Free Camping Near Purgatory | Durango, CO

About a half hour north of Durango we found a few forest roads that led us to some amazing free camping near Purgatory. Purgatory is a ski resort that turns into a popular destination for mountain biking and camping in the summer. Once past the resort, there are several forest roads that are open to dispersed camping. And the area is beautiful!

We had just spent a great few months exploring Arizona. But now that the weather was warming up we were finally getting into the Colorado Mountains. And camping near Purgatory was our first introduction to what we were about to experience! It did not disappoint.

Quick Info: Camping Near Purgatory

Cost: Free

Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day limit

Directions: From Durango, follow CO-550 N for 26 miles then turn left into Purgatory Ski Resort. From here, follow FR 578/Hermosa Park Rd for about 6 miles west and there will be dispersed camping along the way as well as if you continue further. There is also a decommissioned forest service campground – Sig Creek Campground- that is available for use as dispersed camping near Purgatory.

Solar: Good but depends on which spot you choose because some of the camp spots are in the woods.

Miles From Town: About 30 miles from Durango

Water: None but there is a creek if you’re set up to filter and purify.

Road Conditions: Well maintained dirt/gravel road to the spot we chose.

Cell Service: None

Our Experience Camping Near Purgatory

From the highway, we turned left off of the CO-550 N towards Purgatory Ski Resort. Once we got past the resort, the paved road turned to dirt and began to steeply climb like switchbacks. We finally made it to the top! But from there, we had no idea where we should go. After a lot of driving around getting to know the area and figuring out where there weren’t dispersed spots we finally made it to where we needed to be. So, if you’re looking for dispersed camping near Purgatory, what we found is that there are very limited dispersed camp spots on Elbert Creek Road. But there are a lot of options on Forest Road 578/Hermosa Park Road.

On Forest Road 578 there are a number of dispersed spots along the road as well as few more private spots on the
few spur roads if you’re luck enough to find them empty. Many of these dispersed spots can accommodate large trailers. And the good news is, if you don’t find a spot along the way or needs somewhere to turn around, there is a large grassy lot down in the valley near the stream. We noticed that this area was very popular on the weekends and it’s highly likely that you’ll have several neighbors. It can fit any size rig and there aren’t any obstacles so it’s a safe bet and convenient to know it’s there if you need it.

But luckily, when we were camping near Purgatory we found a really nice flat turn off that we had to ourselves. It was right off of the main forest road so it wasn’t the most private spot we’ve ever had but we were just happy to finally find a spot! And the view was pretty hard to beat!

roomy spot with a view while camping near purgatory

Camp Here Later – Pin it Now

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From our spot we had a view of the beautiful forested mountains all around us. And we could also see down into the green valley below. This was our first camp spot in Colorado and we were thoroughly pleased to say the least!

One of the highlights of this spot was waking up to Mr. Marmot. He spent a lot of time staring back at us as we couldn’t help but repeatedly exclaim how ridiculously cute he was!

While we were here camping near Purgatory, we went on a few adventures and got a feel for the area. Down by the large open camping area we checked out the refreshing stream. And we even made it down into the valley from our campspot too where we found an old truck and walked along the stream a bit.

walking in the stream while camping near purgatory

We weren’t in the area long but we also managed to squeeze in a hike down the road from Purgatory on the Purgatory Trail to the Animas River. This was a very beautiful trail that paralleled, led through a dramatic canyon and brought us out at the beautiful, milky blue Animas River! After a glimpse at such beauty, we couldn’t wait to see what else Colorado had in store for us!

steep dramatic scenery from purgatory trail

But first – we were already noticing how quickly and how often the rain comes and goes. And we had a leak in our roof that we’d been putting it off… Which might have been okay in Arizona but wasn’t gonna cut it in Colorado. So next stop, somewhere we could complete the daunting task of replacing our roof.

Thanks for Reading!

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