Established Camping
mcphee recreation complex
About
USDA Forest Service
San Juan National Forest
Overview
McPhee Recreation Complex is located on the south shore of McPhee Reservoir near the town of Dolores in southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its boating, water skiing and fishing opportunities.
Recreation
McPhee Reservoir, the largest within the San Juan National Forest and second-largest in Colorado, has 50 miles of shoreline. Boating, water skiing and fishing are popular activities. A boat ramp and fish cleaning station are located within the complex. The half-mile Can Do Trail climbs to a scenic overlook with panoramic views of the reservoir and the beautiful peaks surrounding Mesa Verde to the south.
Facilities
This large campground offers group sites, RV and tent sites, some of which have electric hookups. Several sites have shelters for shade. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are flush toilets.
Natural Features
The campground is situated on a mesa 500 feet above the reservoir, at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Pinyon and juniper trees offer shade throughout the campground.
Nearby Attractions
Southwestern Colorado, part of the Four Corners region, contains more than 4,000 archaeological sites and more than 600 cliff dwellings. Many sites offer glimpses of the ancient Anasazi culture for which the area is known. Anasazi Heritage Center is 10 minutes away in Dolores. Mesa Verde National Park is one hour south of the campground. The Canyon of the Ancients is an hour southwest and Hovenweep National Monument is an hour west.
Charges & Cancellations
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.__ A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.____ Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.__ In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonGood
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Equestrian
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Great hosts super clean
Came here just to sit and have lunch and do some writing. It was super clean and the host was on point. There were tons of places to sit and be quiet. Loved it.
Great site, awesome host but needs showers!
Host was incredibly friendly and helpful. Lake was really low so swimming was hard to find. Bathrooms were nice but really would be awesome if there were showers. Campsites big and roomy and full of views.
Nice Campground in need of some love
According to the campground host our site (16E) is one of the most desired sites. The site has 30 amp electric service. It is adjacent to flush toilets. A few steps from the back of the site is a nice view of the reservoir. The site offers ample space for a tent in addition to the back-in paved pad that accommodated our 32 ft truck/trailer combination. A picnic table and fire ring is provided. Numerous trees offer shade and privacy.
The roads and pads could use some maintenance. At one time a nice dump station was provided but has since been abandoned. We dumped at the Maverick's in Cortez.
Location
mcphee recreation complex is located in Colorado
Directions
From Dolores, take Highway 145 for 2 miles, turn right onto Highway 184. Travel 4 miles on Highway 184, turn right at the McPhee Recreation Complex entrance. Proceed on Road 271 to the campground.
Address
SAN JUAN NF
CO
Coordinates
37.5 N
108.55 W