Durango (Mancos), CO
Distance from Denver: 336 Miles
Area Amenities: Many - grocery stores, gas stations, resorts are all close to dispersed camping areas. If you camp near Mancos, be sure to stock up on supplies in Durango because the grocery store in Mancos is really expensive.
Area Activities: Many - world-class jeep and OHV trails, single-track mountain bike trails, beautiful hikes, wildflower viewing, shopping, a small ski resort, and a touristy downtown. Mancos is small but does have a grocery store.
Cost: Free! There are loads of dispersed camping areas right outside of the main Durango area. Want to stay in a more established space? There are national forest campgrounds right outside of town near beautiful waterfalls.
Big Camper Friendly? Yes - can easily find spots that will accommodate a 40 foot + trailer with somewhat low clearance. There is virtually unlimited camping in the National Forest behind the town of Mancos.
Ease of finding a spot? So many spots that you can arrive on a Friday and still find a spot.
Liz Rating: 5/5. I’ve rated Durango as a 5/5 because it’s such a beautiful area with an endless amount of things to do. The town of Durango is a great little town and is a great starting place for all of your Southwest Colorado adventures.
Camping is free and plentiful along the Aspen Loop just outside of Durango, CO (Mancos). The loop itself was not hard as AllTrails says - I think they have just rated it as hard because of the length - 40 miles! https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/aspin-loop-trail
GPS Waypoints for FREE CAMPING!
https://goo.gl/maps/D5TKyNCWQgLco1LA6
I made this public list for free camping in the Durango area. These are spots I saw while riding. Some have details in the description about site characteristics.
Things to do:
Ride the Narrow Gauge RR
Explore downtown
Visit old mines around Durango (Columbus Mine)
Dirtbike or explore the areas many OHV areas (Aspen Loop, Mine Trails, Waterfall Trails(
