Free dispersed camping begins the moment you turn off County Road 73C onto FR235, spreading across a broad stretch of Roosevelt National Forest with no reservation required and no fee to pay. The main draw is Lost Lake itself, though a series of unnamed ponds stretches up the road from the lake, each with its own cluster of sites. Reviewers count upward of 30 established spots, many with existing fire rings and parking pullouts, while some additional sites marked on satellite maps have been closed to vehicles to allow vegetation to recover. Foot traffic is still permitted at those closed sites, so backpackers have options the road campers do not.
Site quality varies considerably. Some spots sit in open meadows set back from the road, surrounded by boulders and with views of the surrounding forest and mountains. Gary E. describes the area as "peaceful and quiet, surrounded by mountain views," though the proximity of sites near the lake means you can hear neighboring conversations clearly. Cleanliness is a recurring concern across reviews: broken glass, bottle caps, and improperly buried waste have been reported at multiple sites. Arriving prepared to do some cleanup is a reasonable expectation, and as Mike P. notes, "you might have to clean."
Lost Lake has been designated as a Greenback cutthroat trout rehabilitation site, which gives anglers a reason to linger, and the lake also draws swimmers and paddleboarders on warm weekends. Firewood is scarce near the sites, so bringing your own is the practical move. Cell service is limited to one bar at best on Verizon, and most of the access road has none. The Red Feather Lakes area, about 25 to 30 minutes away on dirt and gravel roads, has a hardware store, convenience shops, and free spring water available in town.
Crowd patterns follow a predictable arc. Sites that are empty on a weekday morning tend to fill completely by Friday afternoon, so arriving early in the week or by midday Friday gives the best selection. Campers with large trailers report better luck parking at sites along the upper ponds rather than near the lake itself, where terrain gets tighter. The main road is passable by 2WD vehicles and even lower-clearance cars if driven carefully, but some side roads are rough enough to challenge high-clearance trucks. For nearby alternatives with developed facilities, Dowdy Lake Campground and Comanche Peak View Campground are both within a few miles, and Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest Dispersed Camping covers additional no-fee options in the broader forest. Campers comfortable with variable conditions and a self-sufficient setup will find Lost Lake Dispersed worth the drive.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsLost Lake Dispersed is located in Colorado near Red Feather Lakes
Coordinates
40.840744 N
105.530738 W
Connectivity
- T-MobilePossible CoverageVerified by 15 usersLast on 7/24/26
- VerizonLTESome CoverageVerified by 7 usersLast on 12/11/25
- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 5 usersLast on 7/24/26
Connectivity
- T-MobilePossible CoverageVerified by 15 usersLast on 7/24/26
- VerizonLTESome CoverageVerified by 7 usersLast on 12/11/25
- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 5 usersLast on 7/24/26
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
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.
Drive Time
- 1 hr 9 min from Fort Collins, CO
- 1 hr 25 min from Cheyenne, WY
- 1 hr 34 min from Greeley, CO
- 1 hr 57 min from Boulder, CO








































