Posted by Brad Jackson on September 23, 2008 at 3:34 PM
I am planning a trip this weekend (Thursday - Sunday) that will take me to through Aspen, McClure Pass, Kebler Pass and Crested Butte. I am hoping to do car camping the entire weekend.
Any laws I should be aware of prior?
Any suggestions of places that I can do this?
Thanks.
Posted by Phillip Noll on September 23, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Aspen is tough for car camping, but if you're not setting up a tent, you can sleep in your car in some of the parking lots. There are also quite a few campgrounds around town. McClure and Kebler have many pullouts that make it easy to camp. Depending on where you want to be around CB, you can camp along the Gothic road.
Posted by Brad Jackson on September 23, 2008 at 4:12 PM
Thanks Dave!
I plan on just sleeping in the back of my SUV the entire trip. This might be a mistake in planning, but I guess I will find out. :)
Posted by Jack Brauer on September 23, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Kebler Pass has lots of great somewhat-secluded places to car camp along the road.
Posted by Brian Johnson on September 23, 2008 at 5:34 PM
I, too, will be car camping with the dog for 9-10 days in the aforementioned areas as well as the San Juans. Maybe I'll spend Sunday night in a hotel room to watch da Bears? Should be a blast!
Posted by Rick Dunn on September 23, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Brad,
a lot of us do the same thing. Plenty of places around Kebler as others have stated. Just check out some of the side roads branching off of the main road. If you don't feel like searching, there's a nice campground at Lost Lake Slough, though it could fill up on the weekend. I used a couple of years ago and it was nice and quiet.
I recall that you can sleep in your car at the overflow parking lot at Maroon Bells, but hopefully others will confirm. Several of us did it a couple of years ago, but it was a snowstorm and there wasn't much risk of getting evicted in the middle of the night. Only advice - beware of porcupines!
On the Paonia side of McClure, FS265 offers some possibilities. You need to take it a ways in to get past some private properties.
As long as you're on Forest Service or BLM land, you should be fine.
Posted by Jack Garrett on September 24, 2008 at 1:35 AM
How about car camping near Ridgeway and Ouray? Any problems in that area?
Jack
Posted by Don Grall on September 24, 2008 at 5:41 AM
I camped in the overflow lot at Maroon Bells last Sat night. Arrived about 9:30PM and left at 5:30AM. I did not see any sign about a fee being needed, but then I wasn't looking for any because there never was a sign before this year evidently, so it never occurred to me to look for it. Nobody said anything, and they don't check you on your way out of the park.
Re: Ridgeway and Ouray, I've spent the night at the overlook on Dallas Divide a couple of times over the years, usually in the winter when other options are snowed in. South of Ouray, there's a FS access road just south of Crystal Lake on the east side of Hwy 550, just at the edge of some mine tailing ponds. Drive in about a hundred yards or so and there are a number of spots. There are spots at the top of Red Mt Pass on the east side as well. You can also camp near the trailhead at the end of Road 7 under Mt Sneffels.
You CAN car camp there at the overnight lot, as long as you don't setup a campsite (in other words, just sleep in the vehicle, as-is). You DON'T need to pay anything to stay the night in that lot. Don't stay in the "day lot"--that they frown on. The overnight lot is the one just before the day lot at the lake. Not hard to find at all. And if you miss it, just go through the day lot and head back, it's the first right.
The rangers are cool with it as long as you follow those rules, and generally aren't a bozo. This is directly from a ranger I spoke with about it in 2006, after having done exactly that for 5 years prior.
FS roads 5, 7, and 9 are all great places to car-camp, as long as you drive in far enough to get past the private property. I like Box Factory park (end of 7), although for a passenger car it can be a bit rough. Last Dollar Road is OK too, but I think there's better spots on the Telluride side than the Ridgway one.
Posted by Rick Dunn on September 24, 2008 at 12:26 PM
East of Ridgway is Silver Jack Reservoir - a great destination (and drive) for fall colors; one of my favorites. Plenty of places to car camp - check out the roads that head up the various forks of the Cimarron. Best areas are not long after you turn onto any of those roads.
Also, although I don't typically care for campgrounds, they're not too bad in the fall - at least the smaller ones are okay. Fewer people, less noise, etc. Many close Sept 30th, so you do have to watch out for that. I left some camp chairs at my site outside of Telluride one year and even paid my fee for that night; came back in the evening (Oct 1st) and the gate was closed, locked and my chairs gone.
Posted by Brad Jackson on September 24, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Thank you all for replying! I am really looking forward to this trip.
Discussion
11 repliesAny laws I should be aware of prior?
Any suggestions of places that I can do this?
Thanks.
I plan on just sleeping in the back of my SUV the entire trip. This might be a mistake in planning, but I guess I will find out. :)
a lot of us do the same thing. Plenty of places around Kebler as others have stated. Just check out some of the side roads branching off of the main road. If you don't feel like searching, there's a nice campground at Lost Lake Slough, though it could fill up on the weekend. I used a couple of years ago and it was nice and quiet.
I recall that you can sleep in your car at the overflow parking lot at Maroon Bells, but hopefully others will confirm. Several of us did it a couple of years ago, but it was a snowstorm and there wasn't much risk of getting evicted in the middle of the night. Only advice - beware of porcupines!
On the Paonia side of McClure, FS265 offers some possibilities. You need to take it a ways in to get past some private properties.
As long as you're on Forest Service or BLM land, you should be fine.
Jack
Re: Ridgeway and Ouray, I've spent the night at the overlook on Dallas Divide a couple of times over the years, usually in the winter when other options are snowed in. South of Ouray, there's a FS access road just south of Crystal Lake on the east side of Hwy 550, just at the edge of some mine tailing ponds. Drive in about a hundred yards or so and there are a number of spots. There are spots at the top of Red Mt Pass on the east side as well. You can also camp near the trailhead at the end of Road 7 under Mt Sneffels.
You CAN car camp there at the overnight lot, as long as you don't setup a campsite (in other words, just sleep in the vehicle, as-is). You DON'T need to pay anything to stay the night in that lot. Don't stay in the "day lot"--that they frown on. The overnight lot is the one just before the day lot at the lake. Not hard to find at all. And if you miss it, just go through the day lot and head back, it's the first right.
The rangers are cool with it as long as you follow those rules, and generally aren't a bozo. This is directly from a ranger I spoke with about it in 2006, after having done exactly that for 5 years prior.
FS roads 5, 7, and 9 are all great places to car-camp, as long as you drive in far enough to get past the private property. I like Box Factory park (end of 7), although for a passenger car it can be a bit rough. Last Dollar Road is OK too, but I think there's better spots on the Telluride side than the Ridgway one.
Also, although I don't typically care for campgrounds, they're not too bad in the fall - at least the smaller ones are okay. Fewer people, less noise, etc. Many close Sept 30th, so you do have to watch out for that. I left some camp chairs at my site outside of Telluride one year and even paid my fee for that night; came back in the evening (Oct 1st) and the gate was closed, locked and my chairs gone.