Free camping near Idaho Springs, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Idaho Springs, CO there are 33 camps: 10 free, 21 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Columbine, 5.2 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Clear Creek County, 12 miles out. 3 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 27 on the Forest Service; 5 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on the BLM.
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
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.