U.S. Forest Service · Rio Grande National Forest · Del Norte, CO

Cathedral

Cathedral Campground is northwest of Del Norte and northeast of South Fork on Embargo Creek. The campground has 22 sites, all first come, first served. 17 are dead end spurs and 5 are pull through sites. The sites vary from 35 to 45 feet in length. This campground is located in a mature aspen and spruce grove with a beautiful view of Cathedral Rock to the north. Embargo Creek flows alongside the east side of the grounds. The campground is composed of two large loops along Cathedral Creek. The left-hand loop features a large meadow and a few open sites. The right-hand loop has a dense Aspen and spruce (including Blue) forest and a more rustic feel.

Open nowFirst-come, first-served22 sitesFrom $10 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in Colorado · tent only in Colorado

Cathedral
Photo from the area. Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
1fire
active
Elk · 46 mi away · 7,257 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-26
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups22
No reservations, so arrive before checkout on a weekday, usually 11 a.m. to noon, and take what is open. In season, weekends fill by Thursday. The first-come playbook

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesSingle Site - $10/night Day use - $10 (picnicking) Envelopes and fee tube are available near the entrance.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestRio Grande National Forest
FeesSingle Site - $10/night Day use - $10 (picnicking) Envelopes and fee tube are available near the entrance.

Rio Grande National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cathedral20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.99 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.78 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.88 inches of precipitationApril: 1.02 inches of precipitationMay: 1.71 inches of precipitationJune: 0.81 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.95 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.64 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.94 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.43 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.90 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.60 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 21.2°F averageFebruary: 25.5°F averageMarch: 33.0°F averageApril: 40.0°F averageMay: 47.6°F averageJune: 55.6°F averageJuly: 60.6°F averageAugust: 58.9°F averageSeptember: 52.1°F averageOctober: 43.6°F averageNovember: 31.5°F averageDecember: 21.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Creede, 18 miles from the campground at 8,852 feet, station USC00051939 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year.

Getting there

From the Divide Ranger District office, located in Del Norte, CO, travel west on Highway 160 for 9 miles. Turn right onto County Rd 18 and travel 1.4 miles. Turn right onto County Rd 15 and go 0.3 miles. Turn left onto FS Rd 650 and go 3.1 miles. Turn left onto FSR 640 and go ~7.5 miles to arrive at Cathedral Campground.

Nearest townDel Norte, Colorado
Coordinates37.8220° N, 106.6049° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    46 mi from the campground · 7,257 acres · 90% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗10.3 mi
Outdoor gearKristi's Mountain Sports ↗45.2 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cathedral Gorge State Park Campground Review

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • under 0.1 mi
    Cathedral
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Embargo ↗
    5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 1.3 mi
    Fremont
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Groundhog ↗
    6.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3.3 mi
    La Garita SD Cut-Off
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 4.2 mi
    West Bear
    4.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Rio Grande National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Colorado

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cathedral?

No. Cathedral is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Cathedral?

Single Site - $10/night Day use - $10 (picnicking) Envelopes and fee tube are available near the entrance.

Source: Forest Service

Is Cathedral open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Cathedral have?

22 sites, including 22 standard sites without power.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Cathedral?

Cathedral is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What is the nearest town to Cathedral?

Del Norte, Colorado.

Source: Getting there

What if Cathedral is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Hansen Mill Dispersed Camping (7.2 mi, first-come), Palisade Campground (10 mi, first-come), and Poso Campground (11.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby