Mountains

In Summit County, dispersed camping is not 'camp anywhere'

Outdoors and wildfire Summit County dispersed camping public land white river national forest

A lot of Colorado’s high country is national forest, and people assume that means you can pull off and camp anywhere for free. Around Summit County, that is not how it works.

This land is the White River National Forest. In the busy areas of the Dillon Ranger District, the Forest Service limits dispersed camping to designated, signed sites — more than 60 of them in places like Boreas Pass Road and North Rock Creek. Along certain roads, camping is allowed only within a marked corridor, and only where a sign says the site is open. Bears are part of the deal, so food and coolers have to be stored in a hard-sided vehicle or a bear-resistant container.

The reason to care is simple: a spot that looks empty may be closed to camping, and the rules differ from one ranger district to the next. Fire restrictions can change on top of all this.

The Dillon Ranger District page is the place to confirm the current designated sites and any fire restrictions, and look for the signs on the ground.

Sources

Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.

Reviewed: June 23, 2026 White River National Forest — Dillon Ranger District designated dispersed camping White River National Forest

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