East Elk Creek Group Campsite

Colorado Rockies

EAST ELK CREEK GROUP CAMPSITE in Colorado Rockies — photo 4

East Elk Creek Group Campsite

Colorado Rockies

About this campsite

Overview

Invite family and friends to East Elk for an active group camping experience surrounded by rugged and stark mountains. The campground is perched on the tranquil East Elk Creek, which allows for water activities without the commotion of the reservoir. Enjoy time picnicking, kayaking, fishing or exploring wildlife.

Recreation

The campground is set just off of the windsurfing area in the Cebolla Basin. It's an ideal location for avid windsurfers. It's also great for canoeing and hiking.

Try the Dillon Pinnacles Trail for the nearest hiking trail. Visit Curecanti's hiking web page for details.

Facilities

This is a group campsite accommodating a minimum of 9 people up to a maiximum 50 people. The boat ramp and inspection station are less than a mile away at Elk Creek.

Natural Features

East Elk Creek sits at an altitude of 7,800 feet, just off the Blue Mesa Reservoir in Curecanti National Recreation Area.

The reservoir is surrounded by scenic mountains and is home to the largest population of Kokanee land locked salmon in the state of Colorado.

The other two reservoirs in the recreation area, Crystal Reservoir and Morrow Point Reservoir, are surrounded by high rising cliffs.

Nearby Attractions

Charges & Cancellations

Location

EAST ELK CREEK GROUP CAMPSITE•CO

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

SAT☁️

24° / 3°

💧 1%

SUN☁️

24° / 7°

💧 2%

TODAY🌤️

23° / 9°

💧 1%

TUE🌧️

23° / 9°

💧 38%

WED🌦️

22° / 7°

💧 38%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

1.4 km away

Dry Gulch Campground

Campground: Dry Gulch Campground. Operated by National Parks Service.

2.0 km away

ELK CREEK CAMPGROUND

Overview Elk Creek Campground is on the north shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir. The lake is Colorado's largest body of water with 96 miles of shoreline and the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the United States. Elk Creek Campground is located off of US HWY 50 -15 miles west of Gunnison Co. at Mile Marker 142. The campground is part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which was named after a Ute Indian chief of the mid-19th century. The Elk Creek area is a hub for water based activities year round. Recreation Anglers delight in catching salmon and rainbow trout, while water sports fans find excitement in windsurfing and water skiing. Swimming is permitted throughout the 20-mile long reservoir and birders can find bald eagles here year round. Facilities Campfire programs are in full swing during the summer months. Cell phone service is limited. Electric hookups are in Loop D for both 30 and 50 amps. Elk Creek, Lake Fork and Iola boat ramps are OPEN for the season. Natural Features At an altitude of 7,540 feet, Elk Creek is surrounded by a vast expanse of sagebrush. Trees are minimal because the reservoir gets less than 12 inches of rain a year. Curecanti National Recreation Area is sandwiched between the towns of Montrose and Gunnison, Colorado. It spans three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River. These include the Crystal Reservoir, Morrow Point Reservoir and Blue Mesa. Nearby Attractions Visit the Cimarron Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Charges & Cancellations

4.4 km away

Cebolla Creek

Campground: Cebolla Creek. Operated by NPS.

5.9 km away

RED CREEK GROUP SITE

Overview In the heart of southwest Colorado is a group camp getaway for nature lovers and outdoor sports-enthusiasts. The Red Creek Group Site is located in the Curecanti Recreation Area, just south of the West Elk Mountains. The campground is surrounded by national forests and park lands with Gunnison National Forest to the north, Black Canyon to the west and the Uncompahgre National forest to the southwest. A wide range of mammals can be found within Curecanti, including mule deer, mountain lions, black bears, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, elk and the occasional moose. Bald eagles come here to fish in winter. Recreation Hikers may enjoy the Dillon Pinnacles Trail for views of spires formed by erosional forces working volcanic debris. The trail is a lollipop of about 4 miles. Anglers can enjoy fishing for brown, rainbow, and Mackinaw trout and Kokanee salmon. The population of Kokanee salmon is denser at Blue Mesa Reservoir than anywhere else in the country. Facilities This is a group camping site for a minimum of 9 people and a maximum of 20 people. Recreation vehicles over 22'' not reccomended. Natural Features “This area is characterized by semi-arid shrubland with large cottonwood trees lining the campground. Red Creek flows out of the West Elk Mountains, through this campground, and into Blue Mesa Reservoir. By mid to late summer, the creek is low enough for wading. Some small fish inhabit the deeper pools.” Blue Mesa connects to the Morrow Point Reservoir, which flows down to the more isolated Crystal Reservoir. The passage of the Gunnison River is marked by the steep, narrow cliffs of the Black Canyon. Nearby Attractions The Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit features a display of an old-fashioned locomotive at the last remaining railroad trestle in the Black Canyon on the Gunnison route. The bonus is picture-perfect access to the tallest cliffs in the canyon. The Red Creek Road, which passes by the campground, provides access to national forest lands where hiking abounds. Charges & Cancellations

6.6 km away

STEVENS CREEK CAMPGROUND

Overview Stevens Creek Campground lies on the north shore at the eastern end of Blue Mesa Reservoir. This is the closest campground to the town of Gunnison, CO. Popular with boaters, Stevens Creek has easy access to the reservoir. It is very sunny and bright, and the scent of sagebrush adds to the camping experience. A bit downstream is the Morrow Point Reservoir and the Crystal Reservoir, both surrounded by the steep cliffs of the Black Canyon. Recreation Stand up paddleboarding, fishing, canoeing and other water sports are popular here. Bird Watching is rewarding throughout the park but especially so in this shallower end of the reservoir which is ideal for waterfowl. Hikers, try the 1.5 mile (2.4) Neversink Trail, which meanders along the Gunnison River upstream of Blue Mesa Reservoir. Check the park's Hiking web page for more information. Facilities The 53-site campground offers waterfront-sites and a wide variety of amenities including a picnic area, self pay station and drinking water available late-May to mid-September. Natural Features The campground sits at an elevation of 7,540 feet (2298 m) and is characterized by a semi-arid, treeless shrubland. The mesa landscape is covered with sagebrush and receives less than 12 inches (30 cm) of rain each year. Nearby Attractions Head into Gunnison for a meal, a bit of shopping, or a visit to the local park or museum. Gunnison is known for its western ambiance and small town friendliness. Mountain biking and hiking can be found at Hartman Rocks Trail just south of Gunnison. Charges & Cancellations This is a Scan and Pay campground. There are no refunds,changes, cancellations, or other fee changes allowed with Scan and Pay payments. This system is the same as putting cash into a fee tube and cannot be refunded.