free camping near fort collins

hey, im looking to get in a few nights of camping with some friends to prep them for a backpacking trip I'm taking them on. I'm looking for some free camping near fort collins where i can take them that's 2WD accessible. does anyone have any good spots they know of.

I've heard that there's some good camping up CR 44H off of stove prairie road, but i haven't had a chance to go up there to check it out.

up old flowers road is some. also around pingree park

If you drive up 14 past the palace, you come to a y in the road. Go Left(I believe it is CO RD 27 towards rist/masonville). Take this about a mile or 2 and there is a small hidden pull off on the left where some people target shoot on occassion. If you get to another main road, you have gone too far. It is a dirt pull off that fits 2 cars and you can camp there. You might be camping on some old bullet shells. I would camp there when I lived up in the fort. It might take a little driving to find it but well worth the super short commute to crystal and the palace. Hope that helps.

You can camp where you park for the Monastery. See the "Getting There" section of this page: mountainproject.com/v/the-m…

Then you can hike to the Monastery to put some mileage on your hiking boots.

the monastery camping spot looks great, thanks. do you know if the road is plowed during the winter/spring?

Any more spots that you guys know of?

Pingree park up the poudre canyon for car camping, emmaline lake and cirque meadows (located right by Pingree park) for some good easy backpacking. All free and pretty awesome spots. Catch a show at the MIsh if you're going during summer.

There's no snow up there now.

...on a related topic, as a travel nurse, I will be living in FC for 13 weeks and am looking for covert camping spots close to town. Sleeping in a Subaru with tinted windows.

Thoughts? Are these spots mentioned commutable?

thanks!

I did car camping near town when I first came to Fort Collins about 8 years ago. I stayed at the first campsites on Pingree Park road for awhile but it's about an hour drive from town. Old flowers road is now closed because of the flooding in 2013. After a week or two of commuting I slept in my car at places around town. Although I'm not sure how legal it is, you could try sleeping in your car at the rest stop just west of I-25 on Prospect road. There are some other parking lots in big shopping centers where you could probably get away with it if you arrive late and leave early.

Better yet try looking for temporary sublets or perhaps couchsurfing. Someone may be able to put you up for 13 weeks. I actually found my first Fort Collins roommates that way.