This campground is one of the pleasant locations to camp here in the Park Range. Some of the things you can do here at Piney Crossing Campground are whitewater paddling, swimming, hiking, playing golf, and fishing, so you won’t run out of things to do.

Piney Crossing Primitive Campground - CLOSED

Piney River Ranch is open seasonally, from June 21st through the last weekend in September. During our season, we are open from 9am to 4pm, daily. The road to Piney stays open beyond the closing date of the ranch. The U.S. Forest Service has jurisdiction over Red Sandstone Road, the road to the ranch, and dictates road openings and closings for the season, to ensure conditions are safe for travelers. We suggest calling the USFS on (970) 827 5715 after September 27th each year for updates on the road and its condition.

Piney River Ranch at Piney Lake

There are many dispersed camping opportunities on the forest ranging from backpacking to car-camping along designated Forest Roads. Visitors are encouraged to minimize resource impacts by utilizing established sites rather than creating new ones. Dispersed camping sites along Forest Roads are shown on Motor Vehicle Use Maps, which are available free of charge at ranger district offices. Visitors are permitted to drive vehicles up to 300 feet from designated routes for purposes of dispersed camping as long as no resource damage is incurred in the process. Dispersed camping within 100 feet of lakes, streams, and forest system trails is prohibited unless otherwise designated. Campers may stay for a maximum of 14 days. Some areas may have additional special restrictions. This dirt road begins at the paved Red Sandstone Road near Vail and ends at either Piney Lake or Hwy 131 north of Wolcott: This road gets heavy vehicle traffic and also a fair number of mountain bike riders, so please share the road. The climb is gradual and steady, and all but the very lowest of passenger cars can handle this relatively easy dirt road. The road winds its way up along Red Sandstone Creek and then Indian Creek with occasional views south over Vail Mountain, before reaching its high point near the trailhead for Lost Lake Trail. Here you can choose to head west toward Muddy Pass and Hwy 131, or head toward Piney Lake as your destination. Enjoy the peace and beauty here or take a hike up the Upper Piney River Trail, but remember that the lake is surrounded by the Eagles Nest Wilderness and is closed to bikes.

Red Sandstone - Primitive Dispersed

The eastern portion of the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District surrounding the towns of Vail, Avon, and Redcliff, including the east side of the Holy Cross Wilderness and the west side of the Eagles Nest Wilderness.

Vail Area

The Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District lies between the Gore Range, the Sawatch Range, and the Flat Tops, and includes the forest areas surrounding the towns of Vail, Avon, Red Cliff, Eagle, Gypsum, and Dotsero. Recreation opportunities abound on the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District. View Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District Recreation Quicksheets for downloadable Recreation Opportunity Guides, maps and other information. See below for information on recreation activities of all sorts.

Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District (Vail-Eagle area)

## Overview

Piney Guard Station is a rustic cabin that was constructed in the 1930s as a work station for Forest Service crews. This 14 by 22-ft. structure has a single room and is built from logs. It is open both summer and winter with spring and late fall closures.

## Recreation

The cabin is conveniently located in an area offering a variety of year-round recreational activities. The Forest Service road leading to the cabin is used by mountain bikers, hikers, snowshoers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. This area is popular for hunting big and small game, game birds and waterfowl.

## Facilities

Piney Guard Station can sleep up to four people. It contains a bunk bed, two cots, storage cabinets, a table and benches, and a woodstove. Skillet, dishware and utensils are provided. A two burner stove and lantern are provided. These require 16.4-oz. propane cylinder bottles, which are not provided and are your responsibility. A picnic table and metal fire ring are just outside the cabin's door. A vault toilet is located approximately 50 feet from the cabin. Guests can easily gather firewood around the cabin.   
  
No drinking water, electricity or trash service is available; guests must bring their own water and garbage bags to pack out trash. Guests should consider packing most items they would bring on a regular camping trip. Dogs are allowed, please pick up after them and do not leave them unattended in or around the cabin. 

## Natural Features

Piney Guard Station is located at 9,100 feet in the White River National Forest, Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District, which is near Vail. The cabin is nestled in a forest dominated by aspen, spruce, pine and fir trees. Guests can enjoy views of the Gore Mountain Range from a meadow to the cabin's north side.   
  
Local wildlife, including moose, may be spotted near the lake, which sits across the road from the cabin. The White River National Forest is also home to elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mule deer, Canada lynx and black bear. Birders may see bald eagles, peregrine falcons, Barrow's golden-eye and black swifts.

Piney Guard Station

Line Shack Cabin

Gore Creek Campground is situated six miles east of Vail, Colorado, and is a great place for vail camping. At an elevation of 8,700 feet and centrally located for recreation and relaxation in the White River National Forest. Recreation The Gore Creek campground is located along Gore Creek in a forested setting near the boundary of the Eagles Nest Wilderness. This is the closest campground to the town of Vail and there are several trailheads nearby into the Eagles Nest Wilderness; all wilderness regulations must be observed when traveling in the wilderness (foot and horse travel only). The campground is also located at the west end of the paved Vail Pass/Tenmile Canyon recreation trail open to foot traffic and bicycles. Facilities The campground offers 16 back-in sites, eight walk-in tent sites; number 18 is a fully accessible tent site, four handicapped accessible bathrooms and bear-resistant food lockers. Parking spurs for campsites are up to 35 feet long. RVs longer than this would not fit in this campground. Natural Features In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting eight wilderness areas, four defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges and bull elk bugle at dusk. Black bear and mule deer are common. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan. These species, along with many others, depend on surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams, and diverse forests to live. Nearby Attractions The nearby town of Vail is a popular destination for visitors to the area. From downhill skiing and world-class fly fishing, to dining and resorts, there are a multitude of outdoor and indoor opportunities in this resort mountain town. ADA Access: N

Gore Creek Campground

This small campground with 5 campsites is located in the Cataract Creek drainage just above Green Mountain Reservoir. There are many trails in the area that access the Eagles Nest Wilderness.

Cataract Creek Campground

Located on the northwest shore of Green Mountain Reservoir, this campground has vault toilets and a stay limit of 14 days. Many activities occur on the lake including fishing, motor boating, sailing, canoeing, and water skiing. The boat ramp is across the reservoir at the town of Heeney.

Elliot Creek Campground

Green Mountain/Heeney Area

USDA Forest Service

I love this campsite because it is so close to Piney River Ranch which has so many activities you can do. The campsite itself was very big and close to the river. 

Relaxing time

Lots of sites along the road, as well as Red Sandstone Road. Great views all around, especially sunsets because you are facing west. The dirt road up is decently long, but can be done in most 2wd cars. High clearance vehicles preferred, but my friend took his Toyota Camry and it did (mostly) fine. We picked a dispersed spot on the side of the road.

Good dispersed camping

So I am not sure if this is still a “campground” as of 2019. It is no longer marked on the forest service map for 2019. Regardless, there’s still primitive/dispersed camping in the area. I stayed at one of the primitive sites last fall and spent most of my time in Piney River Ranch. There was a wedding at the ranch when we were there, and we didn’t want to intrude on it so I don’t know much of what the ranch has to offer. I do know that there’s a restaurant and a store, as well as cabins. My guess is that there is a wedding there almost every weekend summer-fall, so that is something to take into account if you come here for the ranch. 

You are allowed to hike in the ranch during weddings, so that is what we did. We hiked the trail to the left of Piney Lake. It is a great trail to do in the fall because it goes through numerous aspen groves. We took the trail all the way to a waterfall area, but the trail does continue further to Upper Piney Lake. The trail became hard to follow after the waterfall area though, so we turned back. 

As for the drive up to the ranch and camping sites, it’s about 45 minutes on a dirt road from Vail. It is a beautiful drive, but it is slow. The road is also in pretty good condition - I’d say a 2wd car can do this drive if the road is dry. 

Piney Crossing Primitive Campground - CLOSED

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