Free camping near Idaho Springs, CO
Yes. 10 of the 34 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Idaho Springs, CO are listed as free; 21 charge a fee and 3 have no price on record. The closest free one is Clear Creek County, 12 miles southwest. The closest camp of any kind is Columbine, 5.2 miles northwest, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at 3 of these camps.
All 34 camps near Idaho Springs, CO
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbine | 5.2 | Fee | — | 2.6 mi to Central | — |
| Cold Springs | 6.4 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Pickle Gulch | 6.5 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Echo Lake | 8.1 | Fee | — | 6.3 mi to Blue Valley | — |
| West Chicago Creek | 9.5 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Georgetown | — |
| Clear Creek CountyDave slept here | 12 | Free | Leavenworth Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 12 | Free | — | 3.4 mi to Eldora | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 13 | Free | Antelope Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Tolland | — |
| Kelly Dahl | 13 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Rollinsville | Open |
| Clear Lake | 13 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| West Magnolia | 14 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 1.1 mi to Nederland | — |
| Robbers Roost | 15 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Winter Park | — |
| Guanella Pass | 15 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| Midland | 15 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Winter Park | — |
| Mizpah | 15 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Empire | — |
| Winiger Ridge | 15 | Free | Gross Reservoir (water) | 0.7 mi to Lake Shore Park | — |
| Caribou Dispersed Camping Area | 16 | Unpriced | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Eldora | — |
| Meridian Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Elk Creek (stream) | 5.9 mi to Singleton | — |
| Deer Creek Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Brook Forest | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Boulder County, CO | 17 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Eldora | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — CO | 17 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Caribou City | — |
| Gordon Gulch | 18 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.3 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Idlewild | 18 | Fee | — | 1.7 mi to Winter Park | Closed |
| Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping Area | 18 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Rainbow Lakes | 18 | Fee | Rainbow Lakes (water) | 3.3 mi to Caribou City | — |
| Geneva Park | 19 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Burning Bear Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Ruby Gulch Dispersed Camping | 20 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 2.4 mi to Ward | — |
| St. Louis Creek | 22 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Fraser | — |
| Byers Creek | 23 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Fraser | — |
| Pawnee | 23 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Ward | Closed |
| Handcart | 24 | Fee | — | 7.7 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Hall Valley | 24 | Fee | — | 7.6 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Strawberry | 25 | Unpriced | Ranch Creek (stream) | 0.7 mi to Tabernash | — |
Who manages the camps near Idaho Springs, CO
Who manages them: 28 on the Forest Service; 5 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on the BLM.
- Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests — 26 camps: 9 free, 16 fee, 1 unpriced
- Pike and San Isabel National Forests — 6 camps: 5 fee, 1 unpriced
- An agency our record does not name — 1 camp: 1 free
- Kremmling Field Office — 1 camp: 1 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Today's season read covers 3 of the 34: 1 open, 2 closed, 0 worth a call. It comes from each camp's own record, so a camp with no season word is not counted either way.
Forecast near Idaho Springs, CO
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Idaho Springs, 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.