A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Blue Lake Campground

Forest Service campground in Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Huerfano County, Colorado. About 10,500 feet. 15.3 miles from La Veta.

Managed by
Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Elevation
About 10,500 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
16 16 standard non-electric
Longest rig
36 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Blue Lake Campground is located in the beautiful San Isabel National Forest at an elevation of 10,500 ft. Views of the nearby Culebra Range Mountains with aspen and spruce forests offer campers a genuine Colorado experience.

Recreation

A well-marked trail system between Bear Lake and Blue Lake is open to foot and horse traffic. Across the road from the campground FSR 436, a rough jeep road, provides access to Trinchera Peak where Big Horn Sheep are often seen.

Facilities

This rustic campground has 16 campsites, each with a table and fire ring. An on-site camp host offers firewood bundles for sale. Vault toilets and drinking water are available. No electric or septic hook-ups are available. Both reservation and first-come, first-served sites are available.

Natural Features

A tributary of the Cuchara River runs through the campground. Blue Lake is 1/2 mile from the campground, and Bear Lake is one mile away. Both of these small lakes are stocked several times during the summer providing for good fishing.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby mountain town of Cuchara offers shopping and visitor information. The town of La Veta offers a grocery store, gas stations, and shops. The Spanish Peaks Wilderness, 14 miles from the campground, is a popular hiking destination.

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

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing

The land around Blue Lake Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

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.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated August 6, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.