Pine Point Campground, near Bayfield, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors right by Vallecito Reservoir. With its towering ponderosa pines and spacious sites, it offers a serene environment perfect for relaxing or playing in the water.

Campers rave about the beautiful setting and the ample shade provided by the trees, making it a great place to hang a hammock and unwind. The campground is right on the lake, which is ideal for kayaking and paddleboarding, with calm, clear waters that invite you to cool off on a hot day. One visitor described it as “quiet and beautiful,” highlighting the peaceful atmosphere that many appreciate.

While there are no showers or electric hookups, the campground does provide drinking water and vault toilets, ensuring you have the essentials covered. Plus, the proximity to Durango means you can easily pop into town for supplies if needed. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer stay, Pine Point Campground is a solid choice for a memorable camping experience.

## Overview

 Pine Point Campground is situated next to Vallecito Reservoir in southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its beautiful scenery and wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing and hiking. 
## Recreation

 Vallecito Reservoir is a very popular fishing lake, with anglers casting for German brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon and northern pike. Boating, water skiing and canoeing are popular activities. A sheltered area for boats and an open play area are just south of the campground. A variety of hiking and horseback riding trails are found in the area. The North Canyon Trail climbs through ponderosa pine and aspen forests. A short side trail leads to a scenic overlook of the lake. East Creek Trail provides access to a lightly used, scenic drainage where fly-fisherman can be seen casting for brook trout.
## Natural Features

 The Vallecito lake, which is Spanish for \"little valley,\" sits at an elevation of 7,900 feet. A scenic forest of ponderosa pine covers the campground, which offers many shaded, lakefront sites with easy access to the shore. High peaks of the San Juan Mountains 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.

Pine Point Campground

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Bayfield, CO has a lot to offer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Bayfield is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Bayfield, CO. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Bayfield

The Best Camping Near Bayfield, Colorado

This campground will always have a special place in my memories as my first camping trip in Colorado. Unfortunately being new to the state I was woefully unprepared for how cold and wet Memorial Day weekend camp trips in Colorado can be. However, the proximity to Durango meant that after a cold first night I could run into town and buy all the gear I should have thought to bring with me in the first place. The campground was relaxing and enjoyable and the lake was beautiful with the post rain fog rolling in off the surrounding hills. May was still too cold to go into the water but I am looking forward to going back this July.

Amazing camping trip

Last time I saw Vallecito Lake was in April of 2019.  It was virtually empty of any water and that is not an exaggeration.  Every bit had been drawn down and it being April the Spring melt had not yet started.  However, the area around the lake had captured my soul and I had been hankering to return in early summer to it witness the lovely lady in all her glory.  She did not disappoint.  

I kayak and this trip was the second of 3 consecutive two day stays in search of the perfect padding spot.  I recreational kayak and my area has one body of water close to me but it’s 65 miles away.  I was seeking a place water play vacation.

There are two sides to Vallecito Lake.  The public side and the private side.  The public side is USFS managed the other is a free for all of vacation rentals, RV Parks and homes ranging from little woodsy to magnificent “cabins”.  With a sprinkling of homes on the public side with outstanding water access and views for miles obviously been there for quite some time.  All around is old forest with huge stands of ponderosa pine and Colorado blue spruce, wild roses and raspberry’s.  Along with huge stands of burn scars from more than one, must have been terrifying, forest fires.  The place is SPECTACULAR, not too “resorty” but busy.  Even during the week while I was there.

There are several USFS campgrounds on Road 501A North Canyon, Graham, Pine Point and Middle Mountain.  All of them offer the same shady, wooded campsites some of which are lakeside.  Which would be great when the lake is at capacity.  There are plenty of vault toilets and drinking water.  No showers.  There are picnic tables and fire pits at every site.  We were able to have fires at the time of my visit but the fire restrictions were just going into affect the day after I left.  In fact there was a wild land fire just a few miles away but was quickly dispatched.  The camp hosts were very responsive and they take very good care of the property.

Not all sites are reserved at these campgrounds.  About half are first come first served and many were vacant at my visit.  But it was Monday - Thursday.  I noticed it begin to fill up the night before my departure day and things got a bit more active but once darkness fell it was silent.

Now about the water.  The lake was at 67% capacity and was not expected to exceed that this 2021 season.  There was no snow on the surrounding peaks which should still have had observable snow pack on them in early June.  McPhee Reservoir on the other side of Durango was at 47%.  El Vado in New Mexico was at 17%!!!  All of the bodies of water in the west are severely challenged.  Lake Mead/Hoover Dam is being repeated all over the western states.  It’s a real shame to see the changes that are occurring at all of our favorite spots.  While water was accessible it was a good hike with a 48lb kayak and most of it was very rocky.  But the water was magnificent and well worth the hike.  

Did I mention it was in the high 90’s while I was there.  Which is unheard of.  It was brutally hot and chasing ice was a challenge. Most places close by ran out requiring a trip to Bayfield.  Also, amazingly, while my cell phone was worthless my iPad rocked and I could send and receive texts and even water my lawn via the b-hyve app.

Be sure to check out Lemon Lake and the campgrounds above.  The Lake looked to be at about 50% which was very sad.  The campgrounds were not as heavily used and were offering all of the same as other USFS campgrounds.

I will be back again but I will make my stay much longer.  I give it five stars just for the pure ambience.

Absolutely FABULOUS!

Love this campground. It’s right on the lake but  tucked away in some towering ponderosas, with lots and lots of space between each site. It’s quiet and beautiful, and most of the spots offer ample shade and lots of places to hang a hammock. The reservoir is beautiful even at its current low levels. It’s super cold and great for cooling off in close to shore, but we really loved taking our paddle. Boards out. The water was calm and so clear. The afternoon clouds rolled in like clockwork to provide a few showers and cool things down.  When you’re at your site, it feels so quiet and secluded, But it’s so close to Bayfield and Durango you can make runs into town no problem if you need to. 

 Glorious 

We visited this campground often when we lived in the Four Corners. Beautiful setting, cool weather, great water. Highly recommend. 

Photos of Pine Point Campground

Real photos from real campers