About Observer Ranch

A basecamp for curious minds

Observer Ranch sits on 76 acres of high desert near the Royal Gorge, in Penrose, Colorado, minutes from Cañon City and about 45 minutes south of Colorado Springs. It began with a simple idea: build a place where people who love the night sky, earth science, and the outdoors could gather in person, stay a while, and learn something worth carrying home. Campground for today, education for tomorrow.

By day it's a working campground with A-frame cabins, planet-themed campers, full-hookup RV sites, and long-term stays, with room to roam and the Royal Gorge, the Arkansas River, and Cañon City just up the road. By night the lights go down and some of the darkest skies in Colorado come out. In between, the Little Spark Learning Center and Observer Lodge host talks, workshops, and hands-on science for all ages.

The ranch grew out of the Suspicious0bservers community and Space Weather News, and it's still where that conversation about the sun, the earth, and the forces shaping our planet gathers in person. But you don't need to know any of that to feel at home here. Families, road-trippers, RVers, first-time stargazers, and lifelong learners are all welcome. Come for the science, come for the dark skies, or just come to camp somewhere beautiful and quiet. However you find us, there's a spot for you.

Driving Directions

4509 CR 123, Penrose, CO 81240

(719) 203-2436

From Denver/Colorado Springs: I-25 South to CO-115 South.

Turn right on Third Street (due west) as you enter Penrose, which turns into Fremont CR 123 in about 5 miles. Observer Ranch will be on your right (north side).

From Pueblo: I-25 North to Exit 101 (50 West) until you get to CR 67 and turn right (due north). Go approximately 3 miles, turn right (due east) onto Fremont CR 123, Observer Ranch will be on your left (4509 CR 123).

Open in Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions

Campground Map

Observer Ranch campground map, Penrose Colorado, showing A-frame cabins, RV sites 1 to 33, RV storage, the Observer Lodge with check-in, store, learning center and library, and a separate primitive camping area with sites D1 to D14 along Eightmile Creek, about 8 miles from Canon City.
Observer Ranch campground map. See the Ranch Information page for the full map and directions.

Community

"...I'm constantly blown away by the detail, the research, just the sheer amount of time and data it takes to put out these videos..."

J. Hammock