Hartman Rocks Recreation Area - Gunnison, CO

Distance From Denver: 136 miles

Cost: Free

Liz Rating: 4/5

Things to Do: Camp, dirtbike, mountain bike, rock climbing, horseback riding, paddleboard and kayak at the nearby reservoir, Gunnison for dinner….

Yellow flowers

These yellow flowers were everywhere and made for some nice morning photos. I’m sure they’re actually weeds, but lovely nonetheless.

Keystone Outback 324 CG

A view from the top of the rocks of our Keystone Outback and my truck. Pickles accompanied me.

The Pickler

Pickles looking around in the morning. She LOVED running and jumping on the rocks. I think she is part goat.

View directly behind our camper.

This was directly behind the site we camped in. It was an actual site with a fire ring and more than large enough for our camper (pull-through too!).

Overlooking the valley

This view is looking towards County Road 38 - beautiful sunrise.

DIRECTIONS From Gunnison head 3 miles south on County Road 38 (Gold Basin Road). Hartman Rocks Base Area parking lot will be located on the west side of County Road 38. A secondary entry point is located 4 miles west of Gunnison. Take State Highway 50 west for 4 miles and turn South on County Road 32. Continue south for 2 miles until you see a trail kiosk on BLM 3500.

This past summer, we were driving to Lake City and needed a good stopping point half way there. We typically leave work on Thursday or Friday evenings for our weekend camping. We have stayed in Gunnison before, but never here! We arrived when it was dark outside (of course), but figured we would see if there were any spots available. We actually drove right past the entrance the first time because we weren’t paying close enough attention - I’m sure I was the one driving, haha.

The entrance to Hartman Rocks is easy to miss if you’re driving at night. After turning off County Road 38, you’ll go up what seems like a steep hill for several hundred feet. Once you reach the top of the hill you can decide which way to go. We went left and proceeded for one to two miles before finding a camping spot on a turn off. We actually got stuck at one point and had to attempt a 30-something point turn. My bumper had tumbleweeds sticking out in every which direction. You can easily find a spot before this point though if you’re worried about being able to turn around.

I was surprised how much open space there was and the ease we had in finding a spot. Usually, when we arrive somewhere later in the evening it’s slim pickings. There was no fee associated with this site. We were pleasantly surprised in the morning at the view!

I took Pickles and Tacoma out in the morning and did some exploring. Our site had easy access to riding trails that looked like they’d be great fun on a mountain bike or dirtbike. We had a scenic view of some rock formations and yellow flowers. Just on the other side of the rocks was a nice valley. Unfortunately, we could not fly the drone here as it was really close to the Gunnison Airport.

I wish we had more time to stay here. This would make a great weekend trip from Denver and the surrounding areas. You’re really close to the reservoir too and could spend some time there. The area is managed by the BLM and is over 14,000 acres. It’s close enough to Gunnison to pop into town if you need something. There are accessible restrooms at the base area and even some hand cycle trails you can use. The BLM website says there are over 50 designated campsites.

OTHER RESOURCES:

https://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/explore/towns/hartman-rocks/

https://www.blm.gov/visit/hartman_rocks