Camping near South Fork, Colorado

Camping near South Fork at a glance

Public campgrounds

9 (9 National Forest)

Getting a site

9 first-come

Cost

Lowest posted fee at Cathedral: "Single Site: $10 per night"

Distance from South Fork

3.9 miles (Highway Springs) to 14 miles (Tucker Ponds) in a straight line; 9 within 15 miles

Elevation

8,350 ft (Palisade) to 9,700 ft (Tucker Ponds), 9 of 9 on record

Distances are straight-line miles from South Fork'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 South Fork

• Hansen Mill, 11 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Creede.
• Ivy Creek, 20 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Creede.
• Marshall Park, 20 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Poso, 20 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $10 per night); listed under camping near La Garita.
• Stunner, 21 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Platoro.
• West Fork, 21 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $32 per night); listed under camping near Pagosa Springs.
• Rio Grande, 21 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Creede.
• Comstock, 22 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Monte Vista.
• Rock Creek, 22 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Monte Vista.
• Mix Lake, 22 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Conejos.
• Penitente Canyon Campground, 23 miles from South Fork in a straight line , BLM , reservable ; listed under camping near Saguache.
• Storm King, 23 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $10 per night); listed under camping near La Garita.
• Stone Cellar, 24 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Day Use:); listed under camping near Gunnison.
• East Fork, 24 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $32 per night); listed under camping near Pagosa Springs.
• Alamosa, 26 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Conejos.
• Lake Fork, 27 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Antonito.
• Lake Fork(rio Grande Natl Fore, 27 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Conejos.
• Bristol Head, 29 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• North Clear Creek, 29 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $26 per night); listed under camping near Creede.
• Crooked Creek Dispersed Area, 30 miles from South Fork in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Creede.

Things to do near South Fork

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

• Rio Grande National Forest, all 9 campgrounds here sit inside this national forest, the nearest Highway Springs at 3.9 miles from South Fork; publiclandsdb.com has its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary.
• Beaver Creek Reservoir fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 5.5 miles from South Fork; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Mix Lake fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 22 miles from South Fork; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Platoro Reservoir fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 23 miles from South Fork; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• South San Juan Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 28 miles from South Fork; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• La Garita Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 30 miles from South Fork; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.

Supplies and emergencies near South Fork

Groceries

• Rainbow Grocery supermarket · 0.2 miles
• Rainbow Express convenience store · 0.3 miles
• Lowe's Market supermarket · 16 miles · (719) 657-3505 · Hours Mo-Su 07:00-20:00

Fuel

• Conoco fuel station · 0.3 miles
• Shell fuel station · 16 miles

Laundromat

• Fife C'S Laundromat laundromat · 1.4 miles
• Laundromat laundromat · 16 miles · Hours Mo-Su 07:00-21:00

Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of South Fork: propane, RV dump station, potable water fill, pharmacy, 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.