Fly fishing along Homestake Creek, hiking to high alpine lakes, and exploring 4x4 trails through old mining country are the main draws at Gold Park Campground, a 12-site Forest Service camp tucked into White River National Forest outside Red Cliff, Colorado. The campground sits directly alongside the creek, and several sites run right along the water's edge. Those creek-side spots fill first, so arriving Thursday or earlier on summer weekends gives campers the best shot at securing one.
Site spacing runs closer than some visitors expect. Trees stand between sites, but reviewers consistently note you can see straight through them, so privacy depends more on the time of year and how full the campground is than on the layout itself. Morgan M. singles out site 7 as "by far the best of them," backed against trees and a rock face with direct river access and more seclusion than the rest. Each site includes a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The vault toilets draw repeated praise for cleanliness, which is notable given how far the campground sits from town.
No cell service reaches the campground. Bear activity has been reported in the area, so bear spray and proper food storage in the provided lockers are practical necessities rather than optional precautions. The Missouri Lakes Trailhead sits roughly a mile past the campground, giving hikers direct access to a series of high alpine lakes without driving anywhere. Homestake Road Dispersed - CO provides a fallback for campers who arrive and find Gold Park full, with free dispersed sites lining the road in.
A network of 4x4 trails branches out from the area, including routes to Holy Cross City, a largely collapsed ghost town that still draws off-road explorers. Anglers work the creek throughout the season, and the boulders along the bank give kids a place to scramble and watch. A reservoir sits just up the road from the campground. For tent camping options near White River National Forest, Gold Park is one of several established camps in the corridor, each with different trailhead access and crowd levels.
The campground runs from late May through early October and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. No pets are allowed. Campers coming from Vail or Leadville should plan for a long drive in on a dirt road before reaching the sites.
Description
**Bear activity has been increasing. For this reason a food storage order__is in effect at__all developed campgrounds__on the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District, and the Piney Guard Station, Tigiwon Lodge, Mount of the Holy Cross Overlook, Homestake Road FSR 703, and Nolan Creek Road.__This order requires__all food and refuse to be stored in hard-sided vehicles, approved bear-resistant containers, or supended at least 10 feet clear of the ground at all points and four feet horizontally from any supporting tree or pole. This order has been issued to provide for public safety and wildlife conservation. Hopefully it will reduce wildlife habituation problems.__The Gold Park campground is located along Homestake Creek in the Homestake Valley in a forested setting. There are 12 camp sites available.Holy Cross Wilderness is nearby; all wilderness regulations must be observed when traveling in the wilderness (foot and horse travel only). There are several trailheads into the wilderness within driving distance of the campground and the Homestake Reservoir is about 3 miles further west on Homestake Road.There is a printable Recreation Quicksheet for this campground which is complete with directions, details, and other information about this campground.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsGold Park Campground is located in Colorado near Red Cliff
Directions
(Travel west on I-70 to Exit 171 for Minturn, Leadville, and Hwy 24.)From the Minturn, CO exit on I-70 travel southeast on Highway 24 for about 13 miles to Homestake Road, Forest Service Road 703. Take a right onto this good dirt road and continue 7 miles to the Gold Park Campground on the left.
Coordinates
39.404702 N
106.435277 W
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
For Vehicles
- Big Rig Friendly
Drive Time
- 2 hrs 39 min from Denver, CO
- 2 hrs 49 min from Boulder, CO
- 3 hrs 24 min from Fort Collins, CO
- 3 hrs 25 min from Colorado Springs, CO























