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Dispersed Camping

Black Canyon Dispersed Camping

Black Canyon Dispersed Camping, near Montrose, Colorado, offers a rugged and scenic escape just a stone's throw from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This area is perfect for those who appreciate a more primitive camping experience, with sites tucked among the trees providing a decent level of privacy and protection from the wind.

Visitors have noted that the access roads can be a bit rough, especially if you venture further back, but many found the initial sites easy to reach. One camper mentioned, “Camp sites are neatly nestled into the trees,” which adds to the charm of the location. While there are no amenities like restrooms or trash disposal, the natural beauty and tranquility make up for it.

Wildlife is abundant here, with campers reporting sightings of turkeys and other birds, adding to the area's appeal. The views are stunning, especially if you can snag a site with a lookout. As one reviewer put it, “Got there around 6 pm on a Saturday and found a stunning overlook.”

For those looking to explore, the proximity to Black Canyon National Park means you can easily spend your days hiking and taking in the breathtaking landscapes. Just remember to pack out what you pack in, as this area relies on visitors to keep it clean and beautiful. Whether you're a seasoned camper or trying out dispersed camping for the first time, this location offers a unique and peaceful retreat in nature.

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Location

Black Canyon Dispersed Camping is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

38.53278352 N
107.71693182 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Fair
  • Verizon
    Fair
  • AT&T
    Fair
  • T-Mobile
    Fair

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Dispersed

Features

For Campers

  • Phone Service
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Black Canyon Dispersed Camping needs a permit.

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General Info


Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

44 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 17, 2024

Gorgeous, close to National Park, plenty of sites

It is a little bit of a maze of roads, some are gonna need vehicles with higher clearance, careful not to commit too much on a road if you're unsure about your vehicle's offroading capability.  If you get to a site, most have room for 1/2 vehicles and tents.  Beautiful trees, each spot feels pretty secluded from others.  Plenty of downed trees for firewood if fire danger is low.  Will definitely come back.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Xavier G., October 17, 2024
Reviewed Oct. 2, 2024

Great for visiting Black Canyon.

Visited the first week of October 2024. Had beautiful weather, no bugs and few campers. Sites are dirt so I can see it be being messy when wet. Only few sites at entrance for larger campers. We got into with a Bean teardrop np.

Sitesites at top of Hill with 180 degree view
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Kiet D., October 2, 2024
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Kiet D., October 2, 2024
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Kiet D., October 2, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2024

Nice spot

Very close to Black Canyon park, nice private spots, road was a little gutted out but the corolla made it through no problem 🤟. some coyotes howling at night and my site was pretty close to the road

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jul. 30, 2024

Great late night spot

Nestled right on the access road to Black Canyon of The Gunnison NP, camps did not require a ton of dirt driving to access. Camp sites are neatly nestled into the trees to provide a decent level of privacy, the trees also provide protection from the wind. Given that this land is adjacent to a National Park, be aware that less than friendly wildlife can be in the area. Overall the campground was easy to access, there was not trash any where in eyesight. I was also able to locate a camp site at 9:30p on a Saturday without much issue.

SiteN/A
Month of VisitJuly
  • drive out of the campground
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  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by AJ F., July 30, 2024
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by AJ F., July 30, 2024
Reviewed Jul. 3, 2024

Nice Stay close to the national park

This was a really nice stay that was very close to Black Canyon National Park. The first few spots were easy to get to but the ones farther back you have to take a fairly rutted up road, other than that it was very nice

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Bobby J., July 3, 2024
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Bobby J., July 3, 2024
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Reviewed May. 5, 2024

Scenic, quiet, and easy to access!

This is a really pretty campground near Montrose and Black Canyon NP entrance. We are in a Honda accord and didn’t have trouble accessing the first front sites, but the dirt road is very rutted if you continue straight and I wouldn’t gamble it in a low vehicle or in rains! Great spot, simple and scenic with a lot of wildlife heard (turkeys, chickadees, woodpeckers and the like!)

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Mackenzie S., May 5, 2024
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Mackenzie S., May 5, 2024
Reviewed Oct. 6, 2023

Beautiful views!

This spot was easy to find, but driving was a little rough to actually find a spot. I drove around the area for about 20 minutes trying to find the spot right for me. But there are great options. Got there around 6 pm on a Saturday and found a stunning overlook. There was definitely trash from old camps around some areas. No bathrooms or amenities

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Lauren K., October 6, 2023
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Lauren K., October 6, 2023
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2023

Jones dispersed camping

Hard to get into if it rains, but a really beautiful place to camp. Lots of sites, decent roads at the top of the hill.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2023

Great location

We arrived at 6pm on a Saturday and were able to find a spot! Super convenient to the national park. Highly recommend buying wood from corner store on the Hwy 50 turn off.

Easy to find the entry, we took the road to the right since the other option was deeply rutted.

Sites are all dirt, spaced out from each other, and nestled in the trees. Size varied but we found one large enough for our Wawona 6. Extremely quiet, only crickets and traffic/generator (until 10ish), very few signs of life otherwise, not even birdsong aside from a few crows.

Wasps a plenty! We had to bail on cooking breakfast because they were all over the cook station 5 minutes after firing up the stove.

Site3rd on left on the road to the right
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Steph P., August 21, 2023
Reviewed Jul. 19, 2023

Dispersed Camping Outside Black Canyon of the Gunnison

A few minutes outside the south gate of the park. Multiple sites, most of which are on dirt. Paths to and from can be a bit rough for most passenger vehicles. But it’s quite and close to the park. If you’re lucky you can grab a site looking down onto the highway and into Montrose.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 9, 2023

First time dispersed camping (tent)

Went dispersed camping for the first time! Location is amazing and very close to the entrance of the black canyon national park.

Whilst setting up our tent we even saw a bear (really close really scary, we slept in the car)

10/10 would recommend

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Coen W., July 9, 2023
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2023

Quiet and beautiful

Amazing quiet spots! We chose the site at the very top! The only reason we didn’t give it 5 stars was the dust and damage to our paint job because of low branches!

Sitetop
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cyndee F., June 20, 2023
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cyndee F., June 20, 2023
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cyndee F., June 20, 2023
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 24, 2023

Tons of dispersed camping

There are some nice spots here.  If you are in a high clearance vehicle and comfortable on bumpy roads, drive beyond the initial 10 spots or so to find some fantastic spots, including group camping locations.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Eric B., May 24, 2023
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Eric B., May 24, 2023
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Eric B., May 24, 2023
Reviewed May. 7, 2023

Great site, but some left a trace

Arrived at 4pm and there were only a few others there. Easy to miss the turn. I have a 2WD SUV so I was able to drive a little ways down the road to a more private spot but didn't feel comfortable going much further. RVs or trailers would have a hard time except for the first couple spots right when you turn in. Roads were dry but very very bumpy. Also tough toget a level spot if thats important to you. Unfortunately the few sites I looked at had trash leftover such as egg shells and TP in the fire pit and broken bottles. If you walk/drive further down the road there is a great view of the hills. Also saw lots of deer.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Janelle P., May 7, 2023
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2022

Easy to miss at night

This campground is easy to miss in the dark, and once you drive in its easy to get turned around and lost trying to find the exit again.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ivanhoe , October 18, 2022
Reviewed Oct. 10, 2022

Theft and Trash

Hammock, Chair, Axe and shovel stolen when out for a short period of time. Luckily tent was locked. Pass is narrow and is better for smaller vehicles like overlanding Jeep’s. A lot of spots are covered in trash, food, condoms, etc…. Just really sad as this place has some real potential.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cody J., October 10, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cody J., October 10, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Cody J., October 10, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 2, 2022

Jones Draw BLM Dispersed camping

Crappy rough area a couple miles from the NP entrance. Sites are tight and tucked into the oak brush/trees. Sites are best suited for Overlander types, tenters, vans or trucks. No way for TT and RVs. Center road shows signs of huge ruts if saturated wet so beware. Abandoned trash small TT left here also. This ace was an ugh IMO, only positive is that TMobile cell signal seemed good.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Greg L., August 2, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Greg L., August 2, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Greg L., August 2, 2022
  • (19) View All
Reviewed Jul. 12, 2022

Great but close cougar activity

Overall there are some great sites here. Plenty of space between sites for a lot of privacy. Lots of sturdy trees for good shade and hammocking. We did hear some cougar noise on our second night and found tracks very close to our site in the morning. So make sure food and trash is secured and be safe.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2022

Rugged, and Eerie

Good for a 1 nighter. Cell reception anywhere between 1-2 bars AT&T. Campfire rock rings, some secluded perch spots, road in is awful. Not far from Black Canyon National Park about a mile. Ranger told me in Winter vagrants, and college kids create issues. Was a little spooked here stayed 1 night. No garbage, no water, no bathrooms.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Christopher E., June 27, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Christopher E., June 27, 2022
Reviewed Jun. 22, 2022

Quiet and lots of shade

Nice area with lots of dispersed sites. Lots of good shade at the sites. Most have decent privacy from other sites. Not too crowded right now. No mosquitos. Some sites are close to the road but not too much noise. Not sure I'd take a trailer or rv down the side roads too far without scouting but if you have 4wd the roads go quite a ways and there a few sites I saw but closer to the main entrance area has better sites

SiteHard right upon entering. On the left a couple hundred yards down
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 12, 2022

Great dispersed camping sites

There were many options and it was quiet when we were there. Some spots had fire pits made out of rocks. Really loved it here! As I had read on here, a dirt road off to the left as you head towards the entrance of the park.

SiteMontrose County Re-1j, CO, USA
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ingrid , June 12, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ingrid , June 12, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ingrid , June 12, 2022
Reviewed May. 19, 2022

Amazing Place with Lots of Spots

It felt like a 5-minute drive from here to Black Canyon - it's so close to the entrance. I met some wonderful people also camping here who had a long trailer (there are a few spots for bigger trailers to stay) and we had a good time in this great spot. I will be returning here next time I come to the area!

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Jack W., May 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Jack W., May 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Jack W., May 19, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Dec. 15, 2021

Great spot for dispersed camping

Great location outside of Black Canyon NP. There were a few other people camping at this location but plenty of space to still have some solitude.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by shandwork , December 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by shandwork , December 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by shandwork , December 15, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Nov. 29, 2021

Happy camper

This spot is really nice. A few campsites right at the front for those with low clearance. If your car is capable to go further down the road, then the views are chefs kiss

Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Jenny G., November 29, 2021
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Jenny G., November 29, 2021
Reviewed Oct. 26, 2021

Horrible, stay out

5 min drive from the entrance of black canyon, you don’t need high clearance for the first few sites but you do for the ones further back that look nicer. Great signal, hardly any traffic noise.

Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Oct. 12, 2021

Nice spot very close to NP

Stayed two nights in this spot. Very close proximity to Black Canyon NP. My Subaru Crosstrek didn’t have any issues making it up the hill to some of the back sites, but I wouldn’t try it in a sedan. It was dry when I was there, but I imagine the road becomes impassable when wet.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ashley B., October 12, 2021
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by Ashley B., October 12, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 29, 2021

Nice dispersed camping

You can access the first few sites with a car, after that you need a SUV or 4x4. It was dead when we came. Only complaint would be people leaving toilet paper around the sites instead of packing out or burying waste

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by kaitlynn , September 29, 2021
  • Review photo of Black Canyon Dispersed Camping by kaitlynn , September 29, 2021
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Reviewed Sep. 7, 2021

Right near park with good sites

I stayed in the park my first night and I am mad I wasted the money. The dispersed sites here are great. Some of the roads to go deeper into the camping area are more suited for trucks or off-road capable cars.

SiteI went up the hill a bit into a site with a stone fire ring
Month of VisitSeptember

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Black Canyon Dispersed Camping?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Black Canyon Dispersed Camping, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Black Canyon Dispersed Camping?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is fair, AT&T is fair, and T-Mobile is fair.