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A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Burning Bear Campground

Forest Service campground in Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Park County, Colorado. 9,813 feet. 9.6 miles from Montezuma.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Elevation
9,813 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
13 12 standard non-electric, 1 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
50 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Park County

Overview

Located on the Pike and San Isabel National Forest at an elevation of 9,813 feet, Burning Bear Campground offers cooler temperatures during the hot Colorado summer months. Along the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, this campground is near prime spots for wildlife viewing, scenic driving, landscape photography, hiking and roads open to off-highway vehicles.

Recreation

Numerous hiking trail opportunities are available along Geneva Road. Mount Evans Wilderness is directly behind the campground allowing for access to the Abyss Trail (sometimes referred to as the Scott Gomer Trail). Although Mount Evans Wilderness is closed to mountain biking, Burning Bear Trail across the road from the campground is a wonderful trail for mountain biking and hiking alike.

Facilities

Burning Bear Campground has 13 sites to accommodate RV, trailer and tent camping. Drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables and grills are provided. Parking aprons are dirt and the campground road may be rough.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled in a beautiful valley on the way to Guanella Pass. Although somewhat open, a scattering of ponderosa pines provides some privacy to campers. Mount Bierstadt (elevation 14,060 feet) is north on the Guanella Pass road – a Scenic and Historic Byway, and one of the most popular scenic drives on the Pike and San Isabel National Forest. The Guanella Pass road is a great place to watch for bighorn sheep, elk, deer, moose, marmot, pika, and bear

Nearby Attractions

Mount Bierstadt summit is approximately 7 miles north of the campground and offers amazing views of the valley below.

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
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Burning Bear 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.

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 August 4, 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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