Best Tent Camping near Fairplay, CO
Tent camping options around Fairplay, Colorado include several designated dispersed camping areas and established campgrounds set within Pike National Forest and adjacent public lands. Kite Lake Campground, located at 12,000 feet elevation near Alma, offers primitive tent sites at the base of four popular 14,000-foot peaks. McCullough Gulch Designated Dispersed Camping provides free tent sites in forested settings closer to Breckenridge, while Boreas Pass Road offers additional designated dispersed camping areas for tent campers seeking high-elevation experiences.
Surface details at most tent sites are minimally developed, with campsites typically featuring basic fire rings on natural terrain. Many dispersed camping areas require high-clearance or 4WD vehicles to access, especially McCullough Gulch and Kite Lake where rocky, rutted roads pose challenges for standard passenger vehicles. At Kite Lake, campers pay $12 per night with access to vault toilets but no drinking water. Most dispersed sites maintain free status but have no facilities. Weather conditions change rapidly at these elevations, with overnight temperatures dropping into the 30s-40s even in summer months. Campers should bring sufficient water, as no potable sources exist at most locations.
Areas farther from main roads offer greater solitude and fewer crowds, particularly on weekdays. Tent campers at McCullough Gulch enjoy secluded forested sites with varied spacing between camping spots, while Kite Lake provides a more open landscape with stunning alpine views and direct access to popular hiking trails. The higher elevation sites experience regular afternoon thunderstorms during summer months, creating additional considerations for tent setup and placement. At Kite Lake, visitors can access multiple 14er hiking trails directly from their tent sites. A camper noted, "The sites were rocky but spacious enough to hold a tent or two and they were pretty spaced out to compensate for lack of trees and shrubs at high altitude for privacy."
