Grouse Mountain Basecamp on Forest Road 403

Arrived right at sunset on the 4th of July. Beautiful view! Plenty of spaces to park and camp. Long gravel road, may get bumpy or icy.

We love dispersed camping but hauling a 25’ airstream makes a lot of sites inaccessible despite our lift and rugged tires! But not here! It’s a level, smooth, dirt road where you pull off the side anywhere you choose. (The road is actually 402 and 403 is at the very end behind a closed gate.) Views were breathtaking and most of the land is level. It’s far enough off the main road that there isn’t any road traffic. One mildly-annoying thing is that people drive along the road while their dogs run beside their cars. I guess that’s to exercise their animal but we watched one of these free-range dogs go after another camper’s dog who was tied up. Just an FYI if you are traveling with pets. We didn’t have any issues with mosquitos but there were a few flies. No bites or anything.

This site is unreal. And the fact that it’s free makes it even more unbelievable. The views are spectacular, and the sites are pretty level. Hands down one of the best dispersed camping sites ever!

now let me just say, to be able to stay somewhere like this for free is incredible. this is by far now my top spot! lots of cow poop but it’s all dried up! can get pretty moist at night with all the clouds! nice gravel road great for everyone! not busy all on a sunday night at 8!!!

Truly one of the most magical campgrounds I’ve ever been to. At night we had a gorgeous sunset and woke up in a cloud! Very few other campers but there’s so much space I doubt there would be much crowding. We had one other RV come and park within 20ft of us and we just moved further down the road. Highly recommend.

Very easy to find, we arrived pretty late and it was simple to located and park. Super pretty spot when we woke up, beautiful sunrise and very meadow like. We enjoyed this spot. Very open and many spots.

Totally agree with person who said this is in top 5 sites. Awesome views, level ground, easy access, lots of room for many. However, it's county road 402 not 403!

So amazing. Peaceful and quiet, even with some other campers here. The cell phone service with Verizon is perfect and the view is to die for. You can also hear the cows across the road, which I love. The road in is so easy, no rigs should have any issues.

This is a great spot. Wide open area for camping so you’re not right on top of anyone. The views were amazing. Pretty windy as others stated, but was nice during the hot days. Nights were a tad chilly. Downside is there’s absolutely no shade and horseflies are in plenty. Thankfully I have a screen tent that provided some shade and relief from the flies. Overall a great spot, not too far from town. Better if you have a camper over a tent.

Beautiful views. Be prepared for tall grass and horse flies. We parked at the end by the private fence and by morning several hikers with dogs came and parked right next to our site. Good Verizon service.

Spectacular views and wildlife. Easy to find a level spot. Wild horses.

By far one of the most beautiful places I’ve camped. The field is in bloom right now (June 15) with purple and yellow flowers. We’re definitely up in elevation and can see lush forests and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Super lush green field to camp in. Super easy to get to from main road. No road traffic sounds. Chilly at night.

Cull Watt Park Road took us to this cool open field with awesome rolling hills and Grouse Mountain in view. We could park anywhere we liked in the big field. The road wasn't too bumpy, and being up at 7000 ft made it nice and chill even in summer. They're open from June 15 to Nov 15, so it's perfect for a getaway. 

Big shoutout to Clear Creek for fly fishing fun- it's just a short 3/4 mile hike to the river, which was a blast. 

Full bars of cell signal on Verizon, so no worries about being off the grid. Only thing missing were fire rings, but honestly, the quiet vibes totally made up for it. If you're into peaceful and scenic, this is your spot 🏞️🎣🚐