Sleep Outside
Camping & Public Lands Near Salida
Riverside campsites, mountain campgrounds, and public lands within easy reach of downtown Salida.
Camp Your Way
Camping Around Salida
Salida sits in the middle of an unusually large amount of public land. Within a short drive of town you can camp beside the Arkansas River, under ponderosa and aspen in the San Isabel National Forest, or farther out on primitive public lands.
The easiest options are the developed campgrounds within the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. They put you right beside the river and usually include basic amenities such as picnic tables, fire grills, vault toilets, and river access.
Head into the mountains and the experience changes quickly. Forest campgrounds around O'Haver Lake and the North Fork South Arkansas River feel much farther from town, even though Salida is still close enough for supplies, restaurants, and a post-camping shower.
Choose Your Campsite
What Kind of Camping Are You Looking For?
The Salida area ranges from easy-access river campgrounds to primitive campsites with no services at all.
Camp Along the River
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area campgrounds are the easiest way to camp close to Salida while staying directly beside the Arkansas River.
Best for: rafting, fishing, paddling, families, easy access, and quick trips into town.
Camp in the Forest
Head west and south of town for cooler temperatures, pine and aspen forests, mountain streams, trails, and high-country lakes within the San Isabel National Forest.
Best for: hiking, mountain biking, fishing, summer heat, and a more traditional mountain camping experience.
Dispersed Camping
Primitive camping is available on selected AHRA, BLM, and National Forest lands, but the rules depend on exactly who manages the land.
Best for: self-sufficient campers who don't need toilets, water, trash service, or other campground amenities.
Camp by the Arkansas
River Campgrounds Near Salida
Several developed Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area campgrounds sit along Highway 50 just east of Salida. These are some of the easiest places to camp if you want river access without getting far from town.
Salida East
Salida East is the closest developed river campground to downtown Salida. It has direct Arkansas River access and makes an especially convenient base for rafting, fishing, biking, and exploring town.
It's close enough that you can spend the day outside and still head into Salida for dinner.
Good for: first-time visitors, river access, families, tents, and staying close to town.
Point Barr
A few miles farther east, Point Barr offers another small developed campground along the Arkansas River with easy access from Highway 50.
It puts you farther from town than Salida East but still close enough for an easy drive back into Salida.
Good for: fishing, river access, smaller campgrounds, and quick trips into town.
Rincon
Rincon sits farther downstream along Highway 50 where the valley begins transitioning into Bighorn Sheep Canyon.
The river access here is especially popular with anglers, boaters, and visitors looking for a quieter base outside town.
Good for: fishing, boating, river scenery, and getting a little farther away from Salida.
Vallie Bridge
Vallie Bridge feels considerably more tucked into the canyon. The campground is tent-oriented and the campsites are reached on foot from the unloading and parking areas rather than by driving directly into your campsite.
It's a good choice if being beside the river matters more than having your vehicle immediately next to your tent.
Good for: tent camping, fishing, paddlers, and a quieter canyon setting.
North of Salida
Camping Near Browns Canyon
Drive north toward Nathrop and Buena Vista and you'll find two more developed Arkansas River campgrounds near Browns Canyon National Monument.
This part of the valley is a great compromise if you want to explore both Salida and Buena Vista while staying close to Browns Canyon, river access, hiking, and the Collegiate Peaks.
Hecla Junction
Hecla Junction sits at the lower end of Browns Canyon and is one of the major river access points between Buena Vista and Salida.
It's especially well placed for rafting, fishing, paddling, and exploring Browns Canyon National Monument.
Good for: Browns Canyon, rafting, fishing, and river-focused trips.
Ruby Mountain
Ruby Mountain sits just upstream of Browns Canyon and gives campers access to the river, nearby hiking, and the eastern side of Browns Canyon National Monument.
It also works well as a midway base for exploring both Buena Vista and Salida.
Good for: Browns Canyon, hiking, river trips, fishing, and exploring the upper valley.
Head for the Trees
National Forest Camping Near Salida
For cooler evenings, more shade, and a mountain setting, head west or south from Salida into the San Isabel National Forest.
O'Haver Lake
O'Haver Lake is one of the area's classic mountain campgrounds, sitting at about 9,200 feet among ponderosa pine and aspen on the shore of a small mountain lake.
Fishing, paddling, mountain biking, and trails around Marshall Pass are all nearby. The campground is popular and weekends can fill quickly.
Good for: lake camping, fishing, fall color, mountain biking, families, and cooler summer weather.
Angel of Shavano
Angel of Shavano is a wooded Forest Service campground along the North Fork South Arkansas River west of Salida. Aspen and spruce surround the sites, giving it a much more forested feel than the river campgrounds closer to town.
The Colorado Trail crosses nearby, making this a particularly good base for hikers and mountain bikers.
Good for: tents, hiking, mountain biking, shade, fishing, and a quieter forest setting.
Beyond the Campgrounds
Dispersed Camping on Public Lands
There is primitive camping around Salida, but "public land" doesn't mean that you can camp anywhere you can pull off the road. The landscape is a patchwork of state recreation lands, BLM land, National Forest, and private property.
Rules change depending on exactly where you are, so a good public-land map is just as important as your camping gear. Use existing campsites, stay on legal roads, avoid creating new fire rings, and make sure you're actually on land where overnight camping is allowed.
Along the Arkansas River
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area allows dispersed camping at selected sites outside its developed campgrounds and day-use areas.
Around Salida, examples include Woody's Claim, Rainbow Route, Red Wall, and Badger Creek.
Campers must bring a portable toilet system. If you have a fire when fires are permitted, AHRA requires a fire container rather than building a rock fire ring.
National Forest
Dispersed camping is also available on portions of the San Isabel National Forest surrounding Salida, Poncha Springs, Marshall Pass, and the Sawatch Range.
Some areas have special restrictions, seasonal road closures, wilderness rules, or limits on where vehicles can leave designated routes. Check current Forest Service information before choosing a campsite.
BLM & Browns Canyon
The Bureau of Land Management manages large areas of public land around the Arkansas River Valley, including much of Browns Canyon National Monument.
Primitive camping opportunities exist in the monument and on other BLM lands, but designated areas, seasonal closures, travel restrictions, and site-specific rules can apply.
Know Before You Go
Camping Rules That Matter Here
Conditions and restrictions can change quickly in the Arkansas River Valley, especially during dry weather and wildfire season.
Check Fire Restrictions
Don't assume a fire is allowed because a campsite has a fire ring. County, state, BLM, and Forest Service restrictions can change during the season.
Know Who Manages the Land
The Arkansas River corridor contains Colorado Parks and Wildlife, BLM, Forest Service, municipal, and private land, sometimes very close together.
A map showing land ownership can keep you from accidentally camping on private property or in a day-use-only area.
Pack Out More Than Trash
Primitive sites may have no toilet, water, trash service, picnic table, or fire ring. Come prepared to manage everything you bring with you, including human waste where required.
Don't Create a New Campsite
Use established disturbed sites whenever possible. Driving onto vegetation or expanding an existing campsite leaves damage that can remain long after your trip.
Expect Weak Cell Service
Reception can disappear quickly once you leave Highway 50 and head into the mountains. Download maps, directions, and campground information before leaving town.
Store Food Carefully
Bears and other wildlife live throughout the valley and surrounding mountains. Keep food, trash, dog food, and scented items secured rather than leaving them around camp.
A Pretty Good Basecamp
Camp Outside. Keep Salida Close.
Camping around Salida gives you the best of both worlds. You can wake up beside the river or under the trees, spend the day rafting, hiking, fishing, or riding, and still be close enough to town for groceries, a hot springs soak, dinner, or a cold drink.
That's what makes Salida such an easy place to build an Arkansas River Valley trip around.
Keep Planning
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