RV storage right next door to the RV park. So you could conveniently leave your RV up in the mountains instead of driving or towing it up and down the big passes.

Mail / WIFI

Campground WIFI is available, and we heard it was pretty good. We tend to always use our own cellular connectivity so we didn’t try the onsite WIFI. Verizon had 4 bars of LTE, AT&T was a little inconsistent, often only with 3G. T-Mobile bounced between no service and 1 bar LTE. A couple blocks away, we had slightly better cell signal with T-Mobile.

We have a rooftop cellular antenna and a Pepwave Router with dual SIM cards for our connectivity, so we were still able to conduct video conference calls without issue.

We were able to receive mail and packages, including one VERY large delivery on a palette via a delivery truck that came straight to our campsite. If you have something sent to the campground by USPS mail, it may end up in the campground mailbox at the local post office. The camp host will need to retrieve all mail and packages in the mailbox from the USPS.

Look for signed copies of our bestselling book Living the RV Life – Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road in their front office.

RV Site Layout and Types

All 45 RV sites are crushed gravel, and include picnic tables. Sites are close to level, so very few RVs needed leveling blocks. Power for all sites is 20/30/50 amp, and most sites are full hook-up (electric, water and sewer). About 12 of the 45 sites are electric only.

Pull through sites are available. Most sites are back-in, and most will accommodate larger (35’+ RVs). We would consider Middlefork RV Park to be big rig friendly because the single road was easy to navigate with no sharp curves. Most of the sites are at an angle to the road for easier parking. But a couple of the pull throughs might be tight for a big rig.

During peak times, some travelers might also choose to park in their front dry camping area without hookups (as we did over July 4th weekend).

They do offer a dump and fill station for a fee if dry camping, and this is a popular service with RVers boondocking in the local area.

Getting to Middlefork RV Park in Fairplay Colorado

The campground is very easy to access, right off of Hwy 285. But be mindful that Fairplay is at 10,000 feet elevation, and depending on the route you choose, you will likely encounter some mountain passes and steep grades. Do your route planning in advance so you are prepared.

PROS

Great riverside location
Easy walking distance to brewery, grocery store and attractions.
Wonderful welcoming staff and owners
Sites are all very level and well groomed
Impressive nearby museum and good base for other mountain region exploring

CONS

Not all sites are full hook-up
Some road noise from Hwy 295 at the front of the campground. But mostly overridden by the sound of the river
The entrance was a little tricky to spot at first (enter through the parking lot for the shopping center next door, then down the entrance road)

Rates at Middlefork RV Park

We were here during peak summer time 2020. Rates ranged from $32 for a standard electric only site, to $57 for a premium full hook up site. Off peak rates are less expensive. Holiday weekends require a minimum 2 night stay, and special events like Burro days require a minimum 3 night stay. A dry camping area with no hook-ups is also available (ask them for current rates).

Rates for Dump and fill vary from $5 – $20 depending on the size of the RV. The larger the RV, the higher the price, but prices during our visit topped out at $20.

Summary

Middlefork RV Park is a really nice small mountain town RV park. We loved the combination of a peaceful riverside spot, that was walking distance to conveniences like a grocery store, hardware store and a local brewery.

It is a great base for mountain exploring, or simply to relax. Best as a summer or shoulder season visit, in our opinion. But if you are an avid skier, or more resilient to cold temps than we are, you might enjoy a winter visit.

Contact Information

To find out more or to make a reservation, contact:

Middlefork RV Park
Address: 255 Highway 285, Fairplay CO 80440
Phone: 719.836.4857
Email: [email protected]
www.middleforkrvpark.com

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any RV park, campground, or RV resort, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.