Dispersed camping near Mesa, Colorado centers around the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-topped mountain in the world at over 10,000 feet elevation. Summer temperatures typically range from 60-80°F during the day, dropping to 40-50°F at night. The area experiences frequent afternoon thunderstorms from July through September, with lightning posing significant hazards to campers in exposed areas.
What to do
Fishing access: Twin Lake Dispersed Area - Grand Valley Rd offers excellent fishing opportunities. "Amazing views, light rain, and still my favorite forest," notes one camper. "Make sure to bring your paddle board or fishing pole. Super quiet spot," shares another visitor.
Stargazing sessions: The high elevation provides exceptional night sky viewing at Nine Mile Hill where "We tent camped and watched the Milky Way roll overhead." Another reviewer notes, "Stars were phenomenal! Make sure you check fire restrictions beforehand."
Mountain biking: Explore the network of trails surrounding the mesa. "There are lots of self made camping areas with tons of privacy. Several areas near the lakes. Great for large groups of people," explains a visitor to Twin Lake Dispersed Area.
What campers like
Weather refuge: Summer heat in the lower elevations drives campers to the mesa's cooler temperatures. At Pyramid Rock Camp, "It's definitely HOT right now in July without a ton of tree coverage but once the sun started to set it was fine. There was only one other camper here besides us."
Camping privacy: Numerous sites allow for isolated experiences. "Nothing extreme or crazy with this site, you get privacy, open space and 360 views of the surrounding scenery and free range cows. Road relatively easy to pass through," reports a Pyramid Rock camper.
Wildlife viewing: Free-range cattle frequently visit campsites. At Grand Mesa FS 105 Dispersed Camping, "We looked outside to see several cows munching on the remains of our campfire. Apparently they like to eat ashes and charcoal for the minerals because it happened twice!"
What you should know
Road conditions: Most access roads require careful driving. In Escalante Canyon Road Dispersed, "The road to the camp site from the I-50 road is rather long (12 miles, cca 30 min), but very easy and quite picturesque. However I'd avoid it during the night as it gets narrow on parts and vehicle need to wait at the wider sides to pass each other."
Bug preparedness: Insects can be problematic during certain seasons. "This place was beautiful! It really felt like the wild west. The road was well kept and any vehicle could make it. There were so many amazing spots. It would have been 5 stars if there weren't so many nats! bring some good bug repellent."
Navigation challenges: Some GPS systems provide incorrect directions. "It was a great spot once I finally found it. Waze took me through privately owned land. Google had it right. There's a T in the road just outside of De Beque. Don't go on the road marked no outlet! Make the right instead."
Tips for camping with families
Avoid glass hazards: Unfortunately, broken glass is common in some areas. At Near De Buque Dispersed, "Nice area with many dispersed camping sites. Pin is not in exact spot but many spots along this road. The road was decent and i made it easily in my toyota prius."
Weather monitoring: Summer thunderstorms develop quickly on the mesa. "Dry and dessert landscapes. We pulled over before the BLM sites with fire rings. Fun hikes up the base of the red cliffs and down to the creek."
Plant awareness: Some areas have abundant cacti. "We stopped in late, the roads are smooth and there is a lot of places to pull off and have privacy. Downside: there was a lot of small hidden vicious cacti, we were afraid of letting the dogs out."
Tips from RVers
Site selection timing: Arrive early for level sites at Nine Mile Hill. "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. The road is a bit iffy so snagging a spot at the front would be best if you don't have 4WD."
Vehicle clearance requirements: Most mesa roads require high-clearance vehicles. "We towed a 35 FT 5th wheel heading west on 105 until we discovered the perfect campsite by turning south at the intersection with 108. The road was very rough but doable by moving along very slowly."
Campsite leveling: Bring leveling blocks for uneven terrain. "Plenty of rocks to level 4x4 with RTT but still slept angled. Very quiet even though close to the road and few cars/vehicles at night. Would recommend coming before nightfall, site is much larger than I thought during the day."
