Free camping near Portland, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Portland, CO there are 40 camps: 26 free, 9 fee, 5 unpriced. The closest is Amphitheatre Campground, 5.0 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is East Dallas, 6.9 miles out. 3 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 28 on the Forest Service; 6 on an agency our record does not name; 6 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphitheatre Campground | 5.0 | Fee | Portland Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Ouray | — |
| Angel Creek | 6.0 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Ouray | — |
| Thistledown Campground | 6.6 | Unpriced | Canyon Creek (river) | 0.1 mi to Thistledown | — |
| East Dallas | 6.9 | Free | Wilson Creek (river) | 6.3 mi to Portland | — |
| West Fork Cimarron Dispersed | 8.0 | Free | — | 8.0 mi to Portland | — |
| Owl Creek Pass Dispersed | 8.7 | Free | — | 8.7 mi to Portland | — |
| Wilderness Campsite 1 | 9.0 | Free | Lower Blue Lake (water) | 4.4 mi to Telluride | — |
| Ouray CountyDave slept here | 9.3 | Free | Mineral Creek (river) | 3.7 mi to Ironton | — |
| Corkscrew | 10 | Free | — | 6.1 mi to Ouray | — |
| Dispersed Camping Area | 12 | Free | Red Mountain Creek (river) | 0.7 mi to Ironton | — |
| Middle Fork Cimarron Dispersed | 12 | Free | Middle Fork Cimarron River (river) | 12 mi to Portland | — |
| Dispersed camp site | 12 | Free | Red Mountain Creek (river) | 1.4 mi to Ironton | — |
| Cimarron Forks | 12 | Free | — | 12 mi to Portland | — |
| East Fork Dispersed | 13 | Free | Silver Jack Reservoir (water) | 13 mi to Dallas | — |
| Silver Jack Campground | 13 | Fee | Hanging Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| Silver Jack | 13 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Ridgway | — |
| Beaver Lake Camground | 14 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| Big Cimarron | 14 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 12 mi to Dallas | — |
| Mary E | 15 | Fee | South Fork San Miguel River (river) | 2.1 mi to Lime | — |
| Hinsdale CountyDave slept here | 15 | Free | — | 6.3 mi to Lake | — |
| Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) | 16 | Free | Alta Reservoir Number 3 (water) | 2.1 mi to Ophir | — |
| Hinsdale CountyDave slept here | 17 | Free | Nellie Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Henson | — |
| Burrows Park Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | Lake Fork Gunnison River (river) | 6.9 mi to Eureka | — |
| Sunshine Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Cushman Lake (water) | 3.4 mi to Mountain Village | — |
| BLM Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | Animas River (river) | 0.1 mi to Middleton | — |
| South Mineral Dispersed Area | 19 | Free | Mineral Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Silverton | — |
| Big Blue Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Soldier Creek (river) | 13 mi to Lake City | — |
| Matterhorn Campground | 20 | Fee | Lake Fork (river) | 2.8 mi to Ophir | — |
| South Mineral Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Ophir | — |
| Priest Lake Designated Camping Area | 20 | Free | Priest Lakes (water) | 3.0 mi to Ophir | — |
| Mill Creek Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Lake Fork Gunnison River (river) | 7.9 mi to Henson | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 21 | Free | Cunningham Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Howardsville | — |
| Alpine Plateau Dispersed Area | 21 | Free | Campbell Creek (stream) | 13 mi to Lake City | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 21 | Free | Cunningham Creek (river) | 3.1 mi to Howardsville | — |
| Cunningham Gulch Dispersed Camping | 22 | Free | — | — | — |
| Silver Pick | 22 | Free | Big Bear Creek (stream) | 5.7 mi to Vanadium | — |
| Caddis Flats Campground | 22 | Free | Specie Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Placerville | — |
| Williams Creek Campground | 23 | Fee | Williams Creek (stream) | 7.2 mi to Henson | — |
| Little Molas Lake Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Little Molas Lake (water) | 5.2 mi to Silverton | — |
| Woods Lake Campground | 24 | Fee | Woods Lake (water) | 7.2 mi to Vanadium | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Portland, 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.