Saved Account Join
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

Pine River

Forest Service campground in San Juan National Forest, La Plata County, Colorado. 7,948 feet. 15.4 miles from Bayfield.

Managed by
Forest Service San Juan National Forest
Elevation
7,948 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Reservations
First come, first served Claim a site when you arrive. Recreation.gov lists it for Scan and Pay, so the fee can be paid from its app at the campground
County
La Plata County

Overview

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Facilities

Campsites accommodate only tents or small RVs. All 6 campsites have views up the Pine River Valley. Private land adjoins the campground, with no public access to the river until three miles up the trail. There is no potable water.

Although horses are not allowed in the primitive campground, the Pine River Trailhead has a parking area with a horse corral for overnight horse camping, as well as hitching posts and a turn-around parking area for trailers.

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

The land around Pine River

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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

Join Overlanding Life
Saved Account

Start with a region

Browse the directory