A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Transfer Campground

Forest Service campground in San Juan National Forest, Montezuma County, Colorado. About 8,500 feet. 9.5 miles from Mancos.

Managed by
Forest Service San Juan National Forest
Elevation
About 8,500 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
17 12 standard non-electric, 4 equestrian non-electric, 1 group standard area non-electric
Longest rig
40 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Transfer Campground, located approximately 11 miles north of Mancos, Colorado in the San Juan National Forest, is known for its access to many area recreation trails.

Recreation

Recreational opportunities abound at and near this facility for horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and ATV riding. Many campers bring their ATVs and motorbikes to ride on the Aspen Loop Trail (just 1/2 mile north of the campground).

There are a number of trailheads nearby the campground, including Big Al Interpretive Trail, Rim Trail and Box Canyon Trail. More trails are available in the surrounding area including: Chicken Creek Trail, Morrison Trail, Gold Run Trail and West Mancos Trail.

Facilities

The campground offers 12 first-come, first-serve family sites and one overnight group site.

The reservable group site has five double picnic tables, a large group area, a serving table and cooking grills. A vault toilet restroom is located near the group area.

The 12 first-come, first-serve campsites offer one vault toilet and barrier free camping. Parking spaces are small, but can accommodate some RVs.

Horses are not allowed in the campground, but there are corrals with five sites adjacent to the campground on Forest Road 561.

Natural Features

The campground is situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Surrounded by whispering aspen and making for a great camping atmosphere, visitors will enjoy the sounds of birds and the occasional horse neighing in the corrals across the road.

Nearby Attractions

Visit the Jackson Gulch Reservoir, just six miles south of the campground for a relaxing day of fishing or hike one of the many trails nearby the campground. Visit the historic town of Mancos and learn about the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited this area from approximately AD 1 to AD 1300.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking

The land around Transfer 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 March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.