Secluded Camp sites (Denver, Grand Junction: camping, live in, moving)

[brsmith5280]

Hello everyone -

I am looking for somewhere in Colorado to camp for a long weekend that is very secluded. I am pretty new to the state and have been camping quite a few times since moving here but always at state parks or forests where there are several other camp sites packed in. I don't want to be able to see or hear anyone from my tent. I have a couple dogs and want to be able to let them run around without havin to worry about other people. I have a Jeep, so back country roads are no problem. Also, I will drive just about anywhere. I am just looking for the ultimate Colorado camping experience. No one but me, my dogs and the beautiful wilderness.

Thanks in advance for all the help and suggestions.

[jazzlover]

Sadly, if you can get to it with a vehicle, it probably won't be secluded. The farther away you get from the Front Range and the resort towns, the better chance you will have to find some seclusion. Also, stay away from the popular gateway locations to the wilderness areas. The wilderness area interiors may not see too many people, but the access points will.

If you are on the Front Range, probably the closest place to find seclusion is not in Colorado, but in the Snowy Range or Sierra Madre Range of Wyoming. Far less well-known and far less crowded than most Colorado locales--but actually closer to Denver than most of the less crowded and more secluded Colorado locales. Just know that many Wyomingites have a real prickly attitude about "greenies" (their name for Coloradans--because of the green license plates) "invading" their favorite recreation areas.

I do know some "secret" nice spots in Colorado, but I don't post about them on a public forum.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

...If you are on the Front Range, probably the closest place to find seclusion is not in Colorado, but in the Snowy Range or Sierra Madre Range of Wyoming. Far less well-known and far less crowded than most Colorado locales--but actually closer to Denver than most of the less crowded and more secluded Colorado locales. ....

Was up in the Snowy Range, back in the mid-1990's on a tourist train trip, marvelous scenery, saw a moose at a lake.

[brsmith5280]

Jazzlover -

Thanks for the quick response and advise. I would perfer to stay in Colorado. I have had a bad experience camping in WY involving the rudest group of people I may have ever met. Because of that experience, I WILL NEVER go to WY other than to drive to Montanta.

What is the deal with camping in BLM land. I have read differing things, so saying you can camp wherever you want on BLM land and others that you ned a permit. I would assume (maybe a bad idea) that there are places with BLM land areas that are pretty secluded.

I'll give you my e-mail address if you want to share a secret or two with me!

Thanks again.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Was up in the Snowy Range, back in the mid-1990's on a tourist train trip, marvelous scenery, saw a moose at a lake.

Yeah, moose are so common up there that it's a "ho-hum" to see them. Back when I lived in Wyoming, I went to the Snowies and Sierra Madres a fair amount. Ran into a herd of these critters (big horn sheep) one day down by the North Platte River. This is less than a quarter of the herd. The rest were a little ways farther up the road. I just stopped and watched for awhile. They paid me little mind. Only saw three other vehicles on the backroad I was on during the whole day--all locals. My kind of place.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by brsmith5280

Jazzlover -

Thanks for the quick response and advise. I would perfer to stay in Colorado. I have had a bad experience camping in WY involving the rudest group of people I may have ever met. Because of that experience, I WILL NEVER go to WY other than to drive to Montanta.

What is the deal with camping in BLM land. I have read differing things, so saying you can camp wherever you want on BLM land and others that you ned a permit. I would assume (maybe a bad idea) that there are places with BLM land areas that are pretty secluded.

I'll give you my e-mail address if you want to share a secret or two with me!

Thanks again.

If you get into backcountry areas away from the resorts, etc. in any of the Rocky Mountain states, you may not always get a friendly reception from locals--especially if they figure out you are from the metro areas. This stems partly from the fact that a lot of "city-slickers" treat locals like they are third-class citizens, think they can behave wildly and badly because they are out in the sticks, disturb domestic livestock grazing on the public lands, leave gates open and the like, and trespass on private property. Certainly there are some rural recreationists that act out in the same bad ways, but the sheer number of urbanite recreationists creates a sense of mistrust and frequently outright dislike toward outsiders by local residents. Throw a little alcohol into the mix, and things can get ugly out there in the backcountry.

I personally have had very little trouble over many years of backcountry travel in the Rocky Mountain West--but I don't look like a city boy, don't dress like one, don't do stupid things, and don't act like an ignorant tourist.

You can PM me if you want to know some "special" places in Colorado, but they are getting more rare all the time.

[brsmith5280]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

If you get into backcountry areas away from the resorts, etc. in any of the Rocky Mountain states, you may not always get a friendly reception from locals--especially if they figure out you are from the metro areas. This stems partly from the fact that a lot "city-slickers" treat locals like they are third-class citizens, think they can behave wildly and badly because they are out in the sticks, disturb domestic livestock grazing on the public lands, leave gates open and the like, and trespass on private property. Certainly there are rural recreationists that act out in the same bad ways, but the sheer number of urbanite recreationists creates a sense of mistrust and freq

[FONT=Verdana]I have been a hiker and camper the better part of my life and envy those that live away from the urban jungle. I just know that as much as I love getting away and immersing myself in the all of mother nature’s glory, I enjoy the trapping of urban life to much, at least at this point in my life. My experience in WY was not of my doing. I was camping up near the Tetons with a group of friends and had a group of guys from Cheyenne befriend us in order to lower our guard. The next morning we all went out for a short morning hike and came back to them stealing our camping gear. When we talked to a ranger, he said this kind of thing had happened almost weekly. I know I should not blame a whole state for the actions of a few, but I just still can't believe that people would do that.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]I have always been respectful of those that live in the areas I travel to, I am a guest in their backyard, who am I to pass judgment or take advantage. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Again, any specifics of places to check out are greatly appreciated.[/FONT]

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by brsmith5280

I have been a hiker and camper the better part of my life and envy those that live away from the urban jungle. I just know that as much as I love getting away and immersing myself in the all of mother nature’s glory, I enjoy the trapping of urban life to much, at least at this point in my life. My experience in WY was not of my doing. I was camping up near the Tetons with a group of friends and had a group of guys from Cheyenne befriend us in order to lower our guard. The next morning we all went out for a short morning hike and came back to them stealing our camping gear. When we talked to a ranger, he said this kind of thing had happened almost weekly. I know I should not blame a whole state for the actions of a few, but I just still can't believe that people would do that.

I have always been respectful of those that live in the areas I travel to, I am a guest in their backyard, who am I to pass judgment or take advantage.

Again, any specifics of places to check out are greatly appreciated.

That is sad--and surprising from people from Cheyenne. That town, which I know well, is a pretty law-abiding place. Had those low-lifes tried that with most Wyoming locals up in the backcountry, they might not have lived through it. There is real low tolerance for that kind of crap among most rural Wyomingites. Wyoming does have a problem (though the perps you are talking about were likely not in that group) with transient "oil field trash" types that will pull that sort of thing. Now, most of the people I knew working out in the oil and gas fields were good folks, but there were a fair number of bad apples mixed in--yeah, usually from somewhere else originally.

[DOUBLE H]

Jazzlover is right about "oil field" trash. There is (was) a lot of them in the Grand Junction area. The type of incident brsmith 5280 experienced has happened to people camping out on the grand mesa. As far as the thugs are concerned, they don't care if you are local or out of state, if you have something nice and shiny they'll run off with it if possible.

[Off Pavement]

Pike National Forest east of Jefferson has a lot of possibilities for camping and you can just about be assured that you can get to a place and be by yourself.

Jefferson is on US285 southwest of the Denver area. Heading east on the only road out of town that direction will take you to good forest access roads. Here is one map and though it says RV camping, there are few RVers that go into this area for some reason. I guess most of them need their hookups.



If you need more information about dispersed camping on US Forest Service lands, check out USDA Forest Service, Pike & San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands - Recreation Activities

More Colorado camping ideas can be found at RV Camping including wildlife areas open to camping out of hunting season, state forests, BLM opportunities and more.