Camp CO - Wooded Gnoll
A primitive backcountry campsite on a thinly wooded knoll with great views of valleys and mountains to the east.

Mountain View
Pull-off at the side of the road for a wonderful view of the mountains to the east.

Camp CO - Spacious Meadow
Just off of a groomed dirt road, this is a spacious camping area with a stone fire ring on a grassy hillside. Some trees to the northeast.

Got Engaged
High-elevation cut-out between Cumberland Mountain and Snowstorm Peak. Phenomenal views to the east and to the west. Great spot to propose!

Camp CO - Party Area
A spacious camping area off of a groomed forest road in a wooded setting. Seems convenient and popular for groups.

Fire Lookout Tower
Jersey Jim Lookout along a gentle forest road in the middle of a sweeping meadow. Close to public. Looks like might be rentable for the night.

Camp CO - Serene Meadow
Primitive campsite with stone fire ring. Up at a high elevation, this grassy meadow is located along a rugged and scenic forest road spur. The road is rough but spacious, and four-wheel drive with good tires is required, but stock vehicles will suffice. Van friendly. No cell service. Tent friendly. Sprawling meadow flanked by trees. Although the setting is very serene and peaceful, there is not much of a view. Bad mosquitoes during my visit in July. Great for tent camping, and a great spot to camp with a group of people. No water nearby. Although the spot is not entirely unknown, it is remote enough that privacy is pretty good. There was a small stack of firewood during my visit. Saw a deer.

Camp CO - Winding Woods
Very charming campsite along a primitive forest road with great views to the southwest.

Camp CO - Wooded Seclusion
Along a high elevation ridge at the end of a rugged forest road. Dispersed campsite offering great privacy and scenery.

Vault Toilet
Located at Target Trees Campground, can discreetly use if passing through. It is a fee service campground, but I really had to go.

Target Tree Campground
A nice-looking forest service campground with well-groomed sites featuring picnic tables and fire rings. Seasonal fee campground with hosts.

Vault Toilet
Remote vault toilet at a hiking trailhead, where forest road turns from gentle to rugged.

Junction
Major groomed forest road junction. To the right, it becomes rugged and scenic and loops back to the south. To the left is gentle, but mostly unexplored. South is back to Mancos.

Hiking Trailhead
Located along an unremarkable forest road spur.

Camp CO - Twin Lakes
Charming but popular primitive campsite along a rugged forest road, overlooking two small lakes with mountains visible to the southeast.

Hiking Trailhead
Popular hiking trailhead into a wilderness area at the end of a winding, scenic primitive forest road.

Camp CO - Popular Overlook
There is a dispersed campsite at this junction with a great view of the mountains to the east, but it appears to be prime real estate and is likely to be occupied often.

Wire Gate
Forest road continues up the mountain for a short distance and terminates at a single decent campsite. Unless you are looking for a nice, private campsite, there is no reason to pass through gate.

Gas
Great place to top off on fuel before exploring San Juan National Forest to the north of Mancos.

Camp CO - La Plata Canyon Basecamp
Our primitive basecamp in San Juan National Forest, close to Hesperus, Colorado, and only a short drive from the city of Durango. Accessed via a short and easily-overlooked forest road spur. This campsite is easily accessed by any four-wheel drive vehicle. Larger vehicles may incur scratches, as there is some close vegetation along the two-track. There is a stone fire ring here nestled in some junipers. The area is a grassy pasture with low vegetation all around, offering some shade and protection from the elements. Excellent view of the sky for satellite connectivity, good cell service, and lovely view of the mountains to the north. The entrance to La Plata Canyon is a very short distance away, and is a great place for outdoor recreation, hiking, camping, and touring. There is enough room for three vehicles at this basecamp, with ground tents. Privacy is generally good, but you will likely encounter one or two people a week during peak season, who are either exploring or looking for such a campsite. We’ve returned to this site in multiple occasions because it is clean and lovely, with great access to both the great outdoors and the city.

Camp CO - Spacious Aspens
Along a short forest road spur just off the main forest road, a secluded spacious camping area tucked away beyond sight.

Kennebec Saddle
Parking area at the end of a long and scenic forest road through La Plata Canyon. High-elevation above tree-line with scenery and hiking opportunities. A lot of tourism here.

Hiking Trailhead
A hiking trail continues to the east along a wooded ridge. Lovely stroll.

Junction
Major groomed forest road junction. To the north continues into San Juan National Forest, to the east appears to lead to a forest service campground.

Camp CO - Group Sites
Just off the paved forest road, a sprawling meadow full of spacious campsites. Likely good boondocking near Mancos.

Junction
Forest road junction. To the north, a winding rugged forest road through a canyon. To the south, Mancos. West is unexplored.

Curious junction. Track to the west unexplored.

Mountain Cut-Out
High-elevation cut-out between Cumberland Mountain and Snowstorm Peak. Phenomenal views to the east and to the west. Great spot to propose!

Small Mountain Lakes
Two secluded mountain lakes just off of a rugged forest road with camping and hiking nearby.

Camp CO - Mountain View
Idyllic primitive campsite on a hilltop with stone fire ring, phenomenal view of mountains, and nearby hiking and lakes.

Dirt - Groomed Forest Road
Groomed, gentle forest road through San Juan National Forest.

4x4 - Primitive Woodland Spur
Winding two-track among the aspens, roaming cattle, terminates unremarkably.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road Section
Spacious but rugged forest road segment with elevation change.

4x4 - Short Campsite Spur
A short primitive spur to access a spacious camping meadow.

4x4 - Primitive Spur to Basecamp
Requires stock four-wheel drive. Short forest road spur to access desirable basecamp. Some close vegetation.

Dirt - Gentle Scenic Forest Road
Well-traveled and scenic winding road, approaches mountains to the east.

Street - Canyon to Basecamp
La Plata Canyon to Hesperus basecamp.

4x4 - Perilous Shelf Road
Not difficult but dramatic with astounding views, and rough choke point at the upper terminus.

Street - Basecamp to Canyon
Hesperus basecamp to La Plata Canyon.

4x4 - Lightly Traveled Two-Track
Primitive but easy two-track leading to a hiking trailhead. Lightly traveled.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road Spur
Rough forest road spur leading to a serene camping meadow at a higher elevation.

4x4 - Primitive Forest Road
An unremarkable two-track segment that is part of a loop.

4x4 - Primitive Forest Road
A two-track section that terminates on a wooded ridge with a hiking trailhead.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road Spur
Scenic and rugged forest road spur offering some good camping opportunities.

Dirt - Gentle Canyon Forest Road
Groomed, scenic forest road through La Plata Canyon with camping opportunities.

Street - Basecamp to Campground
Basecamp to Target Tree Campground to use vault toilet.

4x4 - Scenic Rugged Spur
A rough and narrow track at times. Stock four-wheel drive is fine. Lovely scenery with hiking and camping opportunities.

4x4 - Rugged Canyon Road
Primitive two-track through a wooded canyon, connecting groomed dirt roads.

Dirt - Gentle Forest Road
Groomed, gentle forest road through San Juan National Forest.

Dirt - Gentle Winding Forest Road
Groomed, gentle forest road through San Juan National Forest.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road
Scenic forest road through La Plata Canyon to upper elevations. Stock four-wheel drive is okay. Jeep tours frequent here.

Street - National Forest to Basecamp
San Juan National Forest north of Mancos to Hesperus basecamp.

4x4 - Primitive Forest Road Spur
Short, primtiive road spur to access spacious camping areas.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road Section
Gentle, winding forest road. Unexplored.

4x4 - Winding Rugged Forest Road
Very long, winding, rugged, scenic forest road. Rocky with great views.

Street - Campground to National Forest
Target Tree Campground to San Juan National Forest north of Mancos.

Dirt - Groomed Campground Road
A groomed dirt road through a seasonal forest service fee campground.

4x4 - Rugged Forest Road Spur
Remote forest road segment at high elevation with viable campsites.