Cottonwood Pass Overlook (FR 7209) in CO -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Colorado

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Cottonwood Pass Overlook (FR 7209) in CO

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NFs, Gunnison Ranger District
11,828 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedPAVED
VerizonWEAK
AT&TWEAK
T-MobileUNMEASURED
StarlinkEXCELLENT

A 0.3-mile stretch of paved National Forest road in Gunnison County, CO. The road serves Lost Lake Trailhead.

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Gunnison Ranger District allows dispersed camping here -- 14-day limit in any 60 days.

All 0.3 miles in are fully maintained. Paved the whole way in (0.3 miles). Little level ground alongside -- few of the stretches measured have a flat spot to pull onto. Dead-end road -- no mapped turnaround; expect to back out or unhitch.

Exposed here -- the nearest through road is 0.0 miles off. Turner Peak stands 1,394 ft above the site, 2.6 miles southeast. A lake lies 0.9 mi off. The nearest town, Buena Vista, is 15 mi off.

September normals 31–55°F, 2.1″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
Taylor Canyon (FR 770) in COForest Road Road46.9miTaylor Canyon (BLM BLM 5259) in CODispersed Camping47.3miLightning Pass (BLM BLM 5258) in CODispersed Camping47.9miPoison-Dry Loop (BLM BLM 5275) in COForest Road Road47.9miTrickle Mountain (BLM BLM 5255) in COForest Road Road48.0mi
Fire restrictions

Set by Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Gunnison Ranger District. Stage 1 and 2 orders change within days -- check the current order before you build a fire.

fs.usda.gov
Sources checked August 2026Something wrong here?