Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp near Watkins? Find everything from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking with The Dyrt. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the trees or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area contains over 50 miles of multi-use, non-motorized trails that tie into the Colorado Trail in several places. There are numerous options available for riding or hiking. Some of the old logging roads provide two-track while connecting trails offer single track. It takes about an 1.5 hours to drive to this area from Denver. Please know and respect local area restrictions including; parking and camping in designated sites only. Developed camping is available at nearby Forest Service campgrounds including Buffalo, Green Mountain, Kelsey, and Meadows Group Campground.
Part of Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. Mount Herman Trail begins at a small parking area on a switchback on Mount Herman Road. This trail provides a 2-mile one-way hike to the summit of Mt. Herman.
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.
The Rainbow Falls area offers many motorized roads and trails for four-wheel drive and off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. This area contains several motorized trails open to motor vehicles 50 inches, or less, in overall width. The roads and trails in this area connect to the North Rampart Range OHV riding area as well. The North Rampart Range riding area is managed by the South Platte Ranger District. Be sure to consult with the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for offical Forest Service routes that are open to motorized vehicles. Free Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) are available at your local Forest Service Ranger District office. Please pick up a MVUM before you head out. These maps identify the designated Forest Service roads, and the designated motorized trails, that are open to motorized use. They also and identify what types of vehicles are allowed on the different types of routes that are displayed on the MVUM.
Don't want to camp in a developed campground? There are many places on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands where you can pitch a tent and practice low impact camping techniques. Dispersed camping is primitive, undevleoped, frontcountry "car camping".
Remember: when dispersed camping, no toilets, trash service, or potable water, are available. Store all food and trash securely, and pack out what you pack in. Practice Leave No Trace.
Please observe the following requirements when dispersed camping:
In some areas, dispersed camping and parking is allowed in designated sites only. Do not create resource damage by driving off-road, beyond designated parking locations, or behind barriers. Parking should be within 30' of site markers where posted. Developed sites, including trailheads and picnic areas, are closed to overnight camping and allow for day use activities only. Tread lightly, and avoid trampling sensitive vegetation. Locate your camp at least 100' from any water source. Use catholes to properly dispose of human and pet waste; bury waste in a cathole at least 6-8" deep and 200’ from any water source. Packing out human and pet waste using self-contained waste disposal systems is encouraged. Campfires are allowed at overnight sites as long as fire restrictions aren’t in place. You may gather small amounts of down, dead wood for a campfire. Use existing fire rings; keep your campfire small and always make sure it is completely extinguished before leaving. No campfires outside of designated overnight sites. BEARS and other wildlife When you go to the mountains and forest, you are in bear county. Do not leave ANY food, trash or other animal attractant unattended. Store all food and trash securely and pack out what you pack in. Failing to do so can result in a fine. Also be aware that; where not otherwise restricted, camping or leaving camping equipment at any location more than 14 days within a continuous 30 day period, and/or occupying any campsite within three miles of any prior camping or equipment location for a combined total of more than 28 days within any continuous 60 day period, is prohibited. Also, leaving camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours is not allowed. In addition; discharging a firearm is prohibited within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; or across or on a National Forest System road or a body of water, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge. Plan your trip; phone ahead for restrictions and special regulations. Contact your local Ranger District office for more information.
Ranger
The road here has some gnarly washboards. I had to slow down to a crawl at points because it was thrashing my rig around so much. There is also one turn on the road where if you’re not careful, I could imagine getting stuck. However, the views are incredible and it was well worth the effort. Cell signal from Verizon is extremely good, I am getting 5G UWB and download speeds of 180mbps. There’s some cool hills to climb and many great views.
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.
Guide
Idk who did this but luckily there is service but anything nearby is outta the way. Says need permit online access filled it all out $10 plus camping. Dispersed without wheels requires a $4 fee too
ScoutFinally, a nice campsite on a road that isn't horrible. There are 30+ designated, numbered, dispersed campsites on this road. Each of them have a parking area right along the road with a fire ring a short distance away surrounded by awesome rock outcroppings. The parking areas tend to be very unlevel and there are only a few that you can pull right up to your campsite. #6 had a level spot large enough for my van and the camping area just a few steps away. These are great campsites and the area is really awesome. After so many horrible roads and places closed, it was a blessing to find this spot. The road is a bit of a washboard, but that is nothing compared to most of the forest roads in Colorado. Highly recommended! Cell service with At&t in site 6 is decent. Calling is 2 bars. at least half of the sites are big rig friendly. All of the sites are 100% free.
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.
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.
Guide
Spent two nights here, lots of traffic but not enough to bother!
The only thing to dislike is the washboards but any reasonable suspension you’ll be fine.
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
There are many great spots much closer to the road (i.e. 20m less driving). Beautiful area. Relatively clean where we parked. Not crowded. Close to denver.
ScoutWe usually take this road up to get to Wellington lake or I’m here to go mountain biking. All dispersed camp sites are numbered and on the side of the road and there’s some really great looking spots but they are always taken. No matter what day of the week or time of day we have gone, not one single spot has been open. It looks like a lot of people are there tent camping and might have just gotten lucky, but I really do think people are poaching these sites and staying semi-permanently in their vans and campers. Good luck getting a spot here! Happy hunting
GuideI camped here for a little over a week. There is plenty of dispersed camping along the mountainous Road. Four wheel drive is required. There is also some dispersed camping allowed at the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain. However it is common for homeless people to be there and or larger size vehicles to be camping there. There is good Verizon signal for a while going up the mountain. It does go away once you get closer to the top. The larger camping sites are located closer to the top. With great views. Lower down on the mountain there are some spots to pull off on the side of the road. I camped like this for a while and walked a short distance to a pre-made camp fire. This is a popular place to camp especially over the weekends. So the road is a bit busy and narrow at some points
Scout
Found a great little campsite and had a fox as a neighbor! Only downfall was there was broken glass everywhere 😔
ScoutThis area is beautiful with lots of great sites available along mt. Herman rd. Looked at 3-4 different sites all had a decent amount of broken glass so be careful with pets/little ones. Certain areas of this road are heavily graded so take it slow if need be
ScoutRolled in around 5 on a Friday and got a great little spot. Clean campsites and there were a number open Saturday morning when we drove to the end of the trail. Drove around the reservoir to kayak from the north end Saturday morning.
ScoutRoad on the way in is a washboard for a few miles and then a little sketchy but I made it with my 20ft Class B. There are 8 sites along this road. You have to camp in designated areas. The first 3 are out in the open and then the remaining 5 are past the trailhead. Nice area for Starlink and solar and dog walks. It’s a burn site.
TravelerWas desperate to find "something" after driving 11 hours that day, and normal paid camp grounds were full. HOWEVER I was pulling a smaller trailer, and that turned out to be a real issue. The hill getting to the site should not be a problem for any 2wd car/truck, but with the extra weight of the trailer it was definitely sketchy getting there, then once we got to the "parking lot" there was no place to turn around a trailer. I ended up backing up at least 1/8 of a mile to find a safe space to turn around.... so don't try to bring a trailer here, not even a teardrop camper.
We found a level place to park for the night at this location, and pulled out 1st thing in the morning.
Not trying to say there is anything wrong with the spot, but stay away with campers/trailers, and use it for tents only.
TravelerSpent a couple nights here in September 2023. Very quiet area and the spots are a good distance apart. Well maintained dirt road right off 2 lane paved road.
ScoutThis campsite has a well established fire pit with a rock ring and an established tent pad. Very good views. Site has some exposure. Tent pad has four pines around it.
ScoutRoad was very rutted and bumpy, definitely best to have 4x4.
Pretty drive with awesome boulders. Camp spots were all taken by Saturday afternoon. To be expected but was worth a try!
We decided to cross this one off our list as the drive on the road conditions is not worth the campsites in our opinion.
RangerVery cool stay in the National forest. Campsites were super far away from each other. My only issue is that there was a lot of people who clearly set up their spots days in advance to camp the weekend because I got in late Thursday and left early on Friday and there were spots with just tents/campers set up and no vehicles/signs of life
ScoutBeautiful spot with easy access to lots of trails and Wellington lake. Only downside is that it is very difficult to find a spot on a weekend. We got up there around 6:30pm on Friday night and after driving around for a couple hours ended up bailing and going home. We pushed our luck and went back on Saturday morning and were lucky enough to catch someone as they were leaving, but I can't imagine that would happen again. If you're only available for a weekend, it may be best to plan for a day trip up here instead.
ScoutClosed summer of 2024 due to restoration. Google maps took me the back route to this which has road closures. Went through the main entrance to find more closures.
ScoutWent with a small group and got the second to last spot on Saturday morning. Lots of giant bugs but they went away at night! We were able to climb some rocks by our site for a great sunset view.
Scout
Road is rough, as discussed in other comments. Make sure you have good clearance or you will bottom out.
ScoutHonestly, beautiful day for camping. Got really windy at night. Definitely need a high clearance vehicle. I saw a low clearance vehicle at site 6 & no idea how they got there.. they had to have gotten scraped up. Going up past site 6 is a steep hill where 4x4 is highly recommended. We ended up turning around there but probably could have made it if I picked a good line. Campsites looked clean and maintained. Will be back to try getting past campsite 6 again :)
Ranger
This could have been a nice place. But, there are shooting areas all around and you hear that most of the day. There are beautiful Jeep and bike trails all over. Great views. Endless supply of firewood because the US Forest service has no clue what forest maintenance is. Fishing isn’t far away off the west side towards 67. Woodland Park is an easy drive if you forget something. Just the shooters are an issue. FR 315 is away from the shooting and has nice areas with some flatter locations and more trees.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Watkins, Colorado, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, you'll be able to enjoy the great outdoors in peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Watkins, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Watkins, CO is Buffalo Creek Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Watkins, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 dispersed camping locations near Watkins, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
