Cottonwood Lake
Its 36 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Single Site: $18 per night, and it is open from June 26 to Sept. 22. Cottonwood Lake is a National Forest campground near Collbran, Colorado.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
- National Forest
- Managed by
- None
- Hookups
- 42 ft
- Max RV length
Cottonwood Lake sits inside Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Single Site: $18 per night
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 36
- Hookups
- None
- Max RV length
- 42 ft
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Fire rings
- ✕ Potable water
On site: Toilets and fire rings. No potable water.
Sources: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-30; recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Campsites
1 site. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Scan and Pay | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book site Standard |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 10,100 ft
39.0748, -107.9633 in Mesa. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Cottonwood Lake is open from June 26 to Sept. 22 , at 10,100 ft.
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Cottonwood Lake?
Sites at Cottonwood Lake are reserved through Recreation.gov (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10165245).
How much does it cost to camp at Cottonwood Lake?
Camping at Cottonwood Lake costs Single Site: $18 per night.
How many campsites does Cottonwood Lake have?
Cottonwood Lake has 36 campsites.
Does Cottonwood Lake have RV hookups?
No. Cottonwood Lake has no hookups. The longest rig allowed is 42 feet.
Is there drinking water at Cottonwood Lake?
No. Cottonwood Lake has no potable water, so bring all the water you need.
When is Cottonwood Lake open?
Cottonwood Lake is open from June 26 to Sept. 22.
Who manages Cottonwood Lake?
Cottonwood Lake is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Around Cottonwood Lake
Vega Reservoir's mapped center point is 13 miles from Cottonwood Lake in a straight line. Current water level: Vega Reservoir water level on reservoirfinder.com.
- Sites
- 1
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $14 per night
- Sites
- 1
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $22-24 per night
- Sites
- 20
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $22-24 per night
- Sites
- 1
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $22-24 per night
More campgrounds: camping near Collbran and campgrounds in Mesa.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-30
- recreation.gov (reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
- fs.usda.gov (fireRings, maxRvLengthFt, season, hookups), accessed 2026-09-30
- recreation.gov (hookups), accessed 2026-09-30