Big Blue Campground
A real jewel of a secluded campground overlooking a picturesque valley adjacent to the Uncompahgre Wilderness. Located near the junction of Soldier Creek and Blue Creek with variety of hiking trails exist in the area including Big Blue Trail, Fall Creek Trail, Ridge Stock Driveway Trail and Alpine Trail. Most of these trails lead south into the wilderness where mechanized and motorized travel is not allowed. The landscape is mostly aspen and spruce trees.
More like this: first-come in Colorado · tent only in Colorado
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | No |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Season | Mid June to October |
| Forest | Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore |
| Booking | No Reservations. |
| Fees | No |
| Rules | Open while roads are accessible. |
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore recreation page ↗
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 38.2173° N, 107.3860° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedHigh Mesa Piles Rx
6 mi from the campground · 324 acres
- WildfireElk
7 mi from the campground · 7,257 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireGold Mountain
20 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedGroundhog Piles Rx
50 mi from the campground · 10 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 ↗ | 13.2 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Ouray Mountain Sports ↗ | 20.5 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 58.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Big Blue Campground - Southwest Colorado
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miAlpine Snowmobile ↗9.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 0.5 miAlpine ↗15 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 0.5 miFailes Creek ↗5.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 0.7 miAlpine Guard Station0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 0.7 miBig Blue Creek ↗11.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 1.3 miRidge Stock Driveway ↗25.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 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
This campground sits inside Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests.
- inGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 3,153,199 acres
- 2.7 miUncompahgre Wilderness ↗Wilderness · BLM/FS · 102,209 acres
- 8.9 miPowderhorn Wilderness ↗Wilderness · BLM/FS · 62,742 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
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Johnson Stage StationHistoric district · Powderhorn · 11.4 mi
- Rimrock SchoolBuilding · Sapinero · 13 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 Big Blue Campground?
No. Big Blue Campground is first-come, first-served. No Reservations. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Big Blue Campground?
No
Source: Forest Service
Is Big Blue Campground open right now?
Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season Mid June to October.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Big Blue Campground?
Big Blue Campground is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Big Blue Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Alpine Ranger Station (0.6 mi), The Gate Campground (7.1 mi), and Silver Jack Campground (8.3 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby