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

Father Dyer

Father Dyer Campground is situated on the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake in the shade of a lodgepole pine and subalpine fir forest. The family-friendly campground is a popular summer destination for boating, hiking and fishing. The campground is named after Father John Lewis Dyer, one of the first Methodist ministers to tour Colorado's high country mining camps. For 20 years, beginning in 1862, he travelled the circuit encompassing Alma, Fairplay and Leadville, regularly skiing over the 13,186-foot Mosquito Pass on long, wooden skis.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov27 sitesFrom $10 per night35 ft maxNo hookupsPets ok

More like this: reservable in Colorado · pets allowed in Colorado

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
FATHER DYERFATHER DYERFATHER DYERFATHER DYER
Photos via Recreation.gov
2fires
active
Willow · 6 mi away · 7,359 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups23
Host/management4
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 35 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

23 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehicles
002Back-in35GravelFull8 / 2
003Back-in20GravelFull8 / 2
005Back-in20GravelFull8 / 2
006Back-in30GravelFull8 / 2
007Back-in20GravelFull8 / 2
008Pull-through20GravelFull8 / 2
009Back-in25GravelFull8 / 2
010Back-in35GravelFull8 / 2
01125GravelFull8 / 2
012Pull-through30GravelFull8 / 2

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length35 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
FeesExtra Vehicle Fee $10.00

The campground offers 26 single-family sites. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and trash collection are provided. Firewood is available for purchase from the Host. Parking spurs are gravel or dirt.

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
BookingAll sites are by reservation only. Call 877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance. Friday and Saturday night minimum required stay on weekends.
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. 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. Camping is not allowed behind a locked gate

Pike-San Isabel National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Father Dyer10°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, 2 miles 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

From Leadville, Colorado, drive west on County Road 4 about 3 miles, turn right on County Road 9C and follow to Father Dyer Campground on the left.

Nearest townLeadville, Colorado
Coordinates39.2736° N, 106.3487° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Willow

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

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    49 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 ↗23.6 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗28.8 mi
RV sales & serviceHoliday RV ↗54.4 mi

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

Explore

Video

Father Dyer Campground Tour | Turquoise Lake RV & Tent Camping

Worth a stop

Venture to Independence Pass for a scenic drive with breathtaking views of the Rockies and surrounding alpine tundra habitat. At 12,095 feet, it is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the country and marks where the Top of the Rockies National Scenic and Historic Byway crosses the Continental Divide.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.5 mi
    Rift Connector
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.5 mi
    Rift
    1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.5 mi
    Lateral
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Kettle
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Rift Cg Connector
    0.06 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Terminal
    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 under a tenth of a mile 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.

Natural features

Campsites are nestled in the forest near the scenic lakeshore. The Mount Massive Wilderness Area, a 30,540 acre stretch of primitive land encompassing Colorado's second highest peak at 14,421 feet, is nearby. Much of the wilderness is above timberline with many alpine plant communities and permanent snowfields.

Recreation

The 1.2-mile Turquoise Lake Nature Trail is a gentle loop trail through the forest and down to the shoreline of Turquoise Lake. This trail connects to the 6.4-mile Turquoise Lake Trail that parallels the shoreline from Sugar Loaf Dam to May Queen Campground. Trail guides are available at the trailhead located about a mile south, at the entrance to Molly Brown Campground. On the lake, boating, sailing, canoeing and fishing are favorite activities. Anglers fish for stocked cutthroat, rainbow, brown and lake trout. Matchless Boat Ramp is located about two miles south of the campground.

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 Father Dyer?

Sites at Father Dyer are reservable on Recreation.gov. All sites are by reservation only. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Father Dyer?

Extra Vehicle Fee $10.00

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Father Dyer?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Father Dyer?

Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is Father Dyer open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Father Dyer have?

27 sites, including 23 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Father Dyer?

The longest site here provides 35 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Father Dyer?

Yes, pets are allowed at Father Dyer. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Father Dyer?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Father Dyer?

The 1.2-mile Turquoise Lake Nature Trail is a gentle loop trail through the forest and down to the shoreline of Turquoise Lake. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Father Dyer?

Leadville, Colorado. Venture to Independence Pass for a scenic drive with breathtaking views of the Rockies and surrounding alpine tundra habitat.

Source: Getting there

What if Father Dyer is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Baby Doe (0.3 mi), Printer Boy (0.3 mi), and Belle Of Colorado (0.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby