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Official

Established Camping

Graham Creek Campground

Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

**Camping Options: First-Come, First Served sites are also available at this campground.**

Graham Creek Campground, near Vallecito Reservoir, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape into nature without sacrificing comfort. This campground is RV-friendly and features picnic tables and fire rings, making it perfect for cozy evenings around the campfire.

Visitors rave about the stunning scenery, with many sites offering breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains. As one camper noted, “Our site was in the woods overlooking a small prairie and large lake,” which really captures the beauty of the area. Wildlife is abundant here, with deer frequently spotted wandering through the campground at dusk.

For those who enjoy fishing, the lake is a great spot to cast a line, and some campers suggest bringing a canoe or kayak to fully enjoy the water. While the campground is primitive, with vault toilets and no showers, it provides a peaceful retreat for those looking to disconnect. Just be mindful of the road conditions; following the right directions is key to getting there smoothly.

Description

National Forest

San Juan National Forest

Overview

Graham Creek Campground is situated above Vallecito Lake, in the scenic San Juan National Forest of southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its beautiful scenery and wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing and hiking.

Recreation

Vallecito Lake is a very popular fishing destination, where anglers cast for German brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon and northern pike. The lake offers great boating, water skiing and canoeing opportunities. Boat rentals and fishing licenses are available at various locations around the lake. A variety of hiking and horseback riding trails are found in the area. The North Canyon Trail begins across the road from the campground and leads through ponderosa pine and aspen forests on its way through the canyon. A shorter trail leads to a scenic overlook of the lake. East Creek Trail begins a quarter-mile up Forest Road 852, just northeast of the campground. The trail provides access to a lightly used, scenic drainage where fly-fisherman cast for brook trout. Both trails are popular with horseback riders, however, horses are not allowed in the campground.

Natural Features

Vallecito Lake, Spanish for "little valley," sits at an elevation of 7,900 feet. Scattered ponderosa pine trees tower over the open campground, offering limited shade. Hillside sites are about 100 yards from the high-water line and offer nice lake views. A thick understory provides privacy between sites. Thickets of willow separate the camping area from the lakeshore. Several short trails lead to the lake from the campground. High peaks of the San Juans are visible to the northwest of the campground.

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.

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Location

Graham Creek Campground is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Bayfield, travel 14 miles north on County Road 501. Turn right on County Road 501A at the fire station; travel over the dam and continue just over 3 miles to the campground.

Address

SAN JUAN NF
CO

Coordinates

37.3902778 N
107.54 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

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

Features

For Campers

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

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

4 Reviews

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2019

Perfect little get away

Great campground! This is an RV friendly campground. So if you have a traditional tent, I would reccomend the sites near the camp host. Camp hosts were super friendly! We were in site 19. Deer would cross our campsite every night at dusk. Don’t miss the turn! The road gets really sketchy after graham creek and north canyon campgrounds. So turn left when you see the sign

  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Krystal S., June 11, 2019
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Krystal S., June 11, 2019
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Krystal S., June 11, 2019
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jun. 16, 2018

Beautiful!

This is a very pretty campground. If you take the long way around the resivour the way google will take you, the road does become a little difficult and is dirt but our altima made it through. Do not go the long way through the other campground, follow the directions on the offical page and take the short way around the lake!

Phone signical was suprisingly okay with Verizon and Sprint.

Visited in June.

  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Jessica S., June 16, 2018
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Jessica S., June 16, 2018
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Jessica S., June 16, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 3, 2018

Camp and fish

Nice campground. Vault toilets, water, picnic tables, fire rings. Great if you want to camp and then fish the lake. We just angled from the shore. We should have brought a canoe or kayak. Some “civilization” on the other side of the lake. We went the week before Labor Day. Basically had the camp to ourselves.

Some raccoons did attempt to steal our car... or they were after the marshmallows in the backseat.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jan. 25, 2017

Best camping view yet!

This campground is by far the most beautiful "in your backyard" view yet! Our site was in the woods over looking a small prairie and large lake. On the opposite side of the lake there were several mountains which made my morning breakfast amazing. We saw several deer at night run through the prairie. The campground is primitive with no flushing toilets or showers. There are water pumps and vault toilets throughout the campground. This place is hard to find from the main highway to Durango and our car GPS didn't know where to go. Luckily we printing off directions so it was all good. If you aren't fishing or kayaking, which we didn't do, there isn't really a whole lot to do at this campground. There is a trail which seemed nice but other than that it was pretty much just an overnight stop on our road trip. I suggest bringing a canoe/kayak to take out on the lake! Overall, amazing views and nice manager!

  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Dominic U., January 25, 2017
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Dominic U., January 25, 2017
  • Review photo of Graham Creek Campground by Dominic U., January 25, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Graham Creek Campground?

    Graham Creek Campground allows vehicles up to 60 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Graham Creek Campground?

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

  • Does Graham Creek Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Graham Creek Campground does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Graham Creek Campground?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Graham Creek Campground?

    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 Graham Creek Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Graham Creek Campground, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Graham Creek Campground?

    There are 15 campsites at Graham Creek Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts