White River National Forest
Forest Service2,482,711 acres · USDA Forest Service
Can you sleep here
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Stay limit14 days in most forests — the exact limit is set per forest and district
In an RVDispersed sites are unimproved: no hookups, no water, no dump station, and access roads are often unsurfaced. Designated wilderness inside the unit is closed to all vehicles.
Rule36 CFR 261.58 — occupancy and use, set by forest order
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 3,879 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 97
- Longest rig
- 99 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Map loads as you scroll
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 97 campgrounds shown
97 of 97 campgrounds
- Aldrich Lakes Rim #2251Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Avalanche CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Bar HL/Hay Flat Trailhead FR #211Season not published
- Battlement Jeep (Forest Road 847)Season not published
- Blair Mountain TH #601.1Season not published
- Blair Overlook TH #601.2ESeason not published
- Blue River CampgroundReservations accepted
- Bogan Flats CampgroundReservations accepted
- Bogan Flats Group CampgroundReservations accepted
- Boiler Creek #1843Season not published
- Buford-New Castle Parallel OHV #2290Season not published
- Camp Hale East Fork Group Campgroundto 45 ft · 1 sitesReservations accepted
- Camp Hale Memorial Campgroundto 40 ft · 21 sitesReservations accepted
- Cataract Creek CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Chapman Campground and Group Campgroundto 99 ft · 84 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Coal Creek #2214Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Columbine #2265Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Columbine Landing Recreation SiteMay - October
- Cow Creek North CampgroundReservations accepted
- Cow Creek South Campgroundto 90 ft · 44 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Deadhorse-Long Park Loop FR#230Summer travel: June 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Dearhamer Campgroundto 69 ft · 13 sitesReservations accepted
- Deep Lake CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Deer Creek Road TH #5Season not published
- Difficult Campground and Group CampgroundReservations accepted
- East Beaver / Sleepy Cat Road #250Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- East Marvine CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Elk Wallow CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Elliott Creek CampgroundReservations accepted
- Ellison Mountain #2273Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Four Mile FR#214 / Widow Springs FR#212Season not published
- Fulford Cave CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Georgia Pass Road (South Fork Swan) TH #355Season not published
- Gold Park CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Gore Creek Campgroundto 35 ft · 25 sites · Bear boxesReservations accepted
- Halfmoon CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Heaton Bay Campgroundto 40 ft · 87 sites · Electric · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Himes Peak CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Holy Cross City Jeep Road TH #759Season not published
- Hornsilver CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Indiana Creek Road TH #593Season not published
- Lincoln Creek Dispersed CampingFirst-come, first-served
- Lincoln Gulch CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Little Mattie Campgroundto 30 ft · 19 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Little Maud Campgroundto 83 ft · 22 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Long Park #1809Season not published
- Lost Man CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Lowry Campgroundto 55 ft · 27 sites · Electric · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Marci Camp #2270Summer travel: June 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-June 20
- Marvine Campgroundto 40 ft · 23 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- McAllister Gulch Road TH #708Season not published
- McDonald Flats CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Meadow Lake CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Meadow Ridge CampgroundLate spring – Late Oct. · First-come, first-served
- Middle Fork Road (Swan River) TH #6Season not published
- Middle Miller #2201Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Middle Mountain TH #2200Season not published
- Moeller Creek FR#290 (via Fawn Creek FR #280)Season not published
- Mollie B CampgroundReservations accepted
- North Fork Campgroundto 40 ft · 28 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- North Fork Road (Swan River) TH #354Season not published
- Pagoda #1804Summer travel: June 21-August 31, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Pattison Park #2292Summer travel: June 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Peak One Campgroundto 99 ft · 115 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Pearl Pass Dispersed CampingFirst-come, first-served
- Pennsylvania Creek Road TH #611Season not published
- Pine Cove CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Piney Guard Stationto 10 ft · 1 sitesReservations accepted
- Pole Patch #2271Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Portal CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Prairie Point CampgroundReservations accepted
- Prospector Campgroundto 70 ft · 107 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Redstone Campgroundto 65 ft · 37 sites · Electric · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- Ripple Creek PassSeason not published
- Ruedi Marina Campgroundto 45 ft · 8 sites · Pull-throughMay – Early Oct. · Reservations accepted
- Sawmill Mountain #2266Season not published
- Silver Bar Campgroundto 25 ft · 4 sitesReservations accepted
- Silver Bell Campgroundto 30 ft · 14 sitesReservations accepted
- Silver Queen Campgroundto 30 ft · 6 sites · Pull-throughReservations accepted
- South Fork Campground & TrailheadSeason not published
- Sterry Lake #2240Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Closed to winter travel.
- Stove Gulch #2278Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Sweetwater Lake CampgroundSeason not published
- TI Cutoff #2217Summer travel: May 21-November 22, Winter travel (over snow only): November 23-May 20
- Tigiwon Community House1 sitesCLOSED for 2023 season · Reservations accepted
- Trappers Lake / Bucks CampgroundSeason not published
- Trappers Lake / Cutthroat CampgroundSeason not published
- Trappers Lake / Horse Thief CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Trappers Lake / Shepherds Rim CampgroundReservations accepted
- Trappers Lake / Trapline CampgroundSeason not published
- Wearyman Road #747May 21
- Weller CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- West Elk TrailheadSeason not published
- Willows CampgroundReservations accepted
- Windy Point Bypass TH #1846Season not published
- Windy Point Group CampgroundMay 20 – October 3 · Reservations accepted
- Yeoman Park CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
White River National Forest
White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest in the United States, primarily from users of the twelve ski areas within its boundaries.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Flat Tops Wilderness231,063 acres
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness182,964 acres
- Eagles Nest Wilderness135,204 acres
- Holy Cross Wilderness122,946 acres
- Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness82,553 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
National parks close enough to pair
Plan it
Drive to White River the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.