Best Tent Camping near Wetmore, CO
Phantom Canyon Road offers multiple dispersed tent camping areas in the BLM lands southwest of Wetmore, Colorado, along a scenic gravel road that follows a creek. Davenport Campground provides established tent sites with some amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. Both locations offer distinctly different tent camping experiences within reasonable driving distance from Wetmore in the San Carlos Ranger District of the Pike National Forest.
Most tent sites at Phantom Canyon Road are primitive with no services or amenities beyond occasional fire rings. The gravel road is generally well-maintained but higher clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing some of the more secluded sites. Sites vary from roadside pull-offs to more secluded spots requiring short walks to reach creekside locations. A visitor commented, "We found an amazing camp site that was down a slope. We parked up top and lugged everything down the slope. It was tough but so worth it." Pack-in water is essential as no potable water exists on site. Vault toilets are located at limited locations along the canyon road.
In contrast, Davenport Campground offers walk-in tent sites with more established amenities. Each site includes a fire pit with grill and picnic table, and some sites feature log shelters over the tables. According to one camper, "It has a couple of sites with shelter. Picnic tables are big and heavy. Site 9 has a shelter and is close to parking lot and toilet." The sites are relatively close together but remain peaceful with creek access nearby. A hand pump for water is available but slow to use. The campground provides clean vault toilets and is located on a maintained Forest Service road. Sites at both locations fill quickly on summer weekends, with Phantom Canyon offering better options for last-minute tent campers seeking seclusion in the rugged high desert terrain.
