U.S. Forest Service · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands · Colorado

Matchless

Located on the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake, Matchless Campground is a non-reservable camprground that accomodates larger recreational vehicles. Facilities include restrooms, potable water, picnic tables, and fire rings. This campground is adjacent to the boat ramp and parking areas. Firewood is available at the host site. During weekdays, usage is moderate, but heavy on weekends. It is named after one of the profitable silver mines in Leadville that made Horace A.W. Tabor one of the riches men in America. High altitude sickness may occur at 10,000 feet.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served20 sites

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

Matchless
Photo from the area. Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
2fires
active
Willow · 5 mi away · 7,359 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

Located on the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake, Matchless Campground has 20 sites and can accomodate larger recreational vehicles. Facilities include restrooms, picnic tables, and fire rings.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestPike-San Isabel National Forests
BookingNo sites are reservable.
Fees$29 nightly fee per site for overnight camping which includes two vehicles. A third vehicle is an additional $11 per night. RVs and ATV/boat trailers count as one vehicle. $25 per night for overflow parking. Fees are payable by cash, check or money order. Self-servicing fee tube is available.
RulesMaximum of eight people per site. Maximum three tents per site or one RV and two tents. Dogs, including service dogs, must be leashed at all times. No discharge of firearms or fireworks. Only licensed vehicles can operate inside campground

Pike-San Isabel National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Matchless10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 0.97 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.43 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.34 inches of precipitationApril: 1.71 inches of precipitationMay: 1.40 inches of precipitationJune: 0.93 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.86 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.10 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.42 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.05 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.30 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.06 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 17.5°F averageFebruary: 18.0°F averageMarch: 24.3°F averageApril: 31.1°F averageMay: 41.0°F averageJune: 51.1°F averageJuly: 56.1°F averageAugust: 53.9°F averageSeptember: 46.7°F averageOctober: 37.2°F averageNovember: 26.6°F averageDecember: 18.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sugarloaf Rsvr, 1 mile from the campground at 9,738 feet, station USC00058064 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates39.2581° N, 106.3594° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Willow

    5 mi from the campground · 7,359 acres · 92% contained

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    50 mi from the campground · 390 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearVail Sports ↗24.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗29.5 mi
RV sales & serviceHoliday RV ↗53.5 mi

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

Explore

Video

Matchless Campground Tour & Review | Turquoise Lake, Colorado

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Fallen Tree
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    Turquoise Lake Nature
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.5 mi
    Bodfish
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Rift Cg Connector
    0.06 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Turquoise Lake ↗
    6.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Rift Connector
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 →

White River National Forest begins about 0.2 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.

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 Matchless?

No. Matchless is first-come, first-served. No sites are reservable. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Matchless?

$29 nightly fee per site for overnight camping which includes two vehicles. A third vehicle is an additional $11 per night. RVs and ATV/boat trailers count as one vehicle.

Source: Forest Service

Is Matchless open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Matchless have?

20 sites.

Source: Forest Service

What if Matchless is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Silver Dollar (0.5 mi), Molly Brown (0.8 mi), and Belle Of Colorado (0.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby