Most of the high country here is national forest, with its own camping rules

Look at a map of Ouray County and much of the steep ground is colored as national forest. Here that land is part of the Uncompahgre National Forest, which the Forest Service manages today as one unit with the Grand Mesa and Gunnison National Forests, together called the GMUG. The local office for this corner is the Ouray Ranger District. It is the backdrop for the alpine jeep roads, basins, and trails the area is known for.

Public land is open to the public, but “open” is not the same as “no rules.” Dispersed camping, meaning camping outside a developed campground, is allowed in many spots, yet the forest sets limits on where you can pull off, how long you can stay, and what to do with fire and waste. Stay limits apply, and rules can be tighter in heavily used areas.

Driving the back roads has its own layer. The Forest Service publishes a motor vehicle use map that shows which routes are open to which vehicles. A road existing on the ground does not always mean it is legal to drive, and that matters on the high passes and old mining roads here.

None of this is meant to discourage getting out. It is just worth a look before you go, especially when fire restrictions are in place during dry spells. For current camping rules, road status, and any restrictions, check the Forest Service pages for the GMUG and the Ouray Ranger District.