Portal Campground

Portal campground is a very secluded off the beaten path campground. There are number of designated camping spots on the way to the reservoir lake that include fire rings. The road is a high-clearance road that is fairly rutted out with tight turns and very small sections to pass people. I didn't see a single RV/trailer and most everyone was driving a 4Runner, Tacoma, or Jeep. 

Keep in mind that the campground at Portal is 10,500 feet so if you aren't used to the altitude or familiar with altitude sickness you'll want to do a little research before camping here as it's a long bumpy drive out. 

All this being said, Portal campground is a beautiful place to camp and has pit toilets available for use. We camped here in Early July and it was pretty busy but were able to snag a spot by the Lake. This is definitely worth the trip!

Nestled just outside of Aspen, Portal Campground offers a serene and scenic retreat in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. With its proximity to the Roaring Fork River and sweeping views of surrounding peaks, it’s a perfect spot for campers seeking both tranquility and adventure.

The campground features well-maintained sites surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery, providing ample shade and privacy. Each site comes with a picnic table, fire ring, and nearby vault toilets, making it a comfortable, rustic camping experience. The sound of the river nearby adds to the peaceful atmosphere.

Portal Campground is an excellent base for exploring the Aspen area, with plenty of hiking, fishing, and wildlife watching opportunities. The famous Maroon Bells are just a short drive away, and there are several trails nearby offering breathtaking views and alpine scenery.

This will probably always be my favorite spot for the beauty and memories. We were right on the lake by the inlet and fishing was fun. We’ve been twice.

This is my new favorite campaign spot! It’s a bit of a drive but our van handled it like a champ! Pass the Lincoln gulch campsite that has 22 spots and it opens up to pure untapped beauty!

Nice campsites near the Grizzly Reservoir. However the Reservoir is being emptied for the summer and fall of 2024 for maintenance  so it's not very nice right now and we decided not to camp there.

Great spot! We got up there around dinner time on a Saturday. The first 22 sites were filled but we kept driving til we got to the valley with the dispersed free sites. So glad we did because it was much more beautiful then the other sites in portal. The road is a bit crazy but my Subaru forester handled it just fine!

The drive in was ROUGH, but doable in a Honda CRV, and SO worth it. This has been my favorite campsite we’ve stayed at so far.

There is dispersed camping leading up and past this site if all spots are taken, but we didn’t have an issue with that since it rained the first night and scared some people away I think.

The lake is gorgeous and there are great trails within walking distance of the site!

The rose a little rough, but I have a 2 Wheel Drive RAV4 it was no problem getting up as long as you have enough clearance. Awesome views very clean make sure to come early though spots fill up fast.

Clean amazing campground... So well taken care of. We were able to book a walk in camp site last minute. Spot was located behind some very clean bathrooms with a shower that was $1/4 minutes and HOT water. Really nice hiking and MTB trails. Fort Carlson is right across the street, you will hear taps played couple of times a day, really cool experience.

Wow… pretty rough road to get to it but worth it. What a beautiful and peaceful place. There is more dispersed camping past this campground and the reservoir so there is plenty of space for anyone who is not afraid to venturing deeper into wilderness. It is about 6.5 very slow miles to this camp from the highway. You will pass several disperse camp spots on the way here. This place seems quite popular so try to arrive early.

Made it out here on a Friday by 330p. 3 campsites we’re open and within an hour the rest of them were filled up.

There are more dispersed campsites up and down Lincoln Creek road. It’s a 6 mile drive from County 82 to Portal. 4WD recommended but we saw many less capable cars up here. We have a 4Runner.

Dozens of people tried finding a spot after dark to no avail. At 11pm someone decided to squeeze in next to us in a spot that isn’t a campsite. It sucked how rude that was.

Overall, it’s a gorgeous campsite. Plan ahead and get here early. Come prepared.

Once we got off the main road we were a bit unsure as the drive with our front wheel drive Equinox was worthy. The rough terrain was well worth the trek 6 miles back into the middle of nowhere. Amazing views and the hike up to Grizzly Lake was amazing.

Great campground near a lake. Very limited amount of spots. Nearby trails. Fire ring and picnic table. Vaulted toilets were clean and close distance walk. Definitely recommend a vehicle with clearance as the road was very bumpy even in our jeep. Mostly all the spots were flat.

This campground is so gorgeous.  The road eventually leads to a pretty lake and waterfront sites.  It is very high in elevation!  

You will need a 4WD vehicle and your vehicle cannot be over 35 feet long.  

This is on Lincoln Creek Rd and near the Lincoln Creek Campground.  Both are dispersed and have difficult roads. Both are beautiful.

This is a hidden gem.  You could paddle on the water, or hike, or fish.  It is great for family also.  Tucked away, beautiful. Worth the tough road! :)

This campground is beautiful! If you're not used to driving on dirt roads it can seem very difficult to get to. You need to have high clearance on your vehicle to get out there, but it's well worth the drive. There are a few spots right on the lake, and a few more tucked into the trees. the campground isn't huge, so I would suggest getting there early for a weekend getaway.

We took our new van out for a drive and a brief camping trip. The Portal campground has some beautiful spots that are next to the creek and is very close to hiking. The entrance in makes you feel like you are entering a secret garden of sorts with the beautiful trees and rock formations on either side of the vehicle. We loved it and would recommend.

First off the elevation of this campsite needs to be taken into consideration, it sits around 10,000ft, is it worth it, absolutely. This campground is absolutely gorgeous with many hiking trails right in the area. It is extremely remote and I would highly suggest only taking a 4x4 on the trail to the campground, but while camping I did see a few folks show up with small cars. There isn’t any drinkable water in the area, and the small lake is bitter cold, but good for boiling water and using when needed. There is wildlife in the area, we half a moose come right through our camp. The weather was great but did get some significant rain a few times. (August) I would camp here every year if I didn’t want to test other locations. Aspen is about 1 hour away if you consider the 7 mile trail taking about 20-30 minutes to drive, and then the extra 15 miles to town. We would go there to shower and spoil ourselves to a meal if we really wanted. Hope you enjoy this secluded little spot.

this place is insanely beautiful with lots of trails & places to fish. there’s a few different camping options down lincoln creek road— all are free and first come first serve. every campsite has a bear box and fire ring. don’t miss grizzly reservoir (picture shown)!

Gorgeous campground with stunning views and great access to nearby hikes

Starting from the Views and excitements of crushing on the Independence Rd, this camp site is a portal to another dimension! I would recommend going to this camp site by 4x4 so you pass the actual portal campsite and find a primitive site by the river and valley with an outstanding view. There are about 25 campsites before you get to the portal camp site, but highly recommend driving a bit longer to get to the campground. A Phenomenal view of the lake and mountains is unforgettable!

This was a beautiful spot, but I don’t really feel the need to go back. It is remote enough, but definitely a popular place. The scenery is amazing. The water a crazy blue color. 4 wheel drive is probably the best as the road is very rough. There were plenty of spaces to camp along the road to the campground and beyond it. Perhaps one of those spots would be better.

At the campground, you can hear whatever business is located right next to it, (a mill or something) and their dogs on their property did not like us or our dogs and frequently barked at us and came pretty close - close enough to antagonize our pups. They were just dogs guarding their home, but I don’t really want to be camping that close to anyone’s home.

I actually ended up past the campground into another dispersed area. There 22 dispersed spots leading up to the campsite, 5 sites on the grounds, and who knows how many spots where I was.

First time I have ever camped on my own, and it was awesome! I found my spot just before sunset and decided to turn my Jeep into a bed vs setting up my tent. I could see 2 other campers from where I was, but they were so far away we couldn't hear each other. I felt like I had the whole valley to myself.

High clearance vehicle would be good, but not necessary to get to the campsite. Driving past where I was requires high clearance, 4WD would be a good idea, but my FWD did just fine! I was very proud of it's (and my) rock crawling abilities lol

Great trails to hike very close by. Limited parking a THs, I suggest walking from your campsite.

This campground is located way out in the wilderness. It has incredible mountain views as well as a view of the close by Grizzly Reservoir. This is a free campground and it has vault toilets. I would love to stay at this campground again. There are also 27 free sites along the road to Portal Campground.