Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground

This is a beautiful spot and definitely needs 4WD as it’s a rough rocky drive up but amazing creek with spots to swim and dive. Also spots to climb near by. Limited spots so get there early and more dispersed as you keep going down the road.

out of all the places I stayed this was the one I really thought I might encounter a bear but alas no bears. bear boxes & fire pits though! eerily quiet at times but overall very peaceful. struts did not love the road but very doable in my forester. there is an absolutely stunning punchbowl swimming spot right down the road heading towards Aspen. would stay here again for sure.

We stayed at campsite 6. One moderate rock climb but out 2WD rig made it no problem. Would camp here again

After the Lincoln Gulch campground there are 22 dispersed camping sites that follow the creek south of Independence Pass. The spots are far apart and have fire pits and bear boxes. We had a great time camping here in September, although it’s pretty chilly at night with the elevation! Easy access to the ghost town of Independence, the Grottos, Weller Lake all on the pass and Aspen just 30 minutes on the other side.

Lots of good level spots for dispersed camping further away from the reservoir. Please use common sense and don’t just pull on to ground cover—pick spots that more clearly have been used/designated/won’t damage small plants under your tires.

If you’re lucky enough to find a spot, this is a good place to be! Keep going around the turn when you see the sign for the actual campground. The road is a little rocky, but I didn’t have any trouble in my Promaster without 4WD. Spots are pretty far apart and each one I saw had a bear box.

This was our first real camping experience, and Lincoln Creek did not disappoint. The first 10 spots were taken when we arrived on Wednesday 6/21 around 9:30 a.m. but the remaining spots were all empty. We stayed at 12.The roads are definitely rough and thin with drop offs occasionally, but we saw plenty of 2WD vehicles navigate through. The next morning we traveled further up on the trail to Grizzly lake and had some amazing views. I would highly recommend checking this spot out!

The road was closed to get to the dispersed area so we had to camp at the campground which was actually really pretty. We went tues-Thurs and we had an easy time getting a spot arriving before noon. $25 a night with bathrooms and a ranger comes twice a day. Campsites are reallllyyy close together so no privacy but really pretty. We are hoping to go back when the road to the 22 campsites is open.

Good campsite; $25 per night; very rough and narrow entry road; I made it with a truck camper but would not recommend an RV try to get into this site.

We arrived after sunset in the rain. Other nearby campgrounds had just closed for the season, so this was a welcome option. Stayed in site 4, which had a large puddle in the most obvious parking spot, but the site was large enough to adjust ourselves out of the water. The creek nearby was soothing, and the available bear box was appreciated.

July 2020 I camped here with 3 others and was mesmerized by the beauty of this rural area. The road leading up to our campsite required patience and a reliable vehicle, but keep in mind you are driving 5 feet away from a deadly drop-off. We chose a campground nestled near a mountain and river. Perfectly secluded, relaxing, and rejuvenating. Most campgrounds here require a bit of a trek from car to fire pit. There are no restrooms in the area we camped, but that never stopped us from spending a week out there. Overall the views overpower all the negatives, take that as you will.

This area is gorgeous and there’s so much to do. Definitely need 4x4 to get here but it’s so awesome! I’ve been wanting to go back this year but just haven’t gotten the chance. Went here last year and hiked tabor creek trail just down the road. There’s a bunch of actual sites until you get farther down the road and it turns into dispersed camping. Plenty of spots so no need to be right on top of one another!

I intended to go to portal dispersed campground, but didn't want to keep going up the road, so I stopped at site 3 of Lincoln creek. Glad I did, I was right next to the creek, no sites near me, quiet and beautiful! The road is very bumpy and narrow but I saw sedans have no issues going up the road and the traverse I drove did great.

Amazing spot only accessible if Independence pass is open. Beautiful scenery and super quiet. 4wd recommended if tou go all the way back end of canyon. Amazing creeks wildlife.. It is bear country as well fyi...

I would give this 5 stars, but it is very hard to access and the road it very scary in places.  However, it is so gorgeous!! 

The road follows Lincoln Creek and the creek is indeed so beautiful.  There are many Aspen Trees in the area, so the colors are brilliant in the fall.

At the end of the road is a surprise:  there is a lake and campground with waterfront sites that you can get to and it is so pretty. 

The sites are big, but you must have a 4WD vehicle to access most.

There are bear-proof boxes, but no other amenities.

You are close to Aspen at this campground but it isn't easy to get in and out of.

The sites are plentiful large, but you’ll require a decent 4x4 vehicle to get you there. The further along the path you travel, the more rugged it becomes; so most people seemingly settled for the first few spots. Personally, site 5, 8, and 11 are best. Almost every site has a bear-proof box you can store food (or hide?) within, which is nice. Sites are also far enough apart to mitigate any privacy concerns, and albeit the current fire ban - come equipped with existing fire pits.

The dispersed sites of Lincoln Creek are magnificent. The road is very rough but it's so worth it.

Small campground down a very rocky road off Independence Pass. Would definitely recommend only bringing a truck or SUV with 4x4 here as the road to the campground is steep, narrow and rocky. There are only 7 sites at this campground, but it looked like there was more camping further down Lincoln creek road. It’s $25 per night and sites are available first come, first serve only. We got here in the early afternoon on a Sunday and were there first ones here, but the campground filled up by 6pm. Each site has at least one table, fire ring/grate and bear box. We picked site #5, it was huge and right on the water. Even though this campground is right below the highway, we still felt very secluded. We spent 6 nights camping all over Colorado and this was definitely the most beautiful spot we found.

This was a cute spot! Although it’s settled right next to the highway right above, it’s pretty quiet from 7-8pm, and even with the small amount of traffic it was really quiet. It’s nestled right at the bottom of a ridge, with streams all around good for fishing and taking a dip. There’s bear boxes on each site, as well as bathrooms. If you keep going down Lincoln creek road, there are more dispersed camping sites, and the road is pretty rough, but doable with 2wd, but you’ll need a little clearance. The tabor creek trailhead is up the road about 6miles, and makes for a 3200ft elevation climb, rates moderate, but took us about 4hrs back and forth.

Lincoln Creek is an absolutely incredible dispersed camping spot! there are 22 total spots up until the reservoir (about an hour to an hour and a half in) and after that, everything is a campsite! Very bumpy and rock filled road, but with any 4wd you should be fine! Beautiful views and lots of places to hike and play in the river! (It does get buggy when you are close to the water...)

We initially tried to get one of the spots along the creek before the reservoir but had no success (late on a Friday afternoon, to be expected!). So we kept driving past the Portal Campground where the road turned rough and ended up with a GORGEOUS camp site! You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive the road past Portal, but if you can make it, there are plenty of dispersed sites with incredible views.

This was a hidden gem. Was supposed to camp on Lincoln creek when someone recommended we drive down the road to free dispersed spots. This was the greatest surprise as it was free and the spots were huge and beautiful! The road is a bit rough. I got my BMW X3 through but it was tough and a bit stressful driving. Still a success! There are bear boxes, no cell service and there is a beautiful river close by. I would recommend if you are looking for a free spot.

Great campsite #10. Probably an acre in size. Couldn’t see or hear anyone for our 3 day stay. Walk down to creek. Plenty of room for tent hammock, fire area. The road in was rough for my wife. We had a CR-V and clearance was not an issue. It it was very bumpy

Lincoln Gulch is close enough to Aspen to travel to town, but far enough away that you feel secluded. The sites are tucked back from the main road and include bear bins to keep your food stored A 4x4 or high ground clearance would be recommended for Lincoln Creek Rd. We needed lots of bug spray for the mosquitos at our site, so be prepared! But having the water nearby was worth it. Lots of great trailheads in the area.

We actually enjoy the sometimes scary Independence Pass drive, but if mountain roads make you nervous, avoid this spot. There are also some technical driving skills required to get back to the spots past the general sites towards the front of Lincoln Gulch. We stayed back at site 10, and yes it's a bumpy ride back but so worth the drive!! Some sites are river front, all can access the river. Beautiful pines, mountain views, rocks for us, so no staking down our tent but no wind so that worked out fine. Bugs were minimal, did rain during 1 night in July. Great with kids because we could easily check out water, take a long walk and try fishing. Get there early on Friday if possible. All completely booked by Friday evening.

My girlfriend and I drove in late to the dispersed camping on Lincoln Creek Road off of 82 (Independence Pass) towards Aspen. We set up at campsite 18 and highly recommend that site or traveling up past Grizzly Resevoir for primitive camping. The site goes about 100 yards back and has area for multiple vehicles or tents and is completely wooded. There's a path that walks back to the creek and if you follow it in either direction you have incredible views of waterfalls, Aspens, and Truro Peak.