'Designated dispersed' camping comes to another part of Colorado

Camping rules are changing in a popular part of Colorado's mountains.

The U.S. Forest Service recently announced a shift to "designated dispersed" sites only in an area of the Homestake Valley where camping has "significantly increased" over the years, Eagle-Holy Cross District Ranger Leanne Veldhuis said in a news release.

The release said campsites had proliferated in number and size, "resulting in impacts to streambanks and other sensitive areas."

Starting next week, campers will be pointed to about 50 marked sites along Forest Service roads 703 (Homestake Road) and 704 (Missouri Road) — around Homestake Creek in the White River National Forest outside Red Cliff.

The sites have been marked with familiar brown posts, and campfires will be limited to metal rings expected to be installed later this summer. The sites will be first-come, first-served.

"Designating specific, sustainable sites for dispersed camping will help visitors better understand where they are permitted to camp, help prevent wildfires, and allow us to better protect natural resources,” Veldhuis said.

Land managers have increasingly turned to "designated dispersed" camping over the years, especially since surges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District previously made the shift along Piney Road, outside Vail.

The approximately 50 sites along Forest Services roads 703 and 704 were said to be determined by surveys last summer that aimed to capture "the number of sites needed to accommodate current and projected use levels," according to the Forest Service. The number was also based on restrictions on camping within 100 feet of water or beyond 300 feet from a designated road.

The newly-marked sites represented "most" of the existing sites, the Forest Service said, adding closures for "some that required parking on the road" and "a few" that were on private property.

Another option in the area is the developed Gold Park Campground, with 12 first-come, first-served sites.