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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Crescent Mining Camp

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Chaffee County, Colorado. 10,097 feet. 18.5 miles from Buena Vista.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Elevation
10,097 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Chaffee County

Overview

Cabin campers can escape the city - and escape modern day amenities - by staying at the fully rustic, historic Crescent Mining Camp cabins. The cabins offer a true old fashioned taste of life on the mine in the 19th century, with no electricity or running water. Visitors can focus on the sounds of nature and the incredible views of the Rocky Mountains from its creekside location. The mining camp was built in the 1890s during the boom of mining and milling in Clear Creek Canyon. Miners sought mostly gold and silver, and attracted about 50,000 residents in the valley that is now rather remote. The cabins are adjacent to a road heavily used by off-highway vehicles (OHV) but have a private drive with a locking gate. Crescent Mining camp is a good location for OHV enthusiasts, but not visitors seeking quiet and solitude

Recreation

Off-road vehicle trails begin near the site of the cabins and hiking trailheads are within several miles. The most popular trails lead into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, which boasts nine mountain peaks over 14,000 feet.

Facilities

There are four cabins at Crescent, but only cabins Numbered 1 and 2 (one and two) are available for reservations. The two cabins are rented together; one cabin sleeps two, the other sleeps four. Visitors must bring furniture such as cots, portable tables and chairs; in addition, tent and RV camping is permitted for those who rent the site. No water, heat, electricity, or trash service is provided. Guests should bring plenty of water. Creek water may be boiled and treated for consumption. Other items to pack include cook stove, bedding, food, lanterns, matches, cooking utensils, dish soap, bring firewood or an axe to collect (dead/down trees only), and a first aid kit.

Natural Features

Crescent Mining Camp is located within the Leadville Ranger District, which is home to the Sawatch Range, the highest mountain range in Colorado. These rugged, glaciated mountains form the crest of the Continental Divide. Mount Elbert, at 14,443 feet, is Colorado's highest peak and 1 of 10 "fourteeners" located on the District.

At an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet, Crescent Mining Camp sits at the base of Ervin Peak in Clear Creek Canyon. It is on the outskirts of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. Clear Creek passes near the cabins and the Clear Creek Reservoir and the Arkansas River Valley are 9 miles east.

Nearby Attractions

The nearest spot for pay phones and a grocery store is in Buena Vista, about an hour's drive.

Visitors can head to Clear Creek Reservoir, about 9 miles east, for fishing and boating. Fish species include brook trout, brown trout and tiger muskie. A few miles further is the Arkansas River, in a section where whitewater rafting is popular.

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
  • historic & cultural site

The land around Crescent Mining Camp

The ringed pin is this cabin or lookout; 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 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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