Free camping near Fruita, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Fruita, CO there are 34 camps: 29 free, 5 unpriced. The closest is Grand Valley Open Ohv Area, 6.4 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Rattlesnake, 7.1 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: CO and UT.
Who manages them: 32 on the BLM; 1 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley Open Ohv Area | 6.4 | Unpriced | — | 3.1 mi to Redlands | — |
| Rattlesnake | 7.1 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 3.3 mi to Loma | — |
| Beaver Tail 1 | 7.3 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 3.4 mi to Loma | — |
| Bull Draw | 7.5 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 3.5 mi to Loma | — |
| Mcinnis Canyons National Conservation Area | 8.6 | Unpriced | Mee Canyon (stream) | 6.1 mi to Loma | — |
| Banjo | 8.8 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 2.7 mi to Mack | — |
| Cottonwood 1 | 9.0 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 2.8 mi to Mack | — |
| Cottonwood 3 | 9.1 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 2.9 mi to Mack | — |
| Cottonwood 4 | 9.2 | Free | — | — | — |
| North Fruita Desert Dispersed Camping | 10 | Free | Lipan Wash (stream) | 9.3 mi to Loma | — |
| Salt Creek 2 | 10 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 3.3 mi to Mack | — |
| Fault Line 2 | 11 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 4.3 mi to Mack | — |
| Fault Line 1 | 11 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 4.1 mi to Mack | — |
| BLM public landDave slept here | 12 | Free | — | 10 mi to Fruitvale | — |
| Mee Canyon | 12 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 6.5 mi to Mack | — |
| Mee 4 | 12 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 6.3 mi to Mack | — |
| Mee 2 | 12 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 5.3 mi to Utaline | — |
| Mee Corner | 12 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 6.1 mi to Mack | — |
| Mee 1 | 12 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 6.3 mi to Mack | — |
| 18 Road - North Fruita Desert | 12 | Unpriced | — | 11 mi to Loma | — |
| Dog Island | 13 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 7.8 mi to Mack | — |
| Black Rocks 1 | 14 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 3.3 mi to Utaline | — |
| Black Rocks 2 | 14 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 7.5 mi to Harley Dome | — |
| Black Rocks 3 | 14 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 7.5 mi to Harley Dome | — |
| Black Rocks 5 | 14 | Free | — | — | — |
| Black Rocks 7 | 14 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 7.5 mi to Harley Dome | — |
| Black Rocks 8 | 14 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 7.5 mi to Harley Dome | — |
| Black Rocks 9 | 15 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 2.5 mi to Utaline | — |
| Island Camp | 16 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 1.4 mi to Utaline | — |
| Knowles | 16 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 6.2 mi to Westwater | — |
| May Flats | 17 | Free | Colorado River (river) | 4.5 mi to Westwater | — |
| Westwater Canyon | 20 | Unpriced | — | 18 mi to Loma | — |
| Westwater Canyon River | 20 | Unpriced | Colorado River (river) | 0.8 mi to Westwater | — |
| Haypress | 21 | Free | Hay Press Creek (stream) | 9.8 mi to Glade Park | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Fruita, 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.