Free camping near Durango, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Durango, CO there are 24 camps: 1 free, 10 fee, 13 unpriced. The closest is Junction Creek Campground - Day Use, 5.4 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Cox Canyon Arch Primitive Campsite, 19 miles out. The circle crosses a state line: CO and NM.
Who manages them: 23 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junction Creek Campground - Day Use | 5.4 | Fee | Chapman Lake (water) | 4.6 mi to Durango | — |
| Junction Creek Campground | 5.6 | Unpriced | Junction Creek (river) | 4.8 mi to Durango | — |
| Bay City Campground | 13 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 0.7 mi to Mayday | — |
| Lower Hermosa Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Big Spring Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Hermosa | — |
| Snowslide Campground | 13 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.4 mi to Mayday | — |
| Kroeger Campground | 14 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.6 mi to La Plata | — |
| Miner's Cabin Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Root Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to La Plata | — |
| La Plata City Campground | 14 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 0.4 mi to La Plata | — |
| Madden Creek Campground | 14 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.0 mi to La Plata | — |
| Darby Campground | 15 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Miller Creek Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Lemon Reservoir (water) | 4.7 mi to Vallecito | — |
| Florida Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Blodgett Creek (river) | 7.0 mi to Rockwood | — |
| Transfer Park Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Blodgett Creek (river) | 7.0 mi to Rockwood | — |
| Chris Park | 18 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Rico | — |
| Target Tree Campground | 18 | Fee | Cottonwood Creek (river) | 5.5 mi to Mancos | — |
| Cox Canyon Arch Primitive Campsite | 19 | Free | Cox Canyon Wash (river) | 2.2 mi to Riverside | — |
| Haviland Lake Campground | 19 | Fee | Haviland Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Tacoma | — |
| Graham Creek Campground | 20 | Fee | Graham Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Vallecito | — |
| North Canyon Campground | 20 | Fee | Little Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Vallecito | — |
| Pine Point | 21 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Bayfield | — |
| Middle Mountain Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Little Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Vallecito | — |
| Transfer Campground | 23 | Fee | Kelly Reservoir (water) | 7.5 mi to Millwood | — |
| Vallecito | 23 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Bayfield | — |
| Pine River Cg | 24 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Bayfield | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Durango, 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.