Hecla Junction Campground — Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

I've been coming to Hecla Junction for 20+ years. It's a sweet place to camp right on the Arkansas River, just a bit north of Salida, CO, and is known for its river access for whitewater enthusiasts and anglers alike. We love that Hecla is no-fuss camping: no water, no electric, pack it in, pack it out, vault toilets, and smaller in size by modern standards. Beautiful in its location, there were site improvements several years ago, which are nice and still hold true in 2023. (level tent pads, delineated sites, etc.) However, be aware that several sites are quite close to one another and expect quite a bit of summer rafting traffic. (To include rafts on river and at the adjacent take-out, bus transportation, visitor traffic, etc.) The nearby hike (downstream) to rapid Seidel's Suckhole is pleasant, scenic, and relatively easy.

I was like 40 ft from the river. I could hear it the whole time which was cool! They've got a bunch of camp sites. Bathrooms. And a dock for getting into the river with your kayak. T- mobile wasn't great there. Fire pits yes! 🔥

Spacious sites that are magnificently kept . Big flat tent sites at each site, right near the river. There is a boat ramp here where rafting companies pick up thier rafters, but its separated nicely from the campsite. Nice vault toilets but no potable water spigot, so bring your own water! Some of the rv/trailer sites are uneven. So bring extra leveling blocks!

Part of the Arkansas Headwaters system of Colorado Parks & Wildlife sites, the Hecla Junction recreation site in Browns Canyon is a favorite for fly anglers, river runners, rafting companies, and day hikers. The campground proper is set off a bit from all of that hustle & bustle, but do stay security-conscious during your stay. Sites have been recently upgraded and are quite level and neat. Some have views of the Arkansas River a scant 100 feet or so away. The best fly fishing for hefty browns and rainbows reportedly is upstream, though lunkers can be found downstream as well. If the river is low enough to wade across to the old Rio Grande rails (don't chance fast water!!), a reasonable hike downstream leads to Railroad Gulch and the original "Hecla Junction," where narrow gauge rails came down from mines higher up and a railroad wye & water tower (long gone) were built. Very, very remote & wild exploring up railroad gulch; use caution. Back at camp, practice bear-wise safety. The road in from US 285 is graded dirt/gravel, with some up & down steepness both directions. As emphasized elsewhere, reservations are required.

Reservations:  A MUST

cpwshop.com  or 800-244-5613

Open:  365 days a year barring severe weather

No hookups or potable water, fire ring, picnic table, tent pad

Sites are very small and at the end of the campground there is a very sharp turn around.  The campground is very open, no trees, and great for solar.  The plus in this area is the Arkansas River runs along side the campground.  The Arkansas has beautiful clear water and is quite well know for rafting and kayaking.  There is a day use area with boat, kayak launch/takeout.  With all the concrete and gravel it gives you the feeling you are in the desert.  This is the takeout Browns Canyon Run.  Great for fishing and there are several hiking trails in the local area.  There are 23 basic campsites

About 50% capacity on a Wednesday in August. The sites are impressive with designated parking, picnic, and pebble floor tent areas at each site. A few areas seem overgrown, bathroom was fine.

Well maintained campground. Gorgeous views and nice water access. Not much shade.

Love everything about staying here and having camp at our takeout from the Arkansas/Browns Canyon run! Make sure you have your day and overnight permits displayed, Rangers will check!

This location will not disappoint! I had the place to myself in Feb 2021. The pit toilet was open, I stopped in and it was spotless.

You need to be 100% self contained. There are several beautiful campsites, many overlooking the River. The road approaching seems to be well kept. It was snow packed when I visited, but easily passable. I did use my 4 wheel drive, just be safe. Each campsite has a fire pit and table.

I’ll be excited to come back during white water rafting season, it’s a great place to launch your boat.

Awesome campground next to the river. Nice and quiet. The road coming in is pretty rough with washboards but I will happily come back again.

The reviews for this campground are accurate. This is a very nice place to stay for dry camping. The water and scenery is beautiful. The bighorn sheep are fun to watch along with hiking and biking. It’s fun just watching the rafters having fun. Many of the spots are on the water with great views. I do want to warn you though. I have a 40’ fifth wheel and it did fit in site 11. Problem is, the area on this end of the campground loop is very tight. I would not take a trailer of any sort over 30’ into these sites. I was lucky that site 12 was not occupied when I needed to leave and I utilized that site as the road.

This is a dry camp and should be corrected. Granted, you can get both water and shower in the river, it doesn’t not qualify as a conventional shower or potable water.

This was a beautiful camping spot for our family of four. We drove from Louisiana and loved the easy access to hiking trails that ran along the river.

Beautiful campgrounds and amazing views.

Hecla Junction is one of my favorite sites. The campground is north of Salida Colorado on the Arkansas River. This is the busy spot at the end of the commercial river rafting run. You access the campground from the main highway along a windy dirt road. It takes about 25 minutes to reach the river and the campground which is next to the boat ramp. The campground has great facilities and well designed sites. They have a few sites with views of the river on north end of the site. Each campground site has boulders to define the site, gravel base for tents, picnic tables, and fire rings. The toilets are very clean and well maintained and a camp host is on site. The highlight here is the river. We had fast moving water this summer with class III and IV rapids. It’s a great run from Buena Vista down to Hecla Junction. If the Hecla Junction Campground is full, we counted at least 3 dispersed sites on road leading down to the river including a BLM dispersed site.

Nice campground for tents and small camper trailers (under 30”). Sights off the river are on a steep grade, which will require a lot of rise in trailer jacks-bring our blocks. Most sights have space for a trailer and tent. The camp group does not have water and spotty Mobile phone service for those who care. Nice relaxing place to visit.

Stayed here in August and it was beautiful! We drove to the area from Denver and got stuck in traffic on the way. We went to multiple campgrounds in the area and they were all booked! Luckily, someone had just canceled when we pulled into Hecla Junction. DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU MAKE A RESERVATION!

The camp host was very friendly and nice! She told us that it fills up fast and that we were so lucky to pull in when we did. Overall it was a great trip. Cool river nearby and pretty views. I'm used to backcountry camping so sites seemed pretty close together.

Rolled up without a reservation the day after Labor Day this year (9/4). Each camp spot had ample parking, and sectioned off portions of level gravel areas - one for table/fire ring and one for tents. So nice! We nabbed a spot overlooking the river, which you can hike along for about a mile. We were also able to see the Milky Way while sitting around the fire. Super nice spot.

HJ is a great campground for rafters. 20 mjnutes drive from Buena Vista. Fills up quickly, reserve early!