Camping Near Kite Lake (Alma)

[kiclimber]

Hello! Planning on hiking DeCaLi this weekend, probably won't arrive until Friday evening. If there is no camping by Kit Lake, is there somewhere else nearby? (and what is the likelihood that there will still be camping spots?) I will be staying with my family there on Saturday night as well, so it would be great to be in a nice camping spot, and not just right at the TH. Thanks!

[mstender]

Hello! Planning on hiking DeCaLi this weekend, probably won't arrive until Friday evening. If there is no camping by Kit Lake, is there somewhere else nearby? (and what is the likelihood that there will still be camping spots?) I will be staying with my family there on Saturday night as well, so it would be great to be in a nice camping spot, and not just right at the TH. Thanks!

You can simply camp alongside the road up to Kite Lake; there are many turnoffs and spots. They are not great but for free. :D Camping at Kite Lake will set you back $12 and I did not think the spot was that great anyway.

[TheKanes]

There are tons of places on the road to get a decent spot.

Guard your car with chicken wire this is where the Porcupine destroyed my wiring a few weeks back.

[kiclimber]

Looking for something nicer (and more private, and apparently without porcupines) than just off the road or in the actual Kite Lake Campground...Any ideas??

[mly-lvr]

If it were me i would consider camping in the fourmile creek campground or one of the primitive sites in the area. It wouldn't be too terrible a drive to get to Kite Lake from there.

[Jim Davies]

Looking for something nicer (and more private, and apparently without porcupines) than just off the road or in the actual Kite Lake Campground...Any ideas??

Between the private property, the narrow valley, and the willows, you're unlikely to find anything like that along the Kite Lake road. The upper two miles is pretty barren.

[kiclimber]

Between the private property, the narrow valley, and the willows, you're unlikely to find anything like that along the Kite Lake road. The upper two miles is pretty barren.

Do you think there is anywhere nearby, say within 10 miles that you would suggest? Fourmile Campground seems like a possibility...are there any others?

[Jim Davies]

The Buffalo Peaks road has some good dispersed camping, about 25 miles away (west of Fairplay off 285). Spruce Creek TH just south of Breckenridge has some OK and legal camping, probably 15 miles from Alma. Both of these are access points to some good and uncrowded 13er climbs.

[kmf61014]

Bump. I see that Kite Lake and Horseshoe are first-come-first-served (plan A and B, respectively), but Fourmile is already booked, so I'm worried the area is crowded in general right now. Also, what's the likelihood of getting a campsite on a Friday? I plan to leave Denver in the early afternoon, so probably getting out there around 3-4p? Thanks!

[benlen]

There are tons of places on the road to get a decent spot.

Guard your car with chicken wire this is where the Porcupine destroyed my wiring a few weeks back.

Wait is this serious? So if you park/camp in the free, non-official spots on the road, you risk a friggin Porcupine ruining the wiring on your car?

[thurs]

There are tons of places on the road to get a decent spot.

Guard your car with chicken wire this is where the Porcupine destroyed my wiring a few weeks back.

Wait is this serious? So if you park/camp in the free, non-official spots on the road, you risk a friggin Porcupine ruining the wiring on your car?

Yes. This is not an uncommon problem across the entire state (and it's certainly not limited to non-official spots!). There is tasty fluid in those lines, and the engine blocks stay nice and warm for awhile. I've definitely come back to my car on several occasions to have a host of critters (usually marmots) go scurry out from beneath the engine. Though it's unusual for serious damage to occur, there's enough of a chance and the consequences are serious enough where some people are not willing to take the risk. Same goes for lightning, avalanches, etc.

[benlen]

There are tons of places on the road to get a decent spot.

Guard your car with chicken wire this is where the Porcupine destroyed my wiring a few weeks back.

Wait is this serious? So if you park/camp in the free, non-official spots on the road, you risk a friggin Porcupine ruining the wiring on your car?

Yes. This is not an uncommon problem across the entire state (and it's certainly not limited to non-official spots!). There is tasty fluid in those lines, and the engine blocks stay nice and warm for awhile. I've definitely come back to my car on several occasions to have a host of critters (usually marmots) go scurry out from beneath the engine. Though it's unusual for serious damage to occur, there's enough of a chance and the consequences are serious enough where some people are not willing to take the risk. Same goes for lightning, avalanches, etc.

Fascinating. I never would have considered porcupines would be this devious.

Do you believe that it's worth prepping some extra protection for the car if I theoretically chose to camp up that way?