where can I camp in the San Juan forest

Hi all, I'm planning a trip to Colorado this summer to drive the roads around Silverton, Ouray, etc. I plan to camp the whole trip. Are there restrictions on where I can camp while in the national forest? I've found plenty of resources to help plan which trails to drive, but haven't found as much to show where I can stop for each night.

 

Free for all, 14 day limit in the NF, preferred to use an already existing site/fire ring. Find a spot with a good view and go to town, I would suggest below treeline though.

 

Yes, there are some restrictions, but the forest is a pretty big place and it's hard to offer much in the way of suggestions without a targeted area. You mention Silverton and Ouray, which means you might also be looking at the Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison and Rio Grande forests. Generally the options in the 550 'valley' are limited compared to the Telluride/Lake City sides. Mostly because there are a ton of mining claims in the area that have become more active recently and been closed to camping. For instance in the immediate vicinity of Ouray there's three FS campgrounds and a few spots up Portland Road, and that's it. There is no legal camping on the Imogene Pass road on the Ouray side except for two of the aforementioned campgrounds, and only a little (all above treeline) on the Telluride side. I would normally suggest the MVUM (motor vehicle use maps) as a resource because they do indicate which roads allow dispersed camping, but they're not always current/up to date. For example the current one shows you can camp all along the aforementioned Imogene road which isn't the case.

If you've got any kind of itinerary or specific road/trail list you're willing to make public, we might be able to offer more specific suggestions.

 

Thanks. So far, I was looking at Animas Forks and Lake San Cristobal for camping, unless I find something saying that's not allowed. Some of the trails I'm looking at include the Alpine Loop and side trails such as Wager Gulch, Heart Lake and Jarosa Mesa. Further west, looking at Yankee Boy, Imogene, Alta Lakes, Ophir Pass, etc...and any other trails around there. I'd love to do Black Bear Pass but in a dclb, I was a little concerned about having enough room on the switchbacks I hear so much about. Any recommendations?

 

There's no camping at Animas Forks proper (historic site), though there are a few sites just below it and closer to Silverton. I've also seen people camp further up, along/off the connector to Engineer. Be aware Animas is pretty much at/above treeline and the connector is even higher. There's also more spots as you head down into Mineral Creek and maybe in Poughkeepsie Gulch, but I've not been there specifically in years. Poughkeepsie is supposed to have an obstacle requiring a locker (though you can access parts of it over California Pass, including Lake Como which is definitely worth seeing from up on California) and everyone keeps telling me Mineral has gotten rougher since I last did it but I never find time to actually check it out when I'm down there. There's also a loop trail (Picayne/Placer Gulches) from just below Animas Forks to just above it on the California road that might have a couple of spots, but again all above treeline. It is worth driving that loop though - there is an overlook/spot above Parson Lake that is made for truck ads.

As for Lake San Cristobal, that's all private property. There are several campgrounds in the area, but for primitive sites you have to go further up the road towards the pass. My favorite spot is between the Grizzly Gulch trailhead and American Basin - just below American actually. You can also camp at American Basin, but it's a busy place. There are three fourteeners off that road, so getting a spot or not camping at a trailhead can be luck. I don't know about Wager, Heart, or Jarosa.

As previously mentioned, there's no legal camping anywhere on the Ouray side of Imogene Pass, including Yankee Boy, except for two FS campgrounds that are just off the road. You can primitive camp in Savage Basin on the Telluride side, but it's all open and above treeline. I didn't like it, and when we were there last summer we just drove back down to Lizard Head where we'd been a few nights prior (it's about 20min south of Telluride on 145, past Ophir, and there are other options beforehand, but it's kind of nice and out of the way for a long-term basecamp). Went up to Alta Lakes for the first time last year too and it's beautiful, but it's also crowded and appears to be a popular spot to run up and camp or a night or two.

As for Black Bear, I've never done it though I thought about it last year. There are two really tight switchbacks as well as an off-camber rocky section at the top. People have done it in fullsize trucks. Check out some of the youtube videos. It comes up in discussions frequently. You can read some of my recent comments in https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/road-trip.365682/ I know it's been mentioned here in others as well, so you might do a search.