County Road 14, near Ouray, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature without the frills of modern camping. This area offers a unique experience with its dispersed sites, allowing you to find your own slice of tranquility among the trees and near the soothing sounds of Dexter Creek.

The camping spots here are pretty private, with each site offering a distinct vibe. Many visitors have praised the peacefulness of the area, with one camper noting, “The sound of the creek was very calming through the night!” Just keep in mind that amenities are minimal—there are no bathrooms or trash services, so come prepared to embrace the wild.

If you're up for some adventure, the location is just a short drive from Ouray, making it easy to explore the charming town or hit the trails. Reviewers have mentioned that the roads leading to the sites are manageable for most vehicles, but a 4WD is recommended for those venturing further up. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking your RV, County Road 14 is a solid choice for a backcountry escape.

While much of the surrounding land is private property, this pin sits on USFS land.

County Road 14, Dexter Creek Backcountry

Ouray, CO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Ouray. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Ouray and user-submitted reviews.

Ouray

The Best Camping Near Ouray, Colorado

There are only a few spots on this road, but they're located near a filterable stream. I saw bears, but they didn't bother me. Spaces work great for a tent/car or a van. No cell service. Great location close to Ouray.

Private. Near a stream.

We arrived at 8:30pm and found a spot right up the road next to the river. It was peaceful and easy to find. Plus it was close to town. We have a rooftop tent and the ground was somewhat level. I would not recommend tent camping because there were a lot of rocks. 

Perfect place to stop for the night  

Great dispersed camping. Less than 10 pull outs but each one was unique. No amenities or neighbors. Just how you want it. Worked well for our truck tent set up. Trail head and river. 

Quiet spot in the mountains

Right next to Dexter Creek, the sound of the creek was very calming through the night! Definitely need 4wd, and it’s quite rocky so I wouldn’t recommend rent camping. But the spots are all unique and private! Great dispersed camping so close to Ouray 

Great camping near Ouray 

I enjoyed this place. It wasn’t hard to get up the mountain and only 20 mins away from the Ouray. Stayed close to this runoff stream that was suitable for a group walk in campsite. No service and no bathrooms but there is a Rock climbing park on your way in to Ouray that has bathrooms and service. You get what you get with free campsites and this one was easy to get to (on a dry summer day), with a stream, and trees to hammock. This was a five star for me and my crew. 

Close to Ouray, hammock options, no bathrooms

We camped in the last spot before you get to Dexter Creek Trail. Roads are easy to this point and there are about 7 potential spots with most of them on the side of the road. 

We were told that the road gets more technical past Dexter but there is more room for dispersed camping above tree line if you have the vehicle to make it up.  Only 3-4 of them are off the road. 

Our spot was just a 10 minute drive to downtown Ouray so very close. 

Convenient to Ouray but limited options. 

Continue on 14 till you pass signs for 14A, then you’ll hit the slight left turn for the dispersed sites. The first site turn off, hidden to the left down towards the creek, has a few sites so look closely. There’s maybe 5 more sites along the road until you reach Dexter TRHD. Great location close to Ouray and the road is manageable for any SUV or sedan. 

Convenient Site

Despite another review, camping back here is totally legal, as long as you drive up the road past the private. The obvious spots will fill up on busy weekends by late in the evening, but should be able to find a nice spot otherwise. Not sure I would take a small sedan to where I camped, down the hill at the first camp spot, but otherwise a car could likely make it. 

Legal, private, easy

We stayed here for 1 night after visiting Orvis Hot Springs and it was perfect for what we needed. We camped on a flat pull off right after the bridge about 2 minutes before the pin. Great sounds from the flowing river. We arrived at the 10p so just went for something easy. On our way out we saw some cool spots down below by the river. 

Super easy close to Orvis Hot Springs

Our truck did fine going up. I would make sure you aren’t too low to the ground. A little rough in spots but go slow and it’s no problem. The campsites are easy to find. We got to be by the stream and back in. Which was great!

Photos of County Road 14, Dexter Creek Backcountry

Real photos from real campers