We stayed here for 11 nights at the end of July and beginning of August 2019. The roads are a bit bumpy and you want to make sure your gear is secured. The City of Leadville has an awesome dump/water station at the sanitation station as you come into town. Leadville, Colorado... There’s something to be said about having someone scout a campsite for you. There are enough Wal-Mart and truck stop directories out there already. The town of Leadville has a grocery store, Family Dollar and gas stations that have just about anything you would need while staying. Chapman Reservoir Campground - Oak Creek, Colorado. However, they get higher in elevation and are heavily shaded, so we only camp there in the heat of the summer. Fire ban was in... Th... Click here to leave a review and improve this listing! I’m not sure you can get water without camping there, but we did. Road/Site Condition For reference we have an FJ Cruiser and a 19’ Intech Sol. We stayed here for a little over two weeks in late July 2019. The max stay here is two weeks, but we did end up staying a few extra days to help time our next stop. This entry was posted in Camping, Colorado, culture, hiking, Waterfalls and tagged Camping, Colorado, disconnect, dispersed camping, Hiking, Mount Massive Wilderness, San Isabel National Forest, travel, Turquoise Lake on July 18, 2017 by Stephen Jaye. Cell/Internet Access There are few turn offs on your way up, so be prepared to have to backup down a narrow, rough road if you encountered a vehicle going the opposite way. Verizon: 0.55Mbps down / 0.01Mbps up / 155ms ping. You d... But then, he ain't always too smart none. Went Memorial Day weekend and not another soul in sight. Using our Weboost we have 4 bars of 4g on Verizon and could stream video. more. We stayed here for 11 nights at the end of July and beginning of August 2019. AT&T was great. Verizon was slow to the point of being almost non-existent. We picked a dispersed site by the river and there thankfully was no one around! No water or camp host as you should expect in a dispersed campsite. Absolutely wonderful place to boon dock. more. A little bumpy on the way up (would recommend 4wd), but worth it at the top. The last mile was to daunting for us to access the location. I’m not saying someone with a little more courage and skill couldn’t do it, it was just out of our league. There are 9 campgrounds near the lake, with 8 of them being on the east end. Blog post: https://steemit.com/travel/@vanholio/best-free-campsite-in-leadville-co-video. The roads are a bit bumpy and you want to make sure your gear is secured. Being the most prominent peak in all of Bend at 10,358 feet high, this hike gives you bragging rights. There is a self-pay box, or you can pay inside during normal business hours. You *should* use a 4WD to get up there, but Vanholio made it with a front wheel drive and 5" of clearance! There are many dispersed camping sites on Halfmoon Road, and if you keep driving there is Halfmoon East Campground. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 15 feet. Elbert. The 6.2-mile (one way) trail is strenuous, as it gains nearly 2,500 feet in elevation through dense forest. While we haven’t ever been in Bend in the right season to hike the South Sister, there’s no doubt it is the ultimate hike in the area. Each campground has a manager to help you with your needs. Turquoise fills up pretty quickly. There are so many meandering roads back into the woods. More information and reservations can be found HERE. Well spaced sites accessible by most rigs 35’ or less, but be prepared for some Texas pin striping and antenna damage due to low tree clearance. There is no washboard and it is easy to drive on. Take an off-road adventure by parking at Sugarloaf Dam and mountain biking the 13-mile round-trip trail that goes along the lake to the May Queen Campground. Be the first to add a video for County Road 48 Dispersed Camping! We hope you enjoy the same style of camping. Campground use is extremely popular, especially on summer weekends, and reservations can be made five days in advance. Note that there are no facilities here, and this is a high altitude camping area. Otherwise, sites are littered … 11 am on a Thursday may or may not be ok..more remote places are better but Saturday is always more challenging. Review of Shrine Pass Road. I spent about 45 minutes driving various roads scouting out spots. Popular campgrounds in the area include the Goosecreek Trailhead Road, the Mueller State Park, and the Badger Flats dispersed camping area. Difficult to get to, lousy water pressure. However, from what I was told, there are many spots throughout the side/back roads to the left. So, most campers tucked in at sunset keeping evening noise very low. Two boats ramps provide convenient access to the lake for boaters and anglers. Rough road leads to a gorgeous view and great campsite. Assuming you can deal with the possibility of the cell signal suddenly disappearing (the library in town has very fast WiFi apparently), then this is a great spot. Freecampsites.net makes it easy. We found that if we were out at the site, the city of Leadville was also out. It was in 2014 that locals and bird watchers noticed that … Others are tucked into secluded forests and meadowlands. Thankfully, I have a flexible schedule and could work around the issue. Our community provides the best free camping information available. Best Strenuous Hike: South Sister. My alarm went off at around 1:30am. It was so beautiful seeing the mountains in the backdrop and it's really quiet and peaceful. Excellent place to stay and explore the Leadville area. Hike into the Holy Cross and Mount Massive wilderness … Also 3-4 bars in At&T on the phones. The only thing I didn't like was the air was pretty thin for me and I finally left after buying a couple of bottles of oxygen to help with breathing. We did not visit many museums, but there are plenty to choose from. more. Getting There: From Fort Collins, take US 287 N (College Ave) to Livermore. There are also several lakes and tons of hiking nearby. Reservations are a good idea for all campgrounds except Belle of Colorado and Tabor Boat Ramp, which are first come, firs… Disconnect and Reconnect Great spot for dispersed camping. more. We give you a simple, map based search engine to find free and cheap camping areas. Some areas in National Forests are closed to dispersed camping, so check postings carefully and check with the local Some sites look out over the water to 13,000-foot peaks beyond. Camping at Lake Irwin Campground in Crested Butte, CO - 360° Drive-thru - Duration: 4:41. We stayed here for a little over two weeks in late July 2019. Camping from the desert to the Pacific coast . No one is here! You don't have the great view of the lake like the campgrounds up the road but it's free and a really nice place.Enough Verizon signal to get online with a jetpack and get text and phone calls. Woke up to a bike race going uphill right by this site. Had to plow through a snow drift or two, but the view was worth it. You probably need 4wd for this. Mazda CX-5 did great on the road just watch the rocks, very bumpy ride up. I'd still go back though! This is a platform for sharing campgrounds and camp sites you have discovered. I would recommend visiting Melanzana on the main strip in town. This site sits on a plateau above Leadville and is surrounded by Mountain views. In short, it’s stunning! Stunningly gorgeous views of the valley. If you would rather leave a review, Your email address will not be published. This site sits on a plateau above Leadville and is surrounded by Mountain views. Reserve your site well in advance, Turquoise Lake campgrounds fill up most weekends throughout the summer. Sorry neighbors but now the porch light stays on all night here. Camping: There is no dispersed camping available near Turquoise Lake, however the Forest Service operates a large number of developed campsites with fire rings, picnic tables, drop toilets, and potable water. Dispersed camping is a great way to enjoy the experience of camping away from the noise and bustle of campground camping. Coming to Turquoise Lake proves to be the perfect antidote to the crowded encampment at the dispersed camping area. The 15 feet into the site is steep and might be hard for 2wd though. My car alarm you have to hit really hard to go off. Free campgrounds can be hard to find. Little hilltop camp up a rough road! The campground stretches out along Chapman Reservoir in mostly mature Aspen and some Subalpine fir. Great off-roading! Well spaced sites accessible by most rigs 35’ or less, but be prepared for some Texas pin striping and antenna damage due to low tree clearance. You own these lands and you are entitled to use them. Stayed here with a passenger vehicle and a tent. Would recommend for short term or extended stay. Other site had bags of dog poop. Whether you enjoy tent camping, car camping or RV camping, our goal is to help you find the best places to go camping. Our focus is on public lands. One con was that previous campers are not burying human waste or picking up behind dogs. It was not too crowded when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon, but this is a very popular spot, so you are going to have neighbors. At the coordinate, the site was pretty windy, but we found an area with some trees blocking. Camping and fishing are the two main draws for visitors to Turquoise Lake. If everyone contributes a few campsites, we'll all have more places to go camping. Using our Weboost we have 4 bars of 4g on Verizon and could stream video. Never gives false alarms. Fire ban was in effect during our visit. Turquoise Lake. The booster did not help either. It is $5 to dump and $2.50 for water. The first one is very close to the paved road and the other is about a mile away. Catchy title, eh? My car alarm you have to hit really hard to go off. We find steps that take us down to a lakeside path. This area is wide open which was great for our solar. Hiked up their route and got some great photos of Turquoise Lake. Situated less than 5 miles west of downtown Leadville, Turquoise Lake is the obvious choice for a stunning campsite at 10,000+ ft. Neat, American-made shop. more. The food there, as well as Mountain High Pies is great. Tons of options! We also found a dumpster near the Silver Dollar National Forest campground that did not have a sign on it, so used that a time or two as well. Tons of options! AT&T: 60.2Mbps down / 32Mbps up / 65ms ping Most of the campsites are under the Biospheric's reservation system. It did this several times during our stay - one time just for 20 minutes, but another time almost for an entire day. more. Campendium users haven't asked any questions about County Road 48 Dispersed Camping, This is one of our favorite free campsites in Colorado. I spent about 45 minutes driving various roads scouting out spots. Really strong cell service. We were excited for this location but when we got to the hairpin turn off of 105A, which was to the left, we realized that even though we have good ground clearance and 4WD, pulling a camper up this road was too extreme for us. Turquoise Lake boasts seven campgrounds, many with flush toilets, and a centrally located dump station. We especially like camping on Forest Service land, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas, WMA's (Wildlife Management Areas) and county or city parks. The total hiking distance is about 6 miles with an elevation gain of 1,600 feet. The town of Leadville is a cute little mountain town. Required fields are marked, Next level hosting generously provided by, https://steemit.com/travel/@vanholio/best-free-campsite-in-leadville-co-video. Back roads along the rugged California coastline are near and dear as they afford breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and a milder climate. Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. We were camped with some friends, and had a wonderful time. Five minutes to Turquoise Lake and ten into Leadville. May Queen. Dispersed camping by turquoise lake Colorado A subreddit for campers concerned more about the act of camping and less concerned about hiking long distances or light gear. We ended up dumping trash at the Shell’s car vacuum trash cans (our trash bags are small) a time or two. It helped that most had solar, so generator noise was minimal. I went with a few friends on my first dispersed camping trip (drive off the side of the road and set up camp) last year here off Shrine Pass Road. Close to Leadville but out in the woods, I loved this spot! We had 2-3 bars and the data was speedy. Negatives: hikers, runners, bikers, and jeeps pass by a lot; no cell service; few discrete spots for your business. The only exception is that dispersed camping is allowed in Jedediah Smith Wilderness which the Teton Crest Trail crosses through in two areas. At one point, we had more than that near us, but they were all Xscapers and knew each other. Room for several cars, two big fire pits, as well as a few smaller fire pits nearby. Dom Vanden Dries would stay here again. Reservation Status: Accepted Camping at Turquoise Lake is only allowed only in the campgrounds. Continue on 14-Poudre Canyon Road and then take a left Holhnholz Lakes Road - CR 103. Sitting deep in the forest to the west of Leadville, Turquoise Lake takes its name from the Turquoise mines that produced the semiprecious stone in Leadville's not too distant past. The area is grassy, but surprisingly level. Great site on the top of a hill surrounded by mountain peaks. Between the higher elevation, the cooling effect of the nearby lake, and the shade of the tall pines, the air is brisk and refreshing. Can’t beat free camping. The dispersed sites along County Highway 4 offer an excellent option for camping near Grand Lake. You can stop along the Cascade Lake Highway for great views of the turquoise waters at Devil’s Lake. Pluses: Free, gorgeous, cool. 10/7/2020 didn’t make it to location. Once you take the hairpin turn to start going uphill towards the site, the road is pretty rough (just very rocky). Stayed here with a passenger vehicle and a tent. Our cell phones are AT&T and we have AT&T and Verizon hotspots. The forest road is very bumpy but does not need 4wd. The two main areas are on the left side of the road. Located in the San Isabel National Forest at an altitude of 9,780 feet, Turquoise Lake is just 5 minutes west of Leadville. When camping in non-designated areas, the general rule is to be 100 feet from any road, trail or water source. However, the weird thing on AT&T was sporadically, we would lose all signal completely. Now we are Xscapers because we joined while staying here! Short 1/4 mile on pretty good gravel road leads to very level area with several established campsites with fire pits. I’ve stayed here before but last night someone tried breaking into my vehicle or stealing items off my roof rack. The road coming is dirt and gravel. Saved by Dan Adventurer Chambers Lake Dispersed Camping - Bellvue, Colorado. Camping along the coastline is beautiful year-round, whereas camping in the desert is most enjoyed in the cooler months – November through April. Lot's of stuff was closed during the pandemic and social distancing. Date of experience: September 2015. This is a great site for an impromptu trip to the lake and for those that prefer the anonymity of free dispersed camping and avoiding the typical overly nosey camp hosts. By sharing camping information freely, we can all spend less time researching campgrounds, spend less money, and more time camping. This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com, We spent 5 days at the Tabor Campground at Turquoise Lake and then moved to the dispersed camping at County Road 48. More people are starting long weekends at FCFS places earlier in the week because of this. Not many campers at this time of year and it was very peaceful. The data was there, but it was very slow. No cell service. Make sure you take County Road 48 at the fork between County ... From the May Queen Campground looking east over Turquoise Lake on Memorial Day Weekend 2019. The only point really worth noting is regards the cell signal. Gorgeous views at this site. Campendium is an Amazon associate site and earns from qualifying purchases. Campground Recon … Community reviews and ratings provide you with up to date information and help you select the best camp site for your next camping trip. There is a great view of Mt. There are two main areas directly off County Road 48. Excellent place to stay and explore the Leadville area. Road/Site Condition Lot's of stuff was closed during the pandemic and social distancing. I had to reinstall a couple of my antennas due to low trees over the road. Pulled in yesterday on July 1st Plenty of space & plenty of people Expect more before the holiday weekend Absolutely wonderful place to boon dock. We ended up driving down the main dirt road to another left hand pull off, driving a bit back that road and finding a gor... Stayed here with a passenger vehicle and a tent. July/August 2016 This is one of our favorite free campsites in Colorado. Also 3-4 bars in At&T on the phones. Big Creek Lakes Campground The most obvious place to camp at the lake is the campground of the same name. Please select a reason for flagging this item: © 2020 Campendium Inc. All rights reserved. more. Also two people running generators all night. Leadville is home to some of the best tent camping in Colorado as well as some of the best RV campsites in the state. We spent 5 days at the Tabor Campground at Turquoise Lake and then moved to the dispersed camping at County Road 48. You can simply use your smart phone's GPS to find camping near you or even use our trip planner to plan your route from coast to coast. Amazing sunset and sunrise. 2. Stayed here in a 16 foot-long Passenger Vehicle. But that’s not what I mean by the title of this post. Bird Background in Leadville Today. My roof is 12’ on a 25’ MH. They graciously let us join their gatherings and we had a great time. There's a few sites on the way up to the coordinate. 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Any size could fit on each side comfortably so generator noise was minimal trail 708 begins about 3 up. Roads along the coastline is beautiful year-round, whereas camping in non-designated areas please a! The Badger Flats dispersed camping, this trail is … Eight campgrounds ring Lake. Marijuana is legal in Colorado equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, toilets, and no! We arrived late on a 25 ’ MH start going uphill right by this site on. And knew each other near Grand Lake to add a note for County road 48 at the 2nd site,... Camping area … dispersed camping is prohibited around the Lake but if you need. To dump and $ 2.50 for water mile on pretty good gravel leads.