Lizard Head Pass Dispersed Camping

Great spot that is convenient to the road, set up well with a few fire pits already. Convenient access to Telluride. Pretty bare bones though, but that’s to be expected in a dispersed spot.

Nice area at the hwy summit. Great views, good solar and StarLink works great. No cell signal up here. Free dispersed, access road is a bit rough and the camping area has been defined (and reduced) by large boulders so folks have to camp closer then they may be used to for dispersed camping. Most spots are out in full sun but one site at top has tree cover. No toilets (except across the hwy at the summit TH parking and also a dumpster at TH!), However there is NO water, but scenery of surrounding peaks is awesome. Some hwy noise but goes away at night. Note the drop off from the hwy to the gravel access road will give some pause but just go slow if you are pulling a TT. Note there are more sites down the FS #626 gravel road around Trout Lake but most are side pull offs close to the road. Once you venture down #626 with a TT you are likely committed to drive the loop all way around Trout Lake to get back to HWY #145.

This dispersed camping site could be improved greatly with some basic improvements. The "road" is very potholed and rock-strewn. There are not a lot of flat sites. It's basically an area next to a highway that has been cleared of trees. The weeds are about 12 inches high.

There is no toilet at this site, although there is a pit toilet across the highway at a trailhead, within sight. Walking over there isn't a direct shot as the road to the highway, and then the road to the toilet, wander back and forth. Still, it is there and that's better than nothing.

We spoke with some fellow campers that had previously camped there years ago. They said that it wasn't as nice now and the authorities have severely reduced the available area for camping through the placement of large boulders that define the perimeter.

Keep in mind that the altitude is above 10,000 ft here. All three of us had headaches and sleeping was therefore not great. It was fairly quiet at night until the highway traffic picked up at dawn.

In summary, it will do fine in a pinch if you can't find something elsewhere.