U.S. Forest Service · San Juan National Forest · Colorado

South Mineral

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served26 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

South Mineral Creek running behind campground wiht mountains in the backgroundEntrance sign to South Mineral Campground with a mountain in the backgroundCampsite with fire ring and picnic table and mountains viewsCampsite with picnic table and fire ring surrounded by tall pines in the shade
Photos courtesy of ExplorUS · Recreation.gov
2fires
active
Gold Mountain · 18 mi away · 39,747 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

South Mineral Campground, located along South Mineral Creek, is one of the most popular campgrounds in the San Juan National Forest. The campground has 26 sites, all of which are first-come, first-serve. Most campsites are shaded and well-spaced thanks to spruce and fir trees. Some sites are handicapped accessible. Some sites have large parking areas.

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.
SeasonMid-May to September
ForestSan Juan National Forest
BookingAll first-come, first-serve.
Fees$34
RulesQuiet time is typically between 10pm - 6am. Please be a good neighbor and limit use of generators to no more than one hour at a time. Dogs must be leashed or otherwise physically restrained. Do not leave pets unattended. Check-out time: 12:00 pm; Check-in time: 2:00 pm - if the site is empty, campers may come in anytime.

San Juan National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Mineral10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 2.04 inches of precipitation, 30.8 inches of snowFebruary: 2.10 inches of precipitation, 28.5 inches of snowMarch: 2.05 inches of precipitation, 29.4 inches of snowApril: 1.74 inches of precipitation, 18.2 inches of snowMay: 1.68 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowJune: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowJuly: 2.38 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.75 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowOctober: 2.13 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowNovember: 1.66 inches of precipitation, 21.5 inches of snowDecember: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 27.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 14.3°F averageFebruary: 16.7°F averageMarch: 24.4°F averageApril: 32.6°F averageMay: 41.9°F averageJune: 50.5°F averageJuly: 56.5°F averageAugust: 54.4°F averageSeptember: 47.7°F averageOctober: 37.6°F averageNovember: 25.0°F averageDecember: 14.4°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Silverton, 6 miles from the campground at 9,285 feet, station USC00057656 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 24 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 173 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates37.8056° N, 107.7751° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    18 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Prescribed
    High Mesa Piles Rx

    33 mi from the campground · 324 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearJagged Edge Mountain Gear ↗9.3 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗19.4 mi

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

Explore

Video

South Mineral Campground - Silverton Colorado

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Ice Lake
    3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.8 mi
    Swamp Canyon
    3.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.3 mi
    Rico-Silverton - Co.trail ↗
    12 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle
  • 3.2 mi
    West Lime Creek
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.9 mi
    Columbine Lake
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 4 mi
    Hope Lake
    3.1 mi trail · hiking, horse

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 →

This campground sits inside San Juan National Forest.

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 South Mineral?

No. South Mineral is first-come, first-served. All first-come, first-serve. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at South Mineral?

$34

Source: Forest Service

Is South Mineral open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Mid-May to September.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does South Mineral have?

26 sites.

Source: Forest Service

What if South Mineral is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Matterhorn (6.4 mi, partly first-come), Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) (7 mi, first-come), and Sunshine (8.5 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby