Standard (Tent/RV)
Tent Cabin
Dispersed
Group
RV Sites
Tent Sites
Drinking Water
Fires Allowed
Pets Allowed
About Heaton Bay
Heaton Bay Campground is situated at an elevation of 9,000 feet and centrally located for recreation and relaxation in the White River National Forest.
There is little or no shade in the campground due to pine beetle infestation and the removal of hazard trees, but the sites offer open views to Dillon Reservoir and several mountain ranges.
Recreation
Dillon Reservoir is 3,233 acres with 26.8 miles of shoreline, offering an ideal spot for fishing, boating, and sailing. The reservoir supports a healthy population of rainbow and brown trout, in addition to a few cutthroat finding their way into the lake from feeder streams.
Opportunities for hiking and biking in this area include more than 7 paved miles of the 50-mile Summit County trail system.
The Old Dillon Reservoir Trail is a favorite. This short, easy trail has spectacular views of the Tenmile Range and the Continental Divide.
For those wanting a bit more solitude, hiking in the Ptarmigan Wilderness area is a wonderful escape from the crowds.
Facilities
Heaton Bay Campground has 87 sites, able to accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Walk-in only tent sites available of a first-come, first-served basis.
The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. Guests can fill their RV tanks. Electrical hook-ups are available for a fee at several of the sites.
Firewood is for sale from hosts at the campground.
Boat ramp access is available in the marinas located in the nearby towns of Frisco and Dillon.
Natural Features
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting 8 wilderness areas, 4 defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation.
Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges and bull elk bugle at dusk. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan. These species, along with many others, depend on surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams, and diverse forests to live.
Nearby Attractions
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain ski resorts are all located within 10 miles from Dillon Reservoir. These resorts stay open year round.
ADA Access: N
Sites
86
Fee Info
There will be a $5/night additional fee charged for those sites with electric hookup.
Price
$24.32 - $44.90
Operator
National Forest
Access
Drive In
Walk In
Hike In
Boat In
Features
ADA Accessible
Alcohol Allowed
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Fires Allowed
Firewood Available
No Market
Pets Allowed
Phone Service
Picnic Table
Reservable
No Showers
Toilets
Trash Available
No WiFi
+ More
RVs and Trailers
No Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
30 amp Hookups
50 amp Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
Max Length: 99 ft.
Contact
Location
Heaton Bay is located in Colorado
Directions
From I-70, take Frisco exit to 203. Turn left onto the Dillon Dam Road. Travel northeast for 1 mile. The campground will be on the right hand side of the road.
15 Reviews of Heaton Bay
Excellent!
Great place! By the lake… there are some electric and water hookups. Best location on loop E is E78 On loop C, C43 is also great You are secluded but you take your bike and you are 10 minutes to a market place with coffee and food and everything. Picture is from site C 43
Beautiful views
Get the right campsite and you’ll have great access to Heaton Bay. A nice place for being just off I-70. Only negative is you can hear I-70 through the night.
Beautiful camping spot
We camped at E70 and there was a trail right to the lake. It was beautiful! It was a little noisy from the highway but we were far enough away that it was really white noise.
There were a lot of wasps, so I recommend bringing a wasp catcher for your site.
Great, sites are a little small
Great campsite, easy 1hr to get here from Denver. Great for beginner campers, since the town of dillon is a short 10 minute drive incase you forget any essential gear. The campsite we had was pretty small for the two tents we had. But still a beautiful little hike down to the water. Great sunsets. Was awesome renting a pontoon boat for the day!
Highway noise
The reservoir is beautiful but the campsites are right next to I 70 and you can hear the traffic all day and all night. That said, if you’re going, bring your paddleboard or kayak or rent a sailboat. And you can bike along the trail that runs all the way around the reservoir.
Beautiful views
Breathtaking views. Nice campsites with easy access. Clean. Close to the interstate so there is a slight background noise. Only drawback is signage at the entrance. Its easy to miss because the sign is back parallel to the road not perpendicular so you can see it easily. No dump station but one is nearby. Otherwise a great place. I’ll come back again.
Great Local Campground
Very close to home. Lake Dillon Res is cold water. Always, even in July and August. Were at about 9000 feet, weather can change rapidly, and forecasters can be wrong. Be prepared for all 4 seasons. It can snow in July. No lie.
Update on getting in water, it is open seasonally. When allowed, you can try to swim and get into the lake. Very short season that this is available.
The ski resorts listed are NOT open year round. There is "shoulder" or "mud" season as we call it, where the resorts close, the restaurants close, shops, everything on the mountain stops. Towns still are fully open. But not the base of the ski resorts.
Only Reservoir in lower 48 with Arctic Char. Also have Kokanee Salmon. In addition to many species of trout. Lake, Rainbow, and Brown.
Lots of space in campground. Our usual spot has trees still and cover. Helps when it gets windy. Access to lake is great. Clean and up kept. It can be beautiful but chilly for most folks. Can even shore up boats in certain camp sites.
Lake is extremely low this season (2019) and camp will be further away from any water access.
Perfect getaway location with recreation options abound within minutes.
So close to everything, no worries if you forgot anything.
Chilly, Beautiful, Empty in Early October
The campground was more or less deserted when I was there. It was also very cold and windy but incredibly beautiful. With easy access to area attractions, I chose to stay here because there is was just off my route between Grand Junction and Denver. There are several areas that are specifically for tents although it didn't look as if all of the tent sites had great spots to actually pitch a tent. It's also a deceptively large campground and I drove around for quite a while before finding a good site.
