Friday, March 29, 2024

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Grand Mesa National Forest Camping

Camping Near Collbran And Mesa

Day 12 – County Road 12 Dispersed Camping – Grand Mesa National Forest

The little towns of Collbran and Mesa lie just 13 miles apart at the northern base of Grand Mesa. Collbran is the gateway to Vega State Park, which a phenomenal place to get away from the crowds and still experience one of Colorados best state parks. Its centered around the massive Vega Reservoir, with its great fishing, boating and lakeside camping. Mesa is the north gateway to the Grand Mesa Byway, along with all the gems on top. Its also the town closest to Powderhorn Mountain Resort, which sits on the side of the flat topped mountain.

Its The Geography Plateaus To Peaks

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests offer scenery and an abundance of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Over three thousand miles of trails and routes provide access to areas of rugged beauty and solitude. Many were carved by indigenous peoples, early explorers, and miners, and offer an experience that connects users to the land and to the past. The mountains, plateau, and mesa that make up the forest will always provide a scenic backdrop and thus a component of the quality of life in the area.

We invite you to visit our forest and enjoy the beauty, history and challenges it has to offer. Recreation, motor vehicle and quad maps are available. View a Ranger District location map.

Check current campground status below the map.

Search by activity or area: Use the sidebar menu on the left to search for recreation areas by activity or use the sidebar menu on the right to search by area.

Campground reservations, please visit www.recreation.gov or call 1 444-6777

National Recreation Reservation System

In the tables that follow, campgrounds accepting reservations are marked with Reserve Now in the Reservations column and you can click on Reserve Now to be taken to the Web page for that particular campground to make your reservation. NOTE: Reservations must be made at least 5 days in advance of your stay. All the other campgrounds areon a 1ST COME – 1ST SERVED basis. As a general rule of thumb, most campgrounds that accept reservations will keep roughly 1/3 of the campsites on a 1ST COME – 1ST SERVED basis. If you are going to go camping during a weekend, you should try and get to the campground by Thursday evening to increase your chances of getting one of the 1ST COME – 1ST SERVED campsites.

IF THE WORDS “NOT AVAILABLE” OR “NO” APPEAR IN THE RESERVATION COLUMN, THIS MEANS THE CAMPGROUND IS 1ST COME – 1ST SERVED AND RESERVATIONS CANNOT BE MADE FOR THAT CAMPGROUND!

Reservations may be made through a toll-free number:1-877-444-6777or online at:www.recreation.gov.

To make a reservation over the phone, give the name of the campground, the National Forest it is located in, and your American Express, Discover/Novus, Mastercard or Visa credit card number. There is a non-refundable $9.00 charge, per reservation, for each site. A $10.00 fee will be charged for each site reservation cancelled. Reservations may be made up to 240 days in advance of your stay, and must be made at least 5 days in advanceof your stay.

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Weir And Johnson Campground

In the Land O Lakes area, it can sometimes be difficult to choose between the gorgeous campgrounds that offers views of one or another of these. At the Weir and Johnson Campground, youll have a view of and access to both the Weir and Johnson and Sackett reservoirs.

  • Closest Town: Grand Mesa , Colbran
  • Specs: 12 back-in and pull-thru sites, 35ft vehicle limit, tent camping
  • Amenities: 1 vault toilet, access to 2 reservoirs, boating, hiking, wildlife viewing
  • Reservations: No, first come, first serve
  • Address: Mesa National Forest, Forest Rd 126, Collbran, CO 81624
  • Directions: From Grand Mesa, take Lakeshore Dr northeast for about 6 miles. Then, take a right onto Forest Rd 126 and continue for another mile and a half. Keep right to continue onto CC 70 Dr, then turn left to stay on CC 70 Dr. The campground will then be on your right.

Vega State Park Campgrounds

Island Lake Campground, Grand Mesa National Forest ...

Vega State Park surrounds the gorgeous Vega Reservoir, which was constructed in the late 1950s and continues to provide necessary water to this area of Colorado. Choose from four campgrounds with a variety of amenities, each with easy access to the reservoir for water recreation.

Early Settlers Campground

If you absolutely need electric and water hookups while youre camping, Early Settlers Campground offers spots with hookups to make camping a bit easier for you and your family. Book your site here ASAP, as this campground fills up fast.

  • Closest Town: Colbran , Molina , Mesa
  • Specs: 33 pull-thru and back-in campsites w/ electric and water hookups, tent camping
  • Amenities: Shower, flush toilet, playground, access to hiking trails, Vega Reservoir close by for fishing, boating, and swimming
  • Reservations: Yes, at CPWShop.com
  • Address: 66 6/10 Rd, Collbran, CO 81624
  • Directions: From Collbran, take Hwy 330 E for about 6 miles until you reach the fork, then take a slight right to continue down 64 6/10 Rd. Follow this road for about 4 miles, then turn right onto N 6/10 Rd and continue onto Vega Dam Rd. After about a mile, turn left onto 66 6/10 Rd and then take another slight right to arrive at the campground.

Oak Point Campground is perfect for boaters and water-lovers, just on the shore of Vega Reservoir. Close to the boat ramp, this campground offers easy access for boaters and those looking to enjoy water recreation in the reservoir.

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A Few Grand Mesa Lakes To Consider:

  • The Mesa Lakes area is one of the more popular locales. With eight heavily stocked reservoirs and plenty of drive-up space and campgrounds, its a great spot for a quick weekend trip. Jumbo Reservoir offers campgrounds, restrooms, picnic tables and a small store.
  • Dig a little deeper into the Grand Mesa to Bull Creek Basins backcountry setting. The only way to get to these lakes is via four-wheel-drive, ATV, horseback or foot. The upper portions of Bull Creek offer easy fishing and good pools.
  • The Granby Reservoir area is heaven for four-wheelers, with plenty of obstacles and narrow corridors to keep the journey interesting. Its natural Clear Lake is renowned for its easiness at spotting cutthroat trout.
  • Folks with large campers and RVs often make their way to Ward, Alexander, Hotel Twin and Baron lakes, where there are plenty of large campgrounds, cabins, tackle shops and boat-launching areas.
  • The Trickle Park area has a mix of developed and undeveloped campsites with car and four-wheel-drive access. For a bit of solitude, seek out the Military Park and Stell reservoirs, which dont see as many fishers as the other lakes in the area.

Twin Lake Dispersed Area

If you want a true primitive camping experience, check out Twin Lake Dispersed Area. You wont find any amenities at the recreation and camping area, but you will find gorgeous views and a way to get away from civilization for a little while.

  • Closest Town: Grand Mesa , Cedaredge
  • Specs: Dispersed camping on Grand Valley Rd
  • Amenities: Primitive camping, access to hiking trails and wildlife viewing
  • Reservations: No, first come, first serve
  • Address: CC 70 Rd, Cedaredge, CO 81413
  • Directions: From Grand Mesa, take Lakeshore Dr northeast for about 6 miles. Then, take a right onto Forest Rd 126 and continue for another 1 and a half miles. Take a slight right onto CC 70 Rd and the camping area will be on your right.

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Camping Near You Find A Free Campsite

Whether you just need to know where to camp nearby or you want to plan a free camping road trip, we’ve got you covered. 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.

Our community provides the best free camping information available. Free campgrounds can be hard to find. Freecampsites.net makes it easy. We give you a simple, map based search engine to find free and cheap camping areas. Community reviews and ratings provide you with up to date information and help you select the best camp site for your next camping trip.

This is a platform for sharing campgrounds and camp sites you have discovered. We are community driven, and while we will be adding many free camping spots, we hope that you will add some of your favorite camping places as well. By sharing camping information freely, we can all spend less time researching campgrounds, spend less money, and more time camping. If everyone contributes a few campsites, we’ll all have more places to go camping.

Please come back and let us know what you find!

We are not actively seeking Wal-Marts, truckstops or other parking lots and will not be adding very many of these. There are enough Wal-Mart and truck stop directories out there already. However, if a member of the community finds one of these locations to be useful for overnight RV parking and creates an entry, we may approve the listing.

Please come back and let us know what you find!

Camping Near Grand Mesa National Forest Find A Free Campsite

Little Bear Campground, Grand Mesa National Forest, Colorado Campsite Photos

Whether you just need to know where to camp nearby or you want to plan a free camping road trip, we’ve got you covered. 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.

Our community provides the best free camping information available. Free campgrounds can be hard to find. Freecampsites.net makes it easy. We give you a simple, map based search engine to find free and cheap camping areas. Community reviews and ratings provide you with up to date information and help you select the best camp site for your next camping trip.

This is a platform for sharing campgrounds and camp sites you have discovered. We are community driven, and while we will be adding many free camping spots, we hope that you will add some of your favorite camping places as well. By sharing camping information freely, we can all spend less time researching campgrounds, spend less money, and more time camping. If everyone contributes a few campsites, we’ll all have more places to go camping.

Please come back and let us know what you find!

We are not actively seeking Wal-Marts, truckstops or other parking lots and will not be adding very many of these. There are enough Wal-Mart and truck stop directories out there already. However, if a member of the community finds one of these locations to be useful for overnight RV parking and creates an entry, we may approve the listing.

Please come back and let us know what you find!

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Grand Mesa National Forest

Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Biking, Skiing: The 63 miles of the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway takes you 6,000 feet up into breathtaking scenes of endless forests and more than 300 lakes. You will travel through four ecological zones on this single drive from desert sandstone canyon to the evergreen-rich forests.Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world. Visitors Centers along the way has information for fishing, boating, biking, camping and skiing as well as interpretive exhibits and public restrooms.Land o Lakes Area Grand Mesa Visitor Center Island Lake: Youll find 18 lakes, all within walking distance of each other. They can be viewed at the Land o Lakes overlook just above Island Lake. In the summer, youll find excellent fishing and boating and by winter, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Lands End Area Historic Ranger Observatory: You will be able to see from Utah to central Colorado from this point. Youll also view the Lands End Archeological Excavation, which revealed 8,000 years of human occupation.

Mesa Lakes Area Powderhorn Resort: The Mesa Lakes are on the north side of Grand Mesa. An extensive trail system provides outdoor recreation opportunities year round. Griffith Lake Area, just east of Mesa Lakes, offers back country fishing and camping and the Mesa Creek Ski Area is still used today by winter sledders and boarders. Just 45 minutes from Palisade, youll also find Powderhorn Resort, a family-oriented ski resort.

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Camping Near Cedaredge And Collbran Around The Grand Mesa

The scenery from below or on atop of the largest flat topped mountain the world make for some dramatic campsites. The towns of Mesa and Collbran reside on the northern base of Grand Mesa, while Cedaredge sits on its southern start.

Full of lakes and endless alpine wilderness, the landscape atop and surrounding Grand Mesa resides in the Grand Mesa National Forest. This provides numerous public amenities like forest service campgrounds, hiking trails and other recreational sites. In addition to all the private and public campgrounds well cover below, there are ample opportunities for free, dispersed camping within the national forest.

List of campgrounds by Cedaredge, Mesa and Collbran, CO, in no particular order:

Campsites Near Grand Junction

Grand Mesa National Forest camping

topwww.visitgrandjunction.com

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A Brief Introduction To Grand Mesa Uncompahgre And Gunnison National Forest

Itâs the Geography â Plateaus to Peaks

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests offer scenery and an abundance of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Over three thousand miles of trails and routes provide access to areas of rugged beauty and solitude. Many were carved by indigenous peoples, early explorers, and miners, and offer an experience that connects users to the land and to the past. The mountains, plateau, and mesa that make up the forest will always provide a scenic backdrop and thus a component of the quality of life in the area.

We invite you to visit our forest and enjoy the beauty, history and challenges it has to offer. Recreation, motor vehicle and quad maps are available. View a Ranger District location map.

Use the sidebar menu on the left to search for recreation areas by activity or use the sidebar menu on the right to search by area.

To make reservations at the concession operated campgrounds please visit www.recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777

Exploring Grand Mesa National Forest

Hikers, fishermen, hunters, and campers visit every year to enjoy Western Colorado’s Grand Mesa National Forest, just 40 miles east of Grand Junction and a scenic 45-minute drive. The Mesa is the worlds largest flat-top mountain, bursting with over 300 lakes sprawled across 500 square miles of striking terrain.

Outdoor Paradise on the Grand Mesa

With mountain views on the horizon and the city of Grand Junction below, the Grand Mesa National Forest rises 6,000 feet above Grand Junction and 11,000 feet above sea level. Highway 65 cuts through the Grand Mesa National Forest displaying breathtaking views all around, known as the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. The Grand Mesa National Forest is teeming with life moose, mule deer, elk, black bear, and marmot are among the many animals that call it home.

Enjoy Summer on the Grand Mesa

When the mercury rises in Grand Junction, the Grand Mesa National Forest Is a great escape from the heat. Temperatures can be twenty degrees cooler than the valley below. The hottest it has ever been atop the Mesa is just 80 degrees. That doesnt mean the sun isnt strong wear sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself at these altitudes.

Getting to the Grand Mesa National Forest

Things to do on the Grand Mesa

Where to Stay on the Grand Mesa

Stop in the town of Mesa at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant and Motel. Order the chicken fried steak for a hearty, homemade meal on the mountain.

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