Free camping near Boulder, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Boulder, CO there are 22 camps: 12 free, 10 fee. The closest is Winiger Ridge, 8.2 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Winiger Ridge, 8.2 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 15 on the Forest Service; 7 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winiger Ridge | 8.2 | Free | Gross Reservoir (water) | 0.7 mi to Lake Shore Park | — |
| Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping Area | 13 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Gordon Gulch | 13 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.3 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Ruby Gulch Dispersed Camping | 14 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 2.4 mi to Ward | — |
| Kelly Dahl | 15 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Rollinsville | — |
| West Magnolia | 15 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 1.1 mi to Nederland | — |
| Peaceful Valley | 15 | Fee | — | 2.3 mi to Hidden Lake | — |
| Beaver Reservoir Dispersed Camping | 15 | Free | Beaver Reservoir (water) | 1.4 mi to Peaceful Valley | — |
| Camp Dick | 16 | Fee | — | 2.7 mi to Hidden Lake | — |
| Rainbow Lakes | 17 | Fee | Rainbow Lakes (water) | 3.3 mi to Caribou City | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — CO | 17 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Caribou City | — |
| Pawnee | 17 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Ward | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Boulder County, CO | 18 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Eldora | — |
| Allenspark Dispersed Camping | 18 | Free | West Fork Little Thompson River (river) | 1.3 mi to Big Elk Meadows | — |
| Allenspark Dispersed Camping | 18 | Free | Rock Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Arrowood | — |
| Cold Springs | 18 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Pickle Gulch | 19 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Olive Ridge Campground | 19 | Fee | Fox Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Allenspark | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 20 | Free | — | 3.4 mi to Eldora | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 20 | Free | Antelope Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Tolland | — |
| Meeker Park | 21 | Fee | Cabin Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Meeker Park | — |
| Columbine | 21 | Fee | — | 2.6 mi to Central | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Boulder, CO, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.