East Bench (FR 553) in CO -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Colorado

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East Bench (FR 553) in CO

Rio Grande NF, Divide Ranger District
8,657 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedRUTTED
VerizonWEAK
AT&TNONE
T-MobileUSABLE
StarlinkEXCELLENT

A 1.8-mile stretch of dirt National Forest road in Mineral County, CO. The road serves Creede Fork.

Rio Grande National Forest, Divide Ranger District allows dispersed camping here -- 14-day limit in any 30 days. Camp at least 150 ft from water.

All 1.8 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. Dirt the whole way in (1.8 miles). Climbs 420 ft over 1.8 miles -- sustained grades near 14%, with pitches to 19%.

Rio Grande runs 0.2 mi off. Snowshoe Mountain stands 3,354 ft above the site, 4.7 miles south. The nearest town, Del Norte, is 31 mi off.

September normals 35–70°F, 1.6″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
Castle Crk (FR 660) in COForest Road Road42.1miBlue Crk (FR 012) in CODispersed Camping43.5miBear Basin A (FR 609) in CODispersed Camping43.9miEight Mile (FR 651) in COForest Road Road45.4miBlanco River Group Campground in COCampground46.4mi
Fire restrictions

Set by Rio Grande National Forest, Divide 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?