Campground Guide Southwestern Colorado Public Lands This guide provides information on National Forest and Bureau of Land Management campgrounds and day-use areas in southwestern Colorado. The map, table, and descriptions inside will help you learn more about these facilities and the amenities they offer. Facilities Camping Most of the campgrounds and picnic areas in Campgrounds open when sites are snow free, this guide have tables, fire grates, and centrally with full operation from about Memorial Day located toilets. Some offer a more primitive to after Labor Day. Some stay open longer, with experience, while others have modern reduced services and fees. The most popular conveniences. campgrounds tend to be near larger lakes, major highways and communities; these are often full on Partnering with the USDA Forest Service since 1975 Campground roads and parking areas are summer weekends and holidays. Campgrounds are Rocky Mountain RecreationPartnering Company with has the been USDA a leader in the managed usually gravel; a few are paved. Most, but not intended to be temporary sites for vacationers, with recreation industryForest for 30 Service years, providing since 1975 management services to all, offer drinking water. At some, you must a time limit on stays. Most permit 14 days. A few campgrounds, marinas, day use areas and other recreation sites for Federal, remove your own trash; others offer trash service National Forest sites allow up to 28 days. State and RockyLocal Agencies. Mountain Our Recreation mission at CompanyRocky Mountain has been Recreation is to or sanitary dumping stations. A few provide optimize the recreation potential of our natural environment while a leader in the managed recreation industry for electrical hookups for recreational vehicles. Individual campsites can accommodate up to preserving the inherent characteristics of the area, and to offer our guests the Many offer universally accessible (barrier-free) eight people and two vehicles. Some campgrounds best customer30 years, service, providing ensuring management they leave with services a positive to and memorable picnic tables, fire grates, and restrooms. allow you to pay extra for an additional vehicle. campgrounds,experience, thusmarinas, “creating day usepositive areas memories”. and other Our staff will be happy to use our decades of managerial experience to ensure Group campsites vary in how many people they recreation sites for Federal, State and Local Fee campgrounds have campground hosts on you and your family enjoy the camping or boating experience you are looking can accommodate, as do group picnic sites. Check Agencies. Our mission at Rocky Mountain site or self-serve registration and fee-payment for. From our headquarters in Southern California, our goal is to provide a with campground hosts or our offices listed on back Recreation is to optimize the recreation potential stations at entrances, where regulations and clean, safe and enjoyable place for you to enjoy the outdoors. for more information. Some campgrounds offer of our natural environment while preserving the information are posted. Prices range from Visit us at www.rockymountainrec.com campfire programs in summer. inherent characteristics of the area, and to offer $10 – $30 for individual sites (double sites (800)416-6992 our guests the best customer service, ensuring cost more), and $50 – $175 for group sites. Contact the San Juan Public Lands Center at USFS fee campgrounds are run by private 970-247-4874 or [email protected] or more they leave with a positive and memorable concessionaires under permit. information. experience, thus “creating positive memories”. Our staff will be happy to use our decades of managerial experience to ensure you and your family enjoy the camping or boating experience Advance Reservations you are looking for. From our headquarters in Southern California, our goal is to provide a Advance reservations for many of the facilities described in this guide are available through the National clean, safe and enjoyable place for you to enjoy Recreation Reservation System. Information on which campsites and picnic sites may be reserved can be the outdoors. found inside. Reservations can be made up to 240 days in advance for individual sites, and up to 360 days in advance Visit us at for group sites. You may pay by credit card over the phone or on-line. In addition to a camping fee, a www.rockymountainrec.com non-refundable reservation fee is charged. Changes, no-shows and cancellations are subject to service fees. (800)416-6992 TO BOOK RESERVATIONS: Special thanks to Rocky Mountain Call toll-free 877-444-6777; TDD 877-833-6777, Recreation Company, or go to www.recreation.gov, campground concessionaire for the San Juan National Forest, for funding the For customer service, call 888-448-1474. printing of this guide. Dispersed Camping This Publication is created for you by San Juan Mountains Association. Camping outside of campgrounds is usually allowed, but you’ll find some areas posted as closed. The San Juan Mountains Association can get you involved in helping the agencies manage the In popular areas, dispersed sites have toilets or fire natural environment of the San Juans. As a nonprofit partner with the USFS and BLM, our grates. To avoid damaging vegetation, camp in mission is to promote and provide education, interpretation, information, and conservation of already used areas. Never level a site or dig trenches; cultural and natural resources. Programs and volunteer opportunities include: instead pick a level site with good drainage. • Refer to the appropriate Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for more specific dispersed EDUCATION CONSERVATION INTERPRETATION/ camping requirements, including where it is • Community Lectures • Leave No Trace and Tread INFORMATION allowed and what motor vehicle use is legal to • Workshops and Field Lightly! Training • Visitor Information access the camp area. MVUMs are available free Seminars • Public/Private Partnerships Specialists from most San Juan NF offices. • Cultural Site Stewardship • Volunteer Services • Wilderness Information • Keep vehicles within 300 feet of any Forest • Guided Nature Walks • Adopt-A-Road Program Specialists system roads, but only do so without causing • Ghost Riders resource damage. • Books and Maps, etc. • Wherever possible, locate your site 100’ from water. Visit us at SJMA.org • You cannot camp more than 14 days in any one The San Juan Mountains Association is a nonprofit spot in the backcountry. 501 (c)3 equal opportunity service provider. For more • Pack out all trash. information on membership or to purchase area maps and books, please call 970-247-4874 or visit our website at: www.sjma.org Edition 16/0430 Columbine Public Lands Campgrounds & Day Use Areas Uncompahgre NF San Miguel Columbine County Be RCarefulanger Distric witht Fire Gunnison NF San Juan National Forest LIZARD HEAD ¤£550 Silverton Southwestern Colorado may look lush and 3 19" 78 !? SILVERTON green, but Lthisege isn darid country that can be VISITOR CENTER Rio Grande NF Admdangerouslyinistrative Facility dry in summer or fall. Be careful SOUTH MINERAL !@withPUB LfireIC LAND S– C EaN Tspark,ER !A a puffLOOKOU Tof wind and nearby LITTLE MOLAS flammableADMIN OFFICE/C OMPmaterialsOUND canWOR K combineCENTER/OTHER to cause " !? !7 ANDREWS LAKE 9 " disaster before you know it. 1 Transportation Road ¤£160 US Highway )"250 County Road • If there are current fireNatio narestrictions,l Forest as Rico Trail «¬151 State Highway 629 Hinsdale County a public notice, they Swillystem R obead posted WEMINUCHE San Juan Recreation Sites 8 7 WILDERNESS County 5 " at campground entrances, Forest ENGINEER MTN !7 WILLIAMS CREEK GUARD STATION entrance signs and trailheads. Check " 17 Administrativwithe Boun dcampgroundaries hosts or with SIG CREEK National Monument Forest Boundary GRANITE PEAK Ranger District Division GUARD STATION Wilderdistrictness offices. «¬145 Columbine Ranger District !7 County Boundary WEMINUCHE • In campgrounds,Pagos acampfires Ranger District are allowed WILDERNESS UNC NF Adjacent National Electra Mancos/Dolores Ranger District Emerald Forest Boundary Lake Major onlyWater Bo dwithiny a Nfireon-Nati ongrate,al Forest L anandd firewood Lake HAVILAND LAKE Municipality Bureau of Land Management HERMOSA " R must fit inside the metal ring. E V 6 I CREEK CHRIS PARK " R • If camping in the backcountry, don’t WILDERNESS E 3 N I P Williams Crk build new fire rings/fire pits - use a Reservoir LOWER VALLECITO " camp stove or an existing fire ring/ HERMOSA TRANSFER PARK 20 " 21 " fire pit. Fire rings/fire pits scar 10 4" VALLECITO PINE RIVER 1 WORK CENTER " )"124 7 FLORIDA 16 the scenery and sterilize the soil 1 !7 2 0 6 ")201 "250 MILLER CREEK 11 ) MIDDLE MOUNTAIN beneath. Don’t build a fire beneath " ")252 Lemon " Vallecito 15 12 Reservoir " PINE POINT overhanging branches. KROEGER Reservoir " 8" 5" GRAHAM CREEK Archuleta " ANIMAS EAST ANIMAS SNOWSLIDE OVERLOOK "13 NORTH CANYON County • Regulations require fires be put out 18 2" !7 )"243 14 )"501 OLD TIMERS 1 3 completely every time you leave camp JUNCTION 6 CREEK 7" Morajo gor Gr idto tic bed.s = 5 m Pourile inter vwateral over ashes and )"240 )"204 Mstirinor Guntilrid tic scold. = 1 mil eStir inter vwetal ashes until there SAN JUAN PUBLIC La Plata LANDS CENTER County is no smoke or heat. ¤£160 MDR 3/27/2015 ¤£160 6 !@ 6 629.B 2 2 • Do not burn trash. Some items are 6 9 Vicinity Map Durango Bayfield COLUMBINE harmful to the environment. Plastics ¬140 Uncompahgre NF Gunnison NF « DISTRICT OFFICE !7 ¤£160 and tin will not burn to ash, and the !? Rio Grande NF COLE RANCH BLM Private Land H PAGOSA A resulting debris is messy and difficult to T S A N 6 U RANGER 75 DISTRICT National Forest Other District ¤£550 clean up. J U A N CHIMNEY ROCK N F NATIONAL MANCOS-DOLORES 172 RANGER COLUMBINE 0 4 8 16 «¬ 521 MONUMENT • Do not park hot vehicles over dry grass. «¬ DISTRICT RANGER Kilometers 537 DISTRICT COLOR•AD ONever toss cigarette butts - extinguish Miles 334 151 NEW MEXICO Ignacio )" «¬ Carson NF 0 2.5 5 10 approx.