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

Transfer Park Campground

Transfer Park Campground is only 1 mile past Florida Campground, with 11 shaded acres above the Florida River. Two loops have 25 sites with shade and sun, and large, open play areas. The upper loop is mostly level, with several larger sites. The lower loop is near the river and has 2 larger sites, a few short pull-throughs, and several tent spots. Parking for the Burnt Timber Trail is near the campground. Services include water, trash pickup, fire grates, picnic tables, and pit toilets. Bear-safe food storage is recommended. Between September and May this campground has no services (water, electric, trash pick up or rest rooms). Please keep them clean and pack it out.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served25 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

Canyon on Florida River near double siteTransfer park campground enterance signTransfer Park CampgroundTransfer Park Campground
Photos courtesy of ExplorUs, ExplorUS, Delaywaves (CC BY 3.0) · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Gold Mountain · 41 mi away · 39,747 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

Transfer Park Campground was a historic tranfer station for ore and supplies between pack mules and wagons in the mining era. The campground is 1 mile past Florida Campground with 11 shaded acres above the Florida River. Two loops have 25 sites with shade and sun, and large, open play areas. The upper loop is mostly level, with several larger sites. The lower loop is near the river and has 2 larger sites, a few short pull-throughs, and several tent spots.

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.
SeasonMay to September (limited services Sept - Nov)
ForestSan Juan National Forest
Fees$24
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 Transfer Park Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.70 inches of precipitation, 29.1 inches of snowFebruary: 2.48 inches of precipitation, 28.5 inches of snowMarch: 1.97 inches of precipitation, 18.9 inches of snowApril: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 9.8 inches of snowMay: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowJune: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.04 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.48 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.43 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.50 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.07 inches of precipitation, 14.1 inches of snowDecember: 2.41 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 23.2°F averageFebruary: 25.5°F averageMarch: 33.2°F averageApril: 40.2°F averageMay: 49.0°F averageJune: 58.6°F averageJuly: 63.9°F averageAugust: 61.9°F averageSeptember: 55.6°F averageOctober: 45.1°F averageNovember: 34.1°F averageDecember: 25.2°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lemon Dam, 6 miles from the campground at 8,110 feet, station USC00054934 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 28 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 131 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Durango, CO: Travel about 13 miles on Florida Road (County Road 240). Continue straight on County Road 243 which turns into FR 596 and head approximatly 8.5 miles to the campground entrance. The road passes through Florida Campground. From Bayfield, CO: Travel 9.0 miles north on County Road #501, then 3.0 miles northwest on County Road #240.

Coordinates37.4624° N, 107.6809° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

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

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearSki Barn ↗16.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗36.1 mi

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

Explore

Video

Transfer Park Campground - Lemon Reservoir - Durango Colorado

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Burnt Timber ↗
    6.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Lost Lake
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2 mi
    Lime Mesa ↗
    9.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Stump Lake
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Youngs Canyon
    3.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Endlich Mesa Spur
    0.6 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

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.

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 Transfer Park Campground?

No. Transfer Park Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Transfer Park Campground?

$24

Source: Forest Service

Is Transfer Park Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May to September (limited services Sept - Nov).

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Transfer Park Campground have?

25 sites.

Source: Forest Service

What if Transfer Park Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Florida Campground (1.2 mi, partly first-come), Miller Creek (4.1 mi, first-come), and Vallecito Campground (7.4 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby