Phantom Canyon Road BLM Sites

I took my 3 daughters for our first ever dispersed camping trip. I thought it would be a cool adventure as we had only ever camped at campgrounds.  We ended up going about 16 miles from County Rd 123 up Phantom Canyon Rd.  

We were in a Toyota Sienna which did perfectly well on the dirt road and as others have mentioned there are definitely some rough, wash boarded areas and lots of blind corners so taking your time is wise.  Part of the reason we went as far in as we did was that there wasn't a spot to spare.  This was on Friday/Saturday, May 1-2nd and every place that could be camped in was taken until we got to an area called, "Glenbrook" elevation 8,061 and we were able to find a place to set up camp opposite of the creek side.  

We had a great time and made the most of it, and I say this only because our primary reason for "dispersed camping" was to get away from it all, the people, the noise, the congestion of campground camping.  I can honestly say, it is more quiet when we have camped in my backyard in Colorado Springs than the 2 nights we spent here.  On Friday  night there was an entire group with loud music, hooping &amp; hollering &amp; partying down the road.  On Saturday night there was a group down the road the other way with loud music &amp; such.  Both nights this lasted until almost midnight.  

I realize the negatives weren't from the place just the people that happened to be there at the time we went.  That was the problem just sooo many people everywhere!  But the area is absolutely beautiful and a great place to hike and explore.  We may have to try again possibly during the week it won't be so busy.

Beautiful scenery, fun exploring.  Lots of people partying on weekend!

Free BLM sites along Phantom Canyon Road, an hour outside Colorado Springs. Small creek that follows the road to camp along. Pre-existing fire rings. The sites were well used but sadly had a good bit of trash left from the previous occupants. Not much traffic on the road so it was a peaceful night.

BLM sites along Phantom Canyon Road

Beautiful spots along Phantom Canyon Road, but most are taken unless you get there before the crowds. Sites are pretty unmanaged, fire pits are at most of the well used spots. People leave sites trashed and full of broken bottles. Lots of bugs last year. (more so then the year before by 10x at least). There are two stops along the road with vault toilets that I would not recommend using. If you get a decent spot it is beautiful and quite at night. The road is unpaved and many of the sites require going down roads that are best left to 4x4s. Small creek runs though or near most sites. Best suited for smaller groups. 

Very busy

love phantom canyon road. there are lots of options within the first 16 miles or so. don’t get impatient, the further down the road you go the better the spots (and further from road traffIc)  my pictures are from a site after the second tunnel. all shade, you walk over a little creek to set up tent! 

phantom Canyon

By far our favorite campsite to date! we lucked out and snagged a place right by the creek. Fantastic location! Even did some hiking while there.

3 nights 

Overall: Phantom Canyon Road is a beautiful, peaceful location, but a bear came directly into our campsite!

Directions: Very easy to find and clearly marked. There are several signs warning you not to continue on if your vehicle is longer than 25 feet. The dirt road is twisty with several washboard sections, but it's not severely rutted up. I kept it around 20 mph the whole time and was pretty shocked at how fast some people were driving. There are a lot of blind corners and narrow roads, so be careful!

Camping: We found a pull-off on the left hand side pretty soon after the second tunnel. It was a pretty deep pull-off, enough that you could see the front of our truck but not our campsite from the road. Very private and quiet! Nice and level too, with two fire pits. Super sunny and not well shaded- it was lovely in April, but I bet it gets incredibly hot in the summer. Unfortunately, there was a lot of trash when we arrived, which I did clean up. We found some bullet shells and pieces of bright orange clay, which makes me think people were shooting back there. We arrived Friday night around 6:30pm and had to drive pretty far back to find a spot, there were a lot of people camping already. I think the road went on much further too, so don't get discouraged about finding a place! As someone mentioned, there is a pit toilet, but we didn't park anywhere near enough to use it. We got NO wifi or cell service back there either (Verizon).

**THE BEAR:** Our campsite was backed up right next to a dried out wash. Saturday morning, we decided to explore it a little (mistake #1 - we've explored washes before but not that far into the backcountry). We didn't go back super far, just followed the rocky path. At one point we noticed A LOT, and I mean A LOT of bear scat and turned around. Our dog started barking like crazy and when we looked up, there was a giant black bear high above us on a ridge. It was turning around and clearly uninterested in us, but we hurried back to our campsite - the bear was probably less than a quarter mile away from it. A few hours later when we were hanging out at the campsite just reading (we should've left immediately), our dog started growling. We looked up and there was the bear, standing at the edge of the wash. O_O We didn't have any food or trash out (we ALWAYS keep all of that locked away in our truck unless we are actively cooking/eating). The bear wasn't acting aggressively, but it wasn't leaving either. I kept talking to it, making myself appear larger, moving slowly as we packed up and got the heck out of there (we had to take our giant awning apart while the bear watched us curiously the whole time, omg).

Just be aware if you camp here that there are bears around! Not only is it their home, but all of the trash we picked up from that campsite upon arrival makes me think that they're starting to become habituated to the area since people are so trashy (a few other reviews mention finding trash at their sites as well). I will DEFINITELY be picking up some bear spray and bringing it with me from now on. Be safe and PACK YOUR TRASH OUT!!!

Beautiful place, but a bear came right into our campsite!

Loved it! Highly recommend all wheel, as some sites are rocky and/or steep, but don’t let your sedan stop you—you’ll have options. The place has eyes— but not mean ones. Very likely wildlife (or phantoms? Eek!) and the bears were my main concern, though I didn’t see one in the flesh. Saw old tracks at my campsite, saw waaaay too much scat when hiking around, and in the morning, though I hadn’t seen or heard anybody, there were extremely fresh tracks leading from the stream on the bank. I had my dog and bear spray with me so I felt secure, but in hindsight, maaaybe should consider extra precautions! Like more people or a firearm... still, it’s a special place and I highly recommend it. I went midweek with the express intent of avoiding other humans, which worked for the most part. Saw some humans but campsites are really private and the place feels just wild. Which I dig. Just be careful with your tasty foods! I keep my trash in a separate cooler to minimize the smell— not sure if it works but it feels safer. Lots of birds, no other critters. Probably because of ALL THE BEARS. 🙂

This is such an awesome drive. A solid 3 hours from Denver. No service as soon as you get to the dirt part of the road, so its best to have your whole crew riding behind you in a line. A little anxiety when it comes to finding a spot, everyone is right when they say, have someone get there thursday to get a choice spot. But few people know if you keep driving up the canyon, there are more public lands spots you can claim as your site. 

  

Being there isnt a whole lot to choose from after the place fills up, we had some people literally show up Saturday on Memorial Day weekend, and camp right on top of our campsite, which was pretty annoying, but thats the price you pay at free public land dispersed camping. 

  

Awesome drive up the canyon to the small mining town of "Victor" which is just an awesome time capsule town, i highly recomend swooping through.

Great Spot. A little busy, not very considerate neighbors.

We packed up the truck and headed out on our first camping trip of 2021 with our new 6month pup, Luna. It was a wonderful Easter weekend. This is a great spot for good car camping. The dirt road took us up through the mountains with plenty of options to pull off and set up camp. Spots were already there to build a campfire. We didn't hear noise from other campers just the occasional bikers and cars driving up on the road. Wish it hadn't been dry because there wasn't any water nearby. Other than that it was a beautiful weekend. We'll definitely be back. 

Spring 2021

The road through the land had just been graded so it was an easy drive through.  Arrived an hour before dark and the first handful of sites were taken but we had an easy time finding a nice spot.  It was SO cold at night.  Saw bear scat near our site the next day but never saw any bears.  Unfortunately, we only stayed one night as we passed through. There’s so much area to explore!  Will definitely come back if we’re in the area! 

Beautiful Location

The drive to the campsites was amazing. We got there around 6:30 so the sun was coming through the trees and creating a warm golden light, which was also amazing! But not when your trying not to drive off the side of a mountain. People afraid of Heights beware! BATHROOMS are pit toilets that are located around at sight (18) and I believe (8) the sights are relatively easy to find. And there are green mile markers all the way through. The tunnels were also super cool to go under. I highly recommend this sight to everyone! Especially families!

Amazing drive! Bathrooms

I absolutely loved this spot. My boyfriend and live in our car and travel all over and this was a top notch car camping spot with endless beautiful views. Plenty of spots for everyone, super quite with the occasional car passing. 

Loved this spot! 

Wow! Just wow! My fav spot now! Stunning views, privacy and well worth the drive further into the mountain. We had all wheel drive, it was very cold at night (early sept) perfect day temperatures. 
This is my new favorite place. 

Enjoy the pics!
No GPS, no cellular (FYI) 

Amazing!

This is a great spot with very dispersed camping spots.  Breathtaking views.  I’ve driven it plenty of times, but this was my first stay. 

Your altitude has a big impact on the weather conditions; especially at night.  The beginning of the road will be much more trafficked than the end.  Look for the off-trail spots to find a more private campsite.

Wow, what a drive and stay

The canon was beautiful. I had brought my twin 3 year old twins.  They really had a blast exploring. Only downfall was  TRASH left behind. I filled up a trash bag before I made camp. People need to respect the nature and pack in pack out

Family 

Amazing for BLM land!! Gorgeous scenery and spread out camp sites, would recommend driving in pretty far to find the coolest spots. There are two pit toilets further in. Loved this area.

Highly recommend!!

This was a neat little camping area. Campsites are on the side of the road and a few are on a small branch of road down to the creek. We only stayed one night as a layover but made sure to explore the creek a little bit in the morning. Water is cold and clear with tons of area to explore. The drive out also has two really neat tunnels that you drive through on your way out. The BLM land ends abruptly and turns to private land but the drive appears to continue on through the mountains to the north. We definitely plan to come back and explore the rest of it. 

Shallow Winding Clear Creek

Our site was perfect! It had kind of a driveway to a large and cleared area/loop - plenty of room for our F150. There was a fire ring available also. You could walk down to the creek to explore and look for cool rocks. Phantom Canyon Road is smooth and well-maintained.

  

Site Coordinates: 38°33'17.3"N 105°05'31.3"W

  

Also, it's where we got engaged so it's extra special :)