Where are some great cheap places to go camping in Colorado?

Question

Me and some friedns are wanting to go camping in late March and would like to know of some great cheap places to go camping in a tent not an RV. We want to build a fire and not use a stove. Where is a great place to do so?

Answer 1

You definitely do not want to go camping in March, and many of the public lands campsites aren't open yet! There will be snow on the ground in the higher elevations and the temps will be near or below zero at night. You definitely need to wait until summertime (even then, I woke up to snow on my tent on the 4th of July camping at 11,000 ft!)

Answer 2

Look for BLM campsites (Bureau of Land Management)

They are free or cost little, depending on services.

My Favorite is Mill Creek Campground, south of Lake City down in the San Juan Mountains (southwest Colorado) on the road to Cinnamon Pass.

Right on a creek the size of a small river, non-flush permanent toilets (not the plastic outhouse kind) a well where you can pump all the fresh water you want (yummy) and spaces to cook out on every site. It costs $5.00 a day and I think the limit is 30 days, but might be two weeks.

Right near Lake San Cristobal which is beautiful.

Arrive well before July 4th (like June 25th or so) because Lake City has BIG, Old Fashioned Country 4th of July, with parade and community bingo and all sorts of good stuff. Buy your food in Gunnison and you will save big money.

If you want to camp for free, a lot of the land along the road to Engineer Pass is BLM land, and unless otherwise posted, you can camp for free (wilderness style)

You will see where some people have camped before you. Use those sites instead of making a new human footprint.

My favorite freebie there is to drive out of town on Engineer road less than a mile, watching to your left through the trees for the other creek (again, LOTS of water) and pull into one of the "driveways" onto the gravel and stone floodbank of the creek.

It is so great to sleep there with the sound of the water all around you.

Check weather reports to make sure a storm isn't coming to wash you away (grin)

If you have 4x4 and you go after May or June, the BLM 4x4 roads will be open over the passes (13,000 feet) to Silverton and Ouray.

Answer 3

BLM (Beureau of Land Management) land is free camping for anyone, you could also look into the State Parks. Colorado is such a huge place with so many awesome places to camp that you should decide what part of the state you're going to and narrow your search there.

If you are planning on tent camping in March (yikes!) might I suggest New Mexico or Arizona instead? Much of Colorado will be buried in snow in March- from the sounds of it you aren't really versed enough to do winter camping (some do it).Save your Colorado camping trip for the summer and fall months.

If you're set on going to Colorado in March- try skiing instead! Most areas should be open until late march/early April. Check the Denver Post website for ski conditions across the state.

Answer 4

I would seriously suggest you camp somewhere where you are not too high in elevation, it can get REALLY COLD here in March. I would suggest the Great Sand Dunes, we went camping there 2-3 weeks before spring break a few years ago and had a blast. They have really nice sites too.
Another area is by Kenosha pass, I do not have specifics about an area there, but it is beautiful around that area.

Answer 5

You'll want to note that late March in the Colorado mountains tends to be cold and maybe snowy, even a blizzard. If you do get warm weather, there will be a lot of mud from the melting snowpack. April is called "mud season".

Fall is much better weather here. Summer is good in the mountains.

The Buena Vista area tends to be warmer and drier than most, but it's a commercial place in a valley (which is why it's warmer and drier) and near a highway, not a place in the wild mountains.

http://arrowheadpointresort.com/



More info on campgrounds in this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Campgrounds-100-Best-Rest/dp/156579334X

Answer 6

= Lake Vallecito, near Durango, CO is nice. Lots of trees, a small lake and plenty of wildlife. You can rent boats there and it's a lot of fun because not many people go there. Mostly fisherman. There is primitive camping on one side of the lake (i.e., no flushing, no showers, etc.) and there are places where you can rent cabins or park your RV on the other side.

Answer 7

There is a place Northwest of Nederland on the Peak-to-peak highway called Gordon's Gulch and it has excellent campsites. It is free and there are no stove only firepits. Also there are no picnic tables or outhouses.

Answer 8

Pike National Forest

free camping, fire bans are lifted for now, go make an adventure out of it :)