Dispersed camping near Cimarron, Colorado presents seasonal challenges that vary by elevation. Sites at higher elevations typically open from late May through October, with temperature drops of 20-30 degrees at night compared to daytime highs. Afternoon thunderstorms occur regularly from July through early September, requiring waterproof shelter and careful timing for activities.
What to do
Mountain biking trails: Access from Buffalo Creek Recreation Area offers extensive trail systems for various skill levels. "Great camping spot, esp. if you like mountain biking. Not whistler in terms of terrain but plenty of trails for various ability levels," notes one visitor at Buffalo Creek Recreation Area.
Fishing access: Within 20 minutes of most Rampart Range dispersed sites. "We hiked out to the 96 burn area to explore and we ended up doing a nice 7 mile loop to get down to the creek for a cool down," reports a camper from Buffalo Creek.
Reservoir recreation: Check seasonal restrictions at nearby Rampart Reservoir. "There's an active 4-mile round trip flat, easy hike walking distance from our campsite to Rampart Reservoir," explains a visitor at Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area, adding "it was so quiet and the water was lovely."
What campers like
Privacy in higher elevation sites: Campsites further from main roads offer more seclusion. At Rampart Range Road - Dispersed Camping, one camper reports: "We pushed our luck and went back on Saturday morning and were lucky enough to catch someone as they were leaving, but I can't imagine that would happen again."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Early morning hours best for spotting animals. "Met a friendly dog and a random turkey. Beautiful scenery," notes a camper at Cascade-Chipita Park/Woodland Park.
Rock formations: Several sites feature unique geological formations for exploration. "Each of them have a parking area right along the road with a fire ring a short distance away surrounded by awesome rock outcroppings," describes a visitor to Redskin Creek Rd Dispersed Campsite.
What you should know
Site competition: Arrive by Thursday for weekend camping. "It is busy and can easily fill for the weekend by Thursday mid-day. I wouldn't even try after unless it's November-April," warns a camper at Redskin Creek Rd.
Road conditions vary dramatically: Certain sections require high-clearance vehicles. "Certain areas of this road are heavily graded so take it slow if need be," advises a visitor to Mount Herman Road Dispersed Camping.
Target shooting noise: Shooting areas operate throughout the region. One Rainbow Falls visitor noted, "Downside is that its heavily trafficked with ATVs and also a shooting range near by where they're firing round from 7am until 11pm - it was very irritating to say the least."
Weather preparedness: Bring cold-weather gear even in summer. "It gets a bit windy and definitely colder but a great site to spend some time at," explains a camper at Mt. Herman Road Dispersed Site 2.
Tips for camping with families
Glass hazards: Inspect sites thoroughly before letting children play. "Looked at 3-4 different sites all had a decent amount of broken glass so be careful with pets/little ones," warns a Mount Herman Road visitor.
Noise considerations: Weekday camping provides quieter experience. "We had a fox as a neighbor!" reports a Mt. Herman Road Dispersed Site 2 camper, though they note "the only downfall was there was broken glass everywhere."
Bathroom solutions: No facilities available at most sites. "There are no bathrooms so the first day we got there we did a trash clean up of the backwoods of our site from toilet paper left out there," explains a Buffalo Creek camper.
Tips from RVers
Length limitations: Vehicles over 25 feet face significant challenges. A camper at Mount Herman Road Dispersed Camping explains: "I recently purchased a 26ft sustainable travel trailer and decided to take it out for the first time. Well the road up is very tight. Very skinny switchbacks. About half way up looking for a way to turn around."
Leveling challenges: Bring substantial leveling equipment. "The parking areas tend to be very unlevel and there are only a few that you can pull right up to your campsite," notes a visitor to Redskin Creek Rd.
Alternative parking strategies: Consider scouting sites without your rig first. One Rainbow Falls camper recommends: "Nice area that has some flat or flatish spots for smaller RV and campers. It is normally busy with atv, dirt bike and jeeps."
