Best Dispersed Camping near Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Free dispersed camping with zero amenities but man made fire pits. Windy and cold but beautiful!

The location for this does not take you to a campsite but rather a sign that says “NO trespassing” it’s private property now but if you drive farther on the dirt road (about 5 minutes) and take a left at the sign that says 68 you will continue for 2 miles and find a trailhead with a campsite that is very nice. I parked at the trail head but continue down the road that’s there and there are designated free dispersed camping.

Look up forsythe canyon trailhead

PS This is up a very high mountain road. I have a 91 westfalia and I do not recommend for older vehicles such as. Puts lots of wear on it going up and down that huge hill.

This dispersed camping area is great for western access to Rocky Mountain National Park.

This site (and all Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness sites) is reservation only. Reservations can be made by searching "Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Permits" on Recreation.gov. The price per permit is $36. There is no dispersed camping within the park. 

Hard-sided bear canisters are required for storage of food and all other scented items from April 1st-October 31st. 

For more information on wilderness camping in Rocky Mountain National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm

This site (and all Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness sites) is reservation only. Reservations can be made by searching "Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Permits" on Recreation.gov. The price per permit is $36. There is no dispersed camping within the park. 

Hard-sided bear canisters are required for storage of food and all other scented items from April 1st-October 31st. 

For more information on wilderness camping in Rocky Mountain National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm

It was pretty rough driving in, there were so many “private” lands even when you hit the national forest. The dispersed camping we found had 3 sites stacked on top of each other. Went a little further up the road and did find much else except more houses. It’s right next to a hiking trail which is great on cold afternoons. Stars were beautiful too very little light pollution.

29 really spread out dispersed camping spots along a very long road. Some of them are hard to find. A few really awesome hiking trails a couple different lakes to choose from for fishing kayaking. It’s along rd 151 you also have Peterson lake nearby as well. I found two group campgrounds that are pay per night (22 a night) they have toilets and water. The dispersed by Peterson lake was very rough road high clearance recommended. The 151 to long draw relatively smooth and vehicle could make it

Free camp sites. First come, first serve

WARNING: The road to the camping locations is very bumpy, narrow, and has some large rocks. AWD with high clearance or 4x4 is recommended.

This location was great! I was looking for a quick dispersed camping spot near Dillon, Co that was not to far from town. Take Rock Creek Trailhead off of country road 1350. There are roughly 4-5 large spots where an RV could be parked, and then lots of drive in, or tent spots. The best camp spots are tent locations that require you to leave your car, but I was able to find a great spot near the river with plenty of space for a full size truck with roof top tent.

Road stretches for quite a ways into the national forest with lots of pull off camping spots many that are hidden Forrest gems as well. It makes you feel as if the camping area is very remote and far from people. I have camped a couple spots along this road both with creepy vibes at nighttime especially late at night when the wildlife is much more active. Overall hiking to the peaks of mountains to get the views is great and stargazing at 2am is absolutely stunning.

Used an F150 with aftermarket tires pulling a 19' travel trailer with also larger tires. I think I bottomed out the tongue once on the ride up once you get past Campsite 6 or 7. 

There are some serious potholes and rocks so if you have low clearance, hit one of the early sites. They are not as secluded, but it's a great area for free camping with a town only 15-minute drive away.

I got here on a Thursday evening about 6 and saw plenty of people drive in after me only to turn around so I think the deeper spots past 10, 11, 12 area get filled much earlier.

So the Gordon Gulch dispersed camping area has around 15 numbered sites that are ok... but if you keep driving further down 233.1 you will find many more unnumbered campsites. I am reviewing one of these unnumbered campsites in particular, because this one had the best view. Before you read too far, I can't guarantee you will be able to reach this campsite without a 4X4 high clearance vehicle. We got to the site with a Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Tacoma TRD so we had no problems... I can't definitely say a Subaru would make it though. In the pictures I have included a map of the Gordon Gulch trail system. Entering through the Gordon Gulch entrance and taking 226.1 to 233.1 is the hardest route - there is one very steep and washed out spot. Entering via 120J/Switzerland Trail from the Peak to Peak Hwy and then turning right onto 233.1 is the easier option. On that map I have marked the general area of the campsite with a pink dot and here are the coordinates.

DMS: 40°01'18.5"N 105°28'37.6"W

DD: 40.021814, -105.477103 - if you type this into Google Maps it will locate it

As for the actual campsite, it is a great option for spring/fall camping in Colorado. The elevation is about 8,800 ft and it is on the south side of a hill so it gets a lot of sunlight and is protected from northern winds. In terms of privacy, there are no other campsites that can be seen from this one. However, Gordon Gulch is a popular off-roading area so dirt bikes and Jeeps pass by frequently. This campsite is set up high above and away from the road though, so it is really not that bad. Another thing to point out is that this is a popular area for shooting as well, so if you absolutely hate guns it may not be the place for you. Also, as stated before, this is a dispersed campsite the only thing it has is a fire ring. Pack it in, pack it out!

Very close to Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park. Didn’t look like there were too many spots but the spots I did see were nice. Had no trouble finding a spot on a Sunday evening

I first camped in Colorado last year with a friend and we chose this dispersed due to it being close to travel too- yet still dispersed. I’ve come back 4 other times to camp here!

This trail does require some 4x4 action to get to the top. Lots of rocks, bumps, and pools of water to travel through to get anywhere.

The trail has a decent amount of dispersed sites along the way up to the top, although you can not camp the first mile or two, they are residential.

Even at the end of the trail, next to the reservoir there are some great spots to camp at. And a hike around the reservoir would show you that you could even do a bit of backpacking if you wanted to camp by a waterfall for the night.

This place has become a favorite camping spot of mine, and a place I love to bring friends. Quite clean, very scenic, and a beautiful creek rushing by most of the camp sites. There is also a really cool teepee stand waiting to be used to camp under at the top!

This is a nice free camping site off of peak to peak highway. Mountain View’s and lots of wildflowers.

Several sites with rock fire pits. Close to beaver reservoir but apparently it is a private reservoir. Still great option for free camping

7/14/22- 7/18/22: If it weren't for the burned trees, the view would be super nice. This site overlooks both Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake. Here, we were well positioned for the drive 20-minute drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance north of the town of Grand Lake. Except for the occasional off-road vehicle and the horse flies, it was quiet and enjoyable. Aargh, the flies bite something fierce.

Drove more than 35 - 45 mins from boulder expecting a decent dispersed camping area like normal, but don’t let this fool you!! It is all residential and private land! I honestly don’t know of any dispersed camping near the city of boulder and so far this app is deceiving. Read the reviews before you head out!

Gold Lake Road is one of the best spots for dispersed camping in the area. There are a ton of spots on the way to the lake. I've been able to find a spot even on a summer Saturday, which can be hard to do in many of these dispersed camping zones outside of Boulder. Convenient access to RMNP and Indian Peaks Wilderness.

This area is in National Forest so it is free and there are no “designated” spots but there are lots of spots where people have made fire pits. Beautiful views and you don’t need 4x4.