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Dispersed Camping

Buffalo Pass Dispersed

13 Reviews

About

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Location

Buffalo Pass Dispersed is located in Colorado

Coordinates

40.53203440857306 N
106.75764196074624 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Dispersed
Group
Equestrian

Features

For Campers

Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

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Elizabeth F.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2023

Weekend visit to Buffalo Pass

The forest road was a bit washed out in some places and required decent clearance but outside of a few big bumps the road was a fun ride! Campsites were many but pretty full upon my late arrival. Would recommend daylight arrival if possible as many spots didn’t appear obvious in the night!

SiteNear top of pass

Month of VisitOctober

Rachael W.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 21, 2023

Worth the Drive

The drive up Buffalo Pass is tricky, and definitely requires clearance the further up you go. We found an amazing spot over Labor Day weekend with wildflowers and great views. The spot was at a bit of an angle. The rain paid off with incredible rainbows!

Month of VisitOctober

Anna S.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2023

Breathtaking solitude

Yes, the road is rough, especially the higher up you go - take your time and have an appropriate vehicle. But it's worth it. So many options - spots with overlooks, tree-covered spots, open field spots. Something for everyone. It was hard to pick! I pulled off and found a place behind some rocks with nice grass and a fire ring, and several more grass/fire rings, but pitched my tent on some rocks. It was stunning. Didn't hear a single person or noise. I wish I had had more time. I will be back!!

Siteabout 3.5 miles past the campground

Month of VisitSeptember

(11) View All

lauren L.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2023

rough road up

rough road up, in a sprinter 4x4, not a lot of great options. seems better for tent camping. did see one or two RVs up, shocked they made it.

Month of VisitAugust

Christian M.

Guide

Reviewed May. 31, 2023

Loved this spot

The entrance GPS took us was super rocky but a Lexus RX350 got through it super quiet and remote spot. The back way out was a lot smoother and easily accessible by RV or travel trailer.

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

Daniela S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 8, 2022

Awesome spot but

Road is rough but very doable if you go slow. 2wd might struggle in couple sections. It took me 40 min from town until my spot, where it gets flat, but there’s several other spots along the road. Awesome views! Lots of loud dirt bikes. Lots of mosquitoes. BRING SPRAY AND CITRONELA.

Month of VisitAugust

(4) View All

Danielle J.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 6, 2022

Quick overnight

I wanted to do a quick getaway out to Steamboat Springs and this fit the bill. The road is rough, but there are a bunch of dispersed campsites along the roads. I went on July 4-5 and it was pretty busy, but the sites are far enough away that I didn’t hear/see my neighbors. Fire pits are provided at each site. My dog and I hiked just a bit up a trail connected to our site and had gorgeous sunset views of the mountains. If I’m ever out that way again, I’ll definitely be staying here.

Month of VisitAugust

(5) View All

Halie N.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 28, 2022

Great views, plenty of spots, rough road

We took our 3/4-ton diesel truck with a heavy slidein, let’s just say it’s bumpy.

There are plenty of spots, trails and trees, but we won’t be leaving camp while here (even with the camper off) to drive that road more than necessary.

Cell service was great though and we were able to work remotely throughout the week here.

Month of VisitJuly

(6) View All

Sarah

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2021

Good camping close to Steamboat Springs

Good camping right close to the road. Secluded and private with beautiful views. Currently a stage 2 fire ban so no campfires allowed.

Month of VisitSeptember

Dan W.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 1, 2021

Gates not open as of memorial weekend

Drove a long ways to find out the gate isn’t open like prior post of members and will not open until June 15 on the steamboat side as posted at gate. We drove to the east side from Walden to find out you can’t even make it to the gate as the road has way too much snow cover yet even with a 4 wheel drive . That side isn’t expected to open until mid July . But plenty of camping on the east side leading up to the pass .

Sitewe found a spot on the east entrance going up to Buffalo pass . plenty of dispersed spots with great views

Month of VisitJune

Toni K.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 14, 2021

Free camping outside of steamboat

Great free spot if you’re looking for somewhere not too far from the town. Awesome bike trails not very far. No bathroom or water it is dispersed. Not too hard of a road to get up either got up in a RWD Tacoma no problem.

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

robbie

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 28, 2021

best free camping in steamboat

Buff pass gate is open and you can mob over it if you have high clearance, 4wd, and definitely winter tires. It gets sketchy at some points, but you have your pick of camp sites.

Month of VisitMay

Morgan Y.

Ranger

Reviewed Nov. 6, 2020

The Long and Winding Road

Heading north out of Steamboat towards Strawberry Park, you can peel off on to 38 and start heading up. Lots of opportunities to find a spot far from everyone else. It takes quite a bit of time to get to town or Strawberry Park, so the lower you are the better for that. At the top of Buffalo Pass are a number of good little lakes. They were quite buggy when I was there. Good hiking and mountain biking throughout the forest. A few motorcycles to watch for.

The road up got rough and really did a number on my top mounted bike racks. I wouldn't take anything more than a teardrop or Airstream Basecamp up.

Leave no trace.