Camping near Lake City, Colorado

Camping near Lake City at a glance

Public campgrounds

7 (7 National Forest)

Getting a site

2 reservable and 5 first-come

Cost

5 free; lowest posted fee at Deer Lakes: "Single Site: $18 per night"

Distance from Lake City

5.3 miles (Slumgullion) to 14 miles (Big Blue) in a straight line; 7 within 15 miles

Elevation

9,201 ft (Williams Creek) to 11,200 ft (Slumgullion), 7 of 7 on record

Season

1 seasonal with posted dates

Campsites

56 across the 3 campgrounds that state a count

Drinking water

2 of 7

Distances are straight-line miles from Lake City's point in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2025), not driving distances. Every other fact comes from each campground's own sourced record, linked from its page.

More campgrounds within 30 miles of Lake City

• Mill Creek Campground, 9.1 miles from Lake City in a straight line , BLM , reservable ; listed under camping near Hinsdale.
• Alpine Ranger Station, 15 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Gunnison.
• Silver Thread, 16 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• The Gate Campground, 16 miles from Lake City in a straight line , BLM ; listed under camping near Gunnison.
• North Clear Creek, 16 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Bristol Head, 17 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Lost Trail, 18 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Crooked Creek Dispersed Area, 18 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Creede.
• Amphitheater, 19 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $28 per night); listed under camping near Ouray.
• Silver Jack, 19 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site Non-Electric: $20 per night); listed under camping near Montrose.
• Road Canyon, 20 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Hinsdale.
• Beaver Lake, 20 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $14 per night); listed under camping near Montrose.
• River Hill, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Big Cimarron, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $14 per night); listed under camping near Montrose.
• Angel Creek, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $10 per night); listed under camping near Ouray.
• Thirty Mile, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Red Bridge Campground, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , BLM ; listed under camping near Gunnison.
• Thistledown, 21 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $10 per night); listed under camping near Ouray.
• Marshall Park, 24 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Rio Grande, 24 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Creede.
• Ivy Creek, 29 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Creede.
• Little Molas Dispersed Campground, 29 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near San Juan.
• South Mineral Campground, 29 miles from Lake City in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $40 per night); listed under camping near San Juan.

Things to do near Lake City

Public land and water within 30 miles of Lake City, the public land its campgrounds sit in, and landmarks at those campgrounds, nearest first.

• Lake San Cristobal fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 3.7 miles from Lake City; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, all 7 campgrounds here sit inside this national forest, the nearest Slumgullion at 5.3 miles from Lake City; publiclandsdb.com has its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary.
• Uncompahgre Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 11 miles from Lake City; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Powderhorn Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 11 miles from Lake City; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• La Garita Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 18 miles from Lake City; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Silver Jack Reservoir water level, a reservoir whose mapped point is 19 miles from Lake City; current water level on reservoirfinder.com.
• Box Canyon Hot Springs, a hot spring whose mapped point is 20 miles from Lake City; soaking details on swimholesmap.com.
• Ouray Hot Springs, a hot spring whose mapped point is 20 miles from Lake City; soaking details on swimholesmap.com.
• Rio Grande Reservoir fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 20 miles from Lake City; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Orvis Hot Springs, a hot spring whose mapped point is 24 miles from Lake City; soaking details on swimholesmap.com.

Supplies and emergencies near Lake City

Groceries

• Get Some Groceries supermarket · 0.5 miles · (970) 944-0547
• Country Store Grocery convenience store · 1 mile
• Ouray Grocery supermarket · 20 miles · (970) 325-4397

Fuel

• Sportsmen's BBQ Station fuel station · 0.4 miles
• Conoco fuel station · 20 miles
• Conoco fuel station · 25 miles

RV dump station

• Henson Creek RV Park RV park · 0.5 miles
• Elkhorn RV Resort RV park · 1 mile
• Highlander RV Campground RV park · 2.6 miles · (970) 944-2878

Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of Lake City: propane, potable water fill, pharmacy, laundromat, and ice. Stores, fuel, propane, dump stations, water fill, laundromats, and pharmacies are the nearest few mapped within 25 miles, straight-line, © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of 2026-10-01; this extract under the ODbL). Hours are as mapped; call ahead.