Established Camping
Elk Creek Campground
About
National Park Service
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Overview
Elk Creek Campground is on the north shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir. The lake is Colorado's largest body of water with 96 miles of shoreline and the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the United States. Elk Creek Campground is located off of US HWY 50 -15 miles west of Gunnison Co. at Mile Marker 142. The campground is part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which was named after a Ute Indian chief of the mid-19th century.__ The Elk Creek area is a hub for water based activities year round.
Recreation
Anglers delight in catching salmon and rainbow trout, while water sports fans find excitement in windsurfing and water skiing. Swimming is permitted throughout the 20-mile long reservoir and birders can find bald eagles here year round.
Facilities
Campfire programs are in full swing during the summer months. Cell phone service is limited. Electric hookups are in Loop D for both 30 and 50 amps.__ Elk Creek, Lake Fork and Iola boat ramps are OPEN for the season.__
Natural Features
At an altitude of 7,540 feet, Elk Creek is surrounded by a vast expanse of sagebrush. Trees are minimal because the reservoir gets less than 12 inches of rain a year. Curecanti National Recreation Area is sandwiched between the towns of Montrose and Gunnison, Colorado. It spans three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River. These include the Crystal Reservoir, Morrow Point Reservoir and Blue Mesa.
Nearby Attractions
Visit the Cimarron Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route.
Charges & Cancellations
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiPoor
- VerizonFair
- AT&TFair
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
GuideGreat views for a good price
The spot we were in was right next to the bathrooms that had modern plumbing with sinks and soap dispensers, not a simple outhouse. There’s also an amphitheater right next to the spot we were in where a park ranger would do a program every night about different topics. The only thing I would say to give anyone a heads up about coming here is the wind is pretty bad. Seems like it gets windy every day from 12pm to 6pm like clockwork as confirmed by the park rangers and the camp host. If you’re ok with wind then this place is really great. We also rented a pontoon at the marina that’s right next to this campground and spent a day on the water. Would highly recommend!
- (5) View All
TravelerGreat place if you like fishing and boating
Stayed 8 nights in C loop. That loop is first come first served always. No electric sites. Paid $8/night with senior pass. Nice quiet stay
TravelerNice campground, but Rodent problems abound
Nice campground with minimal tree cover, clean bathrooms with running water. Dump station and access to the lake by foot or by boat. One electric loop that is generally fairly full, the rest are non-electric and sparsely populated.
We stayed 10 days here, 7 in electric sites, 3 in non-electric sites. The views are incredible. A lot of wind as you're sort of in a valley between mountains and everything pushes through.
The main issue here is this place has a serious rodent issue. There are, with no exaggeration, thousands of chipmunks and field mice in this area moving in and around campsites. Even when completely closed up and self-contained, they tend to crawl into the underbelly of the vehicles/RVs or slip into tents. They'll crawl in and around tents. If you have dogs (and thus dog food), or near by someone who does, that also seems to be an issue.
In 10 days there we had two chipmunks and a mouse get into our RV, and heard several other tent campers and RV campers complain about the same problem. Clearly a lot of these guys are being fed or just picking up scraps as none of them have any fear of dogs or humans.
Would rate this campground higher if not for the serious rodent problem. 5/5 for access, scenery, power accessibility, clean bathrooms. 1/5 for serious rodent issue.
Location
Elk Creek Campground is located in Colorado
Directions
Elk Creek is located off of US Hwy 50 between Gunnison and Montrose, along Blue Mesa reservoir.
Address
24830 US Hwy 50
Gunnison, CO 81230
Coordinates
38.4677778 N
107.1758333 W