Free RV Camping - US 24 (west of Colorado Springs)

US 24 is well-known and well-used by Colorado RVers, but much less frequented by out-of-state RVers.  This may be due to its relatively short length west of Colorado Springs or because it crosses a long stretch of relatively unattractive South Park.  But US 24 provides the only major US highway access to the Pikes Peak Toll Road, Cripple Creek, Leadville, and World War II's Camp Hale.  

Camp Hale was the training site for the 10th Mountain Infantry Division and is considered the birthplace of nearly every current Colorado ski area.  This is due to the number of 10th Mountain veterans who returned to start ski areas and ski schools at Aspen, Vail, A-Basin, Loveland Basin, Keystone, and many others.  So, make US 24 part of your RV vacation plans if you like the idea of being just a little different from the majority of Colorado visitors.

Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

I have mentioned Pikes Peak because it was important in American history for the wrong reason.  In 1858, gold was discovered near the current site of Denver, but no towns or even the name "Colorado" existed yet.  The only landmark most Easterners could identify in western Kansas was a mountain named for the first American explorer of the region, Lt. Zebulon Pike.  So the "59ers" painted "Pikes Peak or Bust" on their prairie schooners as they headed to the newest gold rush 60 miles north of that 10,110' peak.  

Of course, a carriage ride up Pikes Peak was also the inspiration for Katherine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful (originally published as a poem called "Pikes Peak").  And each June, the now-paved, 130 year-old toll road hosts the Pikes Peak Hill Climb road race.  Every visitor to Colorado Springs should ride the cog railway (reopened on May 16, 2021 for first run in four years) or drive to the "purple mountain majesty's" summit at least once in their lives!

After a visit to Pikes Peak, the next stop along US 24 for many visitors is Cripple Creek.  At the town of Divide, you turn south on CO 67 to get to the State's richest gold mining district, the source of fortunes for the Penrose, Tutt, Carlin, and many other Colorado Springs families.  And Colorado's only open-pit gold mine is now located between Cripple Creek and its neighbor Victor. In addition to this gold mine, Cripple Creek mines gamblers as one of the three mountain towns that are now allowed to have "gaming."

Cripple Creek and Victor from Google Earth showing the size of the open-pit gold mine between them.  Gold is extracted from ore using cyanide heap-leaching technology.

Today Cripple Creek allows no overnight street parking within the city limits.  CO 67 does provide several campgrounds, but neither are Free or inexpensive for what they provide.  The USFS campground called The Crags is located 4.5 miles south of Divide on CO 67, then 3 miles east on rough, steep, gravel CR 62, recommended only for truck campers and very small trailers.  The campground has 12 back-in and 1 pull-thru dirt and grass campsites with tables, grills, and pit toilets for $16/night ($8/night with the Senior Pass).

The next campground south on CO 67 is Mueller State Park, one of the most popular in the State.  With 110 shaded, paved, electric-only camp sites, plus water faucets, an RV dump, a Visitor's Center, and hiking trails, it is a great park.  However, it is also one of the most expensive public campgrounds in the State at $44/night, including the day pass.

Some people disperse camp along either the Phantom Canyon Road going south, or the Gold Camp Road running north and east, from Victor.  Phantom Canyon, a 19th century narrow-gauge railroad grade, is obviously narrow in spots, is all gravel, can be rough after heavy rains, and has some steep grades.  So it may not be very conducive for longer RVs, especially Class A diesel pushers or long fifth-wheels.  Gold Camp Road was the "Short Line" standard-gauge railroad grade to Cripple Creek, so its grade is wider and has broader curves.  Most of Phantom Canyon is located within the BLM's Gold Belt Recreation Area, while most of the Gold Camp Road is in Pike National Forest.  However, both of these areas are a considerable distance off US 24.

Pikes Peak Granite monoliths along Gold Camp Road, an old railroad grade between Victor and Colorado Springs

 
For Free dispersed camping nearer US 24, you will need to drive farther west on US 24 to the town of Lake George.  A resort town during the early 20th century, Lake George was a popular picnic destination for Colorado Springs residents via the Colorado Midland Railway, which was abandoned in 1918. Today the town is the nearest source of supplies for boaters and fishermen from Eleven Mile Reservoir and its State park.  And don't forget to visit Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument a few miles south of the US 24 town of Florissant.  You can take a walk through a "forest" of huge redwood trees (actually stumps) that grew in the area 40 million years ago.

Two USFS campgrounds are located on CR 96 a few miles south of Lake George--Blue Mountain and Riverside.  However, they are $16/night plus a $6 one-time use fee for gravel back-in and pull-thru sites with a hand pump and pit toilet, without an RV dump.  By turning east onto Blue Mountain Drive (CR 61/244) and driving one mile past the Blue Mountain Campground, you will reach open USFS land.  Take a left onto FR 875 or 876 and find a level spot within 300 feet of the road for a Free night of dispersed hilltop camping in the junipers and pines.  But be very careful with fires--find an existing fire ring if you really must have a campfire.  Keep in mind that the USFS employee who in 2002 accidentally started the nearby Hayman Fire, Colorado's second largest ever, served 5 years in the Federal Pen and still owes $44 million in restitution!  So, "know before you go" and check the Park County fire threat before roasting those marshmallows.

As discussed  under "US 285" above, one of the most popular places to camp Free in South Park is the Denver Water Board's Antero Reservoir, located 5 miles west of Hartsel and north of US 24.  If you prefer solitude, a convenient dispersed area is CR 311 that turns north off the highway near the top of Trout Creek Pass.  Several dirt tracks dead-ending in groves of trees are often used for boondocking.  And don't forget to stop for photos of the 14,000+ ft. Collegiate Peaks--Mts. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc.--with the sun glinting off the snow when you top the pass the following morning.

The Buena Vista area has a number of very nice USFS campgrounds, especially those on the west side of the highway at the foot of the Collegiate Range.  However, all are extremely popular and priced as such.  The multi-year paving project on beautiful, aspen-lined Cottonwood Pass Road is finally completed, if you want to explore this old wagon road between the mining camps of Gunnison County and the Eastern Slope.  We drove it in our SUV in June 2020 and I would not hesitate to go back over it with our motorhome.  Lots of curves, but Gunnison County widened them so longer vehicles can use it.  My wife commented that she would use Cottonwood Pass instead of US 50 over Monarch Pass if she still had to make business trips to Crested Butte (she doesn't have to make any business trips because she's retired!).  You will likely find a few places for dispersed camping in both San Isabel and Gunnison National Forest along this road as well.  However, remember the elevation of the pass is 12,126', so plowed snow was piled higher than my 4wd, 3/4-ton truck when I drove over it on June 2, 2023.

As mentioned in the section for "US 285" above, Buena Vista is also the northern entrance to the State's most popular whitewater rafting river through Brown's Canyon National Monument.  So, stop in Johnson Village and schedule a 1/2- or full-day raft trip on the Arkansas River.  While you wait for your raft trip, you may want to snag one of those 4 paved, $15/night W/E RV sites at the VFW that was also described under "US 285."  And after your raft trip, you might want a pint and dinner at the Eddyline brewpub in Buena Vista.

Going north, you will find very popular Clear Creek Reservoir SWA, with Free camping (with CPW SWA Pass or valid hunting or fishing license--see the "Introduction" section above), good trout fishing, and exploring the ghost town of Winfield as its attractions.  Go north of Buena Vista on US 24 for 13 miles, then turn west onto gravel CR 390 and 1/2 mile later, you are there.  Most of the dispersed campsites are at the west end of the reservoir along the creek and not between the lake and road.  When we were there in June 2020, every campsite was full despite the pandemic.  When I went back in June 2023, the same was true and I had a hard time finding an open spot.  Plenty of nearby neighbors that night!

Even those opposed to paying for camping need to make an exception for the USFS Whitestar Campground at Twin Lakes, one of Colorado's "100 Best Campgrounds."  Turn west off US 24 onto CO 82 and go 7 miles to the campground entrance on the south side of the highway.  There are 3 loops and the best views of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, the two tallest peaks in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, are from the Ridge Loop (Sites 30-45).  However, if your RV is very long, you may have to be satisfied with the Sage Loop, as it has been rebuilt with a few longer sites in the center of the loop.  Although none of the sites have electric hookups, potable water and a dump are available for the nightly rate of $19 for the Ridge and Valley Loops and $20 for the Sage Loop, plus an additional fee for the dump.  Of course, Senior Pass holders pay 1/2 those rates.  Due to its popularity, reservations are a must during the summer.  Even in June 2020, the pandemic summer, every campsite had a Reserved tag on the post.

While you are at Twin Lakes, take a drive west on CO 82 over Independence Pass to Aspen.  Aspen was one of Colorado's major 19th century silver mining districts and is now one of those 10th Mountain Division veteran-designed world-class ski areas.  Independence Pass is one of Colorado's highest paved passes, is only open in summer and early fall, and has hosted numerous bicycle races during the days of the Red Zinger-Coors Classic series and the more recent U.S. Pro Challenge.  It is a drive you won't forget, but leave your RV at Whitestar and drive only your toad or tow vehicle over the narrow pass road!

Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, the two tallest peaks in Colorado, after the first snow of fall

Once you leave Twin Lakes on US 24 headed north, there is no more BLM or SWA land.  Due to mining claims and private land, only USFS land is available for Free camping.  There is Free, dispersed USFS  camping available along the access road to Sugar Loaf Dam.  Take a left off northbound US 24 on CR 4, the Turquoise Lake Road, at the USFS office building and go about 5 miles to the Sugar Loafin' RV Park.  There the road has a three-way intersection, with paved CR 4 to the right, the paved golf course road to the left, and the gravel dam access road between those two.  Drive until you find an existing site with a fire ring (please do not create new fire rings and be very careful with campfires).  When we were there on an August 2021 weekday, there were at least 50 dispersed camping RVs, from tent campers and pickup campers to 40' motorhomes.  So you had better like nearby neighbors with your boondocking!  For San Isabel NF dispersed camping rules click HERE.  

If you need it, Leadville has a city-owned RV dump at 911 US 24, right across the highway from the USFS office ($10 dump fee, $5 for water in a self-pay box, with video monitoring!).  Incidentally, all of the RV dumps and water faucets in the USFS Turquoise Lake Recreation Area were "closed due to the pandemic" in 2021.  So, if you need water, better get it at the city dump station, even if camping in an established USFS campground.

On your way north, pause for a walking and driving tour of Leadville, Colorado's richest (and from 1878-1882, the world's richest) silver mining town.  The Silver Crash of 1893 bankrupted many of Colorado's silver millionaires, including Horace and Baby Doe Tabor.  You can visit the Tabor Opera House, the Silver Dollar Saloon (named for the Tabor's daughter), and the Matchless Mine--where Baby Doe died penniless in 1935.  One other attraction of note is the National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame in the old high school building at 120 West 9th Street.  It is definitely worth a couple of hours!

After Leadville, drive US 24 over Tennessee Pass to Eagle Park, the site of the Army's Camp Hale.  Hard to believe that 40,000 workers built a camp to house 16,000 soldiers and 4,000 horses and mules in only 8 months of 1942.  10th Mountain Division regiments would go on to fight in the Aleutian Campaign in Alaska against the Japanese and in the mountains of northern Italy against the Germans.  However, since its 1965 demolition, the only vestiges of that "city" are concrete foundations, gravel roads, and the Ski Cooper Ski Area.  However, it was recently designated a National Historic Site.

                                                   Company L, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division                                                                                                                                      training on skis at Camp Hale in 1944.

One Free dispersed camping area near Camp Hale is located on FR 726 (Jones Gulch Road), which turns east off US 24 about 3.5 miles north of the top of Tennessee Pass and ends up at Camp Hale.  The road is graded gravel and there are four or five pull-outs and one back-in space that could be used for RVs up to about 40 feet.  The USFS has a designated campground right in the middle of Eagle Park named, you guessed it, "Camp Hale Memorial."  It has 21 level RV campsites up to 68' long and pit toilets, but no electricity, water, or dump for $24/night ($12 with the Senior Pass). But there are gravel roads all over the Eagle Park area that may lead to a secluded, dispersed campsite in the forested edges of the open park.  

This is one place you don't have to worry about train noise during the night, despite the tracks next to the highway.  Few trains have used the Tennessee Pass line since the Union Pacific bought the Denver & Rio Grande Western/Southern Pacific railroad company in 1996.  During the war, however, the thick coal smoke from the D&RGW's huge, triple-headed steam locomotives climbing the pass on that track produced the "Pando Hack" suffered by most of the soldiers.  The coal stoves that heated each Camp Hale building also added to the dense smoke of the valley.

Four more USFS campgrounds are located north of Eagle Park in the vicinity of Homestake Creek.  One, Gold Park, 7 miles west of US 24 on FR 703, is conveniently placed at the trailhead into the Holy Cross Wilderness Area.  The Mount of the Holy Cross was a famous 14'er that was a subject of William Henry Jackson's 1873 photos and  a Thomas Moran oil painting of the snow-filled cross that led to it becoming a National Monument from 1929 to 1950.  It was popular with many 19th and 20th century photographers until one arm of the cross was obliterated in a 1943 rockfall.  Incidentally, Jackson and Moran also provided the first public images of Yellowstone National Park, including Moran's most famous painting--"Yellowstone Falls".

Another potential dispersed camping area would be on the Shrine Pass/Turkey Creek Road (FR 709).  Drive north on US 24 to Red Cliff, a tiny, eclectic, former silver mining town that became a hippie haven in the 1970's.  Carefully drive through the narrow streets of town, staying on FR 709 for several miles until you reach a suitable pull-out in the valley.  If you want to drive the entire length of FR 709, it crosses Shrine Pass before dropping down to its northern access point at the Vail Pass rest area on I-70.  Numerous dispersed camping sites also exist just west of the top of the pass.  But they should be accessed from I-70 because heavy summer 2020 ATV/OHV traffic has made the uphill portion nearest Red Cliff extremely rocky and slow. Even with my 3/4-ton, 4WD, diesel truck, I did not take our fifth wheel up that grade.  And the entire road would be off-limits for our current motorhome, with the exception of a few, always full campsites nearest I-70.

The next town north of Red Cliff is Gilman, a fenced-off, abandoned, contaminated former New Jersey Zinc company town.  The town sits on top of the Eagle Mine, once the largest underground zinc mine in the Rocky Mountains.  The mine portal is located 600 feet down the mountain next to the railroad track and the Eagle River.  And the aquaduct you will see west of the river north of Gilman is used to transport contaminated water from the mine to a treatment facility near Minturn.

If you are in need of a big meal at this point in your trip, stop for dinner at the Minturn Country Club (warning: their parking lot is too small for RVs). They are a "cook-it-yourself" steakhouse which also has fish and chicken for those non-red meat eaters. There may be a line at the 5:30 pm opening time on weekends, so plan to go there mid-week!  That is, unless you are tired of cooking for yourself by this time in your RV trip and want someone else to do the work.  In that case, head to Vail or Avon for a "plethora" of good sit-down restaurants, many with larger parking lots.  Well, that's it for Free or inexpensive camping along US 24.   After Minturn, you're now on to I-70 or adjacent US 6.