Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Yampa? We've got you covered. Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.
ABOUT: Located in the heart of the Flat Tops just outside Yampa on Forest Service Road 900. This area has 26 designated dispersed camping sites. (Dispersed camping is defined as camping sites that are outside of the campgrounds andd o not have services such as toilets, electric, water or trash.) Though these sites offer less tree shade coverage than Bear Lake Campground, the views are wide open and spectacular of the reservoir and the Flat Tops at these designated sites. Potable water and vault toilets are available a few miles away at Bear Lake, Horseshoe and Coldsprings campgrounds. AMENITIES: Each designated dispersed site has 1 picnic table and 1 fire grate. BOAT REGULATIONS : Electric trolling motors and internal combustion engines _ are allowed. (This is the only reservoir combustion engines are allowed)_ HIKING NEARBY: There are 3 Trailheads located off Forest Service Road 900. Mandall Lakes Trailhead, Smith Lake Trailhead, and Stillwater Trailhead, all within a short driving distance. Stop into the Yampa Ranger Station for free trail guides. FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Please check with the Yampa Ranger Station to find out if there are any current fire restrictions. 970-638-4516 DIRECTIONS: From Downtown Yampa, Take Cty Rd 7 just behind the local General Store, (Montgomery’s) for 7 miles, it will then turn into gravel and this is when the road becomes Forest Service Road 900, stay on FS RD 900 for approximately 4 more miles until you see Yamcolo on the left side. It is the first of the three reservoirs located on Forest Service Rd 900. These sites can accomodate most trailers up to 35 feet depending on the site.
Please honor any signs that mention "private land" or "no camping" when in a dispersed area. Please practice Leave No Trace.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed in most places. From getting away from it all to just enjoying a weekend with friends, dispersed camping can make for a great story.
This Reservoir is located in Yampa, CO
The reservoir is accessed by Trail #1181. You must either hike in one mile on foot or by motorized ATV/OHV in the summer or by snowmobile in the winter. Note that ATV/OHV's must be under 50” wide.
Nearby to the trail is dispersed camping opportunities, as well as further down the road at Crosho Lake.
Both Crosho Reservoir and Allen Basin Reservoir provide good trout fishing opportunities.
Car camping opportunities at no cost are also located at Crosho Lake.
The Steamboat Springs area is east and north of Steamboat Springs, Colo. It is managed by the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District with a Ranger Station/Visitor Center in the town of Steamboat Springs. Recreation sites along Buffalo Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass are located within this area to include the popular waterfall hike, Fish Creek Falls. The area lies against the western ridge of the Continental Divide and the Routt National Forest. Multiple wilderness areas are nearby. The area is bountiful with recreation opportunities such as mountain biking, hiking, camping, and fishing, as well as winter sports such as skiing and snowmobiling, just to name a few. Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on most of the national forests. From getting away from it all to just enjoying a weekend with friends, dispersed camping can make for a great story. Across the forests, opportunities range from dispersed camping miles into wilderness or just off a forest road in designated dispersed areas. Make sure to bring everything you need when dispersed camping, as water, restrooms, and fire rings may not be available nearby, and always remember to follow Leave No Trace principles.
Traveler
Camp sites were plenty when I visited on a Thursday. Only people I saw were the forest service workers who were friendly and just out reminding people of the fire ban.
Traveler
Multiple sites up here for camping. Trailer/RV friendly.
Scout
Doggies loved it, not many people
Scout
Definitely would advise 4x4, and not for travel trailers at all. Bringing one up could lead to a serious situation , since there are no places to turn around whatsoever. That said, views were absolutely breathtaking. We also lucked out and saw the northern lights while at site.
Scout
Place has very good views from the mountain, however, the terrain isn't level. I found it difficult to get a good spot for my camper to be leveled.
Scout
Went out late on a Friday night. My timing was wrong to get a good spot, but I was hoping there would be at least one spot left, unfortunately all the established sites I could reach were taken! I couldn't get more than a few miles up the road, the first few were manageable in my Impreza but having a higher clearance vehicle is definitely ideal. I was able to find a spot to pitch my tent for the night, but it was far from level or smooth. Still, incredible views of the stars and absolutely gorgeous to see the Aspen leaves changing!
Guide
We came here after failing to find a dispersed location closer to Silverthorne. It turned out to be a hidden gem with lots of secluded sites. Plus the drive in/out is super easy (apart from the final road to the campsite; that requires a 4WD vehicle, without question) - it was more-or-less the same drive time as original choice. Just without the hassle of navigating a busy one-way dirt road.
Guide
Pretty good spot with ok views. Used starlink with no issues. Driver further up the road and found a good spot on the side of the road with a fire pit.
Legend
Very quiet spot. There were many other campers all around but did not hear any noise other than from highway nearby which wasn't disturbing at all. Easy access off highway although I didn't drive too far into the road as it was raining.
ScoutSummer is over, Labor Day evening, nobody except me here. 5-6 potential spots all in a row, lined up on dirt road that parallels 40 and far enough away to be quiet. Convenient to Steamboat 15 min.
Guide
Beautiful views, easy access with 30 ft TT. Water stream with lots of beaver dams. Great for riding our ebikes. Saw squirrels, deer, one moose, skunk (no spray), a couple prong horn sheep, eagle, endless beauty. Make sure you have full water supply Camp host Stanley is a great guy!
Scout
However what I found was designated site only camping mostly on the side of the road and they were not free. $10/night
Travelermy boyfriend and i went up friday after work, got there at like 7pm. this was actually a back up spot but turned out way better than our other options. there are multiple little jut outs at the start of the campground, people were there so I didnt see them. sites along the creek and theres a large meadow spot where we saw a few cars. we went to the second to last spot on the campgrounds to the left of the private property. be aware of the ranches and other private property, ngl i think we heard a gunshot one evening. but very few people around and this spot we got was insanely huge you could fit a large group in here. lots of land and trees but the best spot for a tent right but the fast flowing river. had a wooden barrel type thing as a table and a rock fire pit. we explored around the area but it also has lots of good hikes nearby! 10/10 recommend for a secluded weekend in nature.
TravelerPlenty of dispersed camping up Red Sandstone Road. Go 2.5 miles up a smooth dirt road once you leave the paved road to reach the start of camping (head right at a junction after those 2.5 miles). The road gets much more rough here, so take it slow, definitely some clearance needed (I was clear in my Subaru Forester). I found a great spot for 2 nights just before the Piney Lake Road junction. Seemed like there were plenty more options on the way up to that junction and leading up to the Lost Lake Trailhead. Managed to camp here on a Friday and Saturday summer night without any issue. Super quiet and beautiful spot. Hard to find any better option for free in this area.
Guide
Found a great little location on the creek. The area was busy, but the spots were separated very well. Off the main road we found a lightly traveled side road that led to the perfect camping spot. While the main road is well taken care of, some of the side roads definitely require an off-road vehicle. This is definitely going to be a place that we revisit.
Legend
Only dispersed camping I found from here to Trappers Lake. 4 sites, only the one in open area is suitable for TTs. Rest are more overland spots. No tables, no toilet, no wayer, no trash. No Cell signal.
Guide
This was our first stop on a week long road trip from Colorado Springs to the Oregon Coast and, honestly, we could have just hung out there and saved all the miles.
It was a such a beautiful area mid September. All the leaves were changing, it was cool and misty, the view was spectacular, yes it was rough as hell to get there, but totally worth it if you’ve got the rig for it.
My only note for the area was that there were a lot hunters walking through and around our camp, but everyone was polite and respectful.
TravelerCamp sites here are not well defined (look for fire rings). The trail is heavily rutted, and if it just rained gets incredibly muddy. Would definitely recommend a vehicle with decent 8”+ clearance, and decent all terrain tires if using the trail post rain. Otherwise my dogs loved playing in the sage brush.
TravelerLeaving this review for anyone else pulling trailer. You can get a small TT into the first 4-5 sites. I would not continue after what I think is site 5 on the right that has a fairly large rock fire pit and good loop for when leaving. Great parking area to drop and go scout with your vehicle first and I'd recommend doing so.
Mosquitos are definitely worse than usual, but otherwise a lovely spot. The tree coverage is affecting my solar generation enough where I may need to move sooner than I'd like
TravelerJust to update this since the last review had it closed. The road leading up to the summit is back open, but it is ROUGH. I had just done Rock Creek's drive up to dispersed near Dillon and thought that was bad, but this was worse.
You will not be able to get anything low clearance or anything you're towing that does not have independent suspension + high clearance (I dropped my 18' TT at Walmart and went to scout - glad I did) While I was 1/4 up into the climb, a Sprinter Van was stopped at what is probably the worst portion of the road. If you can make it past that first choke point, you'll pass a park then walk-in camp site on the left and then shortly after another camp spot on the right that is more van friendly. Both are not good for trailers. It is after those two sites the road goes from bad to worse.
If you have a Camper on a F350 or high clearance + tent, it has some of the best views I've seen at a park spot. It's worth the drive up there for pictures if you're curious, but I would unhook anything you're carrying before doing so.
TravelerEasy to find the site, ours was near the river. Lots of bugs so bring bug spray. Very calming and felt safe. Would recommend!
Ranger
I wouldn’t bring anything back here towing behind me except an overland trailer, personally. It’s rocky a good most of the way, but high clearance isn’t needed. A few off camber spots, but nothing horrible. I passed a Subaru Crosstrack coming in. Once you get back it is beautiful with great views. There is a creek below the spot with crystal clear water. You have to hike to Fishhook Lake from here on the Basecamp Trail (Wyoming Trail). It’s very secluded and quiet. Mosquitoes were very bad, be aware.
TravelerI thoroughly enjoyed this camping area the stars at night are incredible. It is a hidden gem. You can drive or walk down a mile which leads to a trail to Lost Lake, which you can swim in. It was definitely buggy, got my fair share of mosquito bites, so I recommend bug spray. The stone fire pits made it easy to get the blaze going. Will be back
GuideIt was really pretty veiws but really busy, it was kind of hard to find a spot, and piney lake lodges were open and u couldn't bring any food or water near the lake also u had to pay $10 to use the lake with ur water craft. The 6 mile hike to the falls was fun, but we didn't make it all the way because the gates closed at 6 pm, so we had to hurry back. We couldn't find a camp on the way, but we did find some open dispersed kind of behind the lake that was open because it was a rough road. It was really pretty, tho, lots of hikes and close to Vail.
Scout
We were hoping to stop at the loop just beofre this spot coming from Steamboat Springs butt here we're three other vehicles there. This stretch of road has a number of pulloffs but beware they are not flat. I was able to.level our travel trailer but only after busting a jack.
TravelerThe night sky was so beautiful. This site was on the end of the road and felt secluded, saw deer and moose in the area. Super pleasant drive to the campsite.
Scout
what a bummer. A great spot thats been ruined by crowds. Someone was shooting a gun at close to midnight, people zooming around all night on ATVs. Clean up your mess people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Yampa, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Yampa, CO is Buffalo Pass Dispersed with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Yampa, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 65 dispersed camping locations near Yampa, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
