Free camping near St. Mary's, CO
Within 25 straight-line miles of St. Mary's, CO there are 40 camps: 11 free, 27 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Columbine, 5.2 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Gilpin County, 6.9 miles out. 3 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 33 on the Forest Service; 6 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 | — |
| Robbers Roost | 5.9 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Winter Park | — |
| Midland | 6.3 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Winter Park | — |
| Pickle Gulch | 6.7 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 6.9 | Free | Antelope Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Tolland | — |
| Gilpin CountyDave slept here | 7.0 | Free | — | 3.4 mi to Eldora | — |
| Cold Springs | 8.2 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Black Hawk | — |
| Mizpah | 8.3 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Empire | — |
| Idlewild | 9.2 | Fee | — | 1.7 mi to Winter Park | — |
| West Chicago Creek | 9.5 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Georgetown | — |
| Clear Creek CountyDave slept here | 9.7 | Free | Leavenworth Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| Kelly Dahl | 11 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Rollinsville | — |
| West Magnolia | 11 | Free | Beaver Lake (water) | 1.1 mi to Nederland | — |
| Echo Lake | 11 | Fee | — | 6.3 mi to Blue Valley | — |
| Clear Lake | 12 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Boulder County, CO | 13 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Eldora | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — CO | 13 | Free | Horseshoe Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Caribou City | — |
| St. Louis Creek | 14 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Fraser | — |
| Byers Creek | 14 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Fraser | — |
| Rainbow Lakes | 14 | Fee | Rainbow Lakes (water) | 3.3 mi to Caribou City | — |
| Guanella Pass | 15 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Silver Plume | — |
| Gordon Gulch | 15 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.3 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping Area | 16 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 1.5 mi to Lakewood | — |
| Strawberry | 16 | Unpriced | Ranch Creek (stream) | 0.7 mi to Tabernash | — |
| Ruby Gulch Dispersed Camping | 17 | Free | Glacier Lake (water) | 2.4 mi to Ward | — |
| Winiger Ridge | 17 | Free | Gross Reservoir (water) | 0.7 mi to Lake Shore Park | — |
| Pawnee | 19 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Ward | — |
| Sugarloaf | 20 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Silverthorne | — |
| Geneva Park | 20 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Montezuma | — |
| South Fork | 20 | Fee | — | 9.9 mi to Silverthorne | — |
| Burning Bear Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Deer Creek Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Brook Forest | — |
| Meridian Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Elk Creek (stream) | 5.9 mi to Singleton | — |
| Beaver Reservoir Dispersed Camping | 22 | Free | Beaver Reservoir (water) | 1.4 mi to Peaceful Valley | — |
| Arapaho Bay | 22 | Fee | — | 9.3 mi to Granby | — |
| Camp Dick | 23 | Fee | — | 2.7 mi to Hidden Lake | — |
| Peaceful Valley | 23 | Fee | — | 2.3 mi to Hidden Lake | — |
| Handcart | 24 | Fee | — | 7.7 mi to Montezuma | — |
| Horseshoe | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Heeney | — |
| Hall Valley | 25 | Fee | — | 7.6 mi to Montezuma | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from St. Mary's, 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.