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Camping

Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Sacred White Shell Mountain

Sacred White Shell Mountain, near Mosca, Colorado, is a fantastic spot for those who love the great outdoors and want to experience dispersed camping at its finest. This area offers a variety of sites along a long dirt road, with plenty of space for multiple campers, making it a great choice for groups or families looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Visitors rave about the stunning views, especially during sunset and sunrise, with one camper noting, “We had the best view of the sunset and the sunrise... Stargazing was epic!” The quiet atmosphere is perfect for relaxing by the campfire, though it's important to bring your own firewood since none is provided.

If you're planning to explore, you're just a short drive from the Great Sand Dunes National Park, where you can hike and enjoy the unique landscape. The area is also pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure. Just remember, this location is all about embracing nature, so be prepared for a more rustic experience without amenities like drinking water or toilets.

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Location

Sacred White Shell Mountain is located in Colorado

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

37.52188493 N
105.60157528 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Fair

Site Types

  • Dispersed

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Phone Service
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Sacred White Shell Mountain needs a permit.

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

53 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2024

Easy free camping

Got here on a Saturday night in September and found a spot right away. It had been raining for awhile too. No issue on the road with a kia sorento.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2024

Wide Open Spaces

Not much tree cover at a lot of these spots. Great location to be close enough to the dunes.

Was pretty windy and sandy while we were there

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Deitz B., September 11, 2024
Reviewed Sep. 3, 2024

Good dispersed sites

Dispersed sites start about 1 mile east of Hwy 150. Very quiet! T-Mobile 5G at 4 bars.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2024

Wow

What a fantastic stop!! You don't get this at koa!!

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by andy B., June 27, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by andy B., June 27, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by andy B., June 27, 2024
Reviewed Jun. 23, 2024

Great spot

Others have described it well, the best sites are further up, but hard to get to.

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 23, 2024

Great spot!

This was a long dirt road with lots of sites all the way up the hill. Most sites are big enough for several campers. Sites are flat and it is very quiet. Gorgeous views!

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Stephanie D., June 23, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Stephanie D., June 23, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Stephanie D., June 23, 2024
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jun. 18, 2024

The best dispersed camping spot near Great Sand Dunes

We had the best view of the sunset and the sunrise... Stargazing was epic! It is crowded and we were lucky to get a spot on top at 12midnight... Campfire is allowed but definetely bring your own campfire wood... The weather was perfect in late May... Will definitely come back!

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Angel R., June 18, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Angel R., June 18, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Angel R., June 18, 2024
  • (7) View All
Reviewed May. 28, 2024

Perfect spot near GSD NP

Tent camping - there were plenty of spots on a holiday weekend. Just 25 mins or so from the entrance of Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Lindsay P., May 28, 2024
Reviewed Jan. 27, 2024

4 SEASON CAMPING - ALWAYS BUSY, ALWAYS HAS PLENTY OF SITES

FYI in the spring summer is way more fun to sleep inside the sand dunes with a parking permit you buy at that lot. The hike up into the dunes is epic but yes this is free and last minute high capacity. Sand dunes camping has a 10 or 15 person per day

The Dyrt has a weird seemingly inaccurate map however the road leading out to the dunes did in fact had a dirt road that branches right off towards the mountain.

The Dyrt map says Mt Blanco road but Apple Maps says lake Como road. They both branch off highway 150. There is obvious signs of dispersed camping used ie firepit and a randomly left behind camping item

The weather I was very skeptical about. thought i would have to book a hotel. Last time I went camping per review off of Idaho springs down Fall River road it was snowed in even tho the main road was fine. After I got through the very snowy and icy mountain pass from Walsenburg to for garland it became very dry and there was no more snow.

This region in Colorado is fair weather all year long. With the exceptions of severe winds sometimes rarely

Sitedispersed NA
Month of VisitFebruary
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Conner , January 27, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Conner , January 27, 2024
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Conner , January 27, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2023

Close to Great Sand Dunes, easy and free

It's basically a rocky road up the side of Mt. Blanco with lots of places to pull off and camp. Suitable for anything from the most rock-fearing to rock-ready. AT&T had a solid two+ bars. The sunset and lightning storms in the distance were breathtaking. Definitely a great choice for a night's boondocking if that's what you need.

Month of VisitAugust
  • A taste of sunset
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Adam K., August 27, 2023
Reviewed Aug. 23, 2023

BLM

Quick decision to stay on the BLM lands near High Sand Dunes. Very quiet, even with many other campers in the area.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Jason , August 23, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Jason , August 23, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Jason , August 23, 2023
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2023

Easy, lots of spot and close to Sand Dunes

This is our first time dispersed camping and we like this! We were pretty nervous that we won’t find any spot, we got here at 5:30pm on 8/18 and there’s still plenty of spots left! Highly recommend.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2023

Popular and close to GSD Natl. Park

Multiple spots available in the more-exposed sites closer to the road, and some in the more covered area towards the hills. Couple of lower spots able to be accessed by big rigs. Can be a little windy, but great views and close to Zapata Falls and Great Sand Dunes.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jul. 19, 2023

Amazing sunset, amazing stargazing

Stayed here after visiting great sand dunes national park! Big lot with lots of places to park. Some mosquitos at dusk but got better at night. stunning views and amazing sunset. Not to mention that at night you could see every star in the sky. I stargazed until it was time to go to sleep. Also a couple kangaroo rats were running around my campsite and it made me so happy, since I was really hoping to see one while I was in this area. Anyways, Zapata falls is also nearby if you’re looking for a quick little hike to kill some time while you stay here. 4 stars because there was a bunch of trash and cow patties everywhere. Also saw a horned lizard under a cow patty!

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Amy C., July 19, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Amy C., July 19, 2023
  • Play button icon
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jun. 6, 2023

Tons of space, great proximity to GSDNP, but fairly exposed!

We traveled down on Saturday from Denver to Great Sand Dunes and then hit up this convenient spot around 5pm and stayed for one night.  Was extremely well positioned being 15 min from the park and about 5 min down the road from Zapata Falls which is a quick and easy hike.  Upon entering it was really impressed with the layout.  Tons of spaces with ample room between vehicles and you have the choice of being down low where it's more flat vs. up into the hill side a bit.  We probably went about a mile up before picking a spot off the fairly rocky and bumpy road.  The road is actually pretty well maintained and there are spots all over the place which was great.  Most spots looked to come with a fire pit if desired but was rainy for us.  

Overall, would highly recommend getting up into the bushes just for a bit more privacy as well as shelter from some of the wind.  The weather does whip in fairly fast and most locations are pretty exposed so just be prepared to withstand some strong wind but it does come in spurts and won't last forever.  The campsites were great though and offered some fantastic views of the plains as well as up towards the mountains.  We will definitely be coming back due to its location and space!

SiteA mile up the road or about 10 min up the bumpier section.
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Tyler W., June 6, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Tyler W., June 6, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Tyler W., June 6, 2023
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Apr. 29, 2023

Great spot & excellent location

The best part about this area, aside from the views & the sunsets, is the access to the sand dunes natl park. We completely stumbled upon this area and it turned out to be one of the coolest day trips we’ve ever had. Highly highly recommend checking out the sand dunes. If you go early enough they tend to waive the entrance fee. I recommend driving up into the bushes at the camping site for more privacy, but the road is very rocky. Try and do any bathroom stuff prior to staying because digging cat holes out here is tough. It even hailed on us briefly so watch out for crazy weather! Very cool BLM land!!

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Ben R., April 29, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Ben R., April 29, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Ben R., April 29, 2023
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Apr. 12, 2023

Peaceful

Loved everything about this remote spot! The sites were super clean and easy to access. There wasn’t much traffic. You’re down the road from the dunes and about 30 minutes outside Alamosa and other stores. I used the dump station at the sand dunes canoe ground. It was only $8 to fill up water and dump. My cats absolutely loved the area! It was a giant play box for them. Starlink works great. I use Xfinity for phone service and it works ok. Will definitely be back mid Summer. I have a 20ft camper and people were easily driving 5th wheels around here.

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Christian M., April 12, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Christian M., April 12, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Christian M., April 12, 2023
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Mar. 14, 2023

Worth the rocky road!

Awesome lil site, we came in late and found a spot easily. The road is a tad rocky towards the back, but nothing too crazy. Sunset was beautiful and we got to see a herd of deer walk by :)

Siteagainst the tree line
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Addison N., March 14, 2023
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Addison N., March 14, 2023
Reviewed Oct. 26, 2022

Coyote silence

Feels remote but close access to main road and bigger towns. Breezy if you don’t drive up to the bushes. Road can get a little rough. Nice dark skies. Super quiet except for the coyotes, as it should be.

Siteup on the left
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Flannel Fabe .., October 26, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Flannel Fabe .., October 26, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Flannel Fabe .., October 26, 2022
Reviewed Sep. 19, 2022

Fabulous stay

Arrived just after 6pm and still able to find a spot. Watched the sun set with dinner and took pictures of the night sky. Best stay and so peaceful!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by B S., September 19, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2022

Excellent location!

15 minutes from Great Sand Dunes, plenty of pull off spots, we have a 39ft fifth wheel and found a great spot. Good cell service with Verizon. Beautiful views of Mt. Blanca and the surrounding ranges! Right down the road from Zapata Falls. Road is in good shape, zero issues!

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Savannah , August 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Savannah , August 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Savannah , August 24, 2022
Reviewed Jul. 1, 2022

Beautiful Free Camping

Free camping only 15-20 mins away from great sand dunes national park. There were all sorts of campers utilizing this area—large rvs/buses, vans, roof top tents, tent campers. It is wide open so you can see other campers but lots of room to spread out so we still felt alone. The wind did pick up around 9pm and was absolutely crazy for a few hours. The best part is gorgeous views of Blanca peak and the STARS! Some of the most incredible I’ve ever seen.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Lyds F., July 1, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Lyds F., July 1, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Lyds F., July 1, 2022
Reviewed Jun. 18, 2022

Beautiful and easy

Very easy to pull in even late at night. High desert so lots of exposure. Beautiful night sky easy enough to have space from others

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by creagh B., June 18, 2022
Reviewed May. 26, 2022

It's free

Very nice spot near Sand Dunes NP. Free and close to the beautiful mountains.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by DeAnn M., May 26, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by DeAnn M., May 26, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by DeAnn M., May 26, 2022
  • (8) View All
Reviewed May. 22, 2022

Can't believe this is free

Located about 15 miles south of Great Sand Dunes NP on well maintained BLM land. There are plenty of sites for every kind of camper. Loads of trails for horses, atv's, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Jennifer S., May 22, 2022
Reviewed May. 19, 2022

Super close to Great Sand Dunes

We spent two nights here, in our camper van, while visiting the national park. It’s proximity is so great. The area is easy to find, big and open and nearly all up the very upper parts are navigable by a regular car. There are some upper parts that could require 4WD and high clearance. Our only complaints were how dusty is was and that there really were no trees so potentially not much privacy depending whom is camping around you. If you don’t have a bathroom….this could also be an issue. Not much in the way of tree cover if you are going in the wilderness.
We chose sites on the north side of the area, closer to the park and it seemed more private.

Sitesecond road on left
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Aliza  N., May 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Aliza  N., May 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Sacred White Shell Mountain by Aliza  N., May 19, 2022
  • (8) View All
Reviewed May. 16, 2022

Lots of space and long views outside Great Sand Dunes NP

A lot of area for dispersed camping on the side of the mountain. Roads get progressively more technical as you ascend. Some roads marked on the map have washed out making them impassible. The sites at the bottom are pretty flat, but the ones farther up the mountain become pretty steep, 8% grades if the inclinometer in my truck is right. There is fresh water fill and a dump station at the NP - free with entry fee (or real free if you have a pass), a small store with gas priced competitively and restaurant. The nearest cell tower is in Blanca a few miles away. Verizon signal is pretty good.

SiteWay up the mountain.
Month of VisitMay

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the elevation of Sacred White Shell Mountain?

    Sacred White Shell Mountain is located at 7677 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Sacred White Shell Mountain?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Sacred White Shell Mountain, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Sacred White Shell Mountain?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is fair.