La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Trailhead condition requests, questions, alerts, etc.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
Joelorado
Posts: 7
Joined: 7/15/2016
14ers: 45 
13ers: 7
Trip Reports (0)
 

La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by Joelorado »

Hey I am new to the site, but not the Facebook page! I searched and couldn't find any real info here. I will be doing La Plata standard route Saturday and looking to camp out Friday night. I am looking to camp as close to the TH as possible in Pitkin County since there is no fire ban there (Lake County does have one) I found some info off site saying Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground is a good choice but that is 20 miles or so from the TH. Does anyone know of anything closer that is on the Pitkins County side?
User avatar
bj
Posts: 187
Joined: 8/21/2007
14ers: 58 
13ers: 4
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by bj »

I climbed La Plata July 4th. There were a few walk in campsites just a couple hundred yards up the road next to the creek. We spent two nights there.
Just a drinker with a climbing problem..
sarahhaubert
Posts: 54
Joined: 5/28/2014
14ers: 40  7 
13ers: 2
Trip Reports (2)
 
Contact:

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by sarahhaubert »

Isn't the Pitkin/Lake border really close to the Pass? If you're planning to camp on the Aspen side of Indy Pass, you should look up that Aspen Camping PSA thread, as it sounds like there's more than fire bans going on over there. The closest camping on 82 to La Plata is Twin Peaks campground I think, I can't even think of dispersed camping options near the TH (unless you're hiking in), there's tons of private property.
User avatar
j babu
Posts: 60
Joined: 7/3/2008
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by j babu »

From my memory, there's a lot of private property right near the trailhead (though some spaces exist along the highway upriver, as noted above). I once hiked about 2 miles in on the standard route and found good camping, some close to the trail, and more west of the trail/creek, but maybe you want to car camp and not deal w a back pack in.

I prefer the route from the south (Winfield). The route is better looking (that cirque below the big headwall!) and the camping is better, IMO.
peter303
Posts: 3535
Joined: 6/17/2009
14ers: 34 
13ers: 12
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by peter303 »

The county boundary is Independence Pass and you are asking about dispersed camping on the Aspen side. Below are the forest service guidelines for the bike races over the pass:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 379778.pdf
There is a fair amount of good dispersed camping on 82 within a couple miles of the La Plata trailhead, that I wouldnt hassle driving the pass switchbacks to the Aspen side just for a campfire. Note, the Lincoln and Weller campgrounds were closed to tent camping in early July due to vigorous bear activity.
User avatar
_jderbique
Posts: 22
Joined: 10/16/2015
14ers: 18 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by _jderbique »

j babu wrote:From my memory, there's a lot of private property right near the trailhead (though some spaces exist along the highway upriver, as noted above). I once hiked about 2 miles in on the standard route and found good camping, some close to the trail, and more west of the trail/creek, but maybe you want to car camp and not deal w a back pack in.

I prefer the route from the south (Winfield). The route is better looking (that cirque below the big headwall!) and the camping is better, IMO.
Where exactly did you camp? I was hoping to do La Plata from the South within the next few months. Thanks.
Jack Derbique
User avatar
screeman57
Posts: 425
Joined: 6/19/2012
14ers: 58  19 
13ers: 79 12
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by screeman57 »

There is excellent dispersed camping up FS391 (S fork lake creek road) past the La Plata trailhead. You don't have to go too far to get past the private property. Rough road, though I've gotten my minivan way back there.
“To be is to do”—Socrates.
“To do is to be”—Jean-Paul Sartre.
“Do be do be do”—Frank Sinatra.
User avatar
j babu
Posts: 60
Joined: 7/3/2008
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by j babu »

_jderbique wrote: Where exactly did you camp? I was hoping to do La Plata from the South within the next few months. Thanks.

Follow directions to Winfield (county road 390), and there's tons of dispersed camping up and down clear creek. Just get past the private property, look for the national forest sign, and take advantage of previously used pull outs. It is a popular area, but you can find a nice spot.
User avatar
Rambler
Posts: 128
Joined: 1/19/2012
14ers: 33 
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by Rambler »

Got my CRV .7 miles past Winfield to a great spot on the left with a 2ft carin. Saw a spot right at the washout (we crossed it in a jeep liberty later due to a few in our group having minor medical issues) and another spot right before the steep final part of road to the TH.
User avatar
Rollie Free
Posts: 456
Joined: 6/8/2012
14ers: 45 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by Rollie Free »

I was going to suggest Twin Peaks campground as its only a few minutes drive on the same highway.
Looked it up, 19 bucks a night for basically just having a pit toilet.
"Quicker than I can tell it, my hands failed to hold, my feet slipped, and down I went with almost an arrow’s rapidity. An eternity of thought, of life, of death, wife, and home concentrated on my mind in those two seconds. Fortunately for me, I threw my right arm around a projecting boulder which stood above the icy plain some two or three feet." Rev. Elijah Lamb
User avatar
Joelorado
Posts: 7
Joined: 7/15/2016
14ers: 45 
13ers: 7
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by Joelorado »

screeman57 wrote:There is excellent dispersed camping up FS391 (S fork lake creek road) past the La Plata trailhead. You don't have to go too far to get past the private property. Rough road, though I've gotten my minivan way back there.
Thanks for the info guys! Ill probably go here, FS391. I heard about the bear activity but didn't think it would apply to a campground right off busy 82...but good to know!
User avatar
Joelorado
Posts: 7
Joined: 7/15/2016
14ers: 45 
13ers: 7
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: La Plata Peak Dispersed Camping

Post by Joelorado »

screeman57 wrote:There is excellent dispersed camping up FS391 (S fork lake creek road) past the La Plata trailhead. You don't have to go too far to get past the private property. Rough road, though I've gotten my minivan way back there.
Is it FS391 or FS399? Google maps is showing FS399..not seeing FS391.
Post Reply