Hermosa Creek Trailhead - Dispersed Camping

## Overview

Cayton Campground is located along the San Juan Skyway (Colorado Highway 145) and the Dolores River. Visitors enjoy the area for its great fishing, hiking and scenic driving opportunities.

## Recreation

The Dolores River is a popular fishing destination that can often be crowded on summer weekends. Anglers will find rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout.  
  
The area boasts some excellent trails. The Colorado Trail follows the ridge across Bolam Pass. The Lizard Head and Cross Mountain Trails near Lizard Head Pass lead to alpine basins surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks.  
  
The Barlow Creek Road continues past the campground and crosses Bolam Pass with spectacular views. Road conditions near the pass often limit travel to four-wheel drive vehicles. The route eventually connects with the Hermosa Park Road, behind Durango Mountain Resort, and leads to U.S. Highway 550.

## Facilities

The campground offers 27 single-family campsites, many of which are situated along the river. Eighteen sites offer electric hookups. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets, drinking water and a dump station are provided.

## Natural Features

The campground is situated near the banks of the Dolores River, in a grassy meadow surrounded by fir and aspen trees. At an elevation of 9,400 feet, campers should expect cool evenings. 

## Nearby Attractions

The Priest Gulch Trailhead, 11 miles southwest of Rico, leads to the alpine country west of the campground. The Bear Creek Trail, 14 miles south of Rico, heads southeast into the La Plata Mountains. Other nearby trails include the Calico National Recreation Trail and the Rico-Silverton Trail.  
  
Highway 145, which runs between the campground and Telluride, offers some of the most majestic scenery along the San Juan Skyway, including views of the "[14ers](http://www.14ers.com/)," which are peaks over 14,000 feet.

## Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. 

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. 

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. 

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Cayton Campground

## Overview

Target Tree Campground is located 7 miles east of Mancos on the north side of Highway 160 at an elevation of 7,643 feet. It is the ideal camping spot for day trips to Mancos, Durango and Mesa Verde National Park.  
  
The name, "Target Tree," refers to the Ute Indians' use of the area to harvest sap and bark from Ponderosa pines as food supplements. They also used the trees for target practice, leaving several scarred trees throughout the area.

## Recreation

Visitors may enjoy taking a short, accessible interpretive trail to view a historic target tree. The campground is also known for its great birding opportunities, with a sign in the campground that lists species found in the area.   
  
The Narrow Gauge Trail begins within the campground and climbs 3.4 miles to an old railroad grade. The rails were placed just three feet apart to allow trains to navigate through the rugged mountains.

## Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites, many of which meet accessibility standards and are equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.  
  
A group site can accommodate up to 50 people and 10 vehicles. It also offers two divided corrals for those camping with horses. The site contains two pull-through sites and four parallel sites for RVs.   
  
Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided.

## Natural Features

The campground sits on a south-facing hillside overlooking Thompson Park. A Ponderosa pine and Gambel oak forest provides shade in many sites. The area is hot during the summer, but cools off significantly at night. 

## Nearby Attractions

Southwestern Colorado, part of the Four Corners region, contains over 4,000 archaeological sites and over 600 cliff dwellings. Mesa Verde National Park is 1 hour and 45 minutes south, close enough for a day trip. Other sites within a few hour's drive include the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Canyon of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monument.

Target Tree Campground

## Overview

Transfer Campground, located approximately 11 miles north of Mancos, Colorado in the San Juan National Forest, is known for its access to many area recreation trails. 

## Recreation

Recreational opportunities abound at and near this facility for horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and ATV riding. Many campers bring their ATVs and motorbikes to ride on the Aspen Loop Trail (just 1/2 mile north of the campground).   
  
There are a number of trailheads nearby the campground, including Big Al Interpretive Trail, Rim Trail and Box Canyon Trail. More trails are available in the surrounding area including: Chicken Creek Trail, Morrison Trail, Gold Run Trail and West Mancos Trail. 

## Facilities

The campground offers 12 first-come, first-serve family sites and one overnight group site.   
  
The reservable group site has five double picnic tables, a large group area, a serving table and cooking grills. A vault toilet restroom is located near the group area.   
  
The 12 first-come, first-serve campsites offer one vault toilet and barrier free camping. Parking spaces are small, but can accommodate some RVs.   
  
Horses are not allowed in the campground, but there are corrals with five sites adjacent to the campground on Forest Road 561. 

## Natural Features

The campground is situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Surrounded by whispering aspen and making for a great camping atmosphere, visitors will enjoy the sounds of birds and the occasional horse neighing in the corrals across the road. 

## Nearby Attractions

Visit the Jackson Gulch Reservoir, just six miles south of the campground for a relaxing day of fishing or hike one of the many trails nearby the campground. Visit the historic town of Mancos and learn about the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited this area from approximately AD 1 to AD 1300.

## Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. 

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

Group Sites

Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. 

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. 

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Transfer Campground

Hermosa Park Road Dispersed

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This small campground has sites available for $15 a night on a first come first serve basis only. There is no water available at this campground. Tables and fire grates are at each site. A toilet is in the parking lot adjacent to the Hermosa Creek Trailhead. The parking lot is large enough for vehicles and horse trailers

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Sig Creek Campground, 32 miles north of Durango, has 9 campsites on a southfacing hillside about 1/4 mile from the East Fork of Hermosa Creek. The campground is 6 miles west of Durango Mountain Resort on the Hermosa Park Rd. (Forest Rd. 578), accessible by 2WD. Much of this gravel road follows the route of the Scotch Creek Toll Road, which ran from Rico to the Animas Valley in the late 1800s. The road continues over Bolam Pass to Colorado Highway 145 north of Rico. The upper section is 4WD only.The upper trailhead for the Hermosa Creek Trail begins 2 miles past the campground, near the confluence of the main and east forks of Hermosa Creek. This multiple-use trail heads back to the town of Hermosa through the Hermosa Roadless Area. The trail offers a technical single-track experience for mountain bikes (at 19 miles, taking most of a day, including shuttle drops). A few camping sites are available at the trailhead, which has a toilet, picnic tables, fire grates, corral, and parking area.

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Dispersed camping is a great way to enjoy the experience of camping away from developed campgrounds. Keep in mind, there are no picnic tables, drinking water, or toilets available.

Please review when planning your trip Dispersed Camping Regulations and Guidelines: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd766784.pdf

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The Best Camping in San Juan National Forest, Colorado

Top San Juan National Forest Campgrounds

Transfer Campground

Hermosa Park Road Dispersed

Hermosa Creek Trailhead - Dispersed Camping

Cayton Campground

Kroeger Campground

Lower Hermosa Campground

Target Tree Campground

Sig Creek Campground

Columbine Campground

Spruce Mill Road - Dispersed Campsite

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Hermosa Creek Trailhead - Dispersed Camping

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