Loch Lomond Dispersed, near Nederland, Colorado, is a rugged spot for those who crave a true wilderness experience. This location offers stunning views and a chance to connect with nature, but be prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride to get there.

The area is known for its beautiful lake and numerous hiking trails, including a moderate trek to Ice Lake that some visitors found exhilarating. Campers have mentioned the abundance of space, allowing for a more secluded experience, and the chance to encounter local wildlife adds an exciting twist to your stay. As one camper noted, “The drive up to the Loch is beautiful,” making the journey just as rewarding as the destination.

While there are no established sites or amenities like drinking water or toilets, this is part of the charm for many who enjoy the freedom of dispersed camping. Just keep in mind that higher ground clearance vehicles are recommended for the rocky roads. If you're looking for a place to unwind and soak in the natural beauty, Loch Lomond Dispersed is a solid choice for your next adventure.

Loch Lomond Dispersed

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Empire, CO has a lot to offer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Empire, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Empire. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

Empire

The Best Camping Near Empire, Colorado

I awoke to -10 F here and will never forget it. I took my 4x4 with camper up here for the rockiest ever ride halfway up the trail. It’s good to have extra clearance on this road. You’re going to need it. There’s a lot of people who take one look and turn back because it’s all big rocks. It’s dispersed camping and I didn’t see a whole lot of established camp areas. 

Dispersed and wild

This place is amazing, easy to get to even in your Subaru. Lake is beautiful but you can hike up to three more lakes. There is no trail to ice lake but it’s incredible if you can scale up there.

Easy 4x4 road to great views and hiking

To start, the drive in and out is a rough drive. Very rocky all the way up. You don’t need 4x4 but it will definitely help. What you definitely require is higher then sedan ground clearance. Most SUVs an pick ups made it up fine that I saw, but I wouldn’t recommend your civic at all! 

The drive up can be pretty tight in a few spots. I had to stop and hug in to the side to let others drive by. The drive up to the Loch is beautiful. 

Tons of room up at the Loch. Though I didn’t see any obvious “spots”. I parked twards one end am made a new friend. 

There are a TON of trails. The trail up to Ice Lake is moderate level I’d say. Rocky trail, stream hop, I had to carry my dog over a rough boulder part… 

I had intermittent 5G service with Verizon at the Loch itself, and on the trail up to Ice Lake. 

Loch Lomond!

The hike was nice and there were a few good secluded camping spots. 

Great Views

This was a nice dispersed camping location, great views and some close encounters with local wildlife made it interesting.

This place was great

Roads were in great condition driving up there in my FWD sedan but what appeared to be the entrance was not maintained and snowed over

WINTER DISCLAIMER:: inaccessible

I went up solo camping and was stalked by a really creepy dude. He arrived at 1130pm and parked in the middle of the trail head making it almost impossible for me to get out. He proceeded to walk around in complete darkness. Creeped me out so much that I ended up leaving in the middle of the night. The spot was great though! 

Beautiful spot to camp until….

The photos did not do this area justice!! There were some mixed reviews about needing a high clearance vehicle/4x4. We took our Subaru Crosstrek and the drive up was rough. We made it unscathed because my husband is a great driver but I wouldn’t try this unexperienced!! 

The coordinates will take you to the start of the rocky part of the drive (Stewart road I think?) so from there to our campsite it probably took us another 25 minutes. 

We set up camp a little prematurely because we were ready to be done driving, but once we started hiking up towards Loch Lomond Lake, we quickly saw a ton of even better spots with mountain and water views. Next time!

Stunning views, difficult drive 

Went on Friday 8/15/25 
Plenty of spots along Steuart Rd. Leading to Loch Lommond, as well as plenty of sites around the lake.

Really nice loop trail around the lake, not too difficult.
Also a direct trail to James Peak which sits a little above 13,200ft. Not a super technical trail, but it is straight uphill for about 3.5mi. Amazing views of Winter Park and the surrounding ranges at the top. 

We did get rained/sleeted on twice during the journey up and down, so I recommend bringing weatherproof gear and layers. 

Drive in was super cool. 4wd not necessary at all. All you need is clearance and decent tires. 



Photos of Loch Lomond Dispersed

Real photos from real campers