SUMMER SALE 50% off The Dyrt PRO — just $2.49/moGet now
SALE: PRO just $2.49/mo

Lost Lake Dispersed

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

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.

Suggest an Edit

RV Road Trip Guides

Map & DirectionsLost Lake Dispersed is located in Colorado near Red Feather Lakes

Detail location of campground
Dispersed Camping

Coordinates

40.840744 N
105.530738 W

Open in Google Maps

Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    Possible Coverage
    Verified by 15 users
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 7 users
    Last on 12/11/25
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T
    No Coverage
    Verified by 5 users
    Last on 7/24/26

Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    Possible Coverage
    Verified by 15 users
    Last on 7/24/26
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 7 users
    Last on 12/11/25
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T
    No Coverage
    Verified by 5 users
    Last on 7/24/26

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park 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.

Contact

General Info

Drive Time


2026 Explorer Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Reviews15 Camper Reviews - Lost Lake Dispersed

Add Review

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

47%
46%
7%
0%
0%

4.5

out of 5

15 Reviews

Visitors often highlighted the spacious, well-spaced sites offering good privacy and beautiful mountain views. Many mentioned the peaceful atmosphere, though weekend crowds can bring noise issues and some sites suffer from glass and trash left behind.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile
Reviewed Jul. 25, 2026

Packed, not very scenic

There’s spots, it’s not incredible but gets you out there. Trash bags left behind by other campers. may pick them up in the morning. Expected more but oh well. Took my 24” toy hauler down to the end and back.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jun. 15, 2026

Peaceful and not busy

During our trip, it’s been very empty many spots available

Unfortunate it seems like other campers in the past have left their garbage so be wary of where you’re camping. You might have to clean.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Mike P., June 15, 2026
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Mike P., June 15, 2026
Reviewed May. 3, 2026

Great start

This is a great place to start car camping or backpack camping. The roads for my truck were easy to traverse and navigate. Saw some hatchbacks, SUV’s, and other lower clearance vehicles. They did just fine so if you have that you can do it if you take your time. But stay on the main road to the lake some side roads are extremely hard even for my truck. But there is plenty of sites to disperse camp. Pretty much if you explore around you’ll find a nice place to set up with a made campfire already. Also please take care of the fire, pet and alcohol restrictions. They had a fire restriction and they gave out tickets to those who had them, just be aware. Have a great time, it’s beautiful country out there

Sitedisperse site
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Ethan C., May 3, 2026
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Ethan C., May 3, 2026
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Ethan C., May 3, 2026
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Aug. 4, 2025

Beautiful area but worried for the wildlife

Drove up early In the week to get a great spot by lost lake and was very successful. Cleaned up a little from the last people that were there (tons of glass from bottles, bottle caps, TP and clearly holes dug for #2 that were not covered up) Was beautifully quiet for 2 days. Lost lake is now a good lake to help rehabilitate the Greenback cutthroat trout which is awesome and got to see a young bull moose. Unfortunately witnessed young kids drive their dirt bikes all the way on to the beach area during twilight hour. (this road and area do not allow OHV). Also used the bike to scare off the young moose when it was trying to drink from the lake. I’m worried for the wildlife as others who were incredibly disrespectful, walked away from their campfires that were still going, and then thought it was a good idea to go find the moose around 11pm while still high from their “trip”. You can hear every conversation in this campground area by the lake, so if you’d like a little more serenity from those who decide to leave any type of respect at home (for other campers or wildlife), my suggestion is to pick the camp grounds with a lot more space in between each other. I understand I cannot control the people who come into the campground and such, everyone wants to have fun which is great… but having just a little bit of respect however and knowing you’re not the only one out there goes a long way…

Siterd 235 right by Lost Lake
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Amanda H., August 4, 2025
Reviewed Jun. 25, 2025

Lost Lakes

The road to lost lake requires high clearance. It is located 30 min away from Red Feather Lakes. There are a lot of dispersed camp sites. Ours was set back from the road, in a meadow, surrounded by boulders. Loved it! The lake itself is small, but had enough space for many groups of people to enjoy. Folks were swimming, paddle boarding, and we enjoyed a Colorado version of a “Beach Day.” My fav spot to camp so far.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Rosa B., June 25, 2025
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Rosa B., June 25, 2025
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Rosa B., June 25, 2025
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 31, 2025

Options galore

Beautiful area 45 minutes from FoCo. Sites were empty on a Friday at 10 AM and all were full by 5 PM. Some sites in great conditions, others had glass everywhere and garbage left behind. Limited firewood to collect nearby so bring your own. Very limited phone service with Verizon. 25 minutes from lost lake area to red feather village through uneven, potholes, gravel/dirt roads

Siteclose to lost lake
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Lexi G., May 31, 2025
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Lexi G., May 31, 2025
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Lexi G., May 31, 2025
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2024

secluded and private

had to drive pretty far on some dirt roads to get to the location maps took us too. also checked to see if there was service before going and said we would on verizon but not exactly true. there was some service at the sight we stayed at, 1 bar, but most of the road/sights there was nothing. not that odd for dispersed camping but just something to note.

we only saw one car drive in while we were there and saw a set up not too far from where we stayed but besides that didn’t hear or see anyone. very beautiful area and saw lots of deer on the drive in and drive out.

very good experience if you’re used to dispersed camping or being far from anyone else.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Sophie B., August 12, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Sophie B., August 12, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Sophie B., August 12, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jul. 20, 2024

Peace and Quiet

We came up on a Friday afternoon and found a really nice spot right away. Camp sites have a good amount of room, spaced to allow privacy, and easy to get in and out of. Peaceful and quiet, surrounded by mountain views. loved it all the way around.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Gary E., July 20, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Gary E., July 20, 2024
Reviewed Jul. 7, 2024

Amazing spot!

Went there for the weekend of fourth of July, it was super quiet with amazing views and a small lake to paddle-board on .

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Tyler S., July 7, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Tyler S., July 7, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Tyler S., July 7, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed May. 19, 2024

Leave No Trace

Great area w/ views & peace! Sites were spacious. Definitely check out your campsite before you decide on it. Ours had so much broken glass that we had to pick up the whole time and trash bags (full of gross things) scattered in the trees. If you’re going to camp & especially go to dispersed camping areas, make sure to leave no trace and pack in, pack out people!!!

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Haley H., May 19, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Haley H., May 19, 2024
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Haley H., May 19, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2023

Spacious campsites

All the sites are well spaced out and it’s easy to get in and out with a 2WD vehicle. Beautiful views.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Zoe H., August 27, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Zoe H., August 27, 2023
Reviewed Aug. 15, 2023

Famil fun, party camping, explorer camping, atv/Ute special

Red feather is a very chill little town they offer free spring water(but be kind and donate a couple bucks) they got an ace hardware liquor store pot belly, ice cream store convienance stores all within 15-30 minutes depending on where you setup camp. Just north of the town the road turns dirt and when I say that there is easily over 80 campsites I mean it lots of trails to walk or have fun with toys decent trout fishing at one of the three small ponds nearby residents do reside around this area so respect there property and they will respect your camping nuff said I’ve camped here easily a dozen times in new spots and keep finding cool stuff to explore great place for large and small groups and family’s. Cell service is spotty with Verizon,t mobile and metro fall camping when the colors change is beautiful but gets chilly at night overall a decent spot. The cons like most popular places are litter bugs and campers not extinguishing fires all to 100% cold please check it before you leave.

Siteto many to name
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by shawn L., August 15, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by shawn L., August 15, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by shawn L., August 15, 2023
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2023

Beautiful area

This is a beautiful place to disconnect from city lights and relax under the stars. While it is a pretty busy area, there is a good amount of space between sites creating more privacy than a traditional campsite.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Henry H., August 6, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Henry H., August 6, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Henry H., August 6, 2023
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jul. 24, 2023

Beautiful small shallow lake

Scenic lake with dispersed sites leading to the lake. Easy to get in any vehicle but that was part of the issue as it was crowded and loud. Get there early if you want a spot.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Michael E., July 24, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Michael E., July 24, 2023
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2023

Options for everybody

The whole area is dispersed camping as soon as you turn off of County Road 73C onto FR235. The ponds up the road from the main lake are full from lots of recent rain but all the campsites are still available. Most camp sites filled up for the weekend but we got there about 6pm on Friday evening and found a good site overlooking the big unnamed pond 1/2 mile up from Lost Lake. 

  • 2023 June 24, 25 there was no snow at all.
  • There were a few travel trailers parked in sites and all the roads are passable by 2WD. I counted at least 30 sites here and you can have several vehicles and set up multiple tents at many of them.
  • Some spots are clearly marked with signs for dispersed camping. Most are not marked, but there are clear parking spots and fire rings at most of the sites. 
  • A few sites that look accessible from Google maps satellite view have been blocked off to allow nature to regrow. Backpackers can still walk in to the sites where the road is blocked off to cars - the signs say foot traffic welcome.
  • As you get closer to Lost Lake itself the spots are smaller and less flat so you might have better luck parking up the road from the lake if you have a large trailer or tent.
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Kevin W., June 27, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Kevin W., June 27, 2023
  • Review photo of Lost Lake Dispersed by Kevin W., June 27, 2023
  • (11) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the rules for dispersed camping at Lost Lake in Colorado?

Lost Lake Dispersed follows standard Forest Service dispersed camping regulations. Campsites are first-come, first-served with no reservations. Pack out all trash and practice Leave No Trace principles, as many sites have issues with glass and garbage left behind. Fire restrictions may apply seasonally, so bring your own firewood as collection options are limited. Sites are well spaced for privacy, but the area fills quickly on weekends. There are no facilities like bathrooms or running water, so campers need to be self-sufficient and properly dispose of waste.

When is the best time of year to camp at Lost Lake in Red Feather Lakes?

The best time to camp at Lost Lake is during late spring through early fall. Summer months (June-August) offer pleasant temperatures and full access, with the area being particularly popular on weekends and holidays. Early arrivals are recommended as sites fill quickly, especially by Friday evenings. Early fall provides beautiful scenery with fewer crowds. Weather can be variable in the mountains, so check conditions before your trip. The area may be inaccessible during winter months due to snow.

Is fishing allowed at Lost Lake in Red Feather Lakes?

Yes, fishing is allowed at Lost Lake. The lake is small but suitable for fishing activities. While not specifically mentioned in detail, the lake accommodates various recreational activities including fishing and paddle-boarding. The surrounding ponds may also offer fishing opportunities, especially when water levels are high. A Colorado fishing license would be required. For the most current fishing regulations and conditions, check with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before your visit.

What are the rules for dispersed camping at Lost Lake in Colorado?

Lost Lake Dispersed follows standard Forest Service dispersed camping regulations. Campsites are first-come, first-served with no reservations. Pack out all trash and practice Leave No Trace principles, as many sites have issues with glass and garbage left behind. Fire restrictions may apply seasonally, so bring your own firewood as collection options are limited. Sites are well spaced for privacy, but the area fills quickly on weekends. There are no facilities like bathrooms or running water, so campers need to be self-sufficient and properly dispose of waste.

Where is Lost Lake dispersed camping located in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado?

Lost Lake Dispersed camping is located about 45 minutes from Fort Collins and approximately 30 minutes from the town of Red Feather Lakes in northern Colorado. To reach the camping area, turn off County Road 73C onto Forest Road 235 (FR235). The dispersed sites begin immediately after this turn and continue along the road leading to Lost Lake. The road is dirt and may require high clearance vehicles in some sections. The small lake is surrounded by mountain views, with campsites situated in meadows and among boulders.

Is fishing allowed at Lost Lake in Red Feather Lakes?

Yes, fishing is allowed at Lost Lake. The lake is small but suitable for fishing activities. While not specifically mentioned in detail, the lake accommodates various recreational activities including fishing and paddle-boarding. The surrounding ponds may also offer fishing opportunities, especially when water levels are high. A Colorado fishing license would be required. For the most current fishing regulations and conditions, check with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before your visit.

When is the best time of year to camp at Lost Lake in Red Feather Lakes?

The best time to camp at Lost Lake is during late spring through early fall. Summer months (June-August) offer pleasant temperatures and full access, with the area being particularly popular on weekends and holidays. Early arrivals are recommended as sites fill quickly, especially by Friday evenings. Early fall provides beautiful scenery with fewer crowds. Weather can be variable in the mountains, so check conditions before your trip. The area may be inaccessible during winter months due to snow.