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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Aspen

Forest Service campground in Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Park County, Colorado. 10.6 miles from Blue River.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Sites
11 6 tent only non-electric, 5 standard non-electric
Longest rig
30 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Park County

Overview

Aspen Campground is an excellent place for campers looking to relax, hike, fish and enjoy the sounds of nature. The campground sits near Jefferson Creek, a few miles downriver of Jefferson Lake. The lake is one of the highest elevation lakes around, capping 10,685 feet elevation and bordered by steep 12,000 foot peaks Fishing in both the creek and lake offer promising catches of trout. Another noteworthy aspect of the campground is its access to the Colorado Trail.

Recreation

The campground offers nearby access to two trails. Hiking, biking and horseback riding are excellent on the epic Colorado Trail, a 471-mile trail that stretches across Colorado from Denver to Durango. Also nearby is the West Jefferson Loop Trail, a foot path that goes up to the Continental Divide and loop for 11 miles.

Rainbow, brown, mackinaw and brook trout can be found swimming in the creek and lake. No-wake boating is allowed in the lake and a boat ramp is easily accessible.

Facilities

Amenities include picnic tables, vault toilets, drinking water from a hand pump and a campfire ring. Parking aprons are gravel and can fit up to two vehicles.

It is difficult to access Jefferson Lake Recreation Area during the winter months. The roads to this site are not maintained for snow throughout the winter.

Natural Features

Aspen Campground, at 9,900 elevation, sits in a valley along Jefferson Creek at the base of Jefferson Hill. The single-loop campground is shaded by groves of aspen and mature spruce. Jefferson Lake, spanning about 182 acres, has deep, cold waters and freezes over in winter.

Nearby Attractions

Visit historic Fairplay, Colorado, a ghost town that was once a frontier boom town. The South Park City Museum contains 34 authentic buildings with 60,000 artifacts.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Aspen

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in. The federal record’s point for it sits at a very different height from the one the agency describes, so the pin may be off: trust the directions above over the map.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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