U.S. Forest Service · Rio Grande National Forest · Creede, CO

River Hill

River Hill is a popular campground on the banks of the Rio Grande River. Situated in a meadow surrounded by willows, campers come here to fish for trout, hunt and take in the beautiful views of the forested hills and rock bluffs. River kayaking and fishing are also popular activities, and the Rio Grande Reservoir is just a couple miles away.

More like this: reservable in Colorado · big rigs in Colorado

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Road to River Hill CampgroundFishermen Parking at River Hill CampgroundRIVER HILLRIVER HILL
Photos courtesy of Scenic Canyons Recreational Services, Inc · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups18
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 80 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

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

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
001Back-in50Gravel8 / 1Yes
002Pull-through75GravelFull8 / 1Yes
003Back-in45Gravel8 / 1Yes
004Back-in80GravelFull8 / 1Yes
005Pull-through25Gravel8 / 1Yes
006Back-in45GravelFull8 / 1Yes
007Back-in45Gravel8 / 1Yes
008Back-in48GravelFull8 / 1Yes
009Back-in58GravelPartial8 / 1Yes
010Back-in60GravelFull8 / 1Yes

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 length125 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
FeesSeason Dates Site Type Nightly/Daily Rates Friday Before Memorial Day - Labor Day Weekend Single Site $20.00 Double Site $40.00

The campground features a campfire educational program on some weekend nights. Drinking water from wells is provided and garbage cans are provided. Vault toilets are on-site.

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.
SeasonMemorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend
ForestRio Grande National Forest
BookingReservations can be made up to 6 months in advance, but they must be made at least four days prior to your intended arrival date.
FeesSingle site - $29 to $33/night. Double site - $58 to $62/night. Day use - $12/day (picnicking). Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance.
RulesNear the Rio Grande Reservoir & Road Canyon Reservoirs. Boats allowed, no wakes are permitted, trolling motors are okay. A primitive boat ramp is also available. Located near the upper stretches of the Rio Grande River. Must have Colorado fishing license to fish lakes and streams.

Rio Grande National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near River Hill10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 18.8 inches of snowMarch: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 15.3 inches of snowApril: 1.33 inches of precipitation, 14.5 inches of snowMay: 1.12 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowJune: 0.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowSeptember: 2.49 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowOctober: 2.20 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowNovember: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 15.1 inches of snowDecember: 1.15 inches of precipitation, 12.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 15.2°F averageFebruary: 17.3°F averageMarch: 25.8°F averageApril: 34.8°F averageMay: 44.7°F averageJune: 53.4°F averageJuly: 59.0°F averageAugust: 57.0°F averageSeptember: 51.3°F averageOctober: 41.5°F averageNovember: 27.9°F averageDecember: 15.4°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Rio Grande Rsvr, 2 miles from the campground at 9,492 feet, station USC00057050 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 108 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Alamosa, CO, go west on Highway 160 to South Fork. Take Highway 149 southwest through Creede and continue on Highway 149 for about 20 miles to milepost 41 (Forest Road 520) and Rio Grande Reservoir Road. Travel about 10 miles on this gravel road to the campground.

Nearest townCreede, Colorado
Coordinates37.7300° N, 107.2320° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

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

  • Prescribed
    High Mesa Piles Rx

    38 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

Dump stationDump station ↗21 mi
Outdoor gearOuray Mountain Sports ↗31.5 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗36.7 mi

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

Explore

Video

River Hill Campground - Creede Colorado

  • 0.8 mi
    30 Mile Horse Trail
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Weminuche ↗
    5.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Grizzly Creek ↗
    9.7 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.3 mi
    Fern Creek ↗
    13.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 4.9 mi
    North Fork
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 4.9 mi
    Snowslide ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trailheads within three miles

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 Weminuche Wilderness, which overlaps 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.

Natural features

The campground lies in a meadow under the shade of many trees at an elevation of 9,200 feet. The Rio Grande National Forest spans 1.86 million acres in south-central Colorado. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the forest's western border, presenting a myriad of ecosystems from alpine desert to dense wilderness. Across from the campground is the Weminuche Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in Colorado. It's a famously rugged region with three mountain peaks reaching over 14,000 feet.

Recreation

Go rock climbing or horse packing in the San Juan mountains, or fish in the river, Squaw Creek or nearby Rio Grande Reservoir. Two trailheads, Squaw Creek and Weminuche Creek, lead hikers into the Weminuche Wilderness and link to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

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 River Hill?

Sites at River Hill are reservable on Recreation.gov. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance, but they must be made at least four days prior to your intended arrival date. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at River Hill?

Season Dates Site Type Nightly/Daily Rates Friday Before Memorial Day - Labor Day Weekend Single Site $20.00 Double Site $40.00

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at River Hill?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Is River Hill open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does River Hill have?

18 sites, including 18 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at River Hill?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Can I have a campfire at River Hill?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Near the Rio Grande Reservoir & Road Canyon Reservoirs.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at River Hill?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 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 River Hill?

Go rock climbing or horse packing in the San Juan mountains, or fish in the river, Squaw Creek or nearby Rio Grande Reservoir. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to River Hill?

Creede, Colorado.

Source: Getting there

What if River Hill is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Thirty Mile (1.5 mi, partly first-come), Road Canyon Campground (2.8 mi, first-come), and Bristol Head Campground (7.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby