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Lizard Head Pass Dispersed Camping welcomes pets with no restrictions while camping on public land near Ophir. This free camping area offers access for both tent and RV camping with dogs on a first-come basis. Located at 37.809814, -107.906127, the dispersed sites provide basic camping without amenities like drinking water or toilets. Molas Lake Park & Campground also permits pets throughout its 62 sites, offering more facilities including drinking water, trash service, and toilets. Alta Lakes Campground requires a 4WD vehicle with good clearance for the rough access road, but rewards campers with stunning lakeside spots where pets can enjoy the alpine environment. Most campers with dogs find the driving difficulty worthwhile for the secluded mountain setting. The port-a-potties at Alta Lakes are serviced weekly, typically on Thursdays.
Campers report that the Alta Lakes road takes approximately 40-50 minutes to navigate in a pickup truck, with several water crossings and significant ruts requiring careful driving with pets aboard. Sites fill quickly, especially on weekends, with many pet owners arriving by early afternoon to secure spots. Little Molas Lake Campground provides an alternative option with pet-friendly sites and toilet facilities, though the free camping attracts steady visitation throughout summer months. The Telluride area offers multiple dispersed camping options for travelers with dogs, though pet owners should note the high alpine environment brings chilly overnight temperatures even in summer. Wildlife encounters are possible, so maintaining control of pets proves essential while exploring the surrounding mountain terrain.
"AVOID THE BOULDERS IN THE ROAD, will scratch car, do a diagonal dance up the path and you’ll be fine. I drive up in a sedan and almost made all the way to the lake."
"Beautiful views of surrounding mountains and Alta lakes as well as access to the ghost town of Alta."
"Had a wonderful stay right next to the lake. Woke up to the sounds of birds. Sites include RV/van sites (2?) and at least six tent only sites. Each night only one other site was occupied."
"Many walk in sites available. Not too many drive up sites. We chose one by the lake but had to walk back and forth to our truck to get things and set up camp. We stayed here two nights."
"It's right next to the town and is used a lot for Telluride's summer festivals. Its more than a campground it is also where a lot of town events are held and also has sports venues."
"The campground is bordered on one side by the San Juan River and by the park on the other side, making a tight but nice campground."
"multiple bathrooms throughout the park to accommodate campers, showers ($5 for 4 minutes- not the greatest but hey its hot water) plus fire rings and bear safe trash bins. the lake is stocked with trout"
"I've spent quite a bit of time at various sites around this campground during annual vacations and using it as a base for geological field work nearby."
from $25 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Was a really nice area with a ton of campsites off the dirt path or close to the river."
"Lots of fire rings scattered around the rocky area. This site can get very full and very loud as it is very popular and close to Silverton."
"Matterhorn Campground, located near Telluride and nestled in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, offers an excellent balance of comfort and outdoor adventure."
"We were happy to have hot showers as we were on day 4&5 of our camping across Colorado honeymoon and it had rained nights 1-4. There were two camp hosts both of the ladies were nice."
from $26 - $40 / night
Check Availability"Beautiful location. Drove in via Deep Creek Road. The road isn't terrible if you have high clearance and 4WD. 4 stars because some of the other campers lack some common decency and respect."
"We drove in from ouray side and took the long 40 min dirt road and I will say, the road was rough.. we made it just fine in my hyundai tuscan but I will say, I was sh*ting myself driving it!"
"the sites are full, or snag a hotel near 550 when we don't want to chance a night on a slope."
"Site was clean, easy to access and close to restroom. Great views all around and super close to Ouray and surrounding hiking trails."
from $28 / night
Check Availability"This is a great dispersed camping option near Telluride. It’s an open grass area surrounded by trees and views of the mountains."
"Convenient location to stay overnight near Telluride. Close to the road, but also close to a vault toilet across the road at lizard head pass trailhead."
"Nice little campground on the Million Dollar Highway heading between Durango and Silverton, with the Colorado Trail passing right through the campground."
"Beautiful campsite with easy access to lots of fun trails, including the CO trail. Only a short drive from Silverton and an hour or so outside Durango"
GuideOur family vacation destination- would provide 6 stars if a could. Main features- pool, great family play areas, huge lots and shaded lots- not really a bad spot. Pond, 2 Acre dog park- beautiful sites and quick drive to town or off-road. We stayed here twice because a bad experience in Silverton
RangerThis campsite is great if you want to do Telluride on a budget - it's free. It's right next to the town and is used a lot for Telluride's summer festivals. Its more than a campground it is also where a lot of town events are held and also has sports venues. There's also grills, bathrooms, picnic tables, a dog park, and a pond. Unless you're at a festival, the campground isn't where you will want to spend your time though. The campground is very close to Bridal Veil Falls, a huge free fall waterfall. You can drive or hike up to it, and climb around on the rocks and get blasted by cold water from the falls. It's huge. There's also a bunch of awesome hikes around Telluride - the San Juans are my favorite part of Colorado.
GuideLoved loved loved our stay here! Tucked away from the highway and far enough from any big city, you want nature and stars at night? This is the place! We backed up to a huge green field. The gentleman that helped us back our 42 foot rig into our site gave PERFECT directions, telling my husband which was to turn our wheel which make this a first try back in. The owner was the kindest man we enjoyed getting to know. No dog park, but a large open field we're allowed to utilize, letting the pups off leash. They LOVED it! Mesa Verde NP with the cliff dwellings are a short drive away, perfect day trip. We should have stayed here a whole week!
ScoutIncredibly friendly staff, great store with camping necessities and fun swag. Dog park was large enough with a shaded tree and benches. Pickle ball, movie night, pool, playground ect included. Almost every space was filled but it was quiet because the activities are spread nicely away from where we were. Pull through sites with enough room. Good price for the location.
GuideAbout 5 miles drive to town which is fine for us. We stayed in a shady spot near the back. Bathrooms are clean and decorated with a country/western vibe, and a 2 acre dog park !
LegendMy family and I stayed here for 3 nights in late July in a 34-foot travel trailer. We made reservations over the phone and found the customer service to be exemplary (I called at the last minute to both cancel and then later to re-instate my reservation when we had car trouble on the way). When we arrived the check-in process was straight forward and easy. The roads are gravel but well-graded and the majority of the sites are pull-thru. We had no trouble getting into ours, however, we found rather quickly that sites are extremely close together. Our back-side neighbors had to move their picnic table back in order to accommodate our driver-side slide (the distance between our extended slide and their trailer is about 8 feet. But... we all made it work. There is a 10 pm lights-out policy to cut down on light pollution and see the stars. And the people who camped next to us were considerate.
The campground has lots of amenities. A log cabin (rec center) with pool, video games, TV with DVD library, books, and board games. Laundry with decent pricing. Mini-golf ($3 per person). A nice pool and hot tub. A dog park with agility obstacles. Nice playground. Wifi signal is strong with decent bandwidth (they discourage streaming). Next door is a horseriding stables ($40 an hour, $25 for a half hour); the horses come up to the fence and love to be petted. The store in the office is small but has the basic amenities. Groceries can be purchased in Cortez, a 15-minute drive away. And, of course, Mesa Verde National Park is right across the road, less than 5 minutes to the visitor center. The only downside (besides the tightness of the spaces) is that dumpster was very full and near to overflowing.
Overall we enjoyed our stay here, and thought the location to the park and local area was perfect. Would recommend and definitely stay here again.
GuideDon’t let the dilapidated mobile home near the entrance scare you away. This place is super well maintained. Every site is well thought out and has great hookups. I thought a plug water and sewer was pretty uniform. Our site had a pedestal with 20/30/50 amp and then another with 30 20 feet further into the site. Lots of shade. The sites along the south edge of the property have amazing views of the Cortez valley and Sleeping Ute Mountain. Really nice communal fire pit, dog park and some trails too. Some sites have a beautiful brick fire ring too.
GuideWe usually boondock, but stopped here for a change. Great sites, lovely staff, dog park, great BBQ, band at night ... really a top notch KOA.
TravelerThe campground is set just a couple miles before Durango. They have a swimming pool, laundry facilities, a small dog park, and a very basic playground. They also have a little Caboose from which they serve simple breakfast items, and a little store with a couple of Essentials. Overall the staff was friendly and helpful and our experience was very positive. It was 55 bucks for a pull through site with hookups. We were not allowed to pitch a tent in the camper campsite.
Dispersed camping opportunities around Ophir, Colorado sit at elevations exceeding 9,000 feet with seasonal weather that can change rapidly. The San Juan Mountains provide a rugged backdrop for campers seeking both established sites and primitive camping. Summer temperatures typically reach the 70s during the day but often dip into the 30s overnight, even in July and August.
Explore historic ghost towns: Alta Lakes Campground offers proximity to abandoned mining structures. "This place is amazing. You will want a high clearance vehicle, we took our F350 up. The initial road was a little stressful for us as it is wide enough just for us but we got up and once we hit the Ghost Town, we were in awe. The ghost town comes before the campground," shares Melissa K.
Fish alpine lakes: Molas Lake Park & Campground provides stocked fishing opportunities. "Primitive camping, some campsites were closer to the lake than others. Access to bathrooms and showers near the small general store at the entrance. Fire pits available, along with a picnic table," notes Laura P. about this pet-friendly location.
Hike mountain trails: The Telluride Town Park Campground connects to several local routes. "Located inside the town park with jaw dropping views. Campsites are covered with tree bark, lots of shade and trees," reports Mariana E. The nearby Priest Lake Dispersed Camping Area offers "little walking paths around the Priest Lakes that are very short and easy, plus another trail that I didn't check out. The stars were BEAUTIFUL! This is a great spot for stargazers too," adds Kelsey I.
Dark night skies: Dispersed camping at higher elevations provides exceptional stargazing. "The views are spectacular, the sites large and level with good amenities, and the management friendly and helpful," says Sarah W. about Little Molas Lake Campground, one of several dog friendly campgrounds near Ophir.
Creek-side locations: Kendall Camping Area provides free sites along flowing water. "We pulled in around 8:30 PM. There were many campers, big and small, as well as tents. The 'parking area' has some rocks and is a bit and uneven. We have a 33ft 5th wheel camper. We had to go slow to not scrap our jacks. Found a spot along the creek," explains Sarah L.
Access to small towns: The Matterhorn Campground sits near Telluride. "Nice small campground outside Telluride on Hwy. 145. Very clean. Hosts were very friendly. The Aspens were gold," notes John D., highlighting the fall colors that attract many visitors to pet-accommodating sites near Ophir.
High altitude impacts: Campsites around Ophir sit at elevations where nights get cold and weather shifts quickly. "We've been wanting to check out this campground for a couple years but never seem to make reservations in time. Finally secured our first weekend in early June. It was the perfect getaway from our in-home quarantine and just an hour and a half away," reports Casey C. about Molas Lake Park.
Road conditions vary significantly: Amphitheater Campground remains accessible despite rugged surroundings. "Great campground that feels like you are remote when Ouray is just down the road. Camp Attendant was friendly and helpful and the camp was clean and orderly. Our spot was level and had everything we needed," says Jennifer S.
Wildlife concerns: Bear activity requires proper food storage. "This is a dispersed site—pack in/pack out (especially garbage; the nearest dumpster is in the town of Telluride). There is no running water, one outhouse, no service, no electrical outlets or RV pumps. Bears (and moose) are extremely active in this area, so it is especially important to store food in bear canisters and tie up properly," warns Christina A. about Priest Lake.
Search for kid-friendly fishing spots: Little Molas Lake offers accessible shore fishing. "This was a great place to camp! Did some great hiking and saw some wildlife. The spots are not too close to each other and bathrooms are close. Didn't fish but I saw some big ones being caught, including by an osprey!" shares Nicholas V.
Consider town-adjacent options: Telluride Town Park balances wilderness with conveniences for families with pets. "Super convenient location literally in downtown Telluride. I was a bit unsure staying here because I typically prefer staying in secluded camping locations. This place had a really fun and unique vibe, felt more like an outdoor hostel than a campground," explains Isabelle K.
Prepare for elevation: Young campers may need time to adjust to altitude at most Ophir-area campgrounds. "Quiet site 12000 feet or so in the San Juan national forest. Stayed for 2 nights without a reservation seems to be a first come first serve style campground," notes Diego R. about Little Molas Lake.
Limited leveling options: Last Dollar Road requires preparation. "Nice spot off the road to boondock, with great views both directions. We pulled in on a Thursday afternoon and didn't have any problems finding a good spot (make sure you have your levelers packed!) But it did get VERY crowded on Friday night," advises Shannon S.
Generator altitude adjustments: High elevations affect equipment performance. "This was a nice retreat for us. It is a very popular place on the weekend, but during the week it is much quieter. Elevation is about 10,300 and posed a problem for our generator that caused severe spark-plug fouling. But, re-jetting the carburetor from a #61 to #58 solved the problem," explains RaD_Travels about Little Molas Lake.
Early arrival recommended: Pet-friendly dispersed sites fill quickly around Ophir. "We stumbled upon this campsite through Dyrt. We left on a 10 day honeymoon to the mountains with no real plans. This was our first time to the Silverton area and this spot was perfect for us to spend two nights. The spot we camped at was the first one when you pull in. This spot would be great for large campers," shares Jess and Jess S. about Little Molas Lake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Ophir, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Ophir, CO is Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) with a 4.4-star rating from 45 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Ophir, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 195 dog-friendly camping locations near Ophir, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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