About Big Meadows Campground and Picnic Area
Big Meadows is located in the San Juan Mountains in south-central Colorado, about 11 miles west of South Fork. The campground is lightly wooded with spruce trees, creating a beautiful meadow atmosphere. The Rio Grande National Forest spans 1.86 million acres in south-central Colorado. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the forest's western border, presenting a myriad of ecosystems from alpine desert to dense wilderness. **Natural Features**: The campground meanders up a mountainside above Big Meadows Reservoir in a series of 3 loops. As a sub-alpine region, the campground gets more snow melt and rainfall than the opposite side of the lake, resulting in plentiful wildflowers and aspens surrounding the campsites. **Recreation**: An accessible fishing pier, located on the north shore of the reservoir, allows anglers to cast for rainbow, brown and brook trout. Hunting…
- Fees: Single site - $29 to $31/night Double site - $58 to $62/night Group site - $99 to $103/night Shoulder season - $10/night (sometime after…
- Season: Memorial Day weekend – The second Monday of September.
- Managed by: USFS - Rio Grande National Forest
- Where: 12 mi southwest of South Fork, CO · 37.53807, -106.79612
- Winter: the road at camp is closed to cars in winter; plan to ride, ski or snowshoe in.
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Aug (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Oct–May.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Meadows Cg | ATV road | at camp | 0.6 mi |
| Big Meadows Cg | ATV road | at camp | 0.4 mi |
| Big Meadows H.C. Access | Hiking | 0.1 mi | 0.2 mi |
| Big Meadows Loop | Hiking | 0.2 mi | 1.5 mi |
| Big Meadows H.C. Access | Hiking | 0.2 mi | 0.1 mi |
| Archuleta | Horse | 0.4 mi | 7.0 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · T-Mobile 4G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way casts shadows and the sky is crowded with stars.
Class 1 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Stargazing nearby: Chimney Rock National Monument (Dark Sky Park), 22 mi.
Dump station: 23.3 mi
Water fill-up: 23.3 mi