Agency-listedUSFS
Cottonwood Lake
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · CO · 39.07482, -107.96327
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Ask about this camp →U.S. Forest Service lists this site. On most of their ground you can camp away from developed sites pretty much anywhere — so treat this as a known-good spot, not the only one allowed. The unit sets stay limits and how far off road and water you must be. What changes is conditions — roads, gates, closures, fire rules. Check those with the unit before you commit to the drive.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 10,147 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- +Urgent care11 mi
- @Mail11 mi
- FFuel12 mi
- GGrocery12 mi
- DDump13 mi
- ShShower13 mi
- HHardware21 mi
- RxPharmacy21 mi
- MMechanic23 mi
- LLaundry23 mi
- WWater26 mi
- OOutfitter32 mi
- PPropane46 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 26-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 12 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service
Elevation
10,147 ft
State
CO
Coordinates
39.07482, -107.96327
Cost
Fee
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletCottonwood Lake · at this camp · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletCottonwood Lake · ~0.2 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletCrag Crest · ~2.3 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletWard Lake · ~2.5 mi S · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Crag Crest Campground~2.2 mi
- Cobbett Campground~2.5 mi
- Ward Lake~2.5 mi · fee
- Ward Lake Campground~2.8 mi
The unit that manages this camp
Stay limits, road closures and fire restrictions are set by the unit, not by the campsite — check there before you go.
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Park Reservoir at 9,990 ft, about 5 miles away. That is about the height of this camp, so it is a fair proxy. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.
How we know this
Source
U.S. Forest Service recreation data
Confidence
Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.
How it was placed
Developed FEE campground (not free) - review | auto:usfs-fee 2026-08-20: US Forest Service developed campground, agency coordinates, agency states a fee. No dollar amount in the agency record -- expect a charge and confirm the current rate before you go. Not field-verified.
Field check
On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Camping at altitude →When the high country opens →Winter vs summer roads →First-night troubleshooting →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →