Eldorado - Home

Photo looking north from Big Hill lookout at Union Valley Reservoir.

View from Westpoint Boatramp across the water at a Sunset with mist on the lake.

Photo looking up at the ridge with a waterfall cutting through the trees.

Photo from a boat of a boatramp with forest in background.

Photo of river cutting through a small canyon in the forest.

Photo of facility sign with the building in the background.

Photo of granite flat with sporadic trees and rocks.

Photo of the lake looking through aspen tree leaves that have turned gold.

Memorial Day Weekend Recreation Information

May 22, 2020 - Full News Release

As of today, 35 developed recreation day use sites have re-opened. The Eldorado National Forest will continue to phase in opening of facilities and services as federal, state and county policies and facility preparations allow.

We continue to recommend that you recreate locally. All visitors should practice self-sufficiency during your visits to national forests. Recreating responsibly will help ensure that expanded access to recreational facilities, services, and opportunities continues. Responsible recreation practices should be maintained at all times.

For the Please Do Your Part poster in other languages go here.

Please see below for the current updates:

CAMPGROUNDS

Developed campgrounds throughout the forest will remain closed until they can be safely opened for the season. The exact date for when campgrounds will open is not known at this time. Forest personnel are assessing the situation, keeping in close contact with partners and staying abreast of changing conditions and new information.
Reservations: The situation is being closely monitored and weekly assessments of anticipated campground opening dates are being conducted to determine if reservation cancellations will be necessary. If the campground is not able to be opened, customers will be notified via Recreation.gov and will receive a refund.
We understand that this may cause uncertainty with individuals who have made reservations, particularly in the month of June. We thank you for your patience to this point and ask for your continued patience during this transition period.
Please be aware that many of our campgrounds do not typically open until late May or June, even without the challenges associated with COVID-19, due to winter snow and the associated preparation of the sites for the season.

DAY USE, TRAILHEADS, BOATRAMPS, and STAGING AREAS

Day Use Sites and services continue to expand. Trash removal services remain limited; please pack out all trash and waste. Toilet facilities remain limited, please plan accordingly.

Day Use Site list as of May 21, 2020 (pdf)
For the status of our all of our developed sites please visit our Campground Status page.

Newly opened Day Uses Sites with increased services:

Stumpy Meadows Boat Ramp/Picnic Site
Icehouse Boat Ramp & Picnic Area
Icehouse Day Use (near dam)
Yellowjacket Boat Ramp
Gold Note Staging Area
PiPi Day Use Area
Loon Lake Undeveloped Boat Ramp
Sunset Boat Ramp & Picnic Area
Pyramid Creek Trailhead
Salt Springs Trailhead
Devils Nose Day Use Area
Loon Lake Boat Ramp

Know Before You Go

OFFICES - Our virtual offices are staffed to provide visitor information from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The phone #s are on the left side of this page.
CHECK CURRENT CONDITIONS/STATUS - Check out our Current Conditions web page for the status of campgrounds, roads, facilities, weather, fire, forest closure orders and other regulations.
CAMPING OUTSIDE OF CAMPGROUNDS (Dispersed Camping)
- "Pick Your Own Spot Camping" Recreation Opportunity Guide (pdf)
- Forest Maps (page link)
- Motor Vehicle Use Map - MVUM (page link). Our free map available for download.
- Forest Publications (page link)
TRAIL AREA TEMPORARY CLOSURES
- Forest Order 03-20-09 Emergency closure of the Rock Creek OHV Trails area, Elkins Flat OHV trails area, and the Caples Trails area (fire area) through May 29. These temporary closures were put in place on May 8 to protect visitors and employees from hazardous trail conditions caused by storm damage and fire damage that has occurred since last year’s field season. Trail assessment and maintenance, including hazard mitigation, is planned and trails will be reopened as soon as the work is completed to clear all hazards.

Popular Recreation Activities

We have more information about recreation opportunities across the forest!

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U.S. Forest Service - Eldorado National Forest

Features

COVID19 Information and Links

Continuing our service to you while doing our part to address the COVID-19 Pandemic is very important. This page contains the links to related documents and websites for the Eldorado NF, federal, state and local governments that pertain to this forest.