Free camping near Rico, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Rico, CO there are 30 camps: 7 free, 10 fee, 13 unpriced. The closest is Cayton Campground, 6.4 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Priest Lake Designated Camping Area, 13 miles out.
Who manages them: 28 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayton Campground | 6.4 | Fee | Coke Oven Creek (stream) | 6.2 mi to Rico | — |
| Burro Bridge Campground | 7.0 | Unpriced | West Dolores River (river) | 1.7 mi to Dunton | — |
| Sig Creek Campground | 9.0 | Unpriced | East Fork Hermosa Creek (river) | 6.9 mi to Cascade | — |
| Priest Lake Designated Camping Area | 13 | Free | Priest Lakes (water) | 3.0 mi to Ophir | — |
| West Dolores Campground | 13 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Matterhorn Campground | 14 | Fee | Lake Fork (river) | 2.8 mi to Ophir | — |
| Woods Lake Campground | 14 | Fee | Woods Lake (water) | 7.2 mi to Vanadium | — |
| Silver Pick | 14 | Free | Big Bear Creek (stream) | 5.7 mi to Vanadium | — |
| Mavreeso Campground | 15 | Fee | Steer Number Two Reservoir (water) | 4.5 mi to Stoner | — |
| Sunshine Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Cushman Lake (water) | 3.4 mi to Mountain Village | — |
| South Mineral Cg | 16 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Ophir | — |
| Haviland Lake Campground | 16 | Fee | Haviland Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Tacoma | — |
| Alta Lakes Campground (Dispersed) | 17 | Free | Alta Reservoir Number 3 (water) | 2.1 mi to Ophir | — |
| Chris Park | 17 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Rico | — |
| Little Molas Lake Campground | 18 | Unpriced | Little Molas Lake (water) | 5.2 mi to Silverton | — |
| Transfer Campground | 18 | Fee | Kelly Reservoir (water) | 7.5 mi to Millwood | — |
| Darby Campground | 18 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Lower Hermosa Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Big Spring Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Hermosa | — |
| Mary E | 19 | Fee | South Fork San Miguel River (river) | 2.1 mi to Lime | — |
| South Mineral Dispersed Area | 20 | Free | Mineral Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Silverton | — |
| La Plata City Campground | 21 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 0.4 mi to La Plata | — |
| Madden Creek Campground | 21 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.0 mi to La Plata | — |
| Miner's Cabin Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Root Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to La Plata | — |
| Kroeger Campground | 22 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.6 mi to La Plata | — |
| Snowslide Campground | 22 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 1.4 mi to Mayday | — |
| Bay City Campground | 23 | Unpriced | La Plata River (river) | 0.7 mi to Mayday | — |
| Caddis Flats Campground | 24 | Free | Specie Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Placerville | — |
| Dispersed camp site | 24 | Free | Red Mountain Creek (river) | 1.4 mi to Ironton | — |
| Wilderness Campsite 1 | 25 | Free | Lower Blue Lake (water) | 4.4 mi to Telluride | — |
| Transfer Park Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Blodgett Creek (river) | 7.0 mi to Rockwood | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Rico, 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.