Crested Butte Camping (Free!) | Kebler Pass Camping

We finally finished replacing the roof on our travel trailer and it was time to get out and see what Colorado has to offer! With the major task of replacing the roof on our travel trailer out of the way, we were ready for some Colorado adventures! And to start, we needed to find free options for Crested Butte camping so we’d have a good home base for exploring the beauty in the area.

So from our camp spot in Montrose, we headed up to Kebler Pass Road. It was exciting to watch as the scenery transitioned from dry and shrubby to green and mountainous! Kebler Pass Road was surprisingly well maintained and had some great dispersed camping options.

Quick Info: Crested Butte Camping – Kebler Pass Camping

Cost: Free

Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day limit

Directions: Click here to get directions

Know Before You Go: Kebler Pass Road is typically open May through November and closes when snow makes it impassable. The pass climbs gently to 10,007 feet and is suitable for 2WD, low clearance vehicles.

Solar: Good; but many spots are in the woods so it depends.

Miles From Town: About 15 depending on which spot you choose.

Water: No drinking water available but there is a stream nearby if you’re set up to filter.

Road Conditions: The dirt road is well compacted and well maintained, some bumps and a bit curvy

Cell Service: No

Our Experience: Free Crested Butte Camping – Kebler Pass Camping

As we first followed Kebler Pass Road as it climbed in elevation, there were no turn offs for dispersed camping. But once we reached the junction with FR 706 towards Lost Lake Campground, numerous dispersed camp spots revealed themselves. For great Crested Butte camping spots, there are numerous dispersed options on the road to Lost Lake Campground and there are also numerous spots as you continue along Kebler Pass Road.

The dispersed campspots on Lost Lake Road vary in size and setting. There are some spots near the beginning of the road that are smaller and more open. And as you drive further in, some of the spots get bigger and they also become more shaded among the conifers. Many of the sites just before the Lost Lake Campground area are very shaded and only a limited number are level or can accommodate bigger rigs.

Our First Spot

We prefer more open spots because I am solar powered, dislike being cold and we also need good sunlight for our solar panel. So we found a great spot about a half mile after the junction with Kebler Pass Road. This spot was just big enough to back our 19 foot travel trailer in comfortably. We had some trees surrounding us providing decent privacy and we were just a short walk away from the stream!

The view from our spot was great too – a nice open meadow view with tall mountains in the distance, everchanging with the light throughout the day. There were no spots in the immediate area so our experience here was very quiet and private with the exception of the road kind of near. Traffic was mild on weekdays but definitely heavier on weekends. We didn’t find it too bothersome either way.

As we got settled into our spot and began exploring the area, we found another great campspot nearby. Just one spot closer to Kebler Pass Road from our spot but on the other side of the road was a huge, pretty and level spot tucked away in the aspens. Very nice spot.

Exploring Nearby

Also, we enjoyed the proximity to several nearby adventures! We spontaneously hiked Lost Lake Trail on the day that we arrived and were amazed that there was so much to see on such a short trail. There were three different lakes and a waterfall to enjoy! I really liked Dollar Lake!

And just before you reach Lost Lake Campground, there is a large parking area and trailhead. From the trailhead, we followed Beckwith Pass Trail. It was a very pretty, mellow trail and after two months of adventures in Colorado it was the trail that we saw more large wildlife on than any other! That was definitely a highlight, we love spotting animals on our adventures.

From our spot, we wandered through the woods and found ourselves in an incredibly lush and wild aspen forest. We followed a narrow horse trail through this gorgeous and untamed trip through the rabbit hole.

The white trunks of the aspen and the tall green ferns were incredible! And the number of yellow flowers was the icing on the cake.

We really enjoyed the peace and solitude of this wild and beautiful adventure in the woods. And we spotted several deer enjoying the area too.

The drive from this spot to the other adventures we were interested in in the Crested Butte area was a bit long. So after a week, we decided to find a new Crested Butte camping spot on Kebler Pass Road that was closer to Crested Butte.

Our Second Spot

Along the way, there are numerous turn offs that lead to dispersed camp spots. Many of which are beautifully tucked into the woods. As we neared the junction that leads to Lake Irwin there was one particular open meadow where there were always numerous campers grouped together. After the meadow, the number of spots for dispersed Crested Butte camping on Kebler Pass Road really dwindled.

For our second camp spot in the area, we turned off and followed a steep road up to an interesting hilltop. We had previously seen trailers camping up here so we were surprised to find some construction materials around. The views from the top of the hill were pretty great though. We weren’t planning on staying in the area too much longer so we made it work.

During our stay atop the hill, we were joined by others nearly every night. But they often left early in the morning and arrived late at night. And the traffic down on Kebler Pass Road wasn’t a bother because of how high up off the road we were.

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The spot was definitely conveniently located relatively close to Crested Butte. We took advantage of the proximity and went on several hikes nearby including Oh Be Joyful, Teocalli Peak, and Rustlers Gulch. And of course, we checked out the Crested Butte Skatepark at least a handful of times!

Besides the nice view and proximity to Crested Butte, we also took advantage of the trail nearby. Although it is primarily a mountain biking trail, we followed it down to Kebler Pass Road then crossed and scrambled down to the water.

One day we followed the water upstream. And another day we followed the water downstream. Both were fun, refreshing little adventures!

Free Crested Butte camping on Kebler Pass Road made a great home base for us to finally get our and experience some Colorado trails! After two weeks, we were more than happy with the beauty that we had seen! And now it was time to move on and get acquainted with a whole new area 🙂

Thanks for Keeping up with The Lost Longboarder!

If you enjoy reading about our boondocking experiences, check out the articles below:

• Camping Near Sycamore Creek
• Laguna Creek Wilderness Free BLM Campground
• Camping Near Mayer
• Boondocking at Trona Pinnacles

While we are on the road we stay busy creating hand painted longboards! If you’d like to pick up a unique new longboard, head over to our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop to see our latest lineup. We also design and screen print our own t-shirts and long sleeve shirts.

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