★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Hinsdale County
Drive-up · public land · Hinsdale County, CO · 38.02249, -107.40387
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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.
A grassy meadow with a historic cabin where overnight camping is allowed. Primitive clearing features a fire ring. Very close to dirt road and a short drive from Lake City, Colorado. Private, peaceful, and convenient. Surrounded by mountains. No cell service. Enough room for multiple overland vehicles. 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 9,374 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
- DDump5 mi
- FFuel5 mi
- GGrocery5 mi
- LLaundry5 mi
- +Urgent care5 mi
- HHardware15 mi
- OOutfitter15 mi
- @Mail15 mi
- ShShower17 mi
- WWater21 mi
- RxPharmacy23 mi
- MMechanic39 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 21-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 5 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
9,374 ft
County
Hinsdale County, CO
Coordinates
38.02249, -107.40387
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureNellie Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townHenson · ~1.5 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelConoco · ~15.0 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~4.7 mi
- GroceriesGet Some Groceries · ~4.8 mi
- PharmacySunshine Pharmacy · ~23.0 mi
- Hospital / clinicLake City Area Medical Center · ~5.1 mi
- HardwareOuray Hardware and Mercantile · ~14.6 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)
- RestroomNellie Creek Restroom · at this camp · BLM
- RestroomBurrows Park Restroom (1) · ~6.7 mi SW · BLM
- RestroomBurrows Park Restroom (2) · ~6.7 mi SW · BLM
- RestroomRoses Cabin Restroom - Cxt · ~7.8 mi SW · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Hinsdale County~2.3 mi
- Burrows Park Dispersed Camping~6.7 mi
- Williams Creek Campground~7.9 mi
- Mill Creek Campground~8.0 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Wager Gulch at 11,110 ft, about 10 miles away. It sits about 1,736 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
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 (Hinsdale 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 →Reading your camp page →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 →