Winiger Ridge at Gross Reservoir

We drove up around 8/9pm from Boulder. Most camps spots were already taken (1-8 sites only..) but we made our own site / shared with campsite #2. Roads are rough. Some loud campers nearby but we had fun.

Beautiful views and campfire spots!

The Hummingbird Place

Load of campsites, you can access Forsythe Canyon Trailhead in any car but you will need a high clearance vehicle to get any further. Loads of spots to camp, some better than others but they do seem to fill up quick. If you park at the trailhead like we had too (rental car) then the hike all the way down is only 1hr or so maybe less

Awesome place. Most definitely need 4WD and clearance

Stayed at campsite 18, had great views and nice weather, no water though but there is a lake down the road. 4x4 Required as roads were rough

Camped in the walk in tent area near the parking lot, had a great view of the reservoir from my campsite. If you plan on camping in the walk in tent area be aware that the lights from the water plant are on all night and do shine into the campground. Also, ended up having a large group of college kids camp near me and they played loud music all night, so that wasn’t cool. Overall a cool spot, just a few negatives. I recommend choosing a site that’s along the drive in, site #6 looked about perfect.

Visited this past weekend for a night and I was impressed by how quiet the location was. Then again, it’s November and very few people are crazy enough to brave the cold… The campsite had some trash left in the fire ring (aluminum cans) that will not burn and there was other trash left around the campsite. Other than that, phenomenal location. I’d highly recommend it!

As others have said, don’t use the Lat/Lon from Dyrt - it’s not correct. You can find the camping area pretty easily on Google Maps, just look up Gross Reservoir.

All-wheel drive and higher clearance car helped getting in, as the road is pretty bumpy. Stayed in the last park-in campsite. Had to hike in to the lake, but was much easier that bringing in camping gear to the lake-side campsites. Beautiful views. Great place for water activities, but no swimming allowed. An hour from Boulder because of the rough roads. Some 4-wheelers that could get a bit annoying. Primitive camping with one porta potty on the way in.

Site 5 was a great spot for a bigger group. It was nice to be tucked away in the corner with no groups behind us or next to us. There were other campers near by but it felt pretty private. The weather was great. We didn’t make it to the gross reservoir but it was nice to have the option of a good hike near by. It is very important that you have a high clearance car to drive on the road. It’s a lot like off roading on some parts. I would go back!

Follow the written directions, don’t use the dyrt’s map option.

Beautiful spot, extremely hard to get to (in a camper van) with rough uphill roads. Didn’t experience any of the noise or ruckus mentioned at camping spot 2, had so much room and incredible views. Highly recommend!

Spent Saturday night and had a great designated spot on one of the points.  After 5:00 pm a bunch of campers came and setup camp in non-designated areas.  There was a ton of noise and partying continued in a few of the campsites until about 3:30 am.  It's a shame because it's such a beautiful spot and close to Denver/Boulder.  Also, not may campsites followed "Leave No Trace" as there were empty beer cans and trash all around.

I hope people have had/has a better experience then we did! We drove hours to get to this camp site for it to be disappointing and no camping spots left, out of all that land they only had 20 camp sites that I seen (may have been more) if so they was hidden. Seen a bunch of good spots we could have camped at but had to stay in the designated camping area, maybe even doubling the amount of campers in one spot would help. Definitely recommend a 4x4 and a lifted vehicle

Road 359 was closed at the parking area, so we have to haul our camping gear for half a mile. The road after the parking lot is not suitable for low clearance cars but a Subaru Crosstrek should be able to make it. We were the only ones till late afternoon, then a lot of locals started to show up caring all their gear up the mountain. The place is clean and with great views. We saw a huge moose close to camp. Hike all the way to lake. Took us 40 minutes from the parking lot. A lost of trees have been cut down due to the pine beetle, but still a pristine and beautiful place.

Note: This campground is only accessible via 4x4 vehicles. Do not attempt in your sedan or lower SUV.

Bigger note: The map to this campground is wrong. Follow the directions, not the map.

The camping sites are sparsely shaded and well used- we found a lot of trash at our site. Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit, picnic table, and room for 2-3 tents. There is no water, trash, or toilets.

We got there around 9pm on a Friday (not the brightest idea) and could not find any open spots, off the road or in the campground. We camped in a field behind the parking lot for the night, and were told in the morning by a (very nice!) ranger that camping anywhere but the designated spots carries a minimum $300 fine, so we moved to a newly vacated spot. If you are going to camp at an undesignated spot, be sure to leave by 8am or earlier so as to not get yourself fined.

There are only 6 camping spots easily accessible from the parking area, along with ~4 more down by the water (about a 1/2 mile walk), and ~6 along the road. These all fill up quickly after 5pm thanks to their closeness to Boulder.

The recreation at Gross Reservoir, accessible via beach about ~1/2 mile walking from the parking lot, is delightful. You do not need a boat permit - just a life jacket on board (1 for each person). No swimming is allowed in the reservoir and there is often a ranger on the lake ensuring everyone is following that rule.

Pro Tips:

If you are late to the campsite and absolutely need to find somewhere to camp (do not start a fire, even in "rocked-in pits" that have been used before), try:

1. West of campsite 24 (there's a ridge with 2 primitive campsites or the field)

2. North of campsite 24 (there's a field)

3. Between campsite 24 & 25 (there's a field)

4. Just South of the south parking fence (there's a field)

The directions under the description are not correct they bring you to this back road in the middle of no where. Looked like people had camped there and would be a great place to camp but very remote and obviously no amenities. Not sure who put those directions up.

Good hiking spot that takes you down to the reservoir. Not to far from the campsite. There is camping only in designated area.

Given that this is so close to boulder, a ton of people come here. Our campsite definitely had litter laying around which was really sad to see. It is awesome that it's so convenient but I wish people would practice leave no trace. We tried to drive in Friday night and all the campsites were full so some kind people let us share theirs. I'd suggest getting their early to get a good spot!

Great spot for early sunrise or sunset views. Plenty of room for multiple tents. Thuroughly enjoyed our time here.

Gross Reservoir is not gross! It is an awesome SUPing, kayaking, or canoeing option close to Denver and Boulder. The Winiger Ridge campground is at the end of forest road 359 on the west side of the reservoir. There are around 30 well spread out campsites - some on the shoreline and some covered by forest. It is a free, first come first serve campground with minimal facilities. The bathroom is all the way up at the top of the road. While the campsites are great, exploring Gross Reservoir is the real reason to come. There are a lot of inlets to paddle into and trails to explore. However, there are some cons to the reservoir; there are a lot of rules that are strictly enforced. There is no swimming in the reservoir, which is very tempting. You can only launch your boat at the boat launch on the southeast side (far from the campground) of the reservoir that is monitored by a ranger. He requires you to have a life vest, whistle, and your name written on your boat. Violating the rules is punishable by a fine. He enforces the rules by driving around the reservoir in his motorized boat every hour or so catching people who are swimming, don't have a life vest, etc. So, it's best to just follow the rules here or go somewhere else. Besides that, it's a good spot for a little getaway from the city.

The Gross Resevoir outside Boulder is a great place for people to go for some recreation just outside the city. People commonly drop in a paddleboard or kayak. I sadly don't have either, but I do have hiking boots and the hike from the nearby Forsythe Canyon Trail (moderate difficulty, one tricky section 3/4 of the way) which leaves from the parking lot area. It is a great 1 mile loop that ends at the north west side of the lake. I took a hammock with me and planted myself on one side of the lake's perimeter, overlooking a nice section of the resevoir.

Campsites are best accessed with a 4WD vehicle. There is a schematic map near the entrance to help you with the designated camping plots. This is also your last look at a bathroom - there are none located within the campgrounds. Bring in your own water as well.

If you're OK with primitive, this place has sites well dispersed for some privacy in off peak seasons. Since it is so close to Boulder, it is a common spot to see a lot of campers.