Silver Thread Campground
This small single loop campground has eleven sites. Six are gravel pull through sites and five are dead end gravel spurs. There is a beautiful waterfall within a few hundred feet that you can hike to easily from the south end of the campground. The campground elevation is 9,500 feet. This campground, just off the side of Colorado State Highway 149, is well suited for overnight stays and picnics with many level, pull-through camping sites. The area offers fishing in South Clear Creek and Brown Lakes. A short easy trail leads to the beauty of South Clear Creek Falls. Aspen provides shade for some of the campground sites while spruce trees abound on the surrounding hillsides.
More like this: first-come in Colorado · tent only in Colorado
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | Single site - $26 to $28/night. Day use - $12/day (picnicking). Shoulder Season - $10/night (Sometime after Labor Day weekend). Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance. |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Rio Grande National Forest |
| Fees | Single site - $26 to $28/night. Day use - $12/day (picnicking). Shoulder Season - $10/night (Sometime after Labor Day weekend). Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance. |
| Rules | There is a 14-day camping limit. Must have a Colorado fishing license to fish in nearby creeks and lakes. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 37.8292° N, 107.1576° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireElk
23 mi from the campground · 7,257 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireGold Mountain
32 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedHigh Mesa Piles Rx
34 mi from the campground · 324 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 16.1 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Ouray Mountain Sports ↗ | 31.1 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 34.1 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 2.1 mi
- 4.1 mi
- 4.4 miRoad Canyon Boat Ramp ↗Boat launch
- 7.1 miFern Creek Trailhead # 815 ↗Trailhead
- 13.4 miLove Lake Picnic Site ↗Day use
Trails nearby
- 0.2 miSo. Clear Creek0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.4 miBristol Head Overlook ↗0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.4 miSo CL Cr Falls Nature0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.6 miWillow Creek ↗6.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
This campground sits inside Rio Grande National Forest.
- inRio Grande National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,937,280 acres
- 1.7 miWeminuche Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 497,111 acres
- 3.3 miSan Juan National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,094,539 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Sevenmile BridgeStructure · Creede · 9.9 mi
- Lost Trail StationHistoric district · Creede · 11.9 mi
- Zang’s Hotel and AnnexBuilding · Creede · 12.7 mi
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 Silver Thread Campground?
No. Silver Thread Campground 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 Silver Thread Campground?
Single site - $26 to $28/night. Day use - $12/day (picnicking). Shoulder Season - $10/night (Sometime after Labor Day weekend).
Source: Forest Service
Is Silver Thread Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Silver Thread Campground?
Silver Thread Campground is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Silver Thread Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Bristol Head Campground (1 mi, first-come), North Clear Creek Campground (1.1 mi, first-come), and Road Canyon Campground (5.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby