Flat Tops Area

The Flat Tops area is managed by the Yampa Ranger District in Yampa, CO (27 miles south of Steamboat Springs). The Flat Tops Area offers many recreation opportunities for all seasons. These include camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, snowshoeing, scenic drives, picnics, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

The Flat Tops area offers numerous camping opportunities. 

• Bear Lake Campground - $20-$40 per night
• Cold Springs Campground - $20 per night
• Horseshoe Campground - $20 per night
• Chapman Reservoir Campground - $20 per night (Located in the Dunckley Pass Area CTY Rd 8)
• Sheriff Reservoir Campground - $20 per night (Located in the Dunckley Pass Area CTY Rd 8)
• Vaughan Lake Campground - $20 per night (Located in the Dunckley Pass Area CTY Rd 8)
• Bear River Corridor (Forest Service Road 900) offers "designated developed" campsites for $10 per night. 

There are many opportunities for dispersed camping. To see dispersed camping areas please refer to our Motor Vehicle Use Map by clicking here Motor Vehicle Use Maps which will show all Forest Service roads that offer dispersed camping. Campers can set up their camp up to 300 feet off the road.

• Bear Lake Reservoir
• Yamcolo Reservoir
• Stillwater Reservoir
• Crosho Lake
• Allen Basin Reservoir
• Chapman Reservoir
• Sheriff Reservoir
• Vaughan Lake - (Not recommended for fishing)

The Scenic Byway known as the "Flat Tops Trail" runs from Yampa to Meeker on County Road 8, and is popular for big game hunting, picnics, scenic driving, admiring the fall colors, camping, fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, horseback riding and more. 

The Flat Tops Wilderness spans the Routt National Forest and White River National Forest. Elevations range from 7,640 to 12,354 feet. This is the third largest Wilderness in Colorado.

The United States Congress designated the Flat Tops Wilderness in 1975, and it now has a total of 235,214 acres. Arthur Carhart's 1919 visit to Trapper's Lake in the Flat Tops prompted him to be the first U.S. Forest Service official to initiate a plea for Wilderness preservation.