Best Dispersed Camping near Hayden, CO

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.

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

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.

Went to this place during the weekday and still had a little bit of a hard time finding a spot at first, but the one we decided on was totally worth it. Spots for dispersed camping around the reservoir are only around the one end of the road and there are a good half dozen or so but they are all pretty good sized. Looks like a good amount of locals like to camp here. Fishing was okay, me and my friends caught a couple of trout but not many. Also to note: there is a ranch nearby with a lot of cows on the road up and near the sites that tend to make some noise but never got too close. Some of their dogs tend to come to the sites as well and even hung out with us for one of the days, whether we wanted them to or not. Either way this area is pretty nice if you can get a spot.

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.

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.

secluded and quiet, sites have mountain grass. creek runs next to sites on west side.  #5 is my favorite. fishing, wildflowers, hiking.. love.

Absolutely stunning secluded spots. Some are more accessible than others, but main road is well maintained. Definitely buggy during the summer, buy manageable. Most if not all sites are right next to the creek.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

The sign says that state trust land closed March 1-Aug 31, unfortunate bc the app says that this is a free place to camp or hike

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.