Burning Bear Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. Opens late May and operates through late December, weather dependent. Full services including water, trash, and host available Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Limited services during shoulder seasons.

About

Located along the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway at 9,813 feet elevation, Burning Bear Campground offers a high-elevation camping experience in Pike National Forest with cooler temperatures during Colorado's hot summer months. The campground is nestled in a beautiful valley with scattered ponderosa pines providing some privacy between sites. The campground provides direct access to Mount Evans Wilderness behind the campground, with trails like the Abyss Trail (also known as Scott Gomer Trail) for backcountry exploration. Across the road, the Burning Bear Trail offers spectacular scenery for both mountain biking and hiking. Numerous additional hiking opportunities exist along nearby Geneva Road. Mount Bierstadt, a popular 14,060-foot peak, is approximately 7 miles north and accessible via the Guanella Pass road. The Guanella Pass road is renowned for wildlife viewing, with frequent sightings of bighorn sheep, elk, deer, moose, marmot, pika, and bear. The scenic byway is one of the most popular drives on Pike National Forest, offering stunning landscape photography opportunities. Note that while the road is plowed for the first 5 miles from Grant (including access to the campground), the area is subject to heavy snow drifts during winter months.

Directions

From Denver, travel south on US Highway 285 toward Fairplay to the town of Grant. Turn north on Park County Route 62 towards Guanella Pass. Burning Bear Campground is 5 miles north on the right.

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