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Free Camping Collection

Established Camping

Caddis Flats

Caddis Flats, near Placerville, Colorado, is a quaint campground that offers a peaceful escape right by the San Miguel River. With a few designated sites, it’s perfect for those looking to pitch a tent or park an RV while soaking in the stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

The campground features picnic tables and fire pits, making it easy to enjoy meals outdoors and gather around the fire at night. Visitors have noted the tranquility of the area, with one camper mentioning, “The atmosphere was extremely tranquil and soothing.” Just keep in mind that amenities are limited, so be prepared to pack out your trash and bring your own water.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Caddis Flats is a great base for exploring the nearby San Juan Mountains. The river provides opportunities for fishing and relaxing by the water, while the scenic roads nearby are perfect for biking. Just a short drive away, you can access the charming town of Telluride for more adventures or a bite to eat.

While some campers mentioned the noise from the highway, many appreciated the privacy offered by the sites tucked away among the trees. Whether you're stopping for a night or planning a longer stay, Caddis Flats offers a simple yet beautiful camping experience.

Description

Bureau of Land Management

This campground and boat launch is located between the Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway (CO145) and the San Miguel River. The canyon in this area makes the transition from forest to high desert and is quite scenic. The campground has three developed campsites, one with a cabana. Four parking areas will accommodate large RVs and boat trailer parking. There is a toilet but no drinking water. There is a hand-carry boat launch. For more information, please contact the Uncompahgre Field Office.

Fee Info

No Fee

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Location

Caddis Flats is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Placerville (Jct. CO 145 & CO 62), go west on CO 145 1.8 miles. Entrance is on the left (south). From Norwood, go east on CO 145 about 16.5 miles. Entrance is on the right (south).

Coordinates

38.02732587989677 N
108.09176472776014 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
    Available
  • Verizon
    Available
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Available

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

FREE established camping

Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Caddis Flats needs a permit.

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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3.5

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8 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2024

Good site by the water

This site was tucked in by the water. No amenities but perfect to put a tent for the night and be close to the river.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by melissa D., August 8, 2024
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by melissa D., August 8, 2024
Reviewed Apr. 8, 2024

Awesome location in the San Juans

Went early April. Nice and spacious, river access, close to Placerville if you need something. Functional picnic tables and fire pits. Absolutely stunning views. Nothing in the campground is labeled (except the road signs/ entrance signs) so it’s kind of pick your own spot, regardless of what the description says. Primitive hole in the ground toilets were a nice amenity. I had 2-3 bars of Verizon LTE at the campground no problem, but ironically none in town up the road. No trashcans or dumpsters so be sure you’re able to pack out your trash.

Sitenext to structure
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Drew L., April 8, 2024
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Drew L., April 8, 2024
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Drew L., April 8, 2024
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 17, 2023

Tranquil place

The camping spot is located near the highway, with only one campsite and a spacious parking area. The atmosphere was extremely tranquil and soothing as we were the only ones present at that time. I wish I could have 365 days of positivity like this :)

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2022

Small BLM cg

Small BLM CG, only 5-6 sites, one vault toilet, no trash dumpster and no water. This is the San Miguel River Recreation Area and no dispersed camping is allowed. The BLM CGs are Free and the camping limit is 7 days. No cell signal but SL-RV worked great Caddis Flat is better for RVs and TTs than the Lower Beaver CG a few miles downstream.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Greg L., August 6, 2022
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Greg L., August 6, 2022
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Greg L., August 6, 2022
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Oct. 13, 2021

Beautiful Free Campground With Limited Campsites

This is a small campground with 3 designated campsites not far from Telluride, CO. It's right next to the San Miguel River and the location is gorgeous. 

If all of the campsites are taken you can camp in the small parking lot at the end of the campground. They don't let you camp in the turn around road next to the boat ramp so watch out for the signs.

You should be able to bring any size of RV into the campground and get out easily if people have followed the no parking in the turn around rule. 

There are vault toilets and each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit. 

The main downsides to this campground are the limited number of campsites and the highway which is above the campground. There's a lot of road noise at night.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by TheCampingNerd .., October 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by TheCampingNerd .., October 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by TheCampingNerd .., October 13, 2021
Reviewed Nov. 24, 2020

Simple, nice, no one around

Right off the highway. There’s maybe one campsite and a large parking lot. There are bathroom facilities, a couple picnic tables and fire pits, and it’s along the river.

We are in a 25 ft class C RV. No one else was here so it was nice and cozy.

We have a weboost cell booster which is giving us ATT and Verizon a bar or two of LTE.

Reviewed Sep. 28, 2020

Good for a short stop over

Nice spot next to the river. Most people were in campers, but we found a nice spot in the trees next to the river that was a little more private for our tent. Lots of street noise so we only stayed one night but quick access to telluride. Only one table in the middle of the parking lot.

Reviewed Aug. 6, 2018

Ranger Review: Inno INH640 Aero Light 2 at Caddis Flats Campground

Campground Review

Caddis flats is located not too far from Placerville, and a short distance farther in the opposite direction from Norwood. It's along a scenic road that runs from Norwood out to Ridgeway with a turnoff at Placerville that heads out to Telluride. This is a small little campground that has 3 developed campsites with picnic tables and grills. One has a shelter of sorts as well. Two of the three sites are right out in the open, on their own little island of sorts between the road with in the campground. We didn't stay in one of these three developed sites though. We parked by the boat ramp and there was a small trail that led back to an area that had about 4 tent sleeping areas and two fire rings. Due to fire restrictions, the fire rings did not get used by us. It was very spacious and had great shade, along with the rumbling of the river, it was quite nice. We were able to mount our hammocks in the trees and sit comfortably, even if the site was without a picnic table. Our car was close enough that we didn't have to carry anything too far and we used most of our storage tubs as small tables. We cooked with our small camp stove and our jetboil and ate a lot of freeze dried meals from Mountain House Foods. We ended up sharing several meals so that everyone could have a little bit of everything.

The area was quiet and the stars were amazing. The pit toilets were very clean, well stocked with toilet paper and had little oder. There was a bit of traffic noise from the highway that runs through the area but it died down sometime after midnight. The river is right there in the campground and it is running pretty low right now, but still moving along quite nicely. The kids were able to play around with minimal risk while supervised. There was a note saying that the river had changed paths up a ways and impassable by a boat. You could hear the river babbling all night long.

We kept our food in our truck but a bear was sighted a few miles down the road so if you are camping without a vehicle, it may be a good idea to hang your food.

The kids enjoyed biking and it was a nice campground to relax at. There were some great spots for photography and if you are in to geocaching, there is a pretty cool one in this campground!

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing the INH640 Aero Light 2 (4 bike) made by Inno. This rack boasts a 4 bike capacity, has a foot peddle to drop the rack down for easy access to the back of your vehicle. It has mounts that attach on the top of the rack as well as on the frame coming down below the seat post. The box arrived with everything from locking pins, adjustments for the hitch size, tools, straps and keys for the lock that is included with the rack.

While it says it holds 4 bikes, I just don't see how it is possible. We had three adult bikes on the rack and struggled to get them situated. With some adjusting we did get them on and they definitely were secure. Our older boys' bike did not fit, the distance between the top of his frame and the bottom was too narrow. But even if it had fit, I'm not sure we would have gotten it on, just not enough room. The feature of the lower frame secure point ended up being a little troublesome. We have water bottle carriers on our bike and we had to pull the bike on and off to make sure it situated correctly as we couldn't adjust with the bike on the rack already. It is insanely secure though, seems to be gentle on the bike frames. Once you get moving, it's a pretty easy install, it was a bit cumbersome at first.

I really like how the rack folds down when not in use to maintain a lower profile. With the included locking pin, you don't even have to worry that someone is going to walk off with your rack. I really like the little foot peddle that drops the rack so you can get in the back of your vehicle. It's the difference between completely unloading everything and just dropping, grabbing and continuing on. This rack will definitely make biking more accessible and should get us out on our bikes more often!

SiteNo numbers
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Melissa K., August 6, 2018
  • Campsite tour at Caddis Flats
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  • Review photo of Caddis Flats by Melissa K., August 6, 2018
  • (24) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Caddis Flats?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Caddis Flats, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Caddis Flats have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Caddis Flats does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Caddis Flats?

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