Free camping near Ouray, CO
Yes. 27 of the 42 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Ouray, CO are listed as free; 10 charge a fee and 5 have no price on record. The closest free one is Ouray County, 4.9 miles southeast. The closest camp of any kind is Amphitheatre Campground, 0.7 miles southeast, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at 3 of these camps.
All 42 camps near Ouray, CO
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphitheatre Campground | 0.7 | Fee | Portland Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Ouray | — |
| Angel Creek | 2.1 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Ouray | — |
| Thistledown Campground | 2.8 | Unpriced | Canyon Creek (river) | 0.1 mi to Thistledown | — |
| Ouray CountyDave slept here | 4.9 | Free | Mineral Creek (river) | 3.7 mi to Ironton | — |
| Corkscrew | 6.1 | Free | — | 6.1 mi to Ouray | — |
| Dispersed Camping Area | 7.2 | Free | Red Mountain Creek (river) | 0.7 mi to Ironton | — |
| East Dallas | 7.5 | Free | Wilson Creek (river) | 6.3 mi to Portland | — |
| Dispersed camp site | 7.6 | Free | Red Mountain Creek (river) | 1.4 mi to Ironton | — |
| Wilderness Campsite 1 | 8.0 | Free | Lower Blue Lake (water) | 4.4 mi to Telluride | — |
| West Fork Cimarron Dispersed | 9.5 | Free | — | 8.0 mi to Portland | — |
| Owl Creek Pass Dispersed | 11 | Free | — | 8.7 mi to Portland | — |
| BLM Dispersed Camping | 13 | Free | Animas River (river) | 0.1 mi to Middleton | — |
| Burrows Park Dispersed Camping | 13 | Free | Lake Fork Gunnison River (river) | 6.9 mi to Eureka | — |
| Middle Fork Cimarron Dispersed | 13 | Free | Middle Fork Cimarron River (river) | 12 mi to Portland | — |
| Mary E | 14 | Fee | South Fork San Miguel River (river) | 2.1 mi to Lime | — |
| Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) | 14 | Free | Alta Reservoir Number 3 (water) | 2.1 mi to Ophir | — |
| Hinsdale CountyDave slept here | 14 | Free | — | 6.3 mi to Lake | — |
| South Mineral Dispersed Area | 15 | Free | Mineral Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Silverton | — |
| Hinsdale CountyDave slept here | 15 | Free | Nellie Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Henson | — |
| Cimarron Forks | 15 | Free | — | 12 mi to Portland | — |
| East Fork Dispersed | 15 | Free | Silver Jack Reservoir (water) | 13 mi to Dallas | — |
| Sunshine Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Cushman Lake (water) | 3.4 mi to Mountain Village | — |
| Silver Jack Campground | 16 | Fee | Hanging Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| South Mineral Cg | 16 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Ophir | — |
| Silver Jack | 16 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Ridgway | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | Cunningham Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Howardsville | — |
| Beaver Lake Camground | 17 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| Matterhorn Campground | 17 | Fee | Lake Fork (river) | 2.8 mi to Ophir | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | Cunningham Creek (river) | 3.1 mi to Howardsville | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | — | — | — |
| Big Cimarron | 17 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| Priest Lake Designated Camping Area | 17 | Free | Priest Lakes (water) | 3.0 mi to Ophir | — |
| Mill Creek Campground | 18 | Unpriced | Lake Fork Gunnison River (river) | 7.9 mi to Henson | — |
| Little Molas Lake Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Little Molas Lake (water) | 5.2 mi to Silverton | — |
| Williams Creek Campground | 20 | Fee | Williams Creek (stream) | 7.2 mi to Henson | — |
| Silver Pick | 20 | Free | Big Bear Creek (stream) | 5.7 mi to Vanadium | — |
| Big Blue Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Soldier Creek (river) | 13 mi to Lake City | — |
| Alpine Plateau Dispersed Area | 23 | Free | Campbell Creek (stream) | 13 mi to Lake City | — |
| Caddis Flats Campground | 23 | Free | Specie Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Placerville | — |
| Woods Lake Campground | 23 | Fee | Woods Lake (water) | 7.2 mi to Vanadium | — |
| Cayton Campground | 24 | Fee | Coke Oven Creek (stream) | 6.2 mi to Rico | — |
| Slumgullion | 25 | Free | Slumgullion Creek (stream) | 5.9 mi to Lake City | — |
Who manages the camps near Ouray, CO
Who manages them: 30 on the Forest Service; 6 on an agency our record does not name; 6 on the BLM.
- Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests — 30 camps: 19 free, 8 fee, 3 unpriced
- Gunnison Field Office — 5 camps: 4 free, 1 unpriced
- San Juan National Forest — 4 camps: 1 free, 2 fee, 1 unpriced
- An agency our record does not name — 2 camps: 2 free
- Uncompahgre Field Office — 1 camp: 1 free
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 42 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Ouray, 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 Ouray, 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.