Want to go dispersed camping near Ault? Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
Dispersed camping is also allowed on the Pawnee National Grassland, year-round. This provides an alternative to campground camping for those who want to experience the grassland the way people did in the past. No fee required. A Motor Vehicle Use Map will help you determine if you are on private or public land.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period at any location within the same 20-mile radius. See Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
With a few exceptions, dispersed camping is allowed on National Forest System lands. Restrictions protect resources, minimize road damage, and reduce conflicts between landowners and visitors. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days in one location. After 14 days, the campsite must be moved a minimum of three miles. Camping can then continue for another 14 days. Camping is restricted to 28 days in any 60-day period. Some areas may require the use of designated campsites, and some areas, such as Indian Peaks Wilderness, require camping permits. More than 40% of lands within Boulder Ranger District's boundaries are private property. It is your responsibility to know if you are on private or public land.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days.within any continuous 30-day period. at any location within the same 20-mile radius. see Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
Comanche Peak Wilderness, named for its prominent 12,702 foot peak, was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System by the United States Congress in 1980. Elevations within the Comanche Peak Wilderness range from 8,000 to 12,702 feet.
Located within the Roosevelt National Forest, this 66,791 acre wilderness area features lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests below expanses of alpine tundra. Many scenic trails provide access to the area that borders the north and east sides of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Camping and campfires are prohibited within 200’ feet (or more if posted) of all lakes, streams and trails to protect water quality, sensitive vegetation and to help assure solitude. Thin soils and mountain vegetation are easily damaged by fire and fires scar rocks and soil. Use a stove, a fire pan or an existing fire ring when and where fires are allowed.
You may camp within 300 feet of most Forest Service roads and some Larimer County Roads as long as you are on National Forest System lands. Note that many popular locations are closed due to the Cameron Peak Fire impacts. Check the closure information here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=60887
Contact the Canyon Lakes Visitor Center at 970-295-6700 for a free Motor Vehicle Use Road Map (MVUM) or view it here . The MVUM shows roads where dispersed camping is allowed. Also view the CLRD Dispersed Camping map that shows areas where camping is restricted or prohibited.
Find out if there are any Forest campfire restrictions during your trip. If fires are allowed, use established fire rings where they exist. Put out your fire until it is cold to the touch.
When camping near the very popular Manhattan, Long Draw, and Peterson Lake roads, camp only at sites marked with numbered posts. These designated sites protect the roads from overuse. There is no camping within ¼ mile of Highway 14, within ¼ mile of lower Stove Prairie Road, or within ¼ mile of upper Pingree Park Road. Your vehicle must be within 300 feet of the road and at least 100 feet away from water or meadows. You may not camp at trailheads, picnic areas or day-use parking areas. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) are limited to open Forest Service roads (no closed gates) that have numbered signs. The CLRD Dispersed Camping brochure (pdf 453KB) lists all of the guidelines and restrictions.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period at any location within the same 20-mile radius. See Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
Dispersed camping is also allowed on the Pawnee National Grassland, year-round. This provides an alternative to campground camping for those who want to experience the grassland the way people did in the past. No fee required. A Motor Vehicle Use Map will help you determine if you are on private or public land.
Free camping (dispersed) is allowed on most national forest lands except in highly developed areas - such as trailheads, campgrounds and picnic sites - and in some of our most visited places. Be sure to check for regulations in advance and look for signs in the area to indicate if camping is allowed.
Some areas allow camping in designated sites only.
Know Before You Go
Check the weather and road closures before heading up. Follow Leave No Trace principles. There are no facilities or trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in. Make sure camping is allowed. Many lands within the national forest boundary are private or otherwise owned. Check that you’re on National Forest lands: maps. Don't stay too long. Camping is limited to 14 days within any continuous 30-day period at any location within the same 20-mile radius. See Order Plan on building a campfire? Campfire restrictions can occur any time of year. Check for fire restrictions and if you build a campfire, know how to extinguish it.
With a few exceptions, dispersed camping is allowed on National Forest System lands. Restrictions protect resources, minimize road damage, and reduce conflicts between landowners and visitors. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days in one location. After 14 days, the campsite must be moved a minimum of three miles. Camping can then continue for another 14 days. Camping is restricted to 28 days in any 60-day period. Some areas may require the use of designated campsites, and some areas, such as Indian Peaks Wilderness, require camping permits. More than 40% of lands within Boulder Ranger District's boundaries are private property. It is your responsibility to know if you are on private or public land.
