Anyone know some good camping spots?

[Andrew]

Here's what I'm looking for:

Near Manitou Springs, in Pike NF, Tarryall or around there. Preferably with some decent cover and near water (stream/lake/etc.)

Anyone have any ideas? I'd like to scout some areas.

Going camping around there on labor day (I'll be there early to secure spot) so also a plus is something less traveled to - don't want a pay site as they are surely reseved anyway. Can't be too difficult to get to - friends only got stock SUV and I don't even know if it's 4x4 or not.

Never been camping in that area. I have been to China Wall but that was winter and wasn't looking for camping.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Smash]

Hmmmm, not familiar with the area down there. I hope to be soon though, picked up Wells book for the south side of 70 this weekend. Good luck with the hunt!

[Andrew]

Yeah I haven't done much down there either. I know of one spot, but haven't scouted it and not sure what is around. I found what looks like a cool spot on Google maps using satellite pictures, but man it's WAAY in there and nothing around at all haha. And hard to tell what it's really like from those images anyway.

[Smash]

Do you have Wells books? I find his routes often take me to or near awesome camping spots. Make sure to have a backup too, it'll be a busy weekend.

[Andrew]

Yeah I don't have his books and yeah I want to go scouting to find a few areas to pick from. Would prefer to stay closer to the front range as I know a lot more places, but my friends cousin is coming from OK and trying to make it a shorter trip. And a lot of places I camp they wouldn't be able to get to either.

[Brody]

A good deal of the stuff that has good camping in the Pike National Forest doesn't have good access to water, sad to say. I would go for the China Wall area, preferrably down by Tarryall Creek, but having a 4x is almost mandatory to get down there.

If water isn't a big deal, then anything off of that side of the Makutat Road (FR 211) would be decent as that is a 2wd road and there is some camping near water, but I don't remember how much.

Also there are a bunch of other roads off of the Tarryall Road on the way to Jefferson that I haven't been on. I can pretty much guarantee you that they won't be near water as they are uphill from Tarryall Road/Creek.

Hopefully Aaron will chime in as he has done the most exploring down there that I know of?

What happened to those computer parts? You never responded back on the post that I started looking for them and you never answered your PM. Did they vanish or did you change your mind? Be nice to know one way or another...

[Smash]

I would say a longer trip for an area you know would be a better idea. Especially if he's not running a 4x4. The Hayman burn area is pretty nice, especially if you go up on Thursday. Lots of spots too. They will fill up fast though. There is water up there too.

[Aaron]

My favorite camping spot in the world is called Mushroom Gulch. If you take 24 all the way to 285 then make a left and go up the hill a bit you will take a forest service road to your left. If you decide this is right for you, I will do more research to remember what the # is.

You end up at the top of a hill with spectacular views. Any reasonable vehicle can get up there. You really shouldn't have issues with 2WD. We pull our camper up there all the time. There are beaver dams at the bottom of the hill. I've had no luck catching fish but thats not what it is about, right?

There is lots to explore around and plenty of camping spots. Like I said, our favorite is at the top of the hill but there are plenty on the way up. Not many people know about this place so there is always room. Tree cover is abundant and you aren't anywhere near close enough to neighbors to see them.

Here is an overview of where it is... and a zoomed in version.

[Smash]

That looks like a cool spot too! Lots of spots up there? I might have to change and head over there for Labor Day. I like the spot I have cause there isn't any camping around it, but if it's taken when I get there I'm SCREWED. My biggest issue is that I have two dogs that get really mad if they have to be leashed when we're in the woods (they don't chase wildlife, they learned that fast), so I can't camp near other people. Think that area would fit my need for space?

[Aaron]

That looks like a cool spot too! Lots of spots up there? I might have to change and head over there for Labor Day. I like the spot I have cause there isn't any camping around it, but if it's taken when I get there I'm SCREWED. My biggest issue is that I have two dogs that get really mad if they have to be leashed when we're in the woods (they don't chase wildlife, they learned that fast), so I can't camp near other people. Think that area would fit my need for space?

We've never had an issue with having our animals off leash up there. The nice part is that the best spots are at the top of the hill and no one typically goes all the way up there. There are typically some folks ATVing or biking up there so if your dogs like to find and chase down those types, they'll have fun.

All in all, its awesome! We'll be about 25 minutes from there at Chalk lake doing Tin Cup...

[Andrew]

Looks cool Aaron but probably a bit far - not much different than them coming up this way. Well in my opinion if you're coming from OK then what's a few more miles right? But trying to please everyone is never a fun task. Thanks though! I will definitely check that place out at some point.

[Smash]

Sweet. I'll talk to Karla about it. With a weekend that busy it'd be good to be in a bigger area with more backups. Man there are a TON of dirt roads back there!!

Much appreciated for sharing your secret. :)

Hopefully I'll get a chance after work sometime next week to go scout it out.

[Andrew]

Man satellite imagery makes everything look so barren lol.

[Brody]

My favorite camping spot in the world is called Mushroom Gulch. If you take 24 all the way to 285 then make a left and go up the hill a bit you will take a forest service road to your left. If you decide this is right for you, I will do more research to remember what the # is.

You end up at the top of a hill with spectacular views. Any reasonable vehicle can get up there. You really shouldn't have issues with 2WD. We pull our camper up there all the time. There are beaver dams at the bottom of the hill. I've had no luck catching fish but thats not what it is about, right?

There is lots to explore around and plenty of camping spots. Like I said, our favorite is at the top of the hill but there are plenty on the way up. Not many people know about this place so there is always room. Tree cover is abundant and you aren't anywhere near close enough to neighbors to see them.

Here is an overview of where it is... and a zoomed in version.

To add to this: Right at the top of Trout Creek Pass, there is a left turn onto a dirt road. I believe this is FS 300, but might be wrong. Anyway, there is a small rock formation on the opposite side of the road, where there is another FS road, 309. This also goes back into an area with a huge amount of camp spots via FS 376 (Lenhardy Cutoff),but these tend to get a little more crowded...RV friendly, though, for the most part, but if you have an RV you want to continue down 285 towards BV and take FS 315 (right)into them.

Anyway, back to FS 300, also called Bald Mountain Gulch. Follow this alongside the river/creek to the first intersection. Make a left turn. This is Mushroom Gulch, FS 308. It can also be reached from the backside from Antero Junction, via FS 318 (left turn) but is a little harder to find. If you take FS 318, you will go through a residential area, then hit the FS 318. This will take you an intersection where you will run into FS 308, Mushroom Gulch, a right turn.

If you stay on FS 300, it will take you back into some less traveled areas with some pretty sweet camp spots, though with no water.. You just go past Mushroom Gulch to the next intersection, then turn uphill, staying on FS 300. You will have to watch for the next FS 300 turn, a hard left turn at an intersection where you are facing a 'dead end' sign. FS 300 eventually goes all the way down to 285 just above Johnson Village and you pass the turn off to OCG and Carnage on this road. Most of the best camping is on the Trout Creek side and is before you start to head back downhill.

This is the area we camped in for both the WFTW and the lameass Toyota Jamboree thing and we saw a total of 2 4xs, 2 ATVs and 2 dirt bikes for both weekends. The opposite side of 285 (FS 376 area) was really crowded. We camped off of FS 300 at about 9200' on a nice little saddle.

All of these areas show up on the San Isabel National Forest map and a lot of the roads (FS 376 area) are listed in Charles Well's book under the Four Mile Area section, though he doesn't seem to reaalize tht there are roads on the other side of 285 that are better...

Not sure what your specific criteria is for campspots, but we found that Mushroom Gulch was very crowded and filled with big RVs (BIG RVs) and had an huge amount of ATV and dirt bike traffic, at least on the 285 side. This is the stuff we try to avoid if at all possible, but, then again, we try to avoid anything other than day trips on holiday weekends, too...we couldn't do that if we had kids...

BTW, every road we were on in that area, we were in 2WD. Spots of FS 300 were a bit narrow, but you could easily pull a small camper through there. FS 315 is a mild dirt road that is pretty wide and doesn't really get narrow until you take the Lenhardy Cutoff, going past the two old mines. Still, we did this in 2WD, and I don't think a small camper would be a problem. Anything bigger and you need to stay around Mushroom Gulch and FS 315.

[Aaron]

I've noticed that there are RVs nearer to the bottom of the hill (towards 285) but as you get to the top of the hill and make the right at the split, I've never seen any up there. There is a large open meadow and the road goes along the tree line where there are multiple "side spurs" that go to individual nice hidden camp spots. This is where we have camped at least a couple of times a year for the past 8 or so years and have had no issues. Last year we were up there on Labor Day weekend and had a peaceful weekend.

Agreed that there is ATV and dirtbike traffic but the campsites we like are a bit off the road so we don't get any dust or obnoxious noise from them. We're typically out exploring during the day so maybe we don't see/hear them at their peak.

[Smash]

Hey guys, slightly off topic, where's the best place to get national forest maps?


Don't mind the ATV and dirt bike traffic, we'll go out and watch 'em go by. We have ATV envy. Hehe.

[Brody]

Sportsmans Warehouse or REI, which ever is closest to you. Gander Mountain and Cabelas are others, but I don't know if Gander closed their doors or that cabelas even opened up here. I think there is an REI or Sportsmans in the Flat Irons shopping center or somewhere around the Wadsworth/36 interchange.

[Smash]

Sweet. REI is close to me. Thanks!

[Brody]

Here is another link to some maps for the area from 'Stay the Trail'. :

http://staythetrail.org/maps/displaytrail.php?trail=11

[Funrover]

If you are going to be by China Wall I would stay right by the River at the end. Every time I have camped there we have been solo for a couple nights.

Also on the other side of the road there is a ton of open camping if you are pulling a camper or have an RV. Nothing really all to close to a stream on that side however.

If you want to stay closer to Manitou I would go up Old Stage Road to Frost Park (basically the bottom of Mt. Baldy). There is a stream and a bunch of hiking/biking trails all around there.

Rampart Range Road in Woodland park has a TON of camping and if you have a parks pass(or pay the fee) you can play in Rampart Res.

Rainbow Falls Road (off hwy 67)has a ton of camping also.. no streams really.. There was a trickle of a stream off of Missouri Gulch but the spots were tight and not in the best of locations

Crags area. If you take hwy 67 towards Cripple Creek you can take the road to the Crags entry to hike Pikes Peak. (left side of road... basically turn left when Mueller State Park is on the right). Drive up the dirt road. There are many pull offs and most have a small stream hidden in the trees. If you get to the Crags Campground area you have gone too far

[Smash]

Wow funrover, good list!!!

[Funrover]

Wow funrover, good list!!!

LOL.. I live for free camping! :D It was a sufficient start!

[Brody]

I didn't mention the Crags simply because the camping is too close to the road for my liking and it turns into a zoofest on holiday weekends. It is pretty and the hiking/mountain biking and rock climbing in the Crags is really nice.

The Crags campground charges about a $13 per night fee now, too, although you can park overnight cheaper than that and hike in to the actual Crags to camp.

[Funrover]

I didn't mention the Crags simply because the camping is too close to the road for my liking and it turns into a zoofest on holiday weekends. It is pretty and the hiking/mountain biking and rock climbing in the Crags is really nice.

The Crags campground charges about a $13 per night fee now, too, although you can park overnight cheaper than that and hike in to the actual Crags to camp.

There are some nice free pullouts that get you off the road a little!