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

Forest Service group campground

Teal Lake Group Campsite

Forest Service group campground in Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG, Jackson County, Colorado. 8,829 feet. 13.7 miles from Steamboat Springs.

Managed by
Forest Service Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG
Elevation
8,829 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
18 17 standard non-electric, 1 group standard area non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Teal Lake Group Site and Campground is set along a small yet scenic lake in north central Colorado in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Located in the Routt National Forest at an elevation of 9,000-ft., the lake is popular for trout fishing and lies close to a wilderness area with a variety of hiking and off-highway vehicle trails.

Recreation

Trout fishing and boating are popular activities in the clear, calm waters of Teal Lake. Only electric boats and non-motorized boats are permitted. Off-road vehicle enthusiasts have easy access to the Grizzly-Helena Trail nearby.

Hiking is great in the nearby Mount Zirkel wilderness, though hikers must drive to the trailheads.

Facilities

Teal Lake provides 17 individual campsites and one group site for up to 30 people. Campsites are private and have ample space. The group site has four picnic tables and two campfire rings for groups to gather.

Natural Features

Teal Lake is a 50-acre lake surrounded by a rocky shoreline and pine-fir forest. Some previously forested areas of the campground have been thinned due to pests and thus have more sun than others.

Black bear, bobcat, coyote, elk, mule deer and moose are just some of the many animals that inhabit the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

The area is generally snow-free from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but visitors should come prepared for anything, including freezing temperatures and snow during summer.

Nearby Attractions

The closest town is Walden, Colorado. Many more outdoor opportunities exist in the nearly 3 million acres of surrounding national forests and grasslands, including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, OHV riding, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and winter sports.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • picnicking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Teal Lake Group Campsite

The ringed pin is this group 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 July 3, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.