4.28108 reviewsPrice
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
20 campsites
Season
June - Late Fall
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Elevation by Open-Meteo.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0, processed by Outdoorithm.
Price
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
20 campsites
Season
June - Late Fall
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Elevation by Open-Meteo.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0, processed by Outdoorithm.
Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) - Norwood Rd
37.8859, -107.8535
High-clearance tent campers who arrive Thursday or Friday will find the lakeside sites worth the drive. Fishing for 10-inch trout, paddleboarding, and the trail to Alta ghost town fill the days; pack in water and firewood because neither exists on-site.
Weekend day-use crowds erode the solitude fast, porta-potties overflow at peak season, and a subset of reviewers describe an unwelcoming atmosphere toward campers outside the area's cultural mainstream. If that kind of friction would wear on your trip, a weekday visit is the safe
Camper Report Card
Rated higher than 5% of graded campgrounds
Graded on what 47 campers actually wrote - graded on 14 things that make or break a trip. Each topic is graded against every other campground on it - A is among the best, C about average. No star ratings.
Strengths
Watch-outs
Each topic is graded against every other campground on it; a topic campers liked never grades below C−. ± shows the 95% confidence range from the sample size.
Reference information about Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) - Norwood Rd sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Alta Lakes is a popular dispersed camping area that offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting. There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle. <strong>Trailers and RV's are not recommended. </strong></p>
Alta Lakes Campground (Designated) - Norwood Rd appears in our curated guides. Explore more top-rated campgrounds for the same activities and regions.
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Summer delivers the most reliable access and comfortable conditions, with daytime highs around 50–70°F and nights dropping to 20–35°F. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, so plan hikes for early morning. June can still bring snow at this elevation. Layers are essential year-round. Winter transforms the area into snowmobile terrain, with powder-filled meadows and frozen forests accessed via nearby trail systems.
Open into late fall; early fall retains good access and scenery though season shortens at elevation.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0, processed by Outdoorithm.
Alta Lakes Campground is a dispersed camping area located in an alpine setting, offering 20 designated, undeveloped campsites. The access road is narrow and rough, requiring a high-clearance vehicle. Services such as potable water and trash disposal are not provided, so campers must follow a 'pack it in, pack it out' policy. Restrooms are available on-site. The sites lack developed infrastructure such as shower facilities and electricity hookups. According to users, firewood must be packed in as the area has been picked clean by previous campers.
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Short heads-ups about the road in, gear quirks, and timing, compiled by Outdoorithm from public reviews and operator information.
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