Hi everyone! Well, I just moved to Denver and am looking to do some dispersed camping in September, and I'm wondering
where a good place to go would be? I would love a peaceful place with not too many (or any) other campers around, nearby trails, where I could take off on a day hike from my campsite and see magnificent views of the mountains and surrounding landscapes. Any ideas of where to camp with out spending tons of money on an actual campsite? Thanks!
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Hi Deb,
Camping in early fall is a great time to head up to see the leaves changing. All dispersed camping will be free, but that also means no bathrooms, no water pumps, and no fire rings. If I were you, I'd check on the status of the fire restrictions. As of two weeks ago when I went camping, there were widespread restrictions in effect, which meant absolutely no fires (you can get a HUGE fine or even jail time if you're caught with a fire). Because of that I went and did a night in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The state parks all have a parking fee and an overnight fee, but at least you can get around the burning restrictions. If you're still looking for dispersed camping, you should check out Angel of Shavano down near Buena Vista, or if you have a high clearance vehicle, you should head up past Boulder to Sugarloaf mtn. There's some great dispersed spots overlooking the valley, and all the campsites are very spread out. In any case...be prepared for very cold temps at night!
Cheers!
Both are 5 hour drives, but Crested Butte and Moab are two of the best, most beautiful places the US has to offer! Moab has disbursed spots up Onion Creek road. If you go up Onion creek, through the valley, and beyond, there's a great remote site as well. I've always stayed in hotels/friends/AirBnB in CB, but I think there's plenty of camping up Kebler road or up around Gothic.
Indian Peaks Wilderness is beautiful and near Denver, just south of Rocky Mountain National Park (which is also great, but has more fees and restrictions). Up near Kenosha Pass is also close to Denver, and will have great fall colors soon. And by the way, camping without spending money on a campsite is super easy in Colorado. There are sooooo many places where you can dispersed camp. If you want more specific advice, I live in Denver and do a lot of backpacking, feel free to message me.
It looks like it's going to be an early fall. Parts of the Colorado Trail already have 6" of snow. The plains might be a better choice. Or try this: http://www.meetup.com/denver-trail-heads/events/233474679/
A good choice for lower altitude might be Forest Service Road 550. Take US-285 south/west to Pine Junction, then south on CO-126 about 15 miles past Buffalo Creek. FS-550 will be a dirt road on your right just past the Colorado Trail. The USFS has designated many dispersed sites along the road. It should be pretty vacant after the holiday.
I'm wondering about the homeless situation. The NY Times ran an article on the Nederland area homeless camping problem http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/us/as-homeless-find-refuge-in-forests-anger-is-palpable-in-nearby-towns.html?_r=0 which painted a bleak picture. Real? Media hype? A few years ago it was mellow. Anyone up there want to comment?
I haven't had any problems with any homeless campers and I camp in the area often. That said, there are more people at some of these dispersed sites who seem to be living semi-permanently, I have seen some pushback from local residents, and I feel a little less safe leaving my campsite unattended. Note that nights start to get cold in September/Ocober and will push campers towards warmer areas.
Hey Deb!
I have been doing a bunch of dispersed camping around the state. You can find many locations and get directions at: freecampsites.net If you ever want a buddy to adventure with let me know. I'm planning on doing a 14er one of these days. You can more easily contact me on FB and find me with my name. Either way enjoy your travels! Be safe, live n love the wild :)
Welcome to Colorado! I like the area between Leadville and Buena Vista for hiking and free camping. Lots of 14ers in the area and good roads for the most part. You just need to pick a westbound road off the main highway and drive up as far as you like. Many of these roads follow streams and there are many small clearings good for car camping. There are USFS campgrounds as well, but they are easily avoided.
Have fun! September is a really great time in the high country, the weather is more stable and crowds really thin out after Labor Day.
John
Hi Deb, welcome to Colorado! As you can guess, there are a lot of great spots. Any national forest will be free for dispersed camping, but as others have pointed out, there won't be amenities aside from a fire pit in most cases. One consequence of this (though it may seem obvious, it has been a problem) is you need to bring your trash home with you; dumpsters are quite rare in these places. I often camp near the Jefferson / Fairplay area (Tarryall Reservoir). For longer drives, Heart Lake, north of Glenwood Springs or Turquoise Lake outside of Leadville are both excellent spots. If you're interested in company, let me know!
Lost Creek Wilderness is in (relatively) close proximity to the city, is huge, and since it's wilderness the camping is free! I love going there and hardly ever cross paths with other people when there.