U.S. Forest Service · Rio Grande National Forest · Colorado

Spectacle Lake Campground

There is fishing access to the Conejos River and Spectacle Lake. The lake is year round, with winter ice-fishing. Two sites have parking for two car groups. Both day and overnight use is permitted. The facility has 24 sites (13 sites are pull-through) with tables and fireplaces. Firewood is limited. Two vault type toilets, refuse containers and pickup. There is a developed water system with 2 hand pumps. Most sites have a panoramic view of towering cliff walls. No boating is allowed on Spectacle Lake. The Spectacle Lake Trail #730 begins 1/2 mile south on Forest Road 250. Ruybalid Trail 855 and Notch Trail 729 are also accessible.

Closed for the seasonBooking not published24 sitesFrom $26 per nightTents only

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

Spectacle Lake Campground
Photo from the area. JustTooLazy (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesSingle Site - $26 to $30. $12 for day use (picnicking). 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

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMemorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend
ForestRio Grande National Forest
FeesSingle Site - $26 to $30. $12 for day use (picnicking). Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance.

Rio Grande National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Spectacle Lake Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.04 inches of precipitation, 22.6 inches of snowFebruary: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 23.0 inches of snowMarch: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 13.9 inches of snowApril: 1.51 inches of precipitation, 5.9 inches of snowMay: 1.59 inches of precipitation, 1.1 inches of snowJune: 0.80 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.32 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.02 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.32 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.73 inches of precipitation, 2.1 inches of snowNovember: 1.69 inches of precipitation, 9.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 13.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.3°F averageFebruary: 25.8°F averageMarch: 33.4°F averageApril: 40.2°F averageMay: 48.5°F averageJune: 57.6°F averageJuly: 63.2°F averageAugust: 61.7°F averageSeptember: 54.7°F averageOctober: 43.9°F averageNovember: 32.3°F averageDecember: 22.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Chama, 19 miles from the campground at 7,850 feet, station USC00291664 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 92 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates37.1684° N, 106.4392° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗19.5 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗35.8 mi
Outdoor gearKristi's Mountain Sports ↗36.5 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.6 mi
    Notch
    3.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Ruybalid ↗
    5.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    Valle Victoria ↗
    11.6 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.1 mi
    No Name Lake
    2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.4 mi
    Roaring Gulch East
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.7 mi
    Alverjones Cutoff
    0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trailheads within three miles

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 →

South San Juan Wilderness begins about 3.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

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

How much does it cost to camp at Spectacle Lake Campground?

Single Site - $26 to $30. $12 for day use (picnicking). Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance.

Source: Forest Service

Is Spectacle Lake Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Spectacle Lake Campground have?

24 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Spectacle Lake Campground?

Spectacle Lake Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Spectacle Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Conejos Campground (0.3 mi, first-come), Elk Creek Campground (4.9 mi), and Trujillo Meadows Campground (8.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby