Free camping near Paonia, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Paonia, CO there are 21 camps: 4 free, 8 fee, 9 unpriced. The closest is Cottonwood Grove Campground, 15 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Twin Lake Dispersed Camping Area, 19 miles out.
Who manages them: 16 on the Forest Service; 3 on the BLM; 2 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Grove Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Gunnison River (river) | 3.1 mi to Payne | — |
| Erickson Springs Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Anthracite Creek (stream) | 8.9 mi to Marble | — |
| Weir and Johnson Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Sackett Reservoir (water) | 7.3 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
| Gunnison Gorge Wilderness | 19 | Fee | Gunnison River (river) | 7.8 mi to Rogers Mesa | — |
| Twin Lake Dispersed Camping Area | 19 | Free | Twin Lake Number 1 (water) | 6.7 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
| Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area | 20 | Unpriced | Gunnison River (river) | 7.7 mi to Rogers Mesa | — |
| Lost Lake Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Lost Lake Slough (water) | 12 mi to Baldwin | — |
| Cottonwood Lake Campground | 21 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Crag Crest Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Eggleston Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
| Mcclure | 23 | Free | Lee Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Placita | — |
| McClure Campground | 23 | Free | Lee Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Placita | — |
| Bogan Flats Group Campground | 24 | Fee | Chair Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Placita | — |
| Bogan Flats Campground | 24 | Fee | Chair Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Placita | — |
| Ward Lake | 24 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Cedaredge | — |
| Bogan Flats Cg | 24 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Marble | — |
| Ward Lake Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Ward Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
| Cobbett Campground | 24 | Fee | Cobbett Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
| Cottonwood Lake | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Collbran | — |
| Dispersed camp — Gunnison County, CO | 25 | Free | South Castle Creek (stream) | 7.6 mi to Baldwin | — |
| Little Bear | 25 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Cedaredge | — |
| Island Lake Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Little Gem Reservoir (water) | 2.6 mi to Grand Mesa | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Paonia, 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.