Looking for the best pet-friendly campgrounds near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests? Finding a place to camp in Colorado with your dog is easier than ever. You're sure to find the perfect pet-friendly campsite for your Colorado camping excursion.
A camping trip to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park makes for a beautiful getaway for sightseeing, stargazing, and hiking. The park protects the most dramatic section of the Gunnison River Canyon; no other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths of Black Canyon.
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.______ Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Perched on the South Rim of the Black Canyon, this campground is surrounded by scrub oak forests and sits atop ancient hard rocks. Deer, grouse, bears, and bobcats are known to frequent the area.
Visit the Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Head upstream to Curecanti National Recreation Area to enjoy water recreation on Colorado's largest reservoir.
$34 / night
This is the most popular campground at Ridgway, located on the top of a mesa covered in Pinyon pine and juniper trees. Offering campsites 80-187, it is also part of the Dutch Charlie area of the park. RV campsites have electric hookups and shared water and there are 10 walk-in tent sites. The dump station is located down the hill at the entrance to the Dakota Terraces Campground.
All campgrounds offer: Restrooms; also, during the high season, showers, laundromat (coin operated), snack machines and a change machine in a Camper Services Building A playground Additional restrooms Hiking and biking trails
Official NPS North Rim Website The North Rim campground is remote and has 13 sites dispersed among pinyon and juniper trees. Sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Elevation: 7767 ft (2367.4 m). The ranger station is open intermittently in the summer and closed in the winter. In the summer, maps and newspapers are available on the ranger station porch. The ranger station also has a self-pay station for the park entrance fee and a self-registration kiosk for wilderness permits.
$20 / night
The Potholes Recreation Site, located 12 miles up Escalante Canyon, offers picnic tables and shade shelters with several designated overnight camping sites nearby.
Please note that 4wd may be necessary.
In areas closed to the use of vehicles off forest roads, where developed parking sites are not provided, and where not otherwise prohibited, direct access to a suitable parking site within 300 feet of the road is permitted. Such travel must not damage the land or streams. Please select your route carefully, and do not cut live timber. Off road travel should be limited to when the ground is dry. The public is encouraged to camp in locations where others have previously camped and utilized existing routes to those camp areas. Campers are required to leave a clean camp, not to damage vegetation or pollute streams and lakes on the National Forest and implement “Leave No Trace” practices
Finding a site to camp and enjoy dispersed recreation activities in remote areas or in relative solitude has become a popular form of camping throughout the Forest. At some more popular areas,toilet facilities may be provided. Contact the local Forest Service office for current information and refer to the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for each forest (Grand Mesa, Gunnison, and Uncompahgre National Forests). Dispersed camping is permitted in most areas of the Forest. Some caution should be used in selecting a site because of intermingled private lands within the National Forest. Recreation maps are available at all local Forest Service offices. Personnel at each office can answer questions on specific sites. Unlike developed campgrounds which are designed and maintained to protect the vegetation, soils, and natural setting, camping in undeveloped areas require more from the camper to help keep the site in the condition in which it was found. Dispersed camping must not occur within 100 feet of water sources (rivers, streams, ponds, or wetlands) or within 100 feet of any road or system trail. In some areas, dispersed camping is restricted to specific sites, contact the local Forest Service office for current information. Campsites can be occupied for no more than 14 days, then the site must be moved at least 3 miles away. Camping is also limited to a total of 28 days in a 60 day period.
Situated on several acres of beautiful landscape, the Ouray KOA Holiday offers several amenities such as a hot tub, pet walk, onsite restaurant, gem mining, and playground. With spacious RV sites, deluxe cabins, camping cabins, and a variety of tent sites, you can pick the pace of your travel. We offer an experience for every kind of camper, whether you're traveling with kids, pets, or friends, book your getaway today!
Alta Lakes is a popular dispersed camping area that offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting. There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle. Trailers and RV's are not reccomended.
Traveler
Stayed for 4 nights in early Oct 2024. Nice little campground with large bear boxes for food storage. I felt it's at a good location to venture off each day from.
Not too many sites, had leveled tent areas, pit toilets, deer went through the campground adding to the nice views there and a river by it.
The cons were there's no trash disposal there you need to go up the road to the other campground to get rid of it, cars were constantly going by looking for a campsite which was constant noise into the evening and they went really fast making the campground road not feel very safe to walk along, not the flattest of parking spots if using a rooftop tent or car camping without anything to level with
Enjoyed the place.
Scout
Tent camping is pricey but the amenities r almost with it. Close to black canyon and in town food and booze with in walking distance. What more could u ask for. A pool, they got that.
Traveler
We loved our stay at the South Rim Campground. It was the perfect spot to explore the national park and take in its stunning views. The drive down towards the East Portal Campground was amazing and led us right to the beautiful Gunnison River, where we enjoyed some great fly fishing. Highly recommend
TravelerWe had an amazing stay at Basecamp 550. The campground’s location is perfect, with easy access to Ouray, Montrose, Telluride, and other nearby areas. The amenities were excellent, including quarter-operated hot showers and laundry, restrooms, Wi-Fi, full hookups, and a clubhouse with coffee + tea, kitchen access, and a great workspace. Our site had a beautiful view and was right next to a ranch where cows would come right up to the fence. The communal fire pit was a nice touch, and the private, fenced-in setting made us feel safe and comfortable. They also offer glamping tents and casitas on the property. Highly recommend!
Traveler
Great campground just 10 minutes from Silverton. Several spots are right next to a small stream, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The vault toilet helped us conserve water, and we used the public shower/bathroom in Silverton, which was very convenient. It's also close to many hiking trails, making it a great base for outdoor activities.
Scout
This is my second time here and it is always such a great experience. I don’t even want to brag about it because I want to keep it to myself.
Scout
As locals, we love the North Rim of BCNP. It's closed from November through April/May. Can be surprisingly cold in May with temps below freezing. Lots of interesting fellow campers as many are big wall climbers from all over the globe. The nature trail in the campground offers nice viewpoints. The trail to Explanation Point is a level and very beautiful 5k hike, BUT no dogs. Same goes for Green Mountain trail past the point. The SOB trail starts from the road near the campground and is a difficult route dropping a few thousand feet, rocky, and steep with poison ivy to greet you near the bottom. Rewards are in store for the hearty hikers with great trout fishing a super river access. Campground is tight for spaces, some are not pull through. Gravel biking during winter closures on the roads in BCNP is full of wildlife and wonder.
ScoutAs part of Crawford Lake State Park, this campground offers great water access to a small reservoir for SUPs, motorboats and sailing. Decent fishing in the spring with some northerns, bass, and crappie. Excellent walking trails and a sandy swimming beach plus two boat ramps nearby. Rarely full capacity, it's a nice relaxing place to hang. The town of Crawford is right over the hill with a great coffee shop, ice cream parlor, and restaurants. Good jumping off spot to visit the North Rim of the Black Canyon NP (one of the gems of Western Colorado and much less visited than the South Rim near Montrose).
Ranger
Stayed in spot 18 which was close to vault toilets, but they were stinky and full of bugs. Very buggy in general, not all are mosquitos but there are some of those too. Sites 1, 2, 4, 18, 21, 23 were all decent looking with some shade in the afternoon and relatively level pads. Lakes in area, one adjacent to campground and one that is down a trail to a day use area that is covered by the camp fee. Good spacing between sites. Some have electric. A little warm for July, probably 80 degrees in afternoon. Lots of aspen trees in the area might be good for a fall visit. Bear cans available for trash.
Scout
It is a little bit of a maze of roads, some are gonna need vehicles with higher clearance, careful not to commit too much on a road if you're unsure about your vehicle's offroading capability. If you get to a site, most have room for 1/2 vehicles and tents. Beautiful trees, each spot feels pretty secluded from others. Plenty of downed trees for firewood if fire danger is low. Will definitely come back.
Traveler
Found this spot and was very happy with the setup. Like other reviews, the highway noise was a bit loud but nothing too crazy, especially really late. There were other campers spread out nicely, you wouldn’t even know they were there. The road is a bit iffy so snagging a spot at the front would be best if you don’t have 4WD (my Nissan car struggled, we had to back up & turn around). Overall great spot for tent camping! Remember to leave no trace 🫶🏼🏕️🌎
Guide
Some of the roads were really rutted out, but we were lucky and everything was dry so we were able to get thru in my forester. There are some spots at the beginning of the property but there are more if you follow the dirt road back another two miles or so. Beautiful views, quiet and secluded. We did find a few deer legs left behind, so keep an eye out for Mountain Lion
Scout
The off road trail it get to Alta lakes took us about 40-50 minutes in my boyfriends F-150. The views were amazing so neither of us really minded. We enjoyed our 1 night stay and did not struggle to find a spot
Guide
We arrived at a Saturday around 3 pm and still had many opportunities to find a place. Lovley place to stay. As a toilet. I can recomment to stay there in fall.
Scout
Friendly staff. Clean restrooms and showers
ScoutVery friendly staff. Easy access
TravelerVisited the first week of October 2024. Had beautiful weather, no bugs and few campers. Sites are dirt so I can see it be being messy when wet. Only few sites at entrance for larger campers. We got into with a Bean teardrop np.
Traveler
We stated here one night arriving without a reservation. The office was closed and no one was answering the phone but we were able to register for a site online. That worked reasonably well and we had a quiet relaxing evening. The RV sites are all on gravel but there is a large grassy area near the office. The site is on the edge of town but was fairly quiet.
Nice clean laundry and restrooms. Good base for exploring Black Canyon NP.
Traveler
This place had great reviews and lived up to them. Nice and quiet area along the river with plenty of shade and grass. The manager was very friendly and helpful. Close to town but it mostly a small farming town with few shops or restaurants. There is nice trail along the river to stretch your legs.
GuideKathy (the owner) was awesome. Cedaredge is a great little spot, really quiet. Not a big RV park, don’t bring truckloads of kids and your off road vehicles. Really happy with what we had here.
Traveler
We went to Buckeye with six families and somewhere between 10 and 12 kids(The oldest being Nine years old) to celebrate one of the kiddo's 7th birthday. We camped at the group site, which was a big enough place for all of us. We had a mix of camp setups- including a Class B RV, a pop, a hybrid travel trailer, and three or four tents. There was a large common area with plenty of built-in picnic tables and a very large fire pit. All for only$50 a night! The lake was beautiful, and we fished, Sup’d, and swam in the refreshingly cold water.
There are some monster Rainbow Trout in the lake, and we had fun catching a few with the kids on fly rods, but there were a lot of other campers having good luck with spinner rods. The area also has a good mountain bike trail that us adults enjoyed. The Mtn bike ride starts and ends from the campground, taking you across the border into Utah and then swings back towards CO on a ridge that offers an incredible panorama of the lake and red rock cliffs. The trail is primarily double-track, and we bumped into a few ATVs along the way.
Overall, if you’re going with a large group, you 100% should book the group site, which is also separated from all the other single campsites.
We’ll be back! Buckeye is about a 2.5-hour drive from Telluride, where our group lives, and a 1.5-hour drive from Moab, UT.
Lastly, if you're looking to stay connected, there is no cell service or wifi(I have Verizon), although when we rode our bikes to the top of the ridge, I got two bars. You can also drive to the top of the hill in an offroad-capable vehicle if you need to make a call.
TravelerGot in pretty easy on a Tuesday at noon. The place was full by the evening. Access to a nice trail just under 4 miles. No cell service.
Guide
Location is all I can Say. Every direction you look is beautiful, onsite restaurant is great, drinks are good, sites level, might need a little updated showers and bathroom to match price. While area is a 10 of 10. Wish we would’ve stayed much longer.
TravelerStayed one night on the way to Colorado. Super easy to find right off the highway and plenty of spots. I was the only one there when I stayed. Highway noise isn’t too much of an issue but I did have some loud and strong winds all night.
Ranger
We got a FCFS campsite here around noon on a Tuesday. The campground was full by late afternoon. We did a quick loop behind the campground on some harder trails. There are many more trails nearby. We had a lovely view site with views of the valley and mountains. Would stay here again. Very clean vault toilets. Steve, the camp host, was super nice and helpful.
Traveler
We stayed here for 1 night after visiting Orvis Hot Springs and it was perfect for what we needed. We camped on a flat pull off right after the bridge about 2 minutes before the pin. Great sounds from the flowing river. We arrived at the 10p so just went for something easy. On our way out we saw some cool spots down below by the river.
Traveler
Made camp here for 1 night traveling west. Many sites available both by the highway and down in the canyon. Canyon road was in good shape and even the largest RV could go down it. Sites were pretty level. No toilets, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests is South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 62 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?
TheDyrt.com has all 122 dog-friendly camping locations near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, with real photos and reviews from campers.
