Go if
You want scenic, budget-friendly alpine camping with river fishing and don't need developed amenities.
The Gate Campground
3.8010 reviewsLake Fork of The Gunnison River Recreation Area, Gunnison Field Office, 210 West Spencer Avenue, Gunnison, CO, 81230, USA
Scenic Views
Featured in:Primitive Camping Colorado
First-come, first-served
This campground doesn't take reservations — sites are claimed in person on arrival, so there's no availability to check online. Plan to arrive early, especially on weekends and holidays.
Quick Facts
8,025 ftPrice
Varies
Booking
Walk-in Only
Sites
8 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
First-come, first-served
This campground doesn't take reservations — sites are claimed in person on arrival, so there's no availability to check online. Plan to arrive early, especially on weekends and holidays.
Quick Facts
8,025 ftPrice
Varies
Booking
Walk-in Only
Sites
8 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
The Gate Campground
No fees available
Campsite Fees
Standard Site Fee$5.00
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Lake Fork of The Gunnison River Recreation Area, Gunnison Field Office, 210 West Spencer Avenue, Gunnison, CO, 81230, USA
The Gate Campground
Lake Fork of The Gunnison River Recreation Area, Gunnison Field Office, 210 West Spencer Avenue, Gunnison, CO, 81230, USA
Nearby places
Lake City: Approximately 16 miles north, travel time around 25 minutes by car. Gunnison: Approximately 37 miles southwest, travel time around 50 minutes by car.
Weather at The Gate Campground
About The Gate Campground
Planning your trip?Check out our camping packing checklist
Skip if
You prefer larger, more developed campgrounds or want to avoid occasional crowding during peak summer weekends.
About Lake Fork of The Gunnison Riv.
Context for the broader area surrounding The Gate Campground, sourced from the federal Recreation.gov rec-area record.
With approximately 14 miles total of public fishing access, the Lake Fork is excellent for fishing from the banks or for wade fishing. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has stocked more than 24,000 fingerling and catchable trout in the Lake Fork in the last few years. Most fish in the Lake Fork are brown trout, plus a good number of rainbow trout, and in the fall, kokanee salmon. Most of the trout measure from 7 to 16 inches, with some nice big ones lurking around, too. For more information, please contact the Gunnison Field Office.
Directions
Take Hwy 149 southwest from Gunnison. It will meet up with the Lake Fork. There is access off this road and also at the inlet to Blue Mesa Reservoir.
