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Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period at any location within the same 20-mile radius. See Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
Five miles north of Nederland, National Forest System Road (NFSR) 226, commonly known as Gordon Gulch, turns east off of Colorado Highway 72. NFSR 226 intersects other forest roads: NFSR 314, 228, 233 and their off-shoots. There are 15 numbered, designated campsites scattered along the road system within 1.5 miles east of Highway 72. Camping is permitted in designated sites only. Take care when driving in this area. Snow and mud can persist through most of the year. The free Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System (NFS) routes open to motorized travel and is available online and at the Boulder Ranger District offfice.
Streams; treat water for drinking.
With a few exceptions, dispersed camping is allowed on National Forest System lands. Restrictions protect resources, minimize road damage, and reduce conflicts between landowners and visitors. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days in one location. After 14 days, the campsite must be moved a minimum of three miles. Camping can then continue for another 14 days. Camping is restricted to 28 days in any 60-day period. Some areas may require the use of designated campsites, and some areas, such as Indian Peaks Wilderness, require camping permits. More than 40% of lands within Boulder Ranger District's boundaries are private property. It is your responsibility to know if you are on private or public land.
NOTE: Campers who build any fires face fines up to $5,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment for open fire violations.
Leave No Trace must be observed, as in any outdoor space.
In any season this area is prone to very strong dry winds that can pick up a hot coal from a campfire that has lain dormant for as much as three days and ignite dry vegetation, causing horrific devastation. People from outside Colorado may not understand how tinder dry this area can be. 197 homes in this area have been destroyed by wildfires. All of these fires were started by humans.
Local residents overlook this area and if they see visible flame or smoke they will call the Boulder County sheriff. Any campers who require a campfire are recommended to disperse camp near Sugarloaf Mountain where fires are permitted.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days.within any continuous 30-day period. at any location within the same 20-mile radius. see Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period at any location within the same 20-mile radius. See Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
Guide
The place fills up on the weekend. I drove through most of the trail system and did not find a spot. Came back during the week and took a closer spot so as not to risk it. Trash is everywhere. Multiple poop spots are within 100ft of the fire pit with copious amounts of used tp lying around. Trees are slashed, cut, and the forest is not doing well. There are multiple long term campsites here so watch out for squatters. I stayed near the start and then a bit deeper, which prompted me to take photos. I forget the site numbers but honestly it’s not looking good in most places. At the very back are what look like a few nicer spots because they are hard to get to with a non off-road vehicle. It breaks my heart how this campground exists.
Guide
Two beat up, broken down cars at the entrance. Road is very rough, full of potholes from the start. Did not feel comfortable staying here.
Guide
Beautiful, but really need a compact 4x4 to get into and out of parking lot and there are tent sites only. We almost didn’t make it out with our 24 ft van (checked it out but didn’t stay overnight). Very crowded on a Saturday at 4:30pm.
Traveler
-Moderate to heavy foot traffic -Busy, mostly big groups staying at sites having their own fun but plan ahead for finding a site -Friendly and respectful people -Very well maintained sites, trails, signage, and other infrastructure -I’d recommend at least AWD but 2wd should absolutely be able to go on the main road and access most sites (2-4) wil require awd/4wd
TravelerWe camped a very short walk from the parking lot. Amazing camp site with not many people around.
Scout
Overall a very fun spot if you have a vehicle with some ground clearance to get to the nice sites by the reservoir. My Peak Edition Atlas handled it well. Only complaint is the damn project at Gross reservoir is a 24 hour site and the lights are ridiculously bright.
Scout
I went up Pole Hill road in a 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD off-road and it took everything in me to not scrape or bottom out. Lifted 4x4 is highly recommended.
Once you get past the off-road portion, the camping is amazing.
Scout
We parked in the parking lot and walked into the valley. After a while we found quite a lot of options with fireplaces already there. So you should mostly find something.
It is quiet, but also a popular spot for hikers so early in the morning, some people arrived. But you can camp far enough in the valley and away from the trail. Water is available if you have a purifier or filter system.
ScoutThere is no discernible reason that the road is closed 2 miles before where this app says the site is. Internet search says it should be open til middle of November unless there is some weather or other issue. Lovely weather, locked gate.
Traveler
Stayed here 2024/09/11. Easy access, well marked and well separated dispersed campsites. Good views. Only downside was distant traffic noise from I-80. Would stay here again.
Scout
The road is still closed
Scout
It can get a little windy, don't expect to do anything with the lake other than look at it. Locals are protective of it. Drove my Class C with no problem. A truck and trailer will also get down here with ease. I don't believe a Class A would be able to find anything. But the view is beautiful. There are a few spots coming in. Keep driving until you hit the lake and there is a large open area with several spots to park.
Guide
Found a nice big spot with sun and shade and a great overlook. Was a touch concerned that it would get ATV trafficy over the weekend as it was at a junction where 3 roads jet off. However upon inspection on mountain bike, they all dead end and aren't very long, so fun for a little bike ride but not much of an ATV or dirt bike adventure.
Being towards the end we saw very few people and it was quite and serene. We did it in our sprinter camper van with 2WD and pickup.
Only issue we had was due to the nature of disbursed camping not the site or area. A car with 3 men showed up Saturday evening. In the morning one of their dogs wandered over to our site (my husband had run into town so I was alone). Owner meandered over and retrieved her, without a word. Later the 3 of them started walking up one of the roads, them one walked across and just with the dog on the rock outcropping technically on our site. He eventually went back to their site. A while later one of the walkers returned and decided to use his metal detector on the road 30 from our site and right behind where I was sitting. There was oddles of space to explore so it was creepy that's he chose to be that close to me. As I got up to walk back to my van, the second dog came running at me barking. The guy eventually called it back and it left me alone, but again not a word.
I LOVE dogs, but I'm not a fan of their humans who don't keep them within their boundaries and let them charge after "the neighbors"
Except for the creepers, it was a wonderful place
Guide
You really want a 4x4 in this area to get to good spots. It’s crowded and can be sketchy in my experience as a fire fighter up there. Bike riders take offense to people shooting and vice versa. Can be loud at night and day with motorized vehicles.
Guide
Stayed here over a weekend and wanted to stay longer. Pulled our 33’ travel trailer and there were good spots off the road.
ScoutPlease text 603 404 8514 if you find a phone at site 15 !
Great spacious spot with picnic table and walkable to the reservoir
Scout
Great Verizon signal.
Windy but we more could hear the winds than feel them.
Bugs weren’t too bad. No animal (bear/moose) encounters or sightings, just lots of squirrels.
You can hear road noise from 36.
Driving down to town during the day, there were some people (probably from the adjacent campground) hiking the road.
Overall quiet at night (other than some road noise from 36). Not a bad spot!
TravelerCame up just before the sunset to the campsite and there were 3 other cars near to us. For a Saturday night it was no problem for us to find a site.
TravelerDrove out to this spot off Ski Road in Allenspark. Most spots sit on a creek that gives a good ambiance. Few spots need 4x4 or really good tires, but there’s a spot for everyone. Clear skies at night, but tree cover if you prefer. Quick drive to Estes Park. No Verizon cell service.
Traveler
Nice spots along the creek that runs along ski road.
TravelerAllenspark Dispersed Camping provides an exceptional spot to stay. Our spot was near the creek, the sound was beautiful. The only downside was absolutely no cell service. The directions landed us near someone’s home, however dispersed camping is about 1.5 miles further down Ski Rd. No fire due to the current fire ban.
Guide
had to drive pretty far on some dirt roads to get to the location maps took us too. also checked to see if there was service before going and said we would on verizon but not exactly true. there was some service at the sight we stayed at, 1 bar, but most of the road/sights there was nothing. not that odd for dispersed camping but just something to note.
we only saw one car drive in while we were there and saw a set up not too far from where we stayed but besides that didn’t hear or see anyone. very beautiful area and saw lots of deer on the drive in and drive out.
very good experience if you’re used to dispersed camping or being far from anyone else.
Traveler
Took a chance on this place for Saturday camping, arrived here around 10am, so many spots! My group of 6 took the second spot on the right, we hiked about a mile to the lake only to discover a whole different area for camping! The lake is private, but pretty cool rock formations that you can climb up. There's fire rings at every site, FYI there were little to know mosquitos at the first couple spots, but got worse as we walked towards the lake. No amenities, no cell service for ATT, Verizon, & T-mobile. Solid spot, close to Boulder!
Guide4x4 drive is a requirement. Good Verizon signal. Narrow road, however not busy at all. Stayed here for 4 days, no issue. The Google Maps directions is slightly wrong. There is a paid camping ground at the entrance that Google Maps attempts to make you drive through. Do not follow this direction. Instead take the road directly next to the campground. Google Maps incorrectly mistakes a hiking path that connects with this dirt road.
ScoutWe left on a Friday afternoon had a great spot next to the trail and just a little walk to the main lake. Our camp site had trash still so the previous didn’t pick up after themselves, the lake was “private” so couldn’t fish it unless you were a member of the place. So we had to drive down a few miles to even be near water and fish. We are in a fire ban which of course we were okay with no fires and respected the rule. But the folks across didn’t seem to think it applied to them so they had a huge fire going.. over all we made the best of it but there were things that didn’t make it our favorite place to be.
Guide
A lot of camping areas. Some of which could support RVs. There is a container of water that is provided along the entrance Road for drowning fire pits. Verizon signal is very spotty. I was able to find one available spot that had two bars. Great View and great area. Stayed here for 2 days. Some of the further spots might require 4x4 access
GuideWe had the spot that was right on the creak. The sound of it made you fall right asleep! It was so so pretty! Only 30 minutes away from Estes Park. The only downside to it was that there was absolutely no service whatever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Timnath, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Timnath, CO is Hell Canyon Dispersed with a 3.2-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Timnath, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 56 dispersed camping locations near Timnath, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
