Cottonwood Lake
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
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Season | June 26 to Sept. 22 (weather dependent) |
| Forest | Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore |
| Booking | No 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
Getting there
| Coordinates | 39.0748° N, 107.9633° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedTransfer Rd Rx
43 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 station | Dump station ↗ | 12.6 mi |
| RV sales & service | Timberleaf Camping Trailers ↗ | 30.8 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Loki Outdoor Shop ↗ | 32.2 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
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
Worth a stop
- 2.6 miWard Way Picnic Site ↗Day use
- 2.7 miValley View Picnic Site ↗Day use
- 7.1 mi
Trails nearby
- 0.2 miBull Basin ↗5.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 0.9 miLake of the Woods ↗4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.9 miBull Creek Snowmobile and Ski4.2 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 2.2 miCrag Crest Loop ↗3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
- 2.3 miBonham2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 2.3 miCrag Crest NRT ↗5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
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
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests begins about 5.1 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 5.1 miGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 3,153,199 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Stolte HouseBuilding · Cedaredge · 11.1 mi
- Surface Creek Livestock Company SilosStructure · Cedaredge · 12.3 mi
- Land's End ObservatoryBuilding · Whitewater · 14.4 mi
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Cottonwood Lake?
No. Cottonwood Lake 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 Cottonwood Lake?
$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 Cottonwood Lake 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 Cottonwood Lake is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Crag Crest (2.3 mi, first-come), Ward Lake (2.5 mi, first-come), and Cobbett Lake (2.5 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby