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Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Hartman Rocks Recreation Area

Hartman Rocks Recreation Area, near Gunnison, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those who love the great outdoors. This location offers a mix of dispersed camping with ample space between sites, making it perfect for privacy while still being close to town.

The area is known for its stunning rock formations and excellent trails for biking and hiking. Visitors rave about the views and the variety of activities available, from rock climbing to stargazing. One camper mentioned, “We had a blast taking our bikes around and loved exploring the rock formations as well.”

While there are no amenities like drinking water or showers, the sites come equipped with fire rings and picnic tables, so you can enjoy a cozy campfire under the stars. Just remember to bring your own firewood, as gathering is not allowed. Many campers appreciate the solid cell service in some areas, which can be a nice perk for those who want to stay connected.

If you’re planning to visit, it’s wise to arrive early, as the area can fill up quickly, especially before sunset. Whether you’re looking for a weekend escape or a longer stay, Hartman Rocks offers a unique camping experience that’s hard to beat.

Description

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management

Remember your OUTDOOR ETHICS when enjoying your public lands. Please RECREATE RESPONSIBLY. Overview Hartman Rocks Recreation Area includes over 14,000 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 160 acres (The Base Area) owned and managed by The City of Gunnison, and Gunnison County. Hartman Rocks has 45 miles of singletrack trail, 45 miles of roads, 50 designated dispersed campsites, and countless climbing crags. Singletrack trails are perfect for mountain biking, dirt biking, hiking, and trail running. Roads are often traveled by 4x4 trucks, ROVs and ATVs. In the winter months, 16 miles of roads are groomed as cross-country ski trails for classic and skate skiing; and some single-track trails are groomed as winter singletrack for fat biking. For more information, please contact the Gunnison Field Office. Know Before You Go Camping There are 50 dry/primitive campsites available. All sites are first come, first serve. No fees. No hookups! No potable water or developed facilities. Need a Map? Hartman Rocks Recreation Area Map- Climbing, Bouldering, and Rock Climbing Areas Hartman Rocks Trail__Map Helpful Links Visit: Gunnison Field Office ADA Access: Sea of Sage, Lost Dog and Broken Shovel Trails are wide trails used by hand cycles. Accessible restrooms are located at The Base Area and at the intersection of BLM Roads 3505 and 3500.

Fee Info

No camping or day use fees.

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Location

Hartman Rocks Recreation Area is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Gunnison head 3 miles south on County Road 38 (Gold Basin Road). Hartman Rocks Base Area parking lot will be located on the west side of County Road 38. A secondary entry point is located 4 miles west of Gunnison. Take State Highway 50 west for 4 miles and turn South on County Road 32. Continue south for 2 miles until you see a trail kiosk on BLM 3500.

Coordinates

38.50575 N
106.94048 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Dispersed
  • Group
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Phone Service
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol

For Vehicles

  • Big Rig Friendly

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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19 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2024

Easy access

The location shown looks like it’s super far out but you can find campgrounds pretty close to the entrance(10 minutes from parking lot). There is also a portapotty within walking distance of the first camping loop, and the site has a table and fire ring. You do need to know how to drive on and around rock in the road though.

Site1
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Sierra F., August 8, 2024
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Sierra F., August 8, 2024
Reviewed Sep. 3, 2023

Go-to Spot in Gunnison

Great area with plenty of camp sites. Make sure to get there early as the area often fills up before sunset. Watched a lot of people come, make the rounds, and leave (myself included once lol).

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 10, 2023

Hartman ROCKS!

Great dispersed camping. Sites with plenty of space. Close to town. Great trails and dirt roads for all types of activities. Excellent cell coverage.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Tierney L., June 10, 2023
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Tierney L., June 10, 2023
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Tierney L., June 10, 2023
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2022

Party spot

What should have been a cool camp spot was full of partying kids. Do yourself a favor and ride on down the road to Elk Creek campground. $16 but you can’t go wrong with huge sites and flush toilets

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2022

Awesome Rock Formations

AT&T 5G off and on 2 bars. Fire metal rings, pit toilets in few areas. No water, no garbage (might be garbage at entrance?). Roads spread throughout, pretty rough in some areas. Plenty of places here, views are pretty cool. Lots of hiking, biking trails. Rock formations are the star of the show. Dog friendly. 14 day limit. Town not too far maybe 5 miles for supplies. Creek near town. Not too bad for 5-14 days.

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Badass Boondocking

We were intending to stay one night on our way to Silverton but ended up staying 2! This place was so secluded, but you will 100% need a high clearance 4x4 to access the best spots. There are a few camping spots close to the entrance that are accessible by smaller vehicles, they are decently spaced out. We have T-Mobile and had a solid 2 bars and LTE at campsite M-10. Driving in we had little to no service. Close to town and very little noise from the nearby quarry.

SiteM-10
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by CC C., October 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by CC C., October 18, 2021
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Reviewed Sep. 27, 2021

Wonderful spot for biking, climbing, and star gazing

Wow! We loved it here! Stayed for 3 nights at a nice private spot. 4X4 highly recommended…I think even needed. Not big rig friendly for sure, which makes it even better 🤷🏼‍♀️ each site has a fire ring, bring your own firewood though as there is a no gathering rule and nothing around anyways! We had a blast taking our bikes around and loved exploring the rock formations as well. Definitely one of our favorite spots this far! Oh, and if you love the night sky, it will not disappoint!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Heather E., September 27, 2021
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Heather E., September 27, 2021
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Reviewed Aug. 23, 2021

Fantastic for a 4x4 drive up

Stayed here two nights at two different sites. Several of the campgrounds have stunning views, others don’t. It’s a blast getting up on 4x4 roads. Quite windy at some of the campsite, as it’s a pretty barren landscape. Overall a fun unique camping spot.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2021

Nice

It’s about 10 minutes from downtown Gunnison. You can get to most of the sites without a 4WD. The sites are dispersed enough so each site has pretty good privacy. You can still get phone service at some of the higher elevation sites.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Rayna D., August 14, 2021
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Rayna D., August 14, 2021
Reviewed Mar. 15, 2021

Amazing Area

Hartman’s is MASSIVE and has tons of sites! It’s all dispersed camping. There are smaller more remote sites, big sites, as well as areas where there are a few sites in clusters. There are shady areas, non-shady areas, spots with views, and more hidden spots. There really is something for everyone. I live here in Gunnison, and it’s a great last minute spot if you want to get out for the night. There are no water sources, as the area is just rocks and dirt. There are many different ways to explore the array of trails, so you can bike, take a four-wheeler, horse-back ride, hike, or just drive your car. There are about 3 toilets (nothing fancy). It’s an overall great area if you don’t want to get too far out of town!

  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Elizabeth A., March 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Elizabeth A., March 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Elizabeth A., March 15, 2021
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Sep. 14, 2020

Great spot!

Great spot with many sites, also, roads aren’t that bad, my car does not have great clearance and I had no issue with these roads!

  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Hunt , September 14, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 2, 2019

Super fun area if your car can handle it

This area is large and has tons of dispersed campsites, but they’re connected by a network of bumpy and rocky roads. You’ll need a high-clearance vehicle with 4WD (like a Jeep Wrangler) - otherwise, don’t even attempt. Take a picture of the map at the entrance too. Once you find a spot though, it’s a beautiful area with lots of rock features and a full starry sky (if lucky enough to have a clear night). We had a great time here

  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Dan E., September 2, 2019
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Dan E., September 2, 2019
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Dan E., September 2, 2019
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 20, 2019

unnavigable

Came in about 10pm. Almost hit a stray dog. Map is absolute spaghetti. Camp sites are marked on the map but it doesn't matter because there are dozens of paths between any two points that vary from two way maintained gravel to one way rocky ravines with puddles where you can't see the bottom. Entering the area where there is supposed to be sites is a 30% grade gravel road full of potholes. You will not make it with 2 wheel drive. Signs were incredibly unhelpful. "3350b: hike, camp, motocross, bike, everything else" for every direction. Kiosks inside have topo maps instead of campsite maps. Are also outdated because many paths shown were closed.

Do not attempt at night or without 4wd. Might be fine during day if you can see farther than a stones throw? If you're a tired dude just trying to find a place to sleep, this isn't it.

Reviewed Jun. 18, 2018

Wide open spaces

I have camped at Hartman Rocks two different summers and enjoyed the remote location of the park. Adequate campsites are 100yd-500yds apart. Milky Way views on dark nights.

  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Dustin V., June 18, 2018
Reviewed May. 30, 2018

Dispersed camping. Rock, sage and occasional aspens

Camping areas now have camp sign and fire rings. Some campsites hidden in the shade of large rock formations, others on sage plain or small aspen groves. Beautiful sunsets and starry nights. Close to town. Stop by the Gunnison Observatory when you visit.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Renata  S., May 30, 2018
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2016

Completely unexpected

We arrived here for the mountain biking and didn't realize you could camp here until we read the brochure. It was a relief since we had no plans on where we were staying for the night. It is "walk in" camping, find a fire ring and you can set up... we found a bunch of areas between the climbing crags. It is allowed for up to 14 days. No amenities, if you are looking for showers, swing by the nearby KOA.

Reviewed Sep. 28, 2016

Busy Area

This area has some cool rock formations and an interesting landscape. It also offers free camping anywhere you see a fire pit, and has restrooms at the entrance. It is also quite busy, even into the late hours of the night. People were driving around blaring music until 1 or 2am when we camped there. It did not make for a great camping experience but we were also near the entrance. I think I would go back, just as a place to stay, but camp further out and maybe it would be better.

  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Kelly Z., September 28, 2016
  • Review photo of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area by Kelly Z., September 28, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Hartman Rocks Recreation Area have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Hartman Rocks Recreation Area does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area?

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