Hecla Junction

Colorado Rockies

Hecla Junction

Colorado Rockies

About this campsite

Campground: Hecla Junction.

Location

Hecla Junction•CO

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

FRI☁️

22° / 4°

—

SAT☁️

24° / 7°

💧 1%

SUN☁️

23° / 8°

💧 19%

TODAY☁️

24° / 9°

💧 3%

TUE🌦️

23° / 10°

💧 18%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

10.4 km away

Chalk Creek Campground and RV Park

Campground: Chalk Creek Campground and RV Park.

11.4 km away

Ruby Mountain Campground

Campground: Ruby Mountain Campground.

14.1 km away

BASSAM GUARD STATION

Overview Bassam Guard Station was built in 1911 as one of a network of remote stations to be used by the first forest rangers and guards to monitor grazing sheep and cattle, manage timber harvesting, apprehended poachers, and report fire, road and weather conditions on National Forest lands. This cabin provides visitors with access to many recreation opportunities in the remote back country. Recreation Visitors may wish to take a day trip to the Arkansas River for kayaking, whitewater rafting or fishing. There are many recreational activities on the Salida Ranger District including hiking, biking, horseback riding, and OHV riding on designated forest roads and trails. Or take a trip to the historic ghost town of St. Elmo. An old saloon, county courthouse and many other historic structures remain from the days of its mining glory. The City of Salida and Town of Buena Vista offer visitor’s unique restaurants, shops, and art galleries to enjoy. Facilities The 14 x 16 cabin includes a full-sized bed, dresser, a small table with two chairs, a two-burner propane stove for cooking, and a wood-burning stove for heat. A metal campfire ring and picnic table are onsite. The cabin sleeps two adults, and an additional six adults may camp outside in tents or a camper. The bunkhouse and barn are off-limits to the public. Horses may be picketed or corralled outside of the fenced area by the entrance of the cabin site. Portable corrals are permitted, but must be moved every few days to prevent damage to vegetation and soil. Water is available at a hand pump, but guests are advised to bring extra drinking water. Limited cooking and dining utensils are provided. Guests should also bring food, matches, toilet paper, flashlights, bedding, garbage bags, and an ax for chopping firewood. Dead and downed wood may be collected and used in campfires and in the wood-burning stove. Natural Features The cabin sits in a stand of Aspens at an approximate elevation of 9,700 feet, south of Bassam Ridge. The cabin is within the Salida Ranger District, spanning 440,000 acres of public lands in central Colorado. The Arkansas River valley is known locally as the "Banana Belt of Colorado" because of the generally mild temperatures and sunny days. Springtime can be deceptive with sporadic spring snowstorms occurring from March to May. During the summer months, days are warm with cool nights. Afternoon thundershowers are common during July and August. The fall months are are generally dry and sunny with cooler morning temperatures. Nearby Attractions The cabin is located near the eastern boundary of Browns Canyon National Monument. Explore the monument from the Bassam Park area on foot or mountain bike (trail 1435). Or, for those with high clearance vehicles, take a scenic drive along Aspen Ridge Road (road 185). Note that much of the monument's western side is being managed as a wilderness study area, so motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed.

14.4 km away

Bootleg

Overview This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

16.4 km away

MOUNT PRINCETON

Overview Mount Princeton Campground is located in beautiful Chalk Creek Canyon in central Colorado. This popular facility is within 4 miles of a private hot springs resort, making it an ideal location for rest and relaxation. "First come, first served" does not necessarily mean that the site will be available when you get there. Someone may get there before you. This is a popular campground and is normally full starting on Friday, sometimes as early as Thursday, so plan accordingly. Recreation Stream fishing is best above Cascade Falls, about 2 miles west of the campground. Nearby Chalk Lake is heralded as a great family fishing lake with rainbow, brook and brown trout. Nearby ATV/UTV and 4X4 rides include Mount Antero, Baldwin Lake, Tincup Pass, Hancock Pass, Pomeroy Lakes, Hancock Lakes. Facilities The campground offers single-family sites, a few of which are wheelchair accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Wheelchair accessible vault toilets are provided. Firewood is sold on-site. Parking spurs are gravel. Sites #1, and 14-17 are "walk-up", first-come, first-served sites. All other sites are reservable. Site #2 is used by the host from mid-May to Labor Day weekend, after that it is available as a "walk-up", first-come, first-served site. Natural Features The campground is situated at an elevation of 8,600 feet in Chalk Creek Canyon, which gets its name from the soft, white, chalk-like kaolinite canyon walls. Kaolinite is a clay mineral that was deposited by percolating hot springs. A stand of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir offers partial shade in the campground. Chalk Creek can be accessed from the campground. It flows 27 miles eastward from the Collegiate Peaks before joining the Arkansas River. Chalk Lake is about a mile west of the campground. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420. Nearby Attractions Take a day trip to the historic ghost town of St. Elmo, just 15 minutes from the campground. An old saloon, county courthouse and many other historic structures remain from the days of its mining glory. Rock hounds come to the area in search of quartz and aquamarine. The city of Salida and Town of Buena Vista are only a short drive away where visitors can enjoy unique restaurants, shops, and art galleries. The area boasts more than 100 miles of Arkansas River to raft, fish, float or kayak, as well as fifteen 14,000 ft. mountains. Visitors can choose from recreational activities like hiking, biking, ATV/UTV riding, kayaking, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, ziplining and swimming. Charges & Cancellations Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit