San Juan Camping

[Swath]

Making plans for a San Juan campin/4 wheelin/fly fishin trip in late August for about a week.

Any suggestions for a camp site close to a fishable stream?

We are not interested in organized camp sites, primitive camping is our pleasure.

We plan to do Black Bear, Imogene, Engineer, Cinamon, Poughkeepsie at the very least. We would like to have easy access to fly fishing from camp.

Oh, the big kicker, my brother will be towing his 24 footer behind his 2wd truck.

I'm not asking for much am I?

Any help in my planning efforts would be greatly appreciated.

[mtntj]

Ironton Flats about 3/4 the way the Million Dollar HWY(550), will be a good central "home base" . Not sure about the fishing.

[kemosabee]

We are not interested in organized camp sites, primitive camping is our pleasure.

Oh, the big kicker, my brother will be towing his 24 footer behind his 2wd truck.



Primitive camping in a 24fter? LOL... Check out this place, http://www.coloradodirectory.com/silvertonlakescamp/ NAXJA had their COFEST last year and was a real nice place. Close to downtown Silverton, Animas River, and a lot of nice trails.

[Swath]

I appreciate the input fellers.

I realize that primitive camping with a big trailer severly limits out options. I have spent some time in the area before but I could get my F-250 with the 4 Wheel pop-up into some pretty good spots (Poughkeepsie Gulch has a couple great spots to camp) so I never paid any attention to where I might camp given this circumstance.

The campground at Silverton is up on the list, there is a nice campground up towards Cinamon Pass from the Lake City side also that is under consideration.

I'm not looking for somebodys secret perfect spot, just looking for ideas and were to look. I may have to do a scouting trip dang it :) Primitive is prefered and easy access to fishing is at the top of the list also. We will most likely not spend a whole lot of time fishing, just want to have something to do for a day when we get a little tired of bouncing around in the rigs.

[Oscar]

Well it is not primitve but Ridgeway State park has good fishing in the lake and below the dam is good fly fishing and the trailer will not be an issue

[Swath]

Well it is not primitve but Ridgeway State park has good fishing in the lake and below the dam is good fly fishing and the trailer will not be an issue

Interesting one, gives us better access for a run up to poke around the Black Canyon too. I may just have to accept the fact that we will camp with others. Do they allow shooting out my camper door as long I aim in a safe direction? :D

That dang campground at Silverton posted earlier doesn't allow campfires? Wholy crap, I deal with fire bans when I have to but sheesh, what is camping without a campfire??? Let's all sit around the microwave watching the hot dogs cook, might as well stay home....:drool:

[Steve]

There is a FS road/area a few miles north of Silverton, on the west side of the hwy, that has lots of open and secluded areas for camping. The turnoff from the hwy is easy to find. You could fit the trailer there and it's on Mineral Creek. I've never fished that so dunno about that. It's pretty central to everything you want to do and it's free.

[Oscar]

Black Canyon has world class fly fishing especially below Crystal Dam

[Swath]

Black Canyon has world class fly fishing especially below Crystal Dam

Sounds like we will consider that for a destination at the very least for a day no matter where we end up staying.

Once again I suppose my anti-social tendencies show themselves, I dislike fishing shoulder to shoulder with strangers. I fished below Taylor res dam once, big fricking trout, very picky, but way too many folks for my taste. I prefer small fish if I get some privacy with it.

[Steve]

If you're interested in a day hike for some great fishing down that way let me know via PM. ;)

[Doc_Floyd]

The upper reaches of the Rio Grande, in the vicinity of Pole Creek, accessed via Stoney Pass would meet your qualifications. And there is always Heart Lake on the backside of Wager/Carson Gulch.

[JeepTherapy]

There is a FS road/area a few miles north of Silverton, on the west side of the hwy, that has lots of open and secluded areas for camping. The turnoff from the hwy is easy to find. You could fit the trailer there and it's on Mineral Creek. I've never fished that so dunno about that. It's pretty central to everything you want to do and it's free.

x2. South Mineral Creek Campground. There is a pay site at the end of the road and some free sites in between. I would try the first large site on your left. I fished there last year and got skunked, but there are fish in that Creek.

Kevin

[Swath]

The upper reaches of the Rio Grande, in the vicinity of Pole Creek, accessed via Stoney Pass would meet your qualifications. And there is always Heart Lake on the backside of Wager/Carson Gulch.

Stoney Pass is one I have yet to tackle, looks like a nice long ride. How far up Stoney Pass road can we get the camper trailer (entering from from the East side of course)?

Has everyone seen the new feature (well I just discovered it anyway) on Google maps? You can now click on a button that says "Terrain" and switches over to topos of the area you are looking, way cool :thumbsup: I always liked the satellite feature and google earth is great too, but now to get the topos that easily is fanfrickintastic in my book. (I'm kind of a map nut.) Off topic a bit but I was scoping out the areas being suggested.

Keep em coming, I really appreciate all the suggestions. PM me if ya don't want to advertise a spot publicly but still want to share.

One of my favorite parts of taking a trip is planning and pouring over the maps of the destination.

[old_man]

Don't know about how good the fishing is around Silverton and Ouray but I would not eat the fish. Way too many tailings get washed into the creeks.

[Steve]

Don't know about how good the fishing is around Silverton and Ouray but I would not eat the fish. Way too many tailings get washed into the creeks.

Not true everywhere, and there is some GREAT fishing with no crowds if you know where to go and don't mind hiking a bit. :D

[mtntj]

High alt lakes have good fishing, kinda small, but tastey

[kmon35]

I don't have anything to offer about that area. I have never been there, but it is high on my priority list. I agree with you though. Looking at maps, and planning a trip is half the fun. Look at a FS map, and a topo, pick a creek on public property that you think you can get to, and go. Some of my best trips started out this way.

I will follow this thread for my own future interest. Good luck and have fun.

[Swath]

I don't have anything to offer about that area. I have never been there, but it is high on my priority list. I agree with you though. Looking at maps, and planning a trip is half the fun. Look at a FS map, and a topo, pick a creek on publick property that you thin you can get to, and go. Some of my best trips started out this way.

I will follow this thread for my own future interest. Good luck and have fun.

I'm all for exploring but when ya got folks coming in from afar and trying to provide a great experience for the group I much prefer some good intel. Exploration.experimentation has its place, this trip is not it (for the camp spot choice in particular).

I have spent a few nice long camping trips in the San Juans, the scenery is some of the best I have ever seen. Probably not the most exciting for the rock crawler crowd but plenty good for me. That trail carved out of rock going up to Imogene Pass from Teluride is very very cool. I've been hankering to do Black Bear for years and finally this year I will get er done. Looking forward to this trip.

[Doc_Floyd]

Viz. Stony Pass and a camp trailer: A reasonable answer is, "it depends." However, most rigs could easily make it to the Rio Grande Reservoir area, N 37 44.99 W 107 19.87. I suspect most could make it to Brewster Park which is some 5 miles further up. This year it will depend upon the melt as there are some muddy sections between that point and Pole Creek, and a rocky rise or two. But the fishing along the Rio Grande up to Pole Creek - and walking upstream on Pole Creek can be very nice indeed. Then if you like a small lake, Heart Lake is, as I suggested, very interesting but you would have to leave the trailer at the Pearl Lakes entrance area and drive up the 4-5 miles. On any given day, you might see another person or two...sometimes none.

Look at this site:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/map/vis_maps/rgnf/rio-grande-nf-east-west/index.shtml
You will see that the Lost Lake CG is at the far end of the 2wd area - and you can clearly get there. Check with the Rio Grande FS station in Creede, as reservations may be necessary if you do it that way and don't go substantially further up. There may also be restrictions of which I am unaware.

[je4wdep]

Staying around Silverton is probably your best bet. I would suggest staying in the area around Eureka.......plenty of room, primitive, and always a possiblility of neighbors....but not too close. The Animas river runs very close to the road and back closer to Silverton, you can fish in deeper water. There is a side road that follows the river and is on the same level. The main road is very good (graded).

Hope this helps.

[Swath]

Viz. Stony Pass and a camp trailer: A reasonable answer is, "it depends." However, most rigs could easily make it to the Rio Grande Reservoir area, N 37 44.99 W 107 19.87. I suspect most could ....


Thanks Doc, very helpful info.

[Swath]

Staying around Silverton is probably your best bet.
Hope this helps.

All these suggestions are very helpful, thank you sir and all the responses.

I think there is no doubt I will have to make a scouting mission, even if I don't I now feel quite confident we can find a good spot.

The Stoney Pass road is not the most convenient to everything we want to do, it does, however, provide a brand new spot that should be explored. Silverton area and Rio Grand lake area are at the top of the list.

I really appreciate all the great feedback. (feel free to keep it coming)

Jeff