Lost Trail Campground
Open for the 2026 season. Forest Road 520 is currently open and passenger-car accessible to the campground. Water system is permanently closed; bring all drinking water. No trash service. The campground typically closes due to snow from November through mid-May.
Air Quality Alert issued August 6 at 10:10PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued the following... WHAT...Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke. WHERE...Moffat, Routt, Grand, Rio Blanco, Eagle, Summit, Garfield, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata, Saguache, San Juan, Hinsdale, Mineral, Archuleta, Morgan, Elbert, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Chaffee, Jackson, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Lake, Park, Fremont and Custer Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Craig, Steamboat Springs, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Meeker, Rangely, Eagle, Vail, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Nucla, Ouray, Telluride, Dove Creek, Cortez, Durango, Hermosa, Honeyville, Rockwood, Saguache, Silverton, Lake City, Creede, Pagosa Springs, Fort Morgan, Kiowa, Walsenburg, Del Norte, South Fork, Alamosa, San Luis, Conejos, Buena Vista, Salida, Walden, Central City, Georgetown, Leadville, Fairplay, Canon City and Westcliffe. WHEN...900 AM Thursday August 06 to 900 AM Friday August 07 IMPACTS...Areas of moderate to heavy smoke, from in-state and out- of-state wildfires, will be possible across the advisory area through at least Friday morning. HEALTH INFORMATION...If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Air Quality Alert issued August 6 at 4:10PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued the following... WHAT...Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke. WHERE...Moffat, Routt, Grand, Rio Blanco, Eagle, Summit, Garfield, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata, Saguache, San Juan, Hinsdale, Mineral, Archuleta, Morgan, Elbert, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Chaffee, Jackson, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Lake, Park, Fremont and Custer Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Craig, Steamboat Springs, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Meeker, Rangely, Eagle, Vail, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Nucla, Ouray, Telluride, Dove Creek, Cortez, Durango, Hermosa, Honeyville, Rockwood, Saguache, Silverton, Lake City, Creede, Pagosa Springs, Fort Morgan, Kiowa, Walsenburg, Del Norte, South Fork, Alamosa, San Luis, Conejos, Buena Vista, Salida, Walden, Central City, Georgetown, Leadville, Fairplay, Canon City and Westcliffe. WHEN...900 AM Thursday August 06 to 900 AM Friday August 07 IMPACTS...Areas of moderate to heavy smoke, from in-state and out- of-state wildfires, will be possible across the advisory area through at least Friday morning. HEALTH INFORMATION...If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Air Quality Alert issued August 6 at 12:10PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued the following... WHAT...Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke. WHERE...Moffat, Routt, Grand, Rio Blanco, Eagle, Summit, Garfield, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata, Saguache, San Juan, Hinsdale, Mineral, Archuleta, Morgan, Elbert, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Chaffee, Jackson, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Lake, Park, Fremont and Custer Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Craig, Steamboat Springs, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Meeker, Rangely, Eagle, Vail, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction, Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Nucla, Ouray, Telluride, Dove Creek, Cortez, Durango, Hermosa, Honeyville, Rockwood, Saguache, Silverton, Lake City, Creede, Pagosa Springs, Fort Morgan, Kiowa, Walsenburg, Del Norte, South Fork, Alamosa, San Luis, Conejos, Buena Vista, Salida, Walden, Central City, Georgetown, Leadville, Fairplay, Canon City and Westcliffe. WHEN...900 AM Thursday August 06 to 900 AM Friday August 07 IMPACTS...Areas of moderate to heavy smoke, from in-state and out- of-state wildfires, will be possible across the advisory area through at least Friday morning. HEALTH INFORMATION...If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
About
Lost Trail Campground sits at the end of Forest Road 520, deep in the Rio Grande National Forest near the Continental Divide. This remote 7-site campground serves as a basecamp for serious backcountry exploration, with trailheads providing access to the Weminuche Wilderness, Cataract Lake, Heart Lake, and the historic Carson City mining area. The nearby Rio Grande Reservoir offers fishing opportunities with boats allowed (trolling motors only, no wake). Facilities are basic: each site has a parking spur, picnic table, and fire ring, with a vault toilet serving the campground. The well water system is permanently closed due to safety concerns, so all drinking water must be packed in. There is no trash service or firewood provided. The campground operates first-come-first-served with no reservations. The access road above Rio Grande Reservoir is narrow and rough in places. Most sites have short spurs that cannot accommodate large RVs or trailers, and maneuvering space is limited. Three sites offer pull-through access. The area is bear country with mandatory food storage requirements from April through December.
Directions
From Creede, Colorado, travel 19 miles southwest on Colorado Highway 149 to Forest Road 520 (Rio Grande Reservoir Road). Take FR 520 west for 18.1 miles. The campground is on the south side of the road.
Amenities
| Water | No |
| Fires Allowed | Yes |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dump Station | No |
| Wifi | No |
| Pets Allowed | Yes |
| Showers | No |
| Electric Hookups | — |
| Water Hookups | — |
| Sewer Hookups | — |
| Camp Store | No |
| Price | $10 - $30 |
Vehicle
| Max RV Length | — |
| Max Trailer Length | — |
| Big Rig Friendly | No |
| Pull Through Sites | Yes |
Contact
| Phone | +1 (719) 657-3321 |
Cell Service
| AT&T | None |
| Verizon | None |
| T-Mobile | None |
Photos
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