Beautiful, easily accessible dispersed camping only a few minutes away from the Mount Sherman trailhead. If you're looking for a more modern camping experience, check out Four Mile Campground up the road. Large enough spot for several tents or a couple of vehicles if you're car camping or using a rooftop tent. 4 Mile creek is on the south side of the road and offers a nice soothing sound to fall asleep to. Most times I've been by here there have been campers here so it tends to be a treat if I find it unoccupied.
Everyone knows about Alabama Hills now (thanks social media). That doesn't diminish the beauty out there. There is a plethora of available camping spots that all fill up quickly and for good reason. Falling asleep at night looking at Mount Whitney is something I could never get used to and the sunrises and sunsets out there are stunning. What the area "lacks" in camping amenities, it makes up for in sheer views. This is a gem.
Good luck finding an Air BNB in Crested Butte. If you're smart, you'll bring a tent and set up camp here off of Slate River road. The camping incredible. The dispersed spots fill up quickly though, especially in the summer but it's obvious why. Don't expect typical campground amenities, these are just dirt pull offs with the occasional fire ring from the previous visitors. Mountain bikers frequent the area and line the road in the summer months. Some single track trails are close to some of the more southeastern spots but you're still not a very far drive from town out here. Slate River runs through the valley where the dispersed camping exists and offers a cool reprieve on the warm summer days and the rising ridge lines on either side are beautiful. If you take the road far enough, you can get to iconic crystal mill as well but I haven't made the trek so I can't speak to what that drive looks like. As far as this dispersed camping goes, no need for a 4WD or high clearance, these sites are easily accessible.
While I didn't specifically camp here (I camped west of this location on free BLM land) I did drive around the camp site as I explored all that 18 road had to offer, which, if you know, you know. Sites seems fairly accommodating with several different sized campers and tents deployed throughout the campground. Like a different reviewer said, this spot is used primarily by mountain bikers and during the summer months finding a spot will be hard. There are bathrooms scattered about with picnic tables at the sites as well. Cell service was good (Verizon) when I went but be prepared for the usual tight campground squeeze. If you're looking for privacy and solitude, this isn't your place. If you just need a place to slap a tent and ride your bike, then you'll be fine here. Relatively close proximity to Fruita and Grand Junction. Reserve far out!
I agree with the first reviewer Steve, I don't know why this is labeled Adam Campground. My wife and I first camped here in 2018 in our roof-top tent while doing a mountain bike race in nearby Eagle.
Access: The road from Eagle all the way past Sylvan Lake is well maintained and normal clearance, 2-wheel drive vehicles should have no problem getting to this specific camping area. I can't speak to what lies farther down the road, though. I would exercise caution if you're coming into the area while it's raining or after a hard rain since the dirt/mud can get pretty slick and thick. This spot rests in the apex of a turn on the left hand side of the road as you move away from Sylvan Lake. The creek that runs adjacent to it is beautiful and is really the cherry on top to an already beautiful spot. With the area being located so close to the creek, you do run into soft ground if the water level has risen recently, so keep that in mind. When the wife and I drove our Tacoma into the spot, the ground was hard enough to not get tore up.
Cell Service: None (with Verizon)
No traditional camping amenities (I'd consider this more of a dispersed campsite rather than a campground)
The views at the site aren't anything incredible but, again, the creek is fantastic and falling asleep to the sound of running water is a real luxury. There are also some "trails" that go further into the woods. They seemed like they could be game trails but still something to explore.
This is probably a 20-30 minute drive from Eagle so you're still pretty close to town and all it has to offer. If you leave the site, don't anticipate keeping your spot. Seems like this one fills up quickly.
Initially looked for camping along the South Platte at Happy Meadows but with a 1 year old, we figured campers wouldn't want to hear him screaming in the middle of the night or the cries of my wife as she struggles with her sanity. We pushed a little further north and took the right hand turn onto Matukat road. We drove a couple of miles up the decently maintained dirt road and found the second dispersed camping spot and decided to set up our roof top tent for the night.
Looking at a map, it looks like the road goes on for quite a ways but we never explored past the spot we stayed in. Up to the point where we camped, 2-wheel drive was more than enough to get us to our spot nestled in the rocks. The dispersed camping spots we saw seemed very easy to get to and we never needed to put our truck in 4WD.
Since these sites are dispersed camping, don't expect any toilets or amenities. Some spots did have pre-made (from campers before) fire pits and there seemed to be an abundance of dead wood but actual wood cutting in the Pike National Forest needs to have a permit so keep that in mind. We dealt with some crazy wind so a fire wasn't even in question. Be sure to check with the local ranger station before starting a fire in the area, especially since this is a burn area.