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Best Tent Camping near Lazear, CO

1,031 Reviews

Tent campsites surrounding Lazear, Colorado range from dispersed sites in Black Canyon to established tent areas in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Black Canyon offers solitude-seekers primitive tent camping with sites that provide easy access to the North Rim of Black Canyon National Park, while Carson Lake Recreation Area features established tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings. The area's public lands provide various tent-focused camping opportunities within an hour's drive of Lazear, particularly for those seeking more remote experiences.

Primitive tent sites in this region typically lack amenities like drinking water, requiring campers to pack in all supplies. Most dispersed tent areas have fire rings but no picnic tables or toilets, though Carson Lake Recreation Area offers vault toilets and designated tent pads. Access varies significantly between locations, with some sites requiring only standard vehicles while others demand high-clearance 4WD. According to one visitor, "The road access is steep from the mesa above. No water, no dumpsters, no cell signal." Many tent-specific locations have seasonal closures, with Black Canyon sites closed from December through mid-July.

Tent campers at higher elevations around Lazear enjoy cooler temperatures even in summer months, making these locations popular escape destinations. The walk-in tent sites at Hermits Rest offer exceptional seclusion, with a recent review noting that "Since you have to hike 3 miles, descending 1800 feet into the canyon, there weren't many people at the campsite." Experienced tent campers often prefer the Gunnison River Overlook area for its panoramic vistas, though these sites provide minimal shade and require campers to bring adequate water supplies. Primitive tent camping areas near Lazear generally remain less crowded than formal campgrounds, offering greater flexibility for those with tents and backpacking gear who don't require hookups or vehicle access directly to their sites.

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Best Tent Sites Near Lazear, Colorado (37)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Lazear, CO

27 Photos of 37 Lazear Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Lazear, CO

1031 Reviews of 37 Lazear Campgrounds

  • Amy S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Bogan Flats Campground Grp S

    Lovely campground by a rive

    Lovely quite campground in the woods next to a river. We stayed on the side away from the river and I wish we had stayed on the river side, but it was still fantastic. No cell service, pit toilets, no showers. A little far away from civilization/stores, which is exactly what we were looking for. Site 10 setup is great, park near the picnic table and fire ring, pitch tent a little further up the slope under the trees. It did get coooold during early June, bring a good sleeping bag and warm clothes!!

  • Heather P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 17, 2018

    Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground — Ridgway State Park

    Great campground if you flyfish

    The walk to the river was short and there even is a parking area for those who are not camping but want to fish.

    Sites were well maintained, restroom and showers were as well.

    Picnic tables, fire ring and grill at all sites. Deer wandered around freely and was an extremely restful night.

    They offer pull in sites or walk in tent sites. I chose a pull in even though I was tent camping. Had to check out a few sites to be sure there was level/cactus free spot to pitch the tent.

  • Glenna L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 23, 2020

    Gunnison National Forest Soap Creek Campground

    Spacious and Secluded

    We arrived at Soap Creek Campground around noon on a Friday in mid-July and found several wonderful sites to choose from. We selected site 8 as it was fairly close to the restroom, had decent shade, and large enough to accommodate our large tent and two vehicles...with room enough to spare to play washers! Vault toilets only, but they were very clean...host normally sells firewood, but they were out, however they did allow us to gather our own. No water at this time as it is spring fed and was low. Mostly surrounded by tent campers, but a few RV's made it down the narrow, windy and bumpy dirt road to the campground...but for the most part they kept their generators off (no electricity at this campground) during quiet hours. We were able to walk to the creek and what a view! Would definitely recommend and can't wait to go back!

  • Becca C.
    Jun. 8, 2021

    East Portal Campground — Curecanti National Recreation Area

    Favorite Campsite

    We camped here in the canyon one night in September and it was the best experience. Beautiful scenery, great neighbors, clean toilets. There are only a few drive in campsites available, with several more hike in spots below. Bear boxes, fire rings (if there’s no burn ban), and picnic tables available, along with water and facilities.

  • Whitney L.
    Sep. 10, 2021

    North Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

    great views, drought year = yellow jackets

    This campground is on NPS land, so there is a fee ($16 in season+ water/$8 off season no water) that can be paid at the nearby ranger's station on the honor system. All 13 sites are in a single loop at the end of the road on the North Rim and are all first come first served. Pinyon and juniper offer shade and some visual privacy, however sites are all close so there is little audible privacy. Pets are OK if leashed. There are nice sized BearSaver boxes at each site, plus a fire ring and large picnic table. Vault toilets and potable water are both in the center of the camping loop, where you can also find other tables and lots of shade. Chasm trail begins near the end of the loop and there are great views of the canyon a short distance from all sites. Beware: drought year, so lots of yellow jackets - they swarm vehicles in search of water! Also, water is a limited resource brought in by truck to this canyon, don't be wasteful :)

  • Jake J.
    Apr. 19, 2017

    South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

    Amazing National Park, pleasant campsites

    This campground has decent separation between sites but not much shade because the juniper trees are so short. The views at this park are incredible, however you won't see much from your campsite itself. It's tucked into thick juniper forest. This place has lots of bear activity so be sure to bring a bear canister to supplement the provided bear boxes. We saw a blonde haired black bear along one of the roads and were so happy that we were in our car. There's a little self service kiosk for walk up sites. Vault toilets, picnic table, and a fire ring with open flame grill. Just be aware that to do anything on the north rim of the canyon it is a several hour drive. So your activities will likely be limited to the south rim. Would gladly return!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2021

    Redstone White River National Forest

    Beautiful forest service campground

    There are three sections to this campground: Osgood, Allgeier, and Mechau. Osgood and Allgeier have electric hookups; Mechau does not. Our site, 17 (Osgood), was a very large pull-through equipped with a large metal picnic table, fire ring (although there was a statewide burn ban when we stayed there), lantern hook, and bear box. There is good physical separation between the sites. The vault toilets were very clean and there is one flush toilet, located between Osgood and Allgeier, however, the showers were closed due to Covid. You hear road noise from just about any site, but it is not that bad. 

    There are two options that lead to the small town of Redstone, about two miles away: a trail or a secondary road (not the highway). We made reservations for a Tuesday in September and it was a good thing we did as the campground was full. Convenient to the towns of Redstone, Marble, and Carbondale and not that far from Glenwood Springs.

  • Jeane L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 11, 2024

    Kebler Corner

    Would happily visit again!

    We stayed in a camper van over a busy holiday and loved it! We were hoping for a peaceful getaway for us and our dog and found it at Kebler. Yes, some of the spaces are close together but everyone there made it work well. The angled spots and strategic landscaping help too. Plenty of grassy common areas to stretch your legs and your pup’s (on leash), so much so we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything by not being parked with the big coaches along the river. Even better since the large river spots had little/no natural shade (most seemed to have their own awnings that our van didn’t so no worries there I think for them). The tent spots were in a different area on the other side of the property a little away from the busier parts. They also had less shade but had level pads and but seemed closer to the bridge (and hiking). The community vibe was respectful and friendly and it was lovely to stroll about and enjoy it all. Families were out and about, playing with their children and trying different things to do. There was a little playground and some activities in a covered space like velcro axe throwing and corn hole. There were soccer goals set up at one of the grassy areas too. There was also a frisbee golf course, hammocks and picnic tables scattered around the property. A sign by the bathrooms invited camp guests to go gentle group hike if you meet at the bridge at the posted time in the morning. The general store was open during the day and had more than I expected (came for stickers and snacks, left with a game of Bananagrams and more). There wasn’t cell service but wifi worked well for what we needed. The bathrooms were clean and the water was warm. On a busy weekend you might need to use the portable toilets near the tent sites if the regular ones are occupied at a busy time. In the future, splitting the shower and toilet facilities might help with that long term, but I am not sure how hard (and expensive) that is to do in places that are tucked away into the mountains like this. We did use the coin laundry and that worked well. At the time of our visit it was $2 for the washer and $3.50 for the dryer. There was a variety of cute cabins for rent with a good range in size and cost - and some have own their bathroom and even little patio spaces. The hosts and staff were friendly and helpful, even doing trash pickup in the morning if you left it out at a certain time by your site. Kebler is in a beautiful setting, has thoughtfully-designed spaces and is carefully maintained. We would definitely come back - hopefully in a camper van / travel trailer or even just to stay in one of the cabins.

  • Mary S.
    Jun. 17, 2018

    South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

    No frills NPS campground with spacious sites, close to canyon views and

    There are approximately 90 sites, split among 3 loops: - A: reservations (through recreation.gov)

    • B: reservations electric hookups

    • C: no reservations  

    Loops A and B have many more back in/pull in and pull through sites than loop C has.  See photos for sites. Most sites in loop C are roadside for the vehicle/RV with a few pull through and back in sites; the sites are spacious.

    In June, all sites in A and B were booked. There was plenty of room in C early in the afternoon but it filled up by evening. A rainy Saturday led to a half full loop C that evening. Based on the activity every morning in loop C, it looks like most people spend only one night in that loop. The Reserved signs in loop A and B indicated people with reservations are more likely to stay a few nights.

    If the campground fills up, there is dispersed camping just outside the park on the right (as you drive out). It looked like a area that could accommodate several campers without being on top of each other.

    There is no water at the sites, but a potable water station is available. There are vault toilets in each loop...kinda smelly but that's what you get with a vault toilet!

    Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bear-proof lockers. Due to fire danger, no fires are currently (June, 2018) allowed in the fire ring. The lockers are necessary if you don't want to store food in your locked car or RV. Mule deer are more of an issue than bears; they come right through the sites so I wouldn't leave anything out..for bears or deer. If you have a dog, there are very few areas where they are allowed at this time.

    No generators are allowed in the campground. It's real camping!

    Rim RockTrail and Uplands Trail (two mile roundtrip for each) lead to the visitor center from the campground. From the visitor center, the Oak Flat Loop is a 2 mile hike with some great views and a 400 foot drop in elevation (followed by a climb back to the visitor center). This "black" canyon is unique in terms of color and the shape and sheer steepness of the rocks.

    If you want an adventure, there is a trail to the Gunnison River off Oak Flat Loop. It's a mile to the river from that point with about a 1,400 foot drop in elevation. The trail is not well marked and more difficult to find your way back. You need to get a permit at the visitor center for this area (and other areas within the canyon).

    If you drive the South Rim Drive, there are plenty of overlooks along with some short walks (1/4 to 3/4 mile roundtrip). When the road ends, the Warner Point Trail is a 1.5 mile roundtrip.

    East Portal Road (right turn just after entering the park) takes you to the Gunnison Diversion Dam and Crystal Dam, where the road ends. This will get you to the river and bottom of the canyon. There is another campground called East Portal with 15 sites with tent pads; some sites are walkin. Vehicles longer than 22 feet are prohibited on East Portal Road.

Guide to Lazear

Tent camping near Lazear, Colorado offers varied desert and mountain environments across elevations ranging from 5,800 to 8,500 feet. The region sits at the boundary of the Grand Mesa and lower Gunnison Valley, creating diverse camping conditions from high-elevation forested sites to lower scrubland areas. Late July through September provides the most reliable weather for tent camping, with many access roads becoming impassable during spring runoff.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Multiple locations near Lazear offer fishing access, including Blue Mesa Reservoir where campers catch trout. According to a visitor at Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch, "I even share the fish I catch with those that do not have a Kayak or fishing gear."

Water recreation: Though swimming isn't permitted in some water sources, several reservoirs allow boating. At Curecanti Creek, one camper noted "I do recommend bringing some type of boat/raft/floatie so that you can explore the canyon. We hauled down an inflatable paddle board and paddled to Chipeta Falls."

OHV trails: For those seeking motorized recreation, designated areas provide established routes. A visitor to Peach Valley OHV Recreation Area called it a "Great OHV spot. Four wheeler and dirt bike fun!"

What campers like

Dark skies for stargazing: The area's limited light pollution creates exceptional night viewing. A Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch visitor mentioned, "Nice cool nights and love the dark nights to star gaze."

Solitude in accessible locations: Many sites offer privacy without extreme remoteness. A camper at Black Canyon reported, "I stayed here 3 days and never saw or heard another person. It's only 5 miles from the North Rim of Black Canyon National Park."

Proximity to small towns: While camping areas feel remote, nearby communities provide supplies and services. The same Black Canyon reviewer mentioned, "Crawford is about 8 miles away and has some restaurants with good home cooking."

What you should know

Limited or no cell service: Most tent camping sites near Lazear have no connectivity. One Carson Lake Recreation Area camper stated, "No water, no dumpsters, no cell signal."

Seasonal road access: Many camping areas become difficult or impossible to reach during wet periods. A visitor noted the Carson Lake access is "steep from the mesa above."

Wildlife awareness: The area supports various wildlife requiring proper food storage. A Curecanti Creek camper mentioned "There is also a bear box, fire pit, and apparently a vault toilet according to the NPS website."

Water limitations: Most tent camping locations require bringing all water needs. At Gunnison River Overlook, a camper advised, "Bring lots of water and sunscreen but worth it!"

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly recreation options: Some campgrounds offer specific amenities for children. A visitor to Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch noted, "There is an indoor and outdoor pool, playground, cool mini golf set up, horses, and a lake for kids to fish in!"

Plan for temperature fluctuations: Despite hot days, nights can be cool year-round. Another Blue Mesa camper shared, "Nice cool nights" even during summer visits.

Trail difficulty assessment: When hiking with children, carefully research trail conditions. The Curecanti Creek Trail requires planning as "there is a 900 ft elevation change from top to bottom; the trail is steep... I wouldn't recommend bringing small children along."

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions matter: Many tent camping areas near Lazear have vehicle limitations. A Blue Mesa reviewer advised, "Try out the wilderness area. It is in the same resort but feels more like forested camp ground but can't take RVs over 30 feet, perhaps shorter."

Detour awareness: Construction projects can significantly impact travel times. One Blue Mesa camper warned, "Montrose is an hour away. However, Hwy 50 is down to one lane once in the morning and once in the evening due to bridge repairs. You cannot pull a trailer across the bridge at any times."

Weather impact on roads: High clearance vehicles are often necessary. A Gunnison River Overlook visitor recommended, "Definitely recommend high clearance 4x4 for the further spots."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lazear, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lazear, CO is Black Canyon with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lazear, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Lazear, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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