Looking for the best campgrounds near Gunnison National Forest, CO? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Gunnison National Forest and user-submitted reviews.
"Had a quick stop over here on the way to Dinosaur National Monument. No ATT phone service beyond a certain point. This is all primitive camping and heavily used by 4x4 ATVs."
"There are easy sites next to the main gravel roads and more secluded sites off of many various "Jeep trails"."
"My husband and I arrived around 3:30pm on a Tuesday. Camp sites directly on the banks are few, but we managed to score what I thought was the prettiest spot."
"We saw lots of deer & some elk on the drive up."
"to turn around."
"The last campsite had the most people, which was the one by Snowmass Lake."
"The further along the path you travel, the more rugged it becomes; so most people seemingly settled for the first few spots. Personally, site 5, 8, and 11 are best."
"No water so bring in your own, or filter from the running stream/lake surrounding camp."
"This was my first time using Dyrt and accessing BLM/public land. The campgrounds at Black Canyon OTG were packed and hotels in the area were outrageously priced (2-star hotel for $200)."
"Nestled right on the access road to Black Canyon of The Gunnison NP, camps did not require a ton of dirt driving to access."
"You can camp at a designated campground right on the lake, or you drive up 24 and find a lot of dispersed camping available - all the way up to the little lakes (great for fishing too)."
"While it's easy in the Chaffee County and Arkansas River area to get your dosage of mountain beauty and river time, Twin Lake gives you the opportunity to combine STELLAR mountain views and the calm of"
"This BLM land is well trafficked, the sizes are big and there are 5-6 in the first few miles of the road. They sit right along the river slow flowing. There is ZERO cell service or gas for 15+ miles."
"It is site #10 in the BC campground.
100% need 4x4 high clearance to get to this site."
"Just past the ghost town of Ashcroft you start your travels off road. A sign tells you only the numbered sights 1-9 are authorized for fires in metal pits."
GuideHad a quick stop over here on the way to Dinosaur National Monument. No ATT phone service beyond a certain point. This is all primitive camping and heavily used by 4x4 ATVs. There are no facilities ie: Toilets, power, water or fire pits. The road was easy no need for high clearance or 4wheel drive. Heavy wildlife area, had a fox come right up to my car as I was making coffee. Only 30 minutes from Glenwood Springs. Would stay again 9/10 would recommend.
Remember to pack in pack out.
RangerHubbard Mesa area is an off highway vehicle area that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
There's not much in this area except a small little campsite right off the road. I didn't explore all the rest of the HOV cuz I wasn't in a four-wheeler, but it was perfect for an overnight stay on a motorcycle trip to Sturgis.
The Road in is dirt and there are no durable paved surfaces anywhere, so I would imagine if it had rained this would be a muddy mess.
RangerTravel a few miles down Brush Creek Trail. After passing Strand Hill MTB trail you will get to a split in the road. The left turn will take you up a deeply rutted 4WD road towards Teocalli Ridge MTB trail. Lots of beautiful camping on this road. But it can be tough sledding when it is wet. If you stay to the right you will get to a flat where many people will camp. You can get a smaller RV/Trailer/Sprinter here very easily. If you are intrepid - and have a good 4WD with some clearance - you can continue through the creek and up the hill where superb, quiet dispersed camping exists.
Leave no trace.
ScoutThere are many sites all over the place up there. Some are big enough for groups of RV's some are small, private tent spots. Some offer magicians views others are in dense vegetation along water. We found no cell reception for miles. There are easy sites next to the main gravel roads and more secluded sites off of many various "Jeep trails". No services, no running water, no electric, no cable TV, no bathrooms, no showers, no dump stations, no picnic tables, etc. It's the forest.
TravelerThe sites are plentiful large, but you’ll require a decent 4x4 vehicle to get you there. The further along the path you travel, the more rugged it becomes; so most people seemingly settled for the first few spots. Personally, site 5, 8, and 11 are best. Almost every site has a bear-proof box you can store food (or hide?) within, which is nice. Sites are also far enough apart to mitigate any privacy concerns, and albeit the current fire ban - come equipped with existing fire pits.
LegendCamground Review: Not a whole lot of campsites here, but each is a decent size. So for busy weekends I'd recommend booking in advance. There's a bathroom. No water so bring in your own, or filter from the running stream/lake surrounding camp. Campsites are large enough for a few tents and cars, and about half of the 8-or-so sites had enough bush cover between plots to have some privacy. It's also great to see pantries on each site with locks for food. Then, there's bear-proof waste bins near the camp entrance. The whole Aspen area recommends bear canisters over hanging packs, so those that didn't know this ahead of time (like me) we're not reprimanded. It's a great location for accessing Aspen and in our case, Maroon Bells in the fall color time (end September). I could see the waterfall on location (I know, awesome) also being great for the summertime for swimming. We had plenty of room for 4 tents, a nice size fire, and a game of frisbee. Access: There's a marked turn off from HWY 82 to take you to the campground. You'll descend about 500 ft off the hwy along a dirt road for a quarter mile. It has some built-in dirt speed bumps. Although not required (we saw a Prius down at the campsite) in not perfect terrain due to weather I could see anything less than a AWD vehicle being a risky choice.
Gear Review: This camp lantern definitely has a lot of car camping staying power. The same can be said for it's battery life (see what I did there?). I also love the option of making the light fully illuminated or unidirectional. There are wire arms that wrap around or fold out and extend below the lantern to add lift on a table or a lashing point to hang above.
Before I took this 1.1lb guy camping I wanted to make sure it's battery life was as advertised. In a couple full drains and power cycles, broadcasting at full power (turbo), I was getting better-than advertised life. The turbo run time for both sides lit was closer to 3 hrs (vs 2.5) and for one side lit was 6 hrs (vs. 5). I could recharge the device from flat in abotu 7 hours (as advertised). I have to give this 3.5 out of 5 stars though, because I couldn't even get the lantern to do one full charge of my phone for me before dying, when it claims it will provide about 2.5 phone charges from full power before giving out. That just makes for the realization that if I use the lantern at camp for about 30 minutes on full power, I'm only going to be able to get about a 50% charge to my phone. That time will vary for others I'm sure. I am very pleased to see a hand crank, because in an emergency situation this would be a great way to help out. I just think though that due this lantern's weight, you're better off not backpacking with it and so belongs in the car camp category. The likelihood of using the crank then goes down a lot, but it's good piece of mind for the other campers in your group I guess :-). Overall the lantern is solid. It took a bit of a beating over the weekend and it kept on shining. The light isn't hard on your eyes too when at full power, so if you wanted to walk around with it holding it from it's top handle, it wouldn't blind you. I also like the red emergency light button, which when depressed and held gives a battery life indication as well as creates a red strobe effect (althgough faint) from the top of the lantern. More info from Goal Zero: http://www.goalzero.com/p/180/lighthouse-250-lantern-usb-power-hub
GuideAT&T 5G off and on 2 bars. Fire metal rings, pit toilets in few areas. No water, no garbage (might be garbage at entrance?). Roads spread throughout, pretty rough in some areas. Plenty of places here, views are pretty cool. Lots of hiking, biking trails. Rock formations are the star of the show. Dog friendly. 14 day limit. Town not too far maybe 5 miles for supplies. Creek near town. Not too bad for 5-14 days.
TravelerThe ground was exceptionally muddy so my subaru forester did some off roading which was a bit of an adventure, but otherwise had a lovely view and a great place to car camp. We cleaned up some trash in the area but otherwise pretty clean. The entrance was muddy and difficult for my car so if you don't have high clearance I don't recommend driving further past the gravel path. Saw some vans parked up there and we decided to travel out a little further.
GuideVery secluded, lots of dispersed spots. There's a lake with a campground and additional spots at the end of the road. This is very secluded so pack in pack out, bring everything you need because the road is very rough and requires a high clearance. Heading into town for supplies is a long drive.
No toilets obviously but the campground at the end of the road has a pit toilet.
Would stay here again, but its very busy on the weekends.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Gunnison National Forest in Colorado, where stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures await. This area offers a variety of spots for campers looking to immerse themselves in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Gunnison National Forest is Four Mile Road Dispersed with a 4.3-star rating from 17 reviews.
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