Best Dispersed Camping near Craig, CO

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Craig, Colorado

59 Reviews of 33 Craig Campgrounds

• 

  Mike W.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 6, 2022

  Elk River Dispersed

  Along the banks of the Elk

  Discovered an excellent dispersed site on 64 going east from Glen Eden. As soon as you reach BLM land there is a sign indicating Dispersed Camping on both sides of road. The south side has excellent sites along the fast paced Elk River and views of Mt. Zirkel. Ou site was nestled in the spruce and fur with small game chattering often.

• 

  Spencer B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 29, 2020

  Allen Basin Reservoir Dispersed

  Secluded Dispersed Camping near Allen Basin

  Allen Basin Reservoir is roughly 1 mile from Crosho Lake. The only way to access this reservoir is by using trail #1181 and either hiking in, or using an ATV/dirtbike. You can not drive back to this reservoir. 

  There are roughly 6-8 dispersed camp spots on the road towards Allen Basin Reservoir. We camped at this spot for 3 days, and 2 nights and loved it! Plenty of coverage from the close by trees, access to the trail directly behind our camp spot, and there was a make shift bench made from a fallen tree! We highly recommend this spot, but do recommend driving a 4x4 vehicle to get here, and don't forget the bug spray!

• 

  Conner

  Guide

  

  Sep. 4, 2023

  Elk River Dispersed

  Great for drive in/hike in

  DONT FORGET TO VISIT CLARK STORE, its very close

  drove here in toyota prius. There is a parking lot at the entrance to the dispersed camping where it forks into two roads to access parking spots. The forest service road was in amazing condition to access it.

  I decided to hike up ontop a large rock formation because i wanted the killer views. Just enough dirt up there to pitch a tent.

  There is dispersed camping along the river where a lot of rv’s were pitched up. I didnt want to be near any of them cause im tent camping

• 

  Greg L.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 3, 2024

  Mirror Lake Dispersed and TH

  Mirror Lake TH dispersed

  Only dispersed camping I found from here to Trappers Lake. 4 sites, only the one in open area is suitable for TTs. Rest are more overland spots. No tables, no toilet, no wayer, no trash. No Cell signal.

• 

  Opus 15 !.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 11, 2022

  FR-302 Dispersed Camping - Rabbit Ears Pass

  Great spot “in the middle of nowhere “ but close to Steamboat Springs

  Very nice spot close to Steamboat Springs. (Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest) We arrived a little before noon on a Saturday in July. The road in was fine and very manageable with the OP 15 and a 1/2 ton truck. We found a beautiful spot 1.9 miles in on the East (left) side of the road. We saw 6-7 other campers set up on the way in… Mostly tent campers and a van or two. (Later in the weekend we did see some fairly sizable rigs occupying some “spots” along the 1.9 mile route to our spot) There may have been a place or two open that we could have chosen on the way in, but I’m glad that we kept going and settled in this spot. We had a beautiful view and the weather was perfect. Only downfall was the mosquitos. They were pretty bad this time of the year. Bring bug spray, or better yet, a misquote tent. We bought one in Steamboat Springs on our second day here and it was well worth the money! Verizon service was good and we had 2-3 bars all of the time. There was a little traffic on FR 302 but only about 1 car every 4-6 hours or so. Overall… Highly recommend!

• 

  Donovan A.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 25, 2024

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Must have Suspension

  Just to update this since the last review had it closed. The road leading up to the summit is back open, but it is ROUGH. I had just done Rock Creek's drive up to dispersed near Dillon and thought that was bad, but this was worse. 

  You will not be able to get anything low clearance or anything you're towing that does not have independent suspension + high clearance (I dropped my 18' TT at Walmart and went to scout - glad I did) While I was 1/4 up into the climb, a Sprinter Van was stopped at what is probably the worst portion of the road. If you can make it past that first choke point, you'll pass a park then walk-in camp site on the left and then shortly after another camp spot on the right that is more van friendly. Both are not good for trailers. It is after those two sites the road goes from bad to worse.

  If you have a Camper on a F350 or high clearance + tent, it has some of the best views I've seen at a park spot. It's worth the drive up there for pictures if you're curious, but I would unhook anything you're carrying before doing so.

• 

  Hayley K.

  Legend

  

  May. 18, 2021

  Sand Wash Basin

  Be on the Lookout for Wild Horses

  This area is located directly in the middle of the Wild Horse area of Northwest Colorado. This seems to be the place to ride dirt bikes or do some mountain biking. 

  This is easy to find location since there is a large sign right off the road and there is TONS of space for camping. 

  We stayed here one night on the way to Idaho and it was a great stopover spot for the night but due to ATV's and lots of people coming through, it's not a quiet long term camp spot. 

  Co Rd 67, Maybell, CO 81640

• 

  Toni K.

  Ranger

  

  May. 14, 2021

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Free camping outside of steamboat

  Great free spot if you’re looking for somewhere not too far from the town. Awesome bike trails not very far. No bathroom or water it is dispersed. Not too hard of a road to get up either got up in a RWD Tacoma no problem.

• C

  Canada0718! F.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 4, 2019

  Sand Wash Basin

  Sand Wash Basin BLM

  -BLM management camping

  -Free

  -Awesome place to camp! 

  -Bring your dirt bikes and ATV’s! Perfect spot for riding. Tons of trails!

  -Bring your camera because you just may be able to see some of the 700 wild horses roaming the area! Beautiful moment and capture if you do! 

  -This campground spot fills up quick on weekends due to the riders but still is pretty remote and the riders don’t bother you. 

  -Lots of hiking around.

  -Beautiful scenery!

  -Maybell,CO is the closest town to get anything so be sure to bring all your survival necessities( plenty of water, food, gas if you’ll be riding atv’s or dirt bikes, etc..)

  -4wd recommended, especially if you go further down through the valley, gets pretty rough and big broken sharp rocks on the road. 

  -There are no bathrooms

• 

  Danielle J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 6, 2022

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Quick overnight

  I wanted to do a quick getaway out to Steamboat Springs and this fit the bill. The road is rough, but there are a bunch of dispersed campsites along the roads. I went on July 4-5 and it was pretty busy, but the sites are far enough away that I didn’t hear/see my neighbors. Fire pits are provided at each site. My dog and I hiked just a bit up a trail connected to our site and had gorgeous sunset views of the mountains. If I’m ever out that way again, I’ll definitely be staying here.

• J

  Jeremy A.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2022

  White River National Forest dispersed

  Beautiful solitude, rough road

  This dispersed campsite has an incredible view, but it’s located on a “primitive road,” so google maps won’t show you the route all the way. I was using the OnX off-road app when I found it. If you approach from the south side (County Rd 48?), you will need a high clearance 4wd. If you approach from the north side (County Rd 51) it is accessible by any mid-clearance AWD vehicle, unless it’s wet. Then you’ll probably need a legit 4wd. I was there in mid-October, and there were hunters camped out all over the forest. But I found this place and had complete privacy, great view, and occasional Verizon service.

• S

  Sarah

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Good camping close to Steamboat Springs

  Good camping right close to the road. Secluded and private with beautiful views. Currently a stage 2 fire ban so no campfires allowed.

• 

  Lydia N.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 3, 2025

  Rabbit's Ear Pass East Summit FR 251

  Beautiful views, many sites

  If you have low clearance, you will definitely have to be careful and take the road slow. The sites are secluded, and wildlife is prevalent!

• 

  Catherine L.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 7, 2023

  Rabbit's Ear Pass East Summit FR 251

  Great forest camping spot

  Recommend 4x4 high clearance to get to the campsites. If you have low clearance, there are a couple right at the start but they don't have much tree clearance. 

  We drove about a quarter mile down the road and got a campsite that was lush with a ton of tree coverage. It felt like we were alone in the world, no other campsites in site. We even saw elk walking around the mossy ground. Bring bug spray!

  Dog friendly, no amenities.

• S

  Shane W.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 19, 2024

  Falls Road Dispersed Campsite

  Minimal road noise

  Stopped for the night for a quick eat and sleep. Road was wet in places. Some areas I wouldn’t pull a trailer too far in. A Mercedes van was 200 yards down from me, so not horrible. In the trees, lots of firewood available, and very pretty. No facilities. Completely dispersed. Pack in and out.

• 

  Tyler C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2024

  Steamboat Springs Colorado Dispersed Camping

  Best view out here, gonna be windy

  Unfortunately the road is closed right now, I’m not even supposed to be here idt but I foraged through the woods from the campsites further back north on the dirt road. But I figured I’d at least let yall know there is a campsite here.

• S

  Shane W.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 18, 2024

  Base Camp Trailhead

  Little ways back from US-40

  I wouldn’t bring anything back here towing behind me except an overland trailer, personally. It’s rocky a good most of the way, but high clearance isn’t needed. A few off camber spots, but nothing horrible. I passed a Subaru Crosstrack coming in. Once you get back it is beautiful with great views. There is a creek below the spot with crystal clear water. You have to hike to Fishhook Lake from here on the Basecamp Trail (Wyoming Trail). It’s very secluded and quiet. Mosquitoes were very bad, be aware.

• D

  Dillon R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 19, 2024

  Rabbit's Ear Pass East Summit FR 251

  Great fall spot!

  Camp sites were plenty when I visited on a Thursday. Only people I saw were the forest service workers who were friendly and just out reminding people of the fire ban.

• 

  robbie

  Scout

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  best free camping in steamboat

  Buff pass gate is open and you can mob over it if you have high clearance, 4wd, and definitely winter tires. It gets sketchy at some points, but you have your pick of camp sites.

• C

  Christopher E.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2022

  Yellowjacket Pass

  Hunting Dispersed National Forest

  Road is about 7 miles in. But once you get back in here it’s really nice. I saw about 10+ sites. Some sites have no bars AT&T, some 1 bar. Luckily I found a site with 2. If you follow my coordinates, and nobody is there you lucked out 2 bars, and secluded. Rock fire pit, pretty large area enough for group. Road isn’t god awful, but it goes back pretty far. Lots of motor homes, Rv’s in spots. Nice cool temps, no creeks that I’ve found yet. Firewood scattered. Only disadvantage is it’s high up road, and goes back aways, so plan on 7 miles of semi rough road.

• E

  Elizabeth F.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 2, 2023

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Weekend visit to Buffalo Pass

  The forest road was a bit washed out in some places and required decent clearance but outside of a few big bumps the road was a fun ride! Campsites were many but pretty full upon my late arrival. Would recommend daylight arrival if possible as many spots didn’t appear obvious in the night!

• 

  Kelly L.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Bear River Designated Dispersed

  beautiful area

  However what I found was designated site only camping mostly on the side of the road and they were not free. $10/night

• 

  christian L.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  FSR-296 - Dispersed Campsite

  Short pit stop

  The camping is directly off is route 40, a minute or two drive until campsites. Decided to park in the asphalt/gravel lot. There is camping directly behind this in the grass land though. Easy road to access camping. Staying for 2 nights and continuing on. Seems to be fairly rig friendly, as it was easy for my 25ft travel trailer

• 

  Morgan Y.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 6, 2020

  USFSR 550 - Dispersed Camping

  Far from the crowds, far from ordinary

  Beautiful Aspen groves surround you as you roll on endlessly down well maintained dirt roads. I've put in specific coordinates, but you can follow any of these FS roads after you pass through the "town" of Columbine. I prefer to go up to the right along 550. But you can't go wrong. 

  Free range sheep are being guarded by Great Pyreneese dogs, Moose and Pronghorn are all abundant. Bears too, so lock it all up. 

  Great easy MTB on the roads and some smaller trails.

  Leave no trace.

• C

  Colyer D.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 30, 2024

  Buffalo Pass Dispersed

  Our First Stop

  This was our first stop on a week long road trip from Colorado Springs to the Oregon Coast and, honestly, we could have just hung out there and saved all the miles.

  It was a such a beautiful area mid September. All the leaves were changing, it was cool and misty, the view was spectacular, yes it was rough as hell to get there, but totally worth it if you’ve got the rig for it.

  My only note for the area was that there were a lot hunters walking through and around our camp, but everyone was polite and respectful.

• 

  Chris G.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 2, 2022

  Sawmill Creek

  Great Camping

  Good spot way up I the mountains. Private, great views.

• 

  Ryan W.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Trout Creek Dispersed Camping

  No too excited about this Small "Dispersed" Camping Area

  This is a very very small area maybe 3-4 set up in the middle of a ton of private property. There is an outhouse and it's near a creek but also a Y split in the road so it's trafficked a lot.