U.S. Forest Service · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore · Colorado

Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)

Alta Lakes is a popular dispersed camping area that offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting. There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle. Trailers and RV's are not recommended.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-servedFreeTents only

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

Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)
Photo from the area. Clyde Charles Brown (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
Gold Mountain · 15 mi away · 39,747 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesNo Fee.

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.
SeasonJune to Late Fall
ForestGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore
BookingNo Reservations. Dispersed Camping.
FeesNo Fee.

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 23.6 inches of snowFebruary: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 22.0 inches of snowMarch: 1.61 inches of precipitation, 22.7 inches of snowApril: 1.71 inches of precipitation, 13.1 inches of snowMay: 1.60 inches of precipitation, 5.1 inches of snowJune: 0.85 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowJuly: 2.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.34 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowOctober: 1.56 inches of precipitation, 5.3 inches of snowNovember: 1.53 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 18.2°F averageFebruary: 21.5°F averageMarch: 28.3°F averageApril: 36.4°F averageMay: 44.6°F averageJune: 53.3°F averageJuly: 58.7°F averageAugust: 57.2°F averageSeptember: 50.8°F averageOctober: 40.4°F averageNovember: 29.0°F averageDecember: 19.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Telluride 4Wnw, 5 miles from the campground at 8,646 feet, station USC00058204 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 131 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates37.8859° N, 107.8535° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    15 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Prescribed
    Groundhog Piles Rx

    18 mi from the campground · 10 acres

  • Prescribed
    High Mesa Piles Rx

    31 mi from the campground · 324 acres

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    32 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

Outdoor gearTelluride Angler ↗4.2 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗15.7 mi

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

Explore

Video

Alta Lakes Campground, Telluride, Colorado

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • under 0.1 mi
    Boomerang
    1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.1 mi
    Alta
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.2 mi
    Alta Lakes
    0.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Alta Lakes Dam Trail
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    Magic Meadows Connector
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Magic Meadows Loop
    0.5 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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside San Juan 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.

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 Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)?

No. Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) 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 Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)?

Nothing. Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) is listed as free. No Fee.

Source: Forest Service

Is Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season June to Late Fall.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)?

Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sunshine (1.9 mi, first-come), Matterhorn (3.2 mi, partly first-come), and South Mineral (7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby