Best Dispersed Camping near Greeley, CO

Free dispersed camping with zero amenities but man made fire pits. Windy and cold but beautiful!

It was pretty rough driving in, there were so many “private” lands even when you hit the national forest. The dispersed camping we found had 3 sites stacked on top of each other. Went a little further up the road and did find much else except more houses. It’s right next to a hiking trail which is great on cold afternoons. Stars were beautiful too very little light pollution.

So the Gordon Gulch dispersed camping area has around 15 numbered sites that are ok... but if you keep driving further down 233.1 you will find many more unnumbered campsites. I am reviewing one of these unnumbered campsites in particular, because this one had the best view. Before you read too far, I can't guarantee you will be able to reach this campsite without a 4X4 high clearance vehicle. We got to the site with a Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Tacoma TRD so we had no problems... I can't definitely say a Subaru would make it though. In the pictures I have included a map of the Gordon Gulch trail system. Entering through the Gordon Gulch entrance and taking 226.1 to 233.1 is the hardest route - there is one very steep and washed out spot. Entering via 120J/Switzerland Trail from the Peak to Peak Hwy and then turning right onto 233.1 is the easier option. On that map I have marked the general area of the campsite with a pink dot and here are the coordinates.

DMS: 40°01'18.5"N 105°28'37.6"W

DD: 40.021814, -105.477103 - if you type this into Google Maps it will locate it

As for the actual campsite, it is a great option for spring/fall camping in Colorado. The elevation is about 8,800 ft and it is on the south side of a hill so it gets a lot of sunlight and is protected from northern winds. In terms of privacy, there are no other campsites that can be seen from this one. However, Gordon Gulch is a popular off-roading area so dirt bikes and Jeeps pass by frequently. This campsite is set up high above and away from the road though, so it is really not that bad. Another thing to point out is that this is a popular area for shooting as well, so if you absolutely hate guns it may not be the place for you. Also, as stated before, this is a dispersed campsite the only thing it has is a fire ring. Pack it in, pack it out!

The camping spots along Pawnee Butte Trailhead Road are absolutely perfect. They have wonderful views of the grasslands and the buttes. The biggest downside is there are a lot of giant windmills, oil pumps, and fracking operations in the area. Very difficult to ignore them as no matter where you look you’ll see something along the horizon.

In the spot I camped in, I had two bars of Verizon LTE service. But when I drove a half mile down to the trail head I only had 3G. So reception will be spotty.

There are no hook ups of any kind, anywhere. This is truly dispersed camping. The dirt road leading into the area was in fair condition. There were a couple of spots with very deep ruts that made pulling my 22 foot travel trailer slightly challenging. I can’t imagine anybody bringing something like 28 feet or greater into the area.

There were a ton of cows in the area, even walking right up into our campsite. Totally didn’t bother us though, in fact it was kind of fun. They were completely gentle and nonthreatening.

There is minimal hiking in the area. There was one trail that led into the buttes. But between May 1 and June 30 you cannot continue into the buttes. It’s closed to preserve wildlife.

GPS of spot I was in: 40.812312, -103.999513

If I go back, I’ll try a different area.

This is a nice free camping site off of peak to peak highway. Mountain View’s and lots of wildflowers.

Several sites with rock fire pits. Close to beaver reservoir but apparently it is a private reservoir. Still great option for free camping

Drove more than 35 - 45 mins from boulder expecting a decent dispersed camping area like normal, but don’t let this fool you!! It is all residential and private land! I honestly don’t know of any dispersed camping near the city of boulder and so far this app is deceiving. Read the reviews before you head out!

Gold Lake Road is one of the best spots for dispersed camping in the area. There are a ton of spots on the way to the lake. I've been able to find a spot even on a summer Saturday, which can be hard to do in many of these dispersed camping zones outside of Boulder. Convenient access to RMNP and Indian Peaks Wilderness.

It was a little hard to find however, once we found it we didn’t want to leave. Plenty of dispersed camping, hiking and climbing.

This dispersed camping out Ski Rd was perfect. We found a spot with several fire rings close to the water and just a short walk from parking along the road. Far enough away from other sites that we couldn't hear or see others, just the occasional car driving by.

We boondocked up here early October and was a great time. Plenty of pullout spots for smaller travel trailers and tents on the road up to the Reservoir itself. Once you get to the Res there is a large pullout spot with several areas that you can use. FYI, DO NOT GO farther than this spot and keep going on the road to the right of the reservoir. It turns into a private road that is very difficult to turn around on. Especially if you have a large pull behind. 

I also would just give a heads up to those with small children or dogs. There was one campsite that we parked at that had a ton of glass bottles broken all over the place. I cleaned it up for about an hour before moving to a nearby area. 

Overall, great location for boondocking for a few days and catching views along the peak to peak highway.

This site (and all Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness sites) is reservation only. Reservations can be made by searching "Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Permits" on Recreation.gov. The price per permit is $36. There is no dispersed camping within the park. 

Hard-sided bear canisters are required for storage of food and all other scented items from April 1st-October 31st. 

For more information on wilderness camping in Rocky Mountain National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm

This site (and all Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness sites) is reservation only. Reservations can be made by searching "Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Permits" on Recreation.gov. The price per permit is $36. There is no dispersed camping within the park. 

Hard-sided bear canisters are required for storage of food and all other scented items from April 1st-October 31st. 

For more information on wilderness camping in Rocky Mountain National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm

This has become my go-to spot for dispersed camping near Boulder. There are a ton of sites right after you pull off Sugarloaf road. The first few might be taken, but keep going and you should find one. Keep your eyes peeled for the road as it's easy to miss, but GPS should take you right there with the directions in the app. The road gets rougher the further you go and you'll definitely want some clearance, but I was totally fine in my stock Subaru Forester.

Only knocking this site a star for busyness and difficulty parking. However, proximity to Boulder is a huge plus if you are looking for a quick and easy get away. Be warned that though it is relatively close to town, weekends and probably in the peak of summer season, parking may be completely full. This is also a huge spot for recreation like climbing and fishing, so almost everyone we saw were there just for the afternoon and we had the dispersed camping areas almost all to ourself. There are plenty of flat spots to set up, close to the parking area of a bit of a trek through the woods. Views of the canyon are spectacular.