Best Dispersed Camping near Woodland Park, CO

Only 18 minutes from Woodland Park, but you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. Tucked back in National Forest land.

Nice area that has some flat or flatish spots for smaller RV and campers. It is normally busy with atv, dirt bike and jeeps. 15 min drive from woodland park.

Initially looked for camping along the South Platte at Happy Meadows but with a 1 year old, we figured campers wouldn't want to hear him screaming in the middle of the night or the cries of my wife as she struggles with her sanity. We pushed a little further north and took the right hand turn onto Matukat road. We drove a couple of miles up the decently maintained dirt road and found the second dispersed camping spot and decided to set up our roof top tent for the night. 

Looking at a map, it looks like the road goes on for quite a ways but we never explored past the spot we stayed in. Up to the point where we camped, 2-wheel drive was more than enough to get us to our spot nestled in the rocks. The dispersed camping spots we saw seemed very easy to get to and we never needed to put our truck in 4WD. 

Since these sites are dispersed camping, don't expect any toilets or amenities. Some spots did have pre-made (from campers before) fire pits and there seemed to be an abundance of dead wood but actual wood cutting in the Pike National Forest needs to have a permit so keep that in mind. We dealt with some crazy wind so a fire wasn't even in question. Be sure to check with the local ranger station before starting a fire in the area, especially since this is a burn area.

These are blm campsites. There are pit toilets right when you cross into blm land and a sign that explains that you have to camp in designated areas. Like most blm locations there is a 14 day max.

We got our 19 foot travel trailer into a spot with icy conditions, but the road does get quite a bit rougher if you keep going in. Great T-Mobile and Verizon service (2+ bars of 5g)

Rampart Range Road is the main dirt road that has plenty of smaller trails branching off of it to keep you busy exploring all summer. Rampart Range Road is accessible by 2wd vehicles while some of the smaller trails that branch off of Rampart Range Rd do better with a 4wd with high clearance. The southern portion of the road (south of Devils Head Trail) is open year around while the northern half of the road is closed seasonally during winter. Easily accessible outside of Woodland Park on the south end of the road and west through Sedalia. Lots of dispersed camping sites along the road, some are very large and could easily accommodate a large RV or large groups. Other campsites are tucked away off the road a little which is great because this road can be very busy & dusty in the summer. All in all, this place makes for a fun and easy weekend getaway as long as some ohv traffic doesn’t bother you too much. The best part of Rampart Range Road is the several forest service roads that branch off with dispersed camping. These smaller trails and dispersed camping make for a much more relaxing and peaceful weekend, I highly recommend if you have a 4x4. Find the right forest service road and you’ll feel like you are a million miles from it all.

This was our first ever boondock spot on National Forest land. Most of the sites were inaccessible in our 33 foot travel trailer but we found one last minutes. We were right on the road in and OHV traffic was common along with the noise and dust. Still, it wasn't bad and the price was good. There are better places nearby if you're not into OHV riding. Early July 2022

My family of 4 and 2 dogs drove over 1,000 miles from Illinois to this area in hopes of finding a dispersed camping site with a view and we were blessed to find this spot off Rampart Range road. We arrived on a Sunday in late September around 2:00pm. This site has an amazing sunset view every night. The nights were cold some lows 32° and it snowed the first night which we were hoping for❄ The sunrises were stunning watching the sunlight slowly shed light on the golden aspens was a beautiful sight.

Access GPS Cascade-Chipita Park, CO 38.9694000, -105.0081000

To get to this spot from Rampart range road was a bit tricky pulling a 28ft trailer with a Chevy Suburban 2500 The road up after Loy Creek rd was EXTREMELY washboard for the next few miles we drove very slow we did this twice a day for 3 days it was the dreaded drive on the way back to base camp each night. Fortunately on day 4 they brought equipment in and leveled the road so the next few trips were nice and getting the camper out was a breeze. Turning off Rampart Range rd there are few ruts that were big but we made it in ok. The spot at the very end is very large and has a perfect view of Pikes Peak and plenty of hammock trees ideal if you can make it that far we were unable to make it due to a tight space between 2 trees large rocks and deep ruts so we set up camp at the spot right before this. We did help a couple with a rig a bit smaller than ours (23ft I believe) through using boards in the ruts and some guidance.

Hiking Nearby is the Rampart Reservoir via Rainbow Gulch trail I recommend walking from the site due to limited parking at the trailhead. We took this hike and it was absolutely fantastic a majestic walk through the woods brings you to flowing creek that you follow all the way down to the reservoir.

Trash, Water, Propane & Food We stopped at a campground in Woodland park on the way in and were able to fill up with water before heading up the mountain for $10. If you are heading south from Woodland park on highway 24 to the left is a brown wooden sign that says PROPANE the building also says they file taxes too we forgot the name 🤦🏼‍♀️but we refilled a propane tank and filled our 6 gallon water container for $12. Pack out what you pack in! No dumpsters! We went to the Walmart in Woodland park 25 minutes from camp a few times and it was very nice and clean.

Safety We spent most of the days away from base camp but in the late afternoon and evenings it was mostly quite. We woke up a few mornings to other campers down the road from us usually only stayed one night. We stayed 5 nights Sunday to Friday. I did get an uneasy feeling about a few vans and cars that came to the area for a short time. We seen a few abandoned camps one that was closest to us a tent with a few pots and and a sombrero oddly. It appears it could be a homeless getaway but we never seen anyone. I never felt unsafe here. We seen very little wildlife at the site only an owl and a few birds however the drive to and from camp we seen many deer be cautious at night

I was visiting Woodland Park for about a week and happened to be there between snow storms. The days were about 60F and the nights were around 30F, mild winds. 

I found the roads to have many impassable patches unless you have 4x4 though during more mild seasons, I would think any vehicle could get around on the roads. I've posted the signs for warnings and such. 

Given that I have a capable off-road vehicle, I was able to explore a bit and found a good pull off on the crest of a hill. I arrived each day just at sunset and left each day just after sunrise so I was pretty much just there to sleep. As a result, I didn't set up a proper campsite with fire, cooking set up and what-have-you. The sunset and sunrise were beautiful and the area was quiet for the most part. 

Each night, 3-4 vehicles drove (or attempted to drive) along the road down the hill from me. It didn't disturb me, I just took notice. Most turned around as they couldn't get past the first drift. One night, 7-8 large 4x4 vehicles roared around my site and stopped on the road for about an hour around 10:30pm. They roared off and didn't return. That was the only real disturbance I had and I don't begrudge them - everyone enjoys the outdoors in their own way. Let's just try to do it during the day next time, ok guys? Cheers.

The road leading to the area is paved and just feels like a regular rural road. It forks, you take the left fork, and come to a sign that says you're entering National Forest Land. After a bit, you come to a circuit of dirt roads that have signs for the most part. The dirt roads were VERY wash boarded when I was there and slowed me down a lot. 

Anyway - it was better than paying for a campsite or $120 per night for a hotel and I enjoyed myself.

Free area, lots of dispersed camping areas, but the main roads in is scored with ripples the whole way so it's gonna take a toll on your suspension. Definitely lots of wind up here both at night and in the day. Cell service works well out in the open. Great view of pike's peak.

It took us a bit to find a spot that worked for 4 hammocks. It was busier than we had thought on a Sunday evening. The park staff helped us out and were very helpful. In this dispersed camping area there were some good established campsite to use. The only down side was that the people before us had left a mess of trash behind. Other than that it turned out to be a great area to camp. 

This dispersed camp site has numerous spots with rock fire pits. There are a lot of dirt bikes and atvs driving during the day however I didn’t find it overly disruptive. The dirt road to get there can be tricky, but I witnessed multiple sedans driving by without issue. We had a moose and deer at our campsite during the mornings so I suggest being weary of wildlife.

Lots of places to walk and explore and there was still phone signal! Each spot is far away from another, especially if you drive further down. We didn’t hear anyone late into the night due to the distance.

Visited 8/2020

We really like this area! Tarryall Reservoir is an awesome location. To update from a different review; the ONLY camping is dispersed. There is a day use only area next to the reservoir with no overnight camping. Also, there is no water available, so bring plenty of water with you.

We were camped initially just off of an established 2-track road that was connected to Tucker Gulch Rd/County Rd 23. Members of our party had been camping in the exact same location for over a decade. Our campsite was consistent with every other dispersed camping I have ever done on NFS land.

After our first night, NFS staff came into our camp stating that we were camped illegally, couldn't make our own roads (again, we were off a 2-track road that was marked on maps of the area), and could not be more than 25 feet from an established and marked NFS road. After we packed up to move to another location, we noted brand new signage that was most certainly not there until after the staff members informed us of our "violation".

After relocating we parked within 25 feet of a marked NFS road. This was right next to other camps that were at least 200ft from the same road. Camping within 25 feet of the road brought with it heavy dust and noise from vehicles and UTV/ATV traffic.

With all of this said, the area is amazingly beautiful and the distance from the metro area is perfect. The area is huge with plenty of 4WD and non-4WD (one member in our group had a travel trailer) roads to find the perfect camping spot for you. We will definitely be going back even with our sour run-in with the NFS. And just to throw it out there; I love the NFS and I believe they're generally pretty awesome!

Note: After getting back in town and re-educating myself on San Isabel NF specific rules and regulations, I could not find anywhere where it states the 25 foot rule. Plus, I confirmed that we were not violating any rules.

Great dispersed camping here and relatively unknown, I was here for 3 days and didn’t see a single person.

Take County Road 77 southeast 8.3 miles to County Road 39, turn north, becomes dirt. Lots of dispersed camping in the next six miles. We even had cell service in the wilderness!

I noticed on here that it says there's water hookups and electric and Sewer excetera however this is dispersed camping and does not have any type of amenities at all. if you go up to the Meadows or thunder ridge it is a pay campgrounds and they do not have electrical water are sewer but they do have restrooms if I am remembering correctly. It's been 15 years since I've been up there to camp. Now if you're talking about the dispersed camping this is where all the kids from Monument and the areas go up to party on the weekends and it can get pretty Rowdy from what I understand. It's a beautiful area up there I could have it that but you need to be careful and Camp away from the kids.

CR 290 off Tarryall Rd. Campsites are all designated on 290 but there are numerous firepits on the side roads. The road to get up is very rutted. I recommend a high clearance vehicle. Definitely four wheel drive is required. I did see a Subaru forester up near the top. The sites are wide open once you get onto the plateau at the top. Easily could accommodate a big rig, but the issue would be getting it up the road. The views from the top are really nice. It opens out and you get some spectacular views of Pike National Forest. The sites are spacious with some pine tree coverage for tent campers. This would definitely be a possible back up spot if nothing on Matukat rd was available. Because they are dispersed there is no electrical hook ups or water. There’s no Creek running through the area. I imagine it would be really quiet and remote up here because the road to get in is going to deter a lot of people. We did find some spots with fire pits, but not sure you can camp there given there is no sign post reading designated campsite but they are off the main road so give it a try.

If you like dispersed camping with 360 views this is the place for you. This was our second time dispersed camping and off-roading here. Depending on which site you pick, you can get amazing views of Pikes Peak. The higher up you go, the more confident of a driver you will want to be as it can be tricky especially with trailers/campers. It’s fun to watch other ITV’s and dirt bikes drive past occasionally, but not enough to be annoying. Lots of dead/fallen trees for firewood. Many spots to choose from. Just look for spots with rock fire pits. Plus was we got cell service at our spot this time. It just depends how high up you are and what side of the mountain. For more photos and video visit @boldtexplorations on tiktok and Instagram