Agency-listedUSFS · dispersedFree
South Mineral Dispersed Area
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · CO · 37.81965, -107.71395
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 →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 — at South Mineral Dispersed Area
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 9,486 ft.
Fire & smoke — around South Mineral Dispersed AreaNIFC · 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 South Mineral Dispersed Area · San Juan National Forest · CO
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel2 mi
- GGrocery2 mi
- @Mail3 mi
- WWater9 mi
- ShShower9 mi
- HHardware10 mi
- OOutfitter10 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- EVEV fast charger11 mi
- +Urgent care14 mi
- DDump18 mi
- LLaundry18 mi
- MMechanic39 mi
- PPropane42 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 2 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — South Mineral Dispersed Area
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
9,486 ft
State
CO
Coordinates
37.81965, -107.71395
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply — around South Mineral Dispersed Area · San Juan National Forest · CO (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureMineral Creek (river) · nearby
- Nearest townSilverton · ~2.8 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~9.3 mi
- FuelConoco · ~12.4 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~18.1 mi
- GroceriesStore · ~2.6 mi
- PharmacySunshine Pharmacy · ~9.8 mi
- Hospital / clinicTelluride Regional Medical Center · ~9.9 mi
- HardwareTimberline Ace Hardware · ~9.6 mi
EV charging — from South Mineral Dispersed Area · San Juan National Forest · CO — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger11.0 mi straight-line NW — Mountain Village, CO - Tesla Supercharger · Tesla · NACS (Tesla) · 8 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-06-18 · hours: 24 hours daily. NACS partner enabled. · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach5 within 25 mi · 19 within 50 · 57 within 100 · 148 within 150
- Nearest listing CCS14.1 mi — PURGATORY PURGATORY PL2, Durango
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO14.1 mi — PURGATORY PURGATORY PL2, Durango
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)2.8 mi — The Wyman Hotel - Tesla Destination, Silverton, CO · Tesla Destination · J1772, NACS (Tesla) · 4 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-08-27 · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to all vehicles.
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 201303 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around South Mineral Dispersed Area · San Juan National Forest · CO — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletSouth Mineral Dispersed Area · at this camp · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletSouth Mineral Cg · ~3.5 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletLittle Molas Dispersed Campground · ~5.2 mi S · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletMolas Pass · ~5.8 mi S · USFS
Open South Mineral Dispersed Area elsewhere
Other camps near South Mineral Dispersed Area
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- South Mineral Cg~3.5 mi · fee
- Little Molas Lake Campground~5.2 mi
- Dispersed camp site~6.9 mi
- Dispersed Camping Area~7.5 mi
The unit that manages South Mineral Dispersed Area
Stay limits, road closures and fire restrictions at South Mineral Dispersed Area are set by San Juan National Forest, not by the campsite — check there before you go.
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Mineral Creek at 10,030 ft, about 2 miles away. It sits about 544 ft higher than this camp, so treat it as a guide rather than a reading for this spot. 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 — South Mineral Dispersed Area
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
USFS/BLM authoritative: free & dispersed. Access not field-checked (assumed drive-up).
EV chargers
US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.
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 about South Mineral Dispersed Area
A land record can put you within a few meters 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
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it
Before you go — South Mineral Dispersed Area
Camping at altitude →When the high country opens →Winter vs summer roads →Camping with a dog →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 →