The San Juan Mountains surrounding Placerville, Colorado offer diverse tent camping options including both established campgrounds and dispersed sites at elevations of 9,000-10,000 feet. Popular tent camping areas include Alta Lakes Campground with designated sites around alpine lakes, and Priest Lake Dispersed Camping Area, which provides more primitive accommodations. Several tent-friendly options extend from Telluride through Ouray, with the majority being first-come, first-served locations.
Many tent sites in the region feature uneven terrain requiring careful tent placement, with most offering basic fire rings but limited amenities. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing several campgrounds, particularly Alta Lakes where the rough access road includes water crossings and steep sections. Vault toilets are available at some locations including Priest Lake and Angel Creek, though campers should bring their own toilet paper as supplies often run out. Bear activity necessitates proper food storage, with some sites providing bear boxes while others require storing food in vehicles. A camper noted, "Each night only one other site was occupied. Views of surrounding mountains are beautiful."
Sites nestled among pine forests provide shade during summer months when temperatures typically reach the 80s during day and drop to the 50s at night. Early season campers may encounter snowmelt issues at higher elevations, while fall brings vibrant colors and cooler temperatures. Most tent areas sit near streams or lakes, offering both scenic value and practical water access for filtering. Despite proximity to popular mountain towns, many tent sites maintain a feeling of seclusion and wilderness character. One reviewer described their experience at Priest Lake as "secluded and beautiful" with sites that vary "from right out in the open to being completely tree covered."
"Perfect lake views, snow capped mountain tops, and wildflowers for days."
"Beautiful views of surrounding mountains and Alta lakes as well as access to the ghost town of Alta."
"We had plenty of room on our site to set up camp around the picnic table and fire ring. We snagged the last site with a picnic table and fire ring around 10AM on a Friday morning."
"Pulled into this area late one evening on a fall camping trip across Colorado. Totally expected it to be full but there were a couple areas left to setup thankfully."
"Pretty good. 3 “dedicated” camp sites you can pull into and have a fire ring. If the 3 spots are taken, there’s still a large “community” looking area you could camp the night at."
"We stayed here for a long weekend to go see Telluride and the surrounding area. The directions led us to the campground, would be easy to miss otherwise."
"Nice little campground with large bear boxes for food storage. I felt it's at a good location to venture off each day from."
"Primitive camping right outside outside Ouray Colorado. Imogene pass trail ends at the campground entrance. Trail into campground is a little rough but that's primitive camping."
"We tried 2-3 different locations before parking on the road to find the most level spot for the tent. We like the private, uninterrupted nature of the site."
"This road is hard to turn around on, or let others pass. This spot was the furthest we ended up going. This is a secluded area with no bathroom, campground, electric, or water."
"nice spot with some creek and shade options and big lot options. no restrooms, no service. some noise from highway"
"However close to the highway. Highway noise. Pretry spacious and right next to Ironton Park."
"We got up there late, the wind was blowing, it was raining and the ground was insanely hard!"
"first come first serve with easy access to the water not too crouded, large camp spaces with daily clean up."
"This campground is ideal: close to town, backcountry seclusion. The hike is steep, but manageable."
"Dispersed camping, no amenities, but beautiful location. Little streams running nearby, wildlife viewing, the drive up the slope is beautiful as well"
"There is also a decommissioned forest service campsite on the north side about halfway in with tables and fire rings still. Creek was a bit high but not bad."
RangerThis is a trail head into some backpacking trails. However, you could car camp here, there is no service nor any amenities here. It’s about 40 minutes away from the town of vallecito. This trail head is for emerald lakes, a 20 miles round trip hike.
RangerThis road does eventually become high clearance needs, but for the large dispersed area I have seen large rvs and trailers make it. It is just beyond a popular climbing, hiking and canyoneering area, so expect it to be busy. Great camping option to be close to Cascade canyon for climbing or a dip.
TravelerPretty good. 3 “dedicated” camp sites you can pull into and have a fire ring. If the 3 spots are taken, there’s still a large “community” looking area you could camp the night at. Right off of a road that’s not busy. Clean, please keep it that way.
GuideThis is a beautiful spot. Sites are spacious. And while they don’t have water at sites, they do have fill spots throughout the campground
TravelerStayed at Site 8. Arrived at 12am to find sites open immediately. Road was in surprisingly good condition considering I got there 2 hours after it raining all day. Site 8 is a loop setup and is fairly level compared to sites 6 and 7. Would not use an RV at this specific site due to space issues. Mid size crossover SUV had just enough room to do the loop at site 8. Cell service with T-Mobile: 5g connection with half bars filled, enough to watch a YouTube video without any lag / buffering. Unsure whether cell service holds up if you go further back.
TravelerVery muddy but easily found a spot. Not crowded at all (granted it is mid to late October but still).
GuidePerfect, no negative comments. The views are amazing. The sites are large with full hook ups. There is glamping and tents. Everything looks brand-new. Restrooms/ showers are meticulous. There is firewood available, nice firepits. You can buy propane. Very friendly couple that own and host the camping/ rv site. They guide you to your campsite. In one word perfect, we will be back
ScoutSmall camp ground by the stream with metal fire rings.
GuideI arrived around 4 on a Friday in the fall and it was packed. I had to leave but came back the following Monday and there were lots of spots right off 550 close to Ouray
The San Juan Mountains near Placerville offer diverse terrain for primitive camping at 9,000-10,000 feet elevation. During summer, daytime temperatures can reach 80°F but drop into the 40s overnight at higher elevations, requiring proper layering. Many dispersed sites require negotiating unmarked forest roads where conditions change rapidly after rain.
Fishing in alpine lakes: Alta Lakes Campground provides access to productive trout fishing waters. "The lake is amazing, people were fishing, although I didn't see anyone pulling out fish," notes one Alta Lakes visitor. Another camper recommends: "We brought our canoe so that we could try and catch lunch for the couple days we were there... we caught two rainbow trout and they were lunch both Saturday and Sunday."
Explore mining history: The area contains numerous historic sites from Colorado's mining era. "Check out Alta ghost town (abandoned mining town), which used to serve Gold King Mine," recommends a visitor. At Alta Lakes, "The ghost town comes before the campground... You can't explore any of the buildings, at least not legally, but you can see them and experience what used to be."
Creek-side relaxation: Many dispersed sites sit along flowing water. At Red Mountain Creek, one camper reports: "Camping right on the creek with a cool night breeze was amazing." The sound of rushing water provides natural white noise that masks other camping sounds.
Privacy between sites: Site configuration varies significantly throughout the region. A camper at Priest Lake Dispersed Camping Area observed: "Having the vault toilet is a nice perk for a dispersed camping site, and the views are second to none!" Another noted: "Priest lake is by trout lake. Not far from telluride. We pulled in shortly after lunch on a Friday and it was already somewhat crowded but by bed time it was packed. But, from our site, we couldn't tell."
Easy town access: Many sites offer wilderness experience within reasonable distance to services. "Nice remote site stayed for two nights in mid june, make sure to download maps before you go as there is no cell service," advised one Hermosa Park Road camper. At Priest Lake, a visitor noted: "This might be the best spot near Telluride, we drove there in the middle of the night after a full moon & just randomly picked that campground."
Wildlife viewing: The region supports diverse animal populations. One Angel Creek camper reported: "Beautiful site with amazing spots for ground tents. Full of wildlife, Bear, elk, fox and the marmot highway." Morning and evening hours provide best viewing opportunities when animals are most active.
Early arrival recommended: Competition for prime spots intensifies on weekends. At Alta Lakes, a visitor advised: "There were about 20 spots at the lake area it was a pretty location. There were a few spots open on a Thursday afternoon when we arrived. Seemed to fill up by Friday." Another camper experienced: "This campsite fills up quite quickly. We arrived relatively early, but were unable to find a site."
Toilet facilities vary: Most dispersed areas have minimal or no facilities. At Angel Creek Campground, a camper observed: "Nice sized camp spots. I was told the bathroom was gross so I didn't even try going in there after watching a bunch of people open the door and walk out without use." Always pack toilet paper, as supplies are unreliable.
Weather changes rapidly: Summer storms are common in the mountains. "When we were there there was a lot of wind so we were at the top of the valley and the wind would just rush up and you could hear it coming. Then our tents would suck in and puff out. It was insane. It got pretty chilly at night and rained most of the days," reported one Alta Lakes visitor.
Swimming options: Several alpine lakes offer summer swimming. An Alta Lakes camper noted: "One of those classic colorado vistas, with outdoors feel, safe swimming for children and all round good times." Water remains cold even in summer, so afternoon swimming works best.
Bear awareness: Teaching children proper food storage is essential for the best tent camping near Placerville, Colorado. "Bears are extremely active in this area, so it is especially important to store food in bear canisters and tie up properly," warns a Priest Lake visitor. Some campgrounds provide bear boxes while others require storing food in vehicles.
Limited level ground: Many sites require careful tent placement. At Fall Creek Camping, a visitor observed: "To be fair, it was raining when we pulled in but still, just a dirty field with limited spots and only 1 level area." Another camper added: "We found the area suited our 18 foot travel trailer. Was a little tricky getting it level but was manageable."
Road access challenges: High-clearance vehicles are necessary for many sites. One camper at Alta Lakes warned: "4WD recommended for the drive up - water crossings and some good ruts." At Priest Lake, visitors report better access: "We are pretty sure someone was living in the big one as there was a cot set up with a whole lot of clothes in the back room."
Length restrictions: Smaller RVs and campervans fare better than large rigs. "We camped here in a campervan and it was perfect! We arrived around 7pm and were able to find a place to park, but if you have a larger vehicle or need a spot for a tent, I'd try to arrive a bit earlier," advises a Priest Lake visitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Placerville, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Placerville, CO is Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) with a 4.4-star rating from 49 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Placerville, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 45 tent camping locations near Placerville, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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