Found · unverifiedPublic land · dispersedFree
Poncha Pass Dispersed Campground
Drive-up · public land · CO · 38.40857, -106.09510
We haven't personally camped here. Everything below is pulled from public land data, USGS maps and OpenStreetMap — a real place on public land, but not field-checked by us. Confirm road conditions, current access, stay limits and fire restrictions before you go.
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 9,040 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
- FFuel7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- WWater7 mi
- HHardware8 mi
- MMechanic9 mi
- OOutfitter9 mi
- LLaundry10 mi
- AAir-up10 mi
- @Mail10 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- ShShower21 mi
- +Urgent care22 mi
- DDump28 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 7 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
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
9,040 ft
State
CO
Coordinates
38.40857, -106.09510
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureStream · nearby
- Nearest townPoncha Springs · ~7.4 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.3 mi
- FuelPoncha Market · ~7.2 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~28.4 mi
- GroceriesPoncha Market · ~7.2 mi
- PharmacySalida Pharmacy & Fountain · ~10.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicHeart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center · ~10.4 mi
- HardwareTrue Value · ~7.5 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomShirley Site · ~2.0 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletO'Haver Lake · ~2.9 mi NW · USFS
- RestroomO'Haver Lake · ~2.9 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletRawley 12 · ~7.1 mi S · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Silver Creek Dispersed Campground~1.7 mi
- Marshall Pass Dispersed Campground~2.3 mi
- BLM dispersed camp — Chaffee County, CO~9.5 mi
- Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area~10.5 mi
How we know this
Source
OpenStreetMap contributors
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
no road or trail found nearby — check manually
Field check
Not verified on the ground. Nobody from here has camped it. It stays at Likely until someone does.
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
Your first dispersed night →Fire rules & restrictions →Getting unstuck →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 →