U.S. Forest Service · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest · Colorado

Big Creek

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in Colorado

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonJune 26 to Sept. 22 (weather dependent)
ForestGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore
BookingNo Reservations.
Fees$18 per night per camping unit; $10 per firewood bundle; $6 per day for day use/picnic. If occupying a campsite for day use/picnic, the $6 per day fee is applicable from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Big Creek10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 2.87 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.58 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.07 inches of precipitationApril: 3.01 inches of precipitationMay: 2.13 inches of precipitationJune: 1.11 inches of precipitationJuly: 2.04 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.24 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.45 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.60 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.45 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.81 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 16.1°F averageFebruary: 15.4°F averageMarch: 23.1°F averageApril: 28.7°F averageMay: 38.1°F averageJune: 49.3°F averageJuly: 55.0°F averageAugust: 51.9°F averageSeptember: 45.7°F averageOctober: 34.7°F averageNovember: 23.8°F averageDecember: 15.2°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Bonham Rsvr, 2 miles from the campground at 9,852 feet, station USC00050825 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 31 inches a year. The shaded span is the published season, June 26 to September 22.

Getting there

Coordinates39.0777° N, 107.8830° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Transfer Rd Rx

    45 mi from the campground · 139 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗10.3 mi
RV sales & serviceTimberleaf Camping Trailers ↗35.1 mi
Outdoor gearLoki Outdoor Shop ↗36.5 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Limited data for this unit

No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule, no directions or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.

Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.

Explore

  • 0.3 mi
    Bonham Snowmobile and Ski ↗
    5.9 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.2 mi
    Surface Creek Snowmobile ↗
    5 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.4 mi
    Military Park Snowmobile
    3.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.6 mi
    Cold Sore Snowmobile ↗
    12.8 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.2 mi
    Eureka
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Bonham
    2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests begins about 2.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Big Creek?

No. Big Creek is first-come, first-served. No Reservations. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Big Creek?

$18 per night per camping unit; $10 per firewood bundle; $6 per day for day use/picnic. If occupying a campsite for day use/picnic, the $6 per day fee is applicable from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: Forest Service

Is Big Creek open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season June 26 to Sept. 22 (weather dependent).

Source: Forest Service status

What if Big Creek is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Weir And Johnson (2.9 mi, first-come), Crag Crest (3.5 mi, first-come), and Cottonwood Lake (4.3 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby