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Scoring a reservation at a national or state park in the summer is harder than snagging a seat at Casa Bonita. But there are plenty of free first-come, first-served slices of backcountry available during the busy season, says Heather Balogh Rochfort, the Carbondale-based author of Sleeping Bags to S’mores: Camping Basics—if you know where to look.
Read More: How to Get a Last-Minute Campsite in Colorado
1. You should scout for campsites whenever you drive through the mountains or desert. When you stumble across a good spot (usually along OHV roads in U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land), drop a pin on your phone so you can find it again.
2. We know you love Crested Butte’s wildflowers and Telluride’s box canyon—but so does everyone else. Try exploring towns next to popular ones. For example, instead of searching for a site in Steamboat Springs, set up camp near Kremmling, where you can soak up the silence.
3. Once you’ve picked a general locale, search the area on Google Maps and review the topography and satellite imagery. Look for flat, open clearings with a little bit of shade. “No one wants to drive two hours down a dirt road just to be foiled,” Balogh Rochfort says.
4. Did you discover a beautiful, untouched meadow beside a waterfall? Don’t steamroll it with your car and pitch your tent like a conquistador’s flag. Make sure it’s legal to camp there and stick to pre-established dispersed sites, usually indicated by a worn dirt “driveway” and a rock fire ring.
5. You won’t find Colorado’s most secluded campsites using internet searches. If the spot is written about online, you’re probably not going to have it all to yourself. The best way to find a hidden gem? “You have to be willing to explore,” Balogh Rochfort says.
Read More: What Type of Camping Is Right for You?
