Crested Butte Camping?

I'm looking for places to camp around Crested Butte. Any recommendations? Want to head up there later this month to get some wildflower/landscape photos and I've never been to the area so not sure where to go.

 

Uhh..what?

 

They got a ton of snow this year but there are some spots above Gothic that are nice.

 

I know they got a ton of snow - should make for good wildflower showing!

 

Someone(s) recently said they've been clamping down on dispersed camping in the area lately, so places we went might not be open any more (or may be closed by snow - when we were there you couldn't get to Emerald due to a drift/avy pile, getting to Paradise wasn't possible 24 hours before, and we helped two guys open [sketchily] Paradise to Schoefield that night). However, top of the list would be Paradise Divide (Slate River/734 past where Washington/811 joins it). There were also places lower on Slate, but it was crowded. We also had a spot off of Gothic/317, half a mile or so before Emerald Lake.

 

When were you there?

 

Sorry, given the discussion about snow this year I should have said, this was a few years ago, not recently, but it was end of July / beginning of August.

 

if you leave town on any of the dirt roads there is camping everywhere. Lots of places in the high country are closing down camping that is close to town due to squatters but the farther out you drive the better the camping gets.

 

They've restricted user created sites towards Gothic to help stop the deteriorating valley....head towards paradise divide. Should be spots around there.

 

About an hour away from Crested Butte is Taylor Park Resevoir. Gorgeous area. Tons of camping all over the place. Just go onto one of the countless FS roads and choose your spot

 

reminder to everyone that cottonwood pass is closed if your headed to taylor

 

Good point. Forgot they're doing that. What a shame they're paving it the whole way

 

It's also ATV city or Texan City depending on your point of view.

 

One and the same.

 

Yeah true. I hate that. Luckily been able to avoid some of that but if you go up Texas Creek or are anywhere near the reservoir it's impossible to not be surrounded by 100 drunk Texas bros on ATV's