Washington Gulch Dispersed Camping, near Crested Butte, Colorado, is a stunning spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature. With breathtaking views and an abundance of wildflowers, it’s a place where you can truly unwind and soak in the beauty of the outdoors.

This area is perfect for tent and RV camping, though be prepared for a bit of a challenge when it comes to securing a spot, especially on weekends. As one visitor noted, “You will more than likely be side by side with someone,” so arriving early is key. The lack of amenities like drinking water and toilets means you’ll need to come prepared, but the trade-off is the serene environment and the chance to connect with wildlife.

For those eager to explore, the nearby trails offer fantastic hiking opportunities, and the vibrant scenery is a feast for the eyes. Campers have raved about the privacy of the sites, with enough space between them to feel like you’re in your own little world. Just keep in mind that the roads can be rocky, so a vehicle with good clearance is recommended. If you’re looking for a peaceful retreat with stunning views, Washington Gulch is definitely worth a visit.

Due to new ordinance in 2024, this area is no longer permitted for dispersed camping. Please use the designated established campgrounds in Crested Butte.

Washington Gulch Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

Near Crested Butte, CO, and surrounded by the Rocky Mountains are some of the best camping and skiing opportunities in the state. The Colorado Rockies are crisscrossed with mountain bike and ski trails campers can enjoy throughout the year. Campgrounds in the area put you close to wilderness areas where you can spot deer, bears and other wildlife. In the fall, campsites alight with colorful foliage on the quaking aspen trees. RV drivers can stock up on supplies at the shops on Elk Avenue before heading out along the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway for a beautiful drive.

Crested Butte

The Best Camping Near Crested Butte, Colorado

Access is by a gravel road that can get narrow in a few places but nothing that if everyone is considerate would prohibit forward motion.  If you have a 4x4 there are a few sites that you can get to for more privacy but I wouldn’t try a trailer or anything larger that a 20’ motorhomes.

However there is a large open area  that can accommodate motorhomes and trailers.  We have a 30’ trailer and were able to grab a site with a nice view of Mt. Crested Butte.  The area can accommodate tents, trailers, and RV’s.  There were a couple 5th wheel rigs apx. 35’ but everything else was the same as our 30’ or smaller.

The town of Crested Butte is 15 minutes away as well as access to tones of MTB trails and hikes.

Great option near Crested Butte

4x4 recommended, I managed to get in to a deeper site with my Prius though. Bugs not bad, creek water tastes great (with filter). Some of the best views I’ve seen in CO. 20 minutes from Crested Butte. Very quiet and serene. 10/10 go here!

Top tier site

Camping at designated sites is free for up to 14 days. We stayed at WG 19. Shady and near the river. No water or electric. There is a pit toilet about 1/2 mile up the road. Very quiet area. Our site was level and had extra parking for a second vehicle if needed. Trash must be disposed off in town about 4 miles away. 

47 Free campsites 

This dispersed area has I’d say about 40 sites, each have a fire pit so that’s great. We were at 29 and had a large pull through site on top of a hill. The views are stunning, views of mount crested butte and Gothic mt. Cows are EVERYWHERE not mean, but they do come right into your site and have no issue leaving you patties in the morning! All in all we really enjoyed the changing leaves and fresh air here!

Great views, tons of cows

We showed up midday on 6/7 and almost every site was available. They are all well maintained, many have a lot of privacy, and some have great views. We grabbed site 39 and had an amazing view of Mt Crested Butte! Many sites we checked out had their own private ponds, rivers, etc. We found this to be a great place to stay while still being close enough to town and many beautiful hikes in the area. 

Beautiful sites, close to town!

We got the site closest to the bathrooms and couldn’t have been happier. Great views of Mt Crested Butte and Whetstone. A lot of sites require 4WD to get to but there are still good sites that can be accessed with 2WD sedan.

The most organized dispersed site i’ve ever seen

Amazing and beautiful views from every site. Close to town and hiking trails. Very busy on fourth of July weekend so get there early in the summer. Bathrooms were well maintained

Fantastic views

**The Good:**

Gorgeous landscape and views. The wildflowers were beautiful. The sites are big and spacious. Each site has a metal fire ring. Free camping! Only 15+ minutes to town. 

  

**The Good To Know:**

No water. No trash. Very limited cell reception -- one bar, but no data. 4WD and higher clearance are necessary for any sites beyond the first handful. The bathrooms are only at the entry and are more than a mile from most campsites up the road. Some sites are in meadows with limited shade, and some are nestled in trees. 

  

**The Bad:**

BUGS. It might just be the season's moisture and the two very close ponds, but the bugs were terrible. I can't remember the last time I had this many bug bites from a CO camping trip. 

  

There were some funky things happening with sites up there. The site across from us had a tent, chair, and hammock set up. We were there for 3 nights and only saw the person there once. It felt strange the site was being held like that, but not sure of the story behind it.   
  
When we got there, I walked up the road after we found an open site to see what else might be open. I came across a person who was also "holding" the space across from them and would be willing to let us stay if we wanted. We didn't end up needing it. 

  

For better or worse, this campground has no enforcement or oversight. However, enjoyed having the dog off leash!

Overall Good Campsite

absolutely stunning views. large dispersed free spots with fire pits. dog friendly. max stay 14nights. rv accessible for most spots. gets buggy at night, bring deet! spots are limited

Cant Beat Spot

I decided to stop here on a road trip through Crested Butte. I arrived probably a little too late (5pm) and everything was taken at the bottom where sites were mainly flat. I didn’t realize this road wraps around a mountain, so I kept going and even when other cars passed I inquired what was up ahead and if my vehicle would make it as the road was getting worse. They all just said I’d be fine in my vehicle (I have a 2023 Storyteller overland, chassis is a 4x4 Mercedes sprinter). So I drove around the entire mountain and at one point there was a tight switchback where someone was parked and it limited my ability to turn wide and I could feel the vehicle slanted way too much for my liking, I made it pass but then had a full blown panic attack when I realized I was cliff side on a very very narrow road. Once you commit to driving this road there’s no turning back, especially in a 20ft vehicle, maybe a small 4x4 car could whip around. It made me realize I’m not cut out for 4x4 roads like that and that I have a severe fear of heights. I made it down the mountain to the other valley where there is flat parking and parked in the first spot to recover from my panic attack. 

This is dispersed camping but it’s first come first serve, and there are designated sites. If you try to camp at a undesignated site like I did, you could have a ranger come by and ask you to leave or get a fine (I would have taken the fine at that point). 

My advice is, if you’re like me and not a super confident driver on 4x4 roads or in a capable vehicle, don’t go past the first few group sites on either side of the mountain in the valleys. Get there as early as you can because by 5 you’re going to be out of luck. Our make shift spot ended up being quite beautiful, right next to the river and the people next to us said they didn’t mind if we encroached a little on their space. Would definitely come back early and not go further then the valley. 

Hope this helps somebody!

Beautiful, but be prepared 

I counted 30 campsites easily on a nice hike around all the campsites. I used wg1  the closest campsite cause i had to tide my bike into town to work each morning.

I recommend one of the campsites wg8-11 they have a massive view of. But wg1 is the closest i didnt mind.

They have a poopoo toilet and clear poopoo rules posted on the sign and map at around  wg3



Plently of space, nice valley view

We stayed here with a small tear drop camper for two nights. Great views of the mountains. Clean camp spot

Great!

Easily one of me and my partners favorite places to camp!  The roads were no problem for our Subaru and the campsites were clearly marked and easy to find.  There were plenty of other campers so safety was no concern while out in the backcountry.  All this while being close to the wonderful amenities of the town of Crested Butte for those nights you need to get back to civilization.

Amazing

This was a gorgeous little place. I got there on a Thursday and was at sight 24 and had the whole hill to myself for about 2 days. Once Saturday came, the camp spots next to me felt too close, so I moved lower to another spot and had no proximity problems there. The bathrooms are a bit of a walk but they were always cleaned and stocked. The road is rocky and bumpy but nothing crazy. My Toyota Rav 4 did just fine, but it’s a good idea to go slow. There were a few impatient drivers on these roads and they are narrow so be patient and respectful of others vehicles and clearance. I would definitely
 come back again!!

Beautiful!!

We have camped here twice... My husband and I personally love this spot there's privacy as the spots has enough distance from each other. There's a designated fire ring in our spot I'm not sure on other spots... Just beware cause there are so many cattle in this area there are a few that roamed around near us but it really doesn't bother us.

Our favorite camping spot in Crested Butte!

Got here on Thursday, July 20th, 2024 &amp; we were able to snag a spot around the 30s! Some people with only one car / tent per site won't be happy if you ask to camp by them so just find some nice people that don't mind on sharing the spot.. to each their own :) Beautiful views, even when it rains! 


Need a 4WD to get to Washington Gulch Trail... have to check out Long Lake!!

Beautiful Spots, Fills Quickly

Beautiful campground. And the wildflowers are in abundance….so pretty. Campsite was clean and well kept. Most of the campsites had amazing views or just beautiful surroundings. They are spaced out apart enough that you don’t feel like you’re too close or on top of your neighbor- private.


Beautiful campground 

Gorgeous sites… came out before dinner time on Tuesday but all sites were saved or taken in anticipation of the 4th (Thursday). Might try a mid-week on a non holiday.

Spot saving

We arrived mid-afternoon on a Sunday in mid-July, and had to search numerous sites before we found an open one. At our side road with 5 sites, 4 were taken with tents that saw no one using them for three days ... not cool to "reserve" sites when you're not actually using them. Wildflowers are peaking, and are spectacular.

Beautiful sites and close to Crested Butte

There are significantly less spots here than there could be, which leads to amazing dispersed camping. The wildlife here is unbeatable and the flowers are breathtaking. Unfortunately I was not able to spend the night because there were no spots available but so imagine that waking up there would be the best day of my life 

Perfection

Absolutely beautiful views but beware of the mosquitos! Do not come here without a net or a lb of bug spray. It was also extremely packed on a Monday so if you want a spot get there early. You will more than likely be side by side with someone but that didn’t bother me too much. 

Mosquito Alley

I will say that views of creste butte rival any spots I have camped at in Az, Montana, Utah or Wyoming. I would rate this place is 1 of the best camping views in all of the US that you can get your car too.

Best view in all the US

Washington gulch was beautiful! There are marked sites which is helpful. We went on a Monday in early July and had no problem getting a spot. The wildflowers were gorgeous and it’s a quick drive into town. 

Photos of Washington Gulch Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

Real photos from real campers