Looking for dispersed camping near Parachute? Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Parachute's most popular destinations.
10,300-foot elevation.
Discover diverse terrain, secluded wilderness, and plenty of fun while camping on BLM land around Grand Junction, CO.
Surrounded by over 1.5 million acres of public lands, Grand Junction is known as a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, especially those looking to avoid the crowds the Front Range and other Colorado National Parks are becoming known for. Hiking, mountain biking, and OHV’ing abound here with trails that are coveted around the world due to the thousands of miles of connectivity with trails offering easy to expert difficulty regardless of sport. All that public land also means plenty of pristine and scenic camping. While you can enjoy dispersed camping on BLM, there are also several designated BLM campgrounds throughout the Grand Junction area, and each has its own unique attributes. One thing’s for sure, you will be rewarded with room to explore, regardless of your chosen activity.
Hubbard Mesa is a BLM designated area for Off-Highway-Vehicle use. Hubbard Mesa was designated as an Open Area in 2007 in the Roan Plateau Management Plan. It offers 2,460 acres with 50 miles of single track, ATV and Jeep trails. This is a high use area primarily for OHV's but also receives use from non-motorized users, and target shooting. Users can enjoy a variety of terrain and difficulty levels within the designated OHV area. Cross country travel is not permitted outside the Open Area. Target shooters must ensure that they have a safe backstop and remove all target trash. Livestock grazing is permitted in the area. Do not approach livestock or protection dogs. OHV users must yield the right-of-way to pedestrian and horseback riders. There is a parking area with restrooms, picnic tables, and loading structures. There is also a training course for children. The Rifle Arch Trail is located near Hubbard Mesa OHV Area. For more information, please contact the Colorado River Valley Field Office.
Legend
This area is likely the last free dispersed camping area adjacent to the new Lower North Fruita Desert developed campground. However, as the developed CG expands down to main road, this area could be signed "no camping" anytime in future. As of May 2022 this area was very popular since the Upper and Lower BLM CGs had gone all reservation. Nice views, but no water, or any amenities. No trash dumpsters, even in the developed CGs. Cell signal is good for Verizon and TMobile. Only three stars as not very scenic here, absolutely NO shade, no trees and motorized use crowd base here also with the noise of motorcycles ect.
Traveler
Easy dispersed camping placcess off of hwy 50 between Delta and Grand Junction. BLM land. Several established spots to the right and up the escarpment. A few spots as you head down toward the river.
Guide
This campground was really the epítome of BLM land. It was just a big dirt patch. It got suuuuuuper muddy overnight which was unpleasant to get off our shoes in the morning. And it was quite small really only space for a few cars. But for free camping area near rifle mountain park it’ll certainly do for a weekend climbing trip. Tent camping wouldn’t be very fun here. Kinda creepy and muddy. We slept in my car
TravelerMan, we love these blm lands in colorado!!
Guide
After searching for a campsite for a while, we finally stumbled across this place around 10pm on a Saturday night at the end of April 2021. Whenever we arrived we quickly found a spot and set up camp. Surprisingly, to be so close to town, the stars really come out here. Of note, this is an off-roading park, so you may here an occasional dirt bike or four wheeler go by. There are no facilities provided as this is BLM land. Would recommend for a free and easy place to stay the night!
Guide
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!
Traveler
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.
GuideLots of places to dispersed camp.
Saw a lot of mountain bikers.
2-3 bars verizon 4g
RangerMy first winter camping trip in Colorado. Just south of Glenwood Springs and west of Carbondale is Sunlight Mountain Resort, an awesome little mountain with great tree skiing and untracked powder that can be found days after a storm. It sits in the western side of the White River National Forest in the Sopris Ranger District. From Glenwood or Carbondale follow directions to the resort and just about a mile before you get there you'll take a right to stay on Four Mile Rd or county road 117. Travel about 2 miles after turning and you'll come to a parking area on your left, in the winter its mainly used by cross country skiers and snowmobiles. From here we took off on foot in our winter boots down 2 miles of groomed snow covered road until you reach an intersection with a bunch of signs giving you several different options in directions and places to go. We strapped on our snow shoes and headed west up Fourmile Park- North through 16 to 24 inches of snow for an additional mile and settled at the 2nd camping spot we came to on our left. The low that night was 19 but I stayed warm most of the time until around 4 or 5 and finally had to get up and move around. The best part about the trip was we got to ski before and when we got back the bar was still open. I loved living in Glenwood Springs and choose this area for its proximity to so many awesome places, can't wait to get back.
GuideThe road up to the campsites is pretty well maintained but you do gain a good amount of elevation. The scenery is beautiful with lot of wild flowers and tall, towering trees. It rained before we got there and there was some moisture on the tent the morning after. Make sure to follow the road to Four Mile Park and continue up the road for another 20 minutes or so. You will see a pull off to the right with a sign for the White River National Forest. Continue on to find some more campsites
Traveler
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.
Legend
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.
Traveler
The Cow Creek Information Kiosk has two or three nice camping/parking spots.
No bathrooms, water, etc. Just pure dispersed camping.
Cow Creek does offer fresh water if it's running. There is a water crossing to get to the kiosk area, so during spring runoff, it may be inaccessible without a high-clearance vehicle.
Traveler
The road up is gravel and well maintained. It will take you about 45 minutes to go 14 miles so be ready. Be warned, cattle trucks use this road also. I pulled over for 3 of them to pass on the barely wide enough for two cars road. Lots of dispersed camping. Fire pits. No toilets. Pack it in, pack it out.
TravelerLarge designated area for dispersed camping. Ground is lumpy, I wouldn't want to tent camp. Several existing fire rings. Solid Verizon service. Lots of pit toilets in the area. Nearby roads can become extremely difficult to travel after a light rain due to slick peanut butter mud. I wouldn't come here just to camp, this is more a spot for people looking to do activities in the vicinity.
Traveler
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. Roads would be slippery and have running water over them in rain. Check the weather if you are not confident in your car. It is an OHV area but was calm and quiet when i was there. Several other cars in the area but not in eyesight. Some cows wandering around.
GuideA great place to pull in overnight if you are passing through. Primitive camping but close to the main road, so access is easy. No shade, water, or amenities.
GuideHad a quick stop over here on the way to Dinosaur National Monument. No ATT phone service beyond a certain point. This is all primitive camping and heavily used by 4x4 ATVs. There are no facilities ie: Toilets, power, water or fire pits. The road was easy no need for high clearance or 4wheel drive. Heavy wildlife area, had a fox come right up to my car as I was making coffee. Only 30 minutes from Glenwood Springs. Would stay again 9/10 would recommend.
Remember to pack in pack out.
ScoutWe 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.
GuideOther 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.
GuideExactly 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.
ScoutI’ll start by saying I love this area. The land goes WAY far back and there are roads and campsites EVERYWHERE. I’ve been camping out here for 10 years now when I drive through the city and need a place to crash. The downside of this area is that it can get really crowded in the summer, and as a public rec area, it’s loaded with people being pretty reckless. Firearms, fires, alcohol and drugs are all pretty loosely used out here. Not to mention the large amount of shattered glass at almost every spot. Come out and enjoy, just be smart and be safe. Maybe if the BLM cleaned it up a bit it would get more than 3 stars.
ScoutBeautiful spot and very few other people around. Cute river running throughout.
The four mile road itself is a pretty well maintained dirt road that's wide enough for trailers and two cars parallel.
The camp sites are the definition of dispersed as they are quite far from each other and seemingly minimal if you're driving in. We saw three viable sites and was able to camp at the third one about 3 Miles down the road.
Traveler
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.
RangerI wish I had some kind of bike or OHV vehicle because this looks like such a sweet spot for free riding; there are hills and jumps everywhere. Lots of motor vehicle activity because of this.
I was just there to camp in my van and it worked out great. Spots are not in surplus necessarily but if you're not there in a peak season like spring I'm sure you'll find a place to pull over. Glass bottles were shattered everywhere around the spot I chose and I was grateful not to pop a tire. But I felt secluded enough despite the lack of privacy and think it's worth returning to for sure.
LegendDispersed aite
TravelerBeautiful views. Secluded. Good cell service.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Parachute, Colorado, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for adventurers seeking a more rustic experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Parachute, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Parachute, CO is Pyramid Rock Camp with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Parachute, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 34 dispersed camping locations near Parachute, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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