Ute Campground ~ San Juan National Forest

Flickr album link: Ute Campground

The Ute Campground is located on a section of Highway 160 that literally is a fly by zone. Most of the traffic is in a hurry to get to the prime time San Juan National Forest destinations west along the Million Dollar Highway or east to the Wolf Pass ski resorts. For this reason, this cozy little roadside campground that is hidden in plain sight is often overlooked. Even during the peak summer season there are usually a few vacant campsites under the tall pines, so this lesser known spot is good to keep in mind when touring the southern Rocky Mountains.

The San Juan National Forest Ute Campground offers a limited amount of RV or trailer pads, along with regular tent campsites. Basic facilities and water are available, while most of the sites offer chargrills or fire pits. There are interesting things to do in this neighborhood, which include touring the Chimney Rock National Monument, Devil Creek Wildlife Area or soaking it up in the hot springs a little further east in Pagosa Springs. The Southern Ute Nation Lake Capote Recreation Area is right across the street and this nifty campground actually offers thriftier pricing. The intersection of Highway 151 is located here too and this road heads south to the Jicarilla Apache Nation where some great shopping and cultural exchange can be found. These are all the reasons needed for checking out the Ute Campground, so be sure to chalk this one up on the list!