★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Ouray County
Drive-up · public land · Ouray County, CO · 37.96631, -107.62689
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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.
Along the Alpine Loop near Ouray, Colorado, at the junction for Engineer Mountain and Poughkeepsie Gulch. A little campsite with fire ring tucked in a grove of pines next to roaring mountain stream. Amazing four-wheel drive destination, and very dramatic terrain. This is a good place to stop for the night if you're on a four-wheel drive adventure. Surrounded by mountains. No cell service. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Strongly 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 10,130 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
- GGrocery5 mi
- @Mail5 mi
- HHardware5 mi
- OOutfitter5 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- LLaundry9 mi
- ShShower9 mi
- DDump9 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- WWater10 mi
- +Urgent care15 mi
- MMechanic36 mi
- PPropane53 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 5 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
10,130 ft
County
Ouray County, CO
Coordinates
37.96631, -107.62689
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureMineral Creek (river) · nearby
- Nearest townIronton · ~3.7 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~3.7 mi
- FuelConoco · ~5.6 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~9.1 mi
- GroceriesOuray Grocery · ~4.6 mi
- PharmacySunshine Pharmacy · ~10.3 mi
- Hospital / clinicTelluride Regional Medical Center · ~10.5 mi
- HardwareOuray Hardware and Mercantile · ~4.7 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomMineral Point Restroom · ~1.9 mi E · BLM
- RestroomAnimas Forks Restroom · ~4.0 mi SE · BLM
- RestroomCorkscrew Restroom · ~4.2 mi S · BLM
- RestroomLost Restroom · ~4.4 mi SE · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Corkscrew~3.1 mi
- Dispersed Camping Area~4.0 mi
- Amphitheatre Campground~4.3 mi
- Thistledown Campground~4.4 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 (Ouray 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 →Power off-grid →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 →