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Facilities
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Activities

Established Camping

Silver Dollar

Silver Dollar, near Leadville, Colorado, is a charming campground that offers a serene escape surrounded by tall trees and the beauty of Turquoise Lake. With spacious sites suitable for tents and smaller RVs, it’s a great spot for those looking to unwind in nature.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including well-maintained restrooms and ample pit toilets. Campers have praised the cleanliness and upkeep, with one visitor noting, “The camp hosts are very active and are on top of the cleaning.” You’ll find plenty of shade at each site, making it a comfortable place to relax during the day.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby Turquoise Lake is just a short hike away, perfect for fishing, boating, or simply enjoying the stunning views. The area also features a lovely walking trail that follows the lake, providing a peaceful setting for a stroll. Just remember to pack some bug spray, as the mosquitoes can be a bit pesky, especially near the water.

While the campground doesn’t allow campfires, you can purchase firewood from the host, and there are plenty of spots to gather around for a chat. With its picturesque surroundings and friendly atmosphere, Silver Dollar is a solid choice for your next camping adventure.

Description

National Forest

PSICC

Overview

Silver Dollar Campground is situated near the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake in the shade of a lodgepole pine and subalpine fir forest. This family-friendly campground is a popular summer destination for boating, hiking and fishing.

Recreation

Hikers enjoy the 1.2-mile Turquoise Lake Nature Trail. The gentle path meanders through the forest and down to the shoreline of Turquoise Lake, and connects with the 6.4-mile Turquoise Lake Trail that parallels the shoreline from the Sugar Loaf Dam to May Queen Campground. Hikers can pick up a trail guide at the trailhead located near the entrance to Molly Brown Campground to learn about the flora and fauna along the path. On the lake, boating, sailing, canoeing and fishing are favorite activities. Anglers fish for stocked cutthroat, rainbow, brown and lake trout. Matchless Boat Ramp is located nearby.

Natural Features

Campsites are nestled in the forest within walking distance of the scenic lakeshore at 10,000 feet in elevation. The Mount Massive Wilderness Area is nearby. The 30,540-acre expanse encompasses Mount Massive, Colorado's second highest peak at 14,421 feet. Much of the wilderness is above timberline with many alpine plant communities and permanent snowfields.

Nearby Attractions

Venture to Independence Pass for a scenic drive with breathtaking views of the Rockies and surrounding alpine tundra habitat. At 12,095 feet, it is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the country and marks where the Top of the Rockies National Scenic and Historic Byway crosses the Continental Divide.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Fee Info

Extra Vehicle Fee $10.00

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Location

Silver Dollar is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Leadville, Colorado, drive west on County Road 4 and follow signs to the Turquoise Lake Recreation Area. Turn right on County Road 9C and follow to the campground entrance on the right.

Address

LEADVILLE RANGER DISTRICT 810 FRONT STREET
Leadville, CO 80461

Coordinates

39.2622222 N
106.3527778 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Available
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

9 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 29, 2021

Close to Lake Turquoise

Good for smaller rv's and tents, one way road should go the opposite way. Restrooms very clean. Our site 14, we had 2 vehicles a tent and a 22ft trailer a We would stay here again.

Site14
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Mar. 9, 2021

Beautiful Campground set in tall trees and lakeside

This campground is offset from the lake a bit. It is large and there are two loops of campsites. 

The camp hosts are very active and are on top of the cleaning of the bathrooms and the sites. 

The sites are large and can fit smaller rv’s, all size of tents, and hammock camping. 

The road heading around the loop makes it tight for large rv’s or pull behinds. The campground is beautiful and tree filled. Lots of shade at each site. There are ample bathrooms and the sites are immaculate.

  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Hayley K., March 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Hayley K., March 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Hayley K., March 9, 2021
  • (14) View All
Reviewed Oct. 27, 2020

Beautiful but bring the bug spray

We were in site 36. Great campground but very close to a pond. We stayed in early July 2020 and while the weather was terrific, the mosquitoes were almost unbearable. Overall, the campground was very clean and due to Covid, the pit toilets were cleaned multiple times. There is plenty of shade and the site was fairly level so setting up our tent was a breeze. The campground is within walking distance of Turquoise lake. Overall, we enjoyed our stay but will likely choose a site away from any ponds going forward.

  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Ann M., October 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Ann M., October 27, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2020

Beautiful lakeside campsites

Great camping sites near Turquoise lake. There are multiple pit toilets that are clean, very little if any trash, a boat ramp, and a camp host that has firewood for sale. There is a large parking lot for XL RVs and boats and a TON of sites with picnic tables and fire rings all connected by a lovely groomed walking trail that follows the lake bank in a out-and back 11 mile trail. Definitely a peaceful and lovely stay

Reviewed Jul. 23, 2020

A favorite at Turquoise Lake!

We've stayed at a few different camp grounds at Turquoise Lake, and this one is one of my favorites. It's not directly on the lake, so it's a bit warmer and less windy than spots on the lake. The lake is only a short hike away...maybe 5 minutes. The sites were well spaced and large. The host was very nice, but my husband thought she was a bit intense. Firewood was $8 a bundle, which seems odd since they are logging in the area and there is really plenty of wood around. Vaults were well cleaned. There was a bog nearby that my girls thought was cool. We could hear the frogs at night. Something growled in the dark on a 3am trek to the vaults. Not sure if it was a dog, a snore, or...? A bird flew into our car and got stuck. This is at a high elevation and nights are chilly, even in July. Drink plenty of water and wear your sunscreen! Bring bug spray!!!

Reviewed Jun. 9, 2020

Beautiful. High Altitude. Def coming Back.

Beautiful Campground. This is definitely the quite general magazine inspired "Camping Experience". A quick 2 hour drive from Denver. Most sites had their own little bit of privacy, in some awesome tall pine trees. We were a short hike away from turquoise lake, which was great because we had some tree protection from the wind (it can get windy on the lake at night) About 10,000ft in elevation, so if you're not acclimated to altitude be careful. One of our couples in the group couldn't hack it after the first night and got very sick. Rain was bearable. Then had a great sunset campfire in the sand on the lake, and it was top 3 Colorado moments i've had since moving here 4 years ago.

Don't hesitate to reserve a spot here, they go fast! We instantly wanted to book another trip here after we left, and everything is reserved on weekends until Sept.

Site42
Month of VisitJune
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  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Nicolas G., June 9, 2020
Reviewed May. 2, 2020

Silver Dollar campground

We tent/ motorcycle camped. No frills here. Host sells wood. Quiet and remote. Poor cell reception. Good fire pit/ grill. Vault toilets. Running water at a spigot nearby. Cannot tie anything (lights / tarps) to trees. Pine thickets, no much stargazing access, but easy to come up with tinder, witchwood for firestarting.

Reviewed Aug. 7, 2018

Trail to the lake

Great campground with ample wooded space btw sites. Some sites are a little tight to get big trailers angled into. Some had to go wrong way in loop, might have been rookies😎

Site2
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Silver Dollar by Ronny D., August 7, 2018
  • Turquoise Lake
    Play button icon
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2017

Nice wooded campground

We got the last campsite in this specific campground. It was still beautiful. We didn't have a view of the lake, but we were surrounded by aspens. It was peaceful. It gets cold, the campground is at 10,000 feet. Would definitely go again.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Silver Dollar?

    Silver Dollar allows vehicles up to 30 feet.

  • Does Silver Dollar have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Silver Dollar does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Silver Dollar?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Silver Dollar?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Silver Dollar. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Silver Dollar, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Silver Dollar?

    There are 39 campsites at Silver Dollar and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts