Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Rifle? It's easy to find Rifle campgrounds for horse camping with The Dyrt. These scenic and easy-to-reach Colorado campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Avalanche Campground has 6 first-come first-serve campsites. It is located adjacent to Avalanche Creek. Fishing is available in Avalanche Creek and in the Crystal River, which is 3 miles downstream. One of the major trailheads into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is located adjacent to the campground.
The South Fork Campground provides good access to fishing on the South Fork of the White River, and hiking & horseback riding in the Flat Tops Wilderness. This site provides access to South Fork Trail #1827and Spring Cave Trail #1834. Overflow camping is available (regular fees apply).
$20 / night
The East Marvine Campground has 7 non-reservable campsites with picnic tables, toilet, firegrates, and trash disposal. The campground adjacent to East Marvine Trail #1822 and Marvine Trail #1823. Nearby fishing is available at East Marvine Creek, Marvine Creek, Marvine Lakes, Rainbow Lake & Guthrie Lake. The Marvine parking areas provide plenty of room for trailers and vehicles. Hitchracks are available in the parking lot, and corrals are available at a charge of $5.00 each, per day. Day use parking is available on the right side of the road and overflow camping (when the campgrounds are full) is available on the left side of the road (regular fees apply). Domestic cattle may be grazing in this area. There is no potable water available. Livestock may be watered in the stream, approximately 400 yards away.
Trappers Lake is known as the "Cradle of Wilderness." At approximately 302 surface acres, the lake contains a strain of native cutthroat trout and the Colorado Division of Wildlife operates a spawn collection station at the Cabin Creek inlet during May and June. Trappers Lake itself lies completely within Flat Tops Wilderness; motorized boats and wheeled carts for boat transport are prohibited. Trappers Lake Lodge rents cabins and boats, and there are 5 Forest Service campgrounds nearby. Dispersed camping is prohibited within 1/4 mile of Trappers Lake and the campgrounds. The video below is provided courtesy of Flattopsbyway. A downloadable audio tour of the Flat Tops Trail Scenic and Historic Byway is also available.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on the GMUG National Forests. Please observe the guidelines on selecting a dispersed camping site on our forest. For comprehensive information on dispersed camping opportunities refer to the dispersed camping guidelines for the GMUG National Forest.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd576017.pdf
Marvine Campground is set in a towering grove of mixed conifer and aspen trees on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies at an elevation of 8,200 feet. This is an ideal setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation. Hikers, hunters, anglers and equestrians can also find recreational opportunities nearby. This is a good base for hiking and horseback riding in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Enjoy elk hunting amidst one of the largest elk herds in North America.
This popular campground is located 36 miles east of Meeker along Marvine Creek. It offers access to a number of trails and lakes for hiking, fishing and hunting. Fishing is available in Marvine and East Marvine Creeks, and in the Flat Tops Wilderness at Marvine Lakes. Marvine Trail #1823 and East Marvine Trail #1822 both begin near the campground.
This popular campground is located 36 miles east of Meeker along Marvine Creek. It offers access to a number of trails and lakes for hiking, fishing and hunting. Fishing is available in Marvine and East Marvine Creeks, and in the Flat Tops Wilderness at Marvine Lakes. Marvine Trail #1823 and East Marvine Trail #1822 both begin near the campground.
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting 8 wilderness areas, 4 defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges, moose graze along the streams and bull elk bugle at dusk. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan. These species, along with many others, depend on surrounding undeveloped wilderness, clean streams, and diverse forests to live.
East Marvine Trail: The trail leads up East Marvine Creek, through the the Flat Tops Wilderness to Johnson Lake. At the summit Big Marvine Peak offers a panoramic view of the Flat Tops Wilderness and surrounding area. Marvine Trail: The Marvine Trail begins at the end of County Road 12 right outside the campground. It accesses Marvine Creek and Marvine Lakes providing great opportunity to fish. Marvine Lake and Slide Lake: These two lakes cover 135 surface acres and offer rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout fishing. Marvine Lakes General Forest Area: The Marvine Lakes general forest area offers access to a number of lakes and trails in the central part of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest. Papoose Trail: Papoose Creek Trail 2248 leads up Papoose Creek past several short waterfalls, to Papoose Basin. It then climbs onto the Flat Tops Plateau where it intersects the Oyster Lake Trail 1825.
For facility specific information, please call (801) 226-3564.
Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
$32 - $34 / night
Avalanche Campground has 6 first-come first-serve campsites. It is located adjacent to Avalanche Creek. Fishing is available in Avalanche Creek and in the Crystal River, which is 3 miles downstream. One of the major trailheads into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is located adjacent to the campground.
The South Fork Campground provides good access to fishing on the South Fork of the White River, and hiking & horseback riding in the Flat Tops Wilderness. This site provides access to South Fork Trail #1827and Spring Cave Trail #1834. Overflow camping is available (regular fees apply).
$20 / night
The East Marvine Campground has 7 non-reservable campsites with picnic tables, toilet, firegrates, and trash disposal. The campground adjacent to East Marvine Trail #1822 and Marvine Trail #1823. Nearby fishing is available at East Marvine Creek, Marvine Creek, Marvine Lakes, Rainbow Lake & Guthrie Lake. The Marvine parking areas provide plenty of room for trailers and vehicles. Hitchracks are available in the parking lot, and corrals are available at a charge of $5.00 each, per day. Day use parking is available on the right side of the road and overflow camping (when the campgrounds are full) is available on the left side of the road (regular fees apply). Domestic cattle may be grazing in this area. There is no potable water available. Livestock may be watered in the stream, approximately 400 yards away.
