Fern CR (FR 522) in CO -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in Colorado

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Fern CR (FR 522) in CO

Rio Grande NF, Divide Ranger District
8,992 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedRUTTED
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A 13.4-mile stretch of gravel National Forest road in Mineral County, CO. The road is open seasonally, May 16 to March 14.

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.

5.9 of the 13.4 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. Mostly gravel, with 5.9 miles of dirt. Stretches run along a shelf with a drop of up to ~100 ft on the downhill side. Winds through 13 switchbacks. Dead-end road -- no mapped turnaround; expect to back out or unhitch.

Bristol Head stands 3,711 ft above the site, 3.5 miles northeast. Exposed here -- the nearest through road is 0.1 miles off. A body of water lies 0.6 mi off. Travellers have camped along here. The nearest town, Pagosa Springs, is 34 mi off.

September normals 35–69°F, 2.1″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
Ute Campground in COCampground38.5miOld Highway 160 (FR 120) in CODispersed Camping39.1miDevil Crk (FR 627) in CODispersed Camping39.2miDevil MTN (FR 626) in COForest Road Road39.7miBlue Crk (FR 012) in CODispersed Camping40.7mi
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?