★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Gilpin County
Drive-up · public land · Gilpin County, CO · 39.91161, -105.60813
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Nice! A secret, well-hidden grove along a mountainous forest road west of Denver. Fire ring. Poor cell service. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Tight spaces. Must be maneuverable. Nice spot to stay for a couple of nights. Peaceful and remote. Recommended.
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 9,628 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
- MMechanic6 mi
- @Mail6 mi
- WWater6 mi
- HHardware6 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- GGrocery6 mi
- ShShower9 mi
- DDump9 mi
- LLaundry9 mi
- OOutfitter9 mi
- +Urgent care13 mi
- RxPharmacy13 mi
- PPropane20 mi
- AAir-up21 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 6 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
public land · dispersed
Elevation
9,628 ft
County
Gilpin County, CO
Coordinates
39.91161, -105.60813
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureAntelope Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townTolland · ~1.1 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~6.0 mi
- FuelGasamat · ~6.2 mi
- Propane / LPGAmeriGas · ~26.2 mi
- Dump stationDump Station · ~8.7 mi
- GroceriesB&F Mountain Market · ~6.2 mi
- PharmacyPharmacy · ~13.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicMiddle Park Health - Fraser Campus · ~9.7 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~6.1 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Portable toiletEast Portal · ~2.1 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletKelly Dahl · ~6.0 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPickle Gulch · ~6.4 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPickle Gulch · ~6.5 mi SE · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Gilpin County~0.5 mi
- West Magnolia~5.4 mi
- USFS dispersed camp — Boulder County, CO~5.8 mi
- USFS dispersed camp — CO~6.1 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Gilpin County, CO). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
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.
- How many rigs actually fit
- 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 →Leave no trace →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 →