Sunshine
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 | May 23 to Oct. 7 |
| Forest | Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore |
| Booking | No Reservations. |
| Fees | $28 per night per camping unit; $10 per firewood bundle; showers are available at the Matterhorn Campground for $8. |
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Fore recreation page ↗
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 37.8895° N, 107.8885° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireGold Mountain
16 mi from the campground · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedHigh Mesa Piles Rx
32 mi from the campground · 324 acres
- 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
| Outdoor gear | Telluride Angler ↗ | 5.3 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 16.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule or directions 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
- 7 miCross Mountain Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 0.1 miMagic Meadows Spur0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.1 miSunshine1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.4 miMagic Meadows ↗7.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1 miMagic Meadows Loop0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.7 miMagic Meadows Connector0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.9 miBoomerang1.6 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
This campground sits inside San Juan National Forest.
- inSan Juan National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,094,539 acres
- 3.1 miLizard Head Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 41,531 acres
- 5.6 miMount Sneffels Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 16,486 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
Historic landmarks nearby
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 Sunshine?
No. Sunshine 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 Sunshine?
$28 per night per camping unit; $10 per firewood bundle; showers are available at the Matterhorn Campground for $8.
Source: Forest Service
Is Sunshine open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May 23 to Oct. 7.
Source: Forest Service status
What if Sunshine is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) (1.9 mi, first-come), Matterhorn (3.1 mi, partly first-come), and South Mineral (8.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby