Best Dispersed Camping near New Castle, CO

Allen Basin Reservoir is roughly 1 mile from Crosho Lake. The only way to access this reservoir is by using trail #1181 and either hiking in, or using an ATV/dirtbike. You can not drive back to this reservoir. 

There are roughly 6-8 dispersed camp spots on the road towards Allen Basin Reservoir. We camped at this spot for 3 days, and 2 nights and loved it! Plenty of coverage from the close by trees, access to the trail directly behind our camp spot, and there was a make shift bench made from a fallen tree! We highly recommend this spot, but do recommend driving a 4x4 vehicle to get here, and don't forget the bug spray!

Spent three nights here (5/13 - 5/16). To start, we camped with a teardrop trailer, but once you pass the White River National Forest sign and parking lot for the babbish trail head, it’s not easy to turn around unless you find a campsite. Once you pass this you’ll see the first two campsites after about 4 bends in the road, both are walking distance to the trailhead. The first is a larger open space right off the road and the second is a much more private spot. The road to access this is just beyond the first campsite, which is where we stayed (see photos). We loved this spot!

If you continue up the road you’ll eventually reach a fork, if you hang right and continue up there are 4 more dispersed sites. These would not work for trailers but are great tent spots. We had a very hard time trying to turn around.

There are no services (no bins, no toilets, no cell service) and these sites are super clean so let’s keep it that way. The aspens hadn’t bloomed quite yet but in a few weeks it’ll be pretty spectacular.

Additionally the main trailhead with access to beaver creek trail is not open until June 14th so most other dispersed sites won’t be accessible until then.

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). The dispersed camping is above the lakes which offers incredible views but is first come, first serve. Definitely bring your paddle boards, kayaks, etc.

This is one of my favorite places in Colorado - but beware of the altitude! Drink lots of water, you will forget how high you are and a little altitude sickness might creep up on you, even if you've been here before without issues. It's also very close to Mt. Elbert and you should take Independence Pass to Aspen for a gorgeous drive and lots of wildlife!

The road was smooth coming in. I parked right below the marked spot because the road got a little more rough to get up there. But there is plenty of dispersed camping before and after the marked spot.

Stocked reservoir with rainbow and brook trout. Smaller fish but fun fishing. 

The dispersed camping is located on the east side of the reservoir. Vault toilets located here and no water(except the reservoir). All camping is first-come, first-serve. Bring bug spray as the mosquitoes are pretty bad here.

This is in my top 5 most beautiful places I've ever camped. The roads leading up to it are definitely most manageable in a vehicle with 4x4 or good clearance and there are some very exposed, narrow sections to be wary of depending on the route you choose. There are a handful of marked sites up at Paradise Divide (as all dispersed camping is now regulated and marked in Crested Butte area). If you are arriving on a weekday you shouldn't have too much trouble nabbing a site, but weekends in the summer may not be easy to get a spot. These sites are located very close to some of the best mountain biking trails, the 401 and 404, as well as a wealth of high mountain hiking.

Dispersed camping just past gothic campground, to the north. Sign posted “GC1” where we turned off. There were 5 well spaced fire rings. Most spots had tree cover and some protection. Would easily be able to get a small/medium camper in. We liked the balance of tree cover, yet wide open spaces, meadows, and epic views of the canyon all around. It did rain while we camped which made the road extremely muddy. 4x4 and decent clearance recommended, saw a few cars get stuck in the mud. We hiked nearby Judd falls, and had plans to hike Washington Gulch (trailhead was within walking distance). If you can make it, the drive north to emerald lake has amazing views. Signs posted in the canyon indicated that camping was only allowed in the established gothic campground June 15th through August 15th.

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. Our site was hidden by trees off a short dirt drive which wasn’t too bad. There was plenty of space for us to turn around, and a fire pit had been constructed of large rocks (with a resident chipmunk hanging out among them).
We loved being surrounded by tall trees on one side and having a long distance view across the meadow on the other side, watching storm clouds approaching every day. We were far enough from the road that we barely heard any traffic passing. However, the sound of cattle lowing was frequent, and there was evidence of their presence all over the ground! One bull approached and stood there bellowing at the camper before finally moving along, and another morning 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!
We camped there 6 nights and hated to leave. Our only reservations were driving on the long bumpy roads and cattle manure being everywhere. Otherwise, it was the best boondocking place we’ve stayed because of the scenery and remoteness. It was very quiet except for the cattle lowing. We rode our bikes down 108 one day and discovered that it was way too rough to drive with our dually pickup. Another day we rode all the way down 105 and then back on 100 which is Land’s End Road. There are lots more dispersed campsites further down 105, but many have huge potholes turning into them. Some are located next to reservoirs and have lovely views, but we were happy with our site because we didn’t have to drive that far to reach it. If you had a smaller rig, it would be worth trying those places.

For those looking for an amazing backpacking experience in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, this one is not to be missed! 

Many people take on the Cathedral Lake trail as a day hike, with the most adventurous (and in shape) pushing on towards Electric Pass. However, following a recommendation I read online, I decided to make this trail into a weekend backpacking trip. This was our general itinerary:

On Friday afternoon we hiked in the ~3 miles to Cathedral Lake. We set up camp just off the trail, about a 1/2 mile before the lake, below the tree line (see more below about the camping sites). On Saturday morning we intended to make the hike to Electric Pass but woke up to a rainstorm that lasted until about noon. We spent the afternoon hanging out by the lake and fishing where we caught some rather impressive trout! We were delighted when all of the lingering rain clouds began to clear out in the late afternoon and decided to make an evening attempt at the Electric Pass hike (~6 miles RT from the lake) where we were rewarded by amazing sunset views. We then returned to camp and spent another night. We left mid-morning on Sunday and had a much easier (all downhill) hike back to the trailhead. 

About the camping at Cathedral Lake: 

If you plan to make this a backpacking trip, you will really be able to enjoy the area far more than the day hikers who only spend a bit of time at the lake and have to turn around. I would highly recommend staying a night or two and attempting to summit the Electric Pass as we did. Be sure to fill out a permit (no cost) at the trailhead, per wilderness regulations. There is plenty of water available near the lake and in the surrounding creeks, but a water filtration device should be used for safety of course. Following wilderness regulations, campsites cannot be within a certain distance of the lake, which is no issue as there are plenty of sites just off the trail after the grueling last set of switchbacks. You’ll know when you have finished the switchbacks I am referencing because they are quite strenuous, especially with a heavy backpack on! The primitive sites are marked by previously built stone ring fire pits, many of which have well placed logs and stumps to sit on. The sites are all far enough apart that you cannot see your neighbors and have plenty of seclusion to enjoy the woods. Dense forest surrounds the camping area which adds to the privacy and provides protection from the sun and storms that often roll through this area. A note on the storms-due to the high altitude and mountainous location, this area is frequented by strong thunderstorms and caution should be taken to avoid lightning strikes, especially on Electric Pass which was named for just this reason! Even on the sunniest day, I would not set out on this trail without proper rain gear and lots of layers in my pack. It also gets quite cold up here! We stayed in early August and it definitely felt like the air temperature was below freezing at night. Bear canisters are required for camping here and the proper precautions should be kept in mind to avoid any potentially dangerous encounters with the amazing wildlife in this area. Please also follow all of the additional wilderness regulations and leave no trace principles to keep this beautiful place in pristine condition! 

Overall, I would recommend the Cathedral Lake and Electric Pass hikes to anyone visiting the Aspen area…but for those willing and able to turn this into a backpacking trip, you will be rewarded with an even more amazing backcountry camping adventure! 

For more info:

https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/hikes/cathedral-lake-trail

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5186764.pdf

Other than the plethora of mosquitos, this is one of my favorite camp spots so far. 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. There were plenty of spots around if you don't want to be right next to the lake. As mentioned, there were a ton of mosquitos. When the breeze was blowing, it helped, but definitely bring bug spray! In the evening time, we were treated to a lovely sunset and fish jumping. Will be coming back again. Very peaceful place.

Small USFS campground with fee. Looked like there were about 6 spots, fairly close together but good tree cover in the camp. Vault toilet at the entrance but no other amenities (trash, water). No campground host here. Beautiful canyon with fishing and hiking near!

Exactly what we wanted in a campsite! No internet, off the grid, fire ring, beautiful views and secluded! Definitely need 4WD to get here. The side roads that you need to take to reach the camp sites are not maintained.

Several dispersed campsites to choose from, all with amazing views and fire rings. Favorite place on earth.

Well groomed dirt/gravel road just West of Rte 65. Go in 1/4 mile and turn Right down dirt path to large camping site. There is nobody for 1/2 mile or more around you. If this site is not good, up FSR 100 maybe 1/2 mile on the Right is a site up in the trees. Very secluded. This site is at 10,700 feet elevation. The lake is stream fed and looks like good trout fishing. There are free range cows in the area.

This dispersed campsite has an incredible view, but it’s located on a “primitive road,” so google maps won’t show you the route all the way. I was using the OnX off-road app when I found it. If you approach from the south side (County Rd 48?), you will need a high clearance 4wd. If you approach from the north side (County Rd 51) it is accessible by any mid-clearance AWD vehicle, unless it’s wet. Then you’ll probably need a legit 4wd. I was there in mid-October, and there were hunters camped out all over the forest. But I found this place and had complete privacy, great view, and occasional Verizon service.