Go if
You want quick access to Ruedi Reservoir for fishing and boating with well-kept facilities and helpful camp hosts.
Little Mattie Campground
4.3578 reviewsAspen Sopris Ranger District, PO Box 309, Carbondale, CO 81623
Summer Destination
Featured in:Swimming Camping Colorado
Real-Time Availability
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Quick Facts
7,800 ftPrice
$29/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
19 campsites
Season
Open from May 13, 20...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
RV Friendly
Get DirectionsReal-Time Availability
Select a month, then check for open campsites
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
Quick Facts
7,800 ftPrice
$29/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
19 campsites
Season
Open from May 13, 20...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
RV Friendly
Get DirectionsLittle Mattie Campground
$29.00 - $29.00 / night
Campsite Fees
Standard Nonelectric: $29.00. Plus Recreation.gov reservation transaction fee ($8 online / $9 phone / $3 in person).
No paid fee categories listed.
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Provider970-927-0107Help.WhiteRiver.Sopris@AmericanLL.com
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Aspen Sopris Ranger District, PO Box 309, Carbondale, CO 81623
Little Mattie Campground
Aspen Sopris Ranger District, PO Box 309, Carbondale, CO 81623
Nearby places
Basalt, CO - 14 miles (approximately 30 minutes)
Weather at Little Mattie Campground
About Little Mattie Campground
RV details
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You have a large RV or need to avoid additional vehicle fees not disclosed upfront.
From the U.S. Forest Service
Reference information about Little Mattie Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
Overview
<p><strong>Located approximately 14 miles eat of basalt, CO, in the White River National Forest,</strong> Little Mattie Campground is situated on the Ruedi Reservoir at an elevation of 7800 feet. Sites are open to the starry nighttime skies and access to the lake and trails. It sits amid a mixed conifer forest and offers an ideal setting for guest seeking recreation and relaxation.</p><p>Little Mattie has 19 standard sites suitable for tents, trailers and RVs. There is a maximum length of 30 feet for RVs & trailers. The sites are equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings and bear boxes (food storage lockers). Guests also have access to vault toilets and drinking water, but electrical hook-ups are not available.</p><p>Known for its fly fishing, Frying pan River flows below Ruedi Dam. Here, large rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout are plentiful in an area nicknamed the “toilet bowl.” The fish feed on Mysis shrimp, a small freshwater shrimp stocked in the lake. The stretch of rive from below the dam down to the confluence of Frying Pan and the Roaring Fork River has been designated as Gold Medal Waters by the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Special regulations in this area include fishing only with artificial flies and lures, and releasing all trout except brown trout, with a limit of two fish over 14 inches.</p><p>For hikers and bikers, the Ruedi Trail, located north of the reservoir, climbs to the top of Red Mountain. The trailhead is located 200 feet north of the Jeep trail near the boat ramp and parking lot. This eight mile trail gains over 3,000 feet in elevation, leading hikers to a spectacular panoramic view of the area. Boating, swimming, and water skiing are all possible. Interpretive programs are popular activities.</p><div><p><a class="usa-button" href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/FSEPRD1095189.pdf" style="margin: 0; margin-top:30px">View Dates and Fees</a></p></div>
About the campground
The elevation is 7,800 ft. The campground, one of four in the John Ruedi Recreation Area, stretches up a ravine along a babbling brook which can be heard from all the camp sites. The sites are well separated with those closest to Ruedi Reservoir having little shade but ample privacy from a thick understory and middlestory of bushes, sage and tall grass. The camp sites further up the ravine are in a dense grove of aspen. Only one site has direct access to the reservoir. Firewood is available for a fee. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques and use the provided bear proof food storage boxes
Seasons & access
Open May 18October 22ovember 9. No water after first major frost.
Facilities
Ruedi Reservoir is 1,000 acres. The boat ramp is 0.8 miles from campground. Hiking: Ruedi Overlook Trail - 1 mile Fryingpan Overlook Trail - 2 miles Red Table Road (mountain bike and foot) - 8 miles Pond Creek Trail - 0.3 miles Fishing: Rainbow, Brown and Mackinaw trout
Water activities
Ruedi Reservoir is 1,000 acres. The boat ramp is 0.8 miles from campground.
RV information
The parking aprons are dirt and gravel. The RV waste station is available for a fee west on access road across from Little Maud campground.
Directions
In Basalt, CO, off State Rt. 82, turn at Ruedi Reservoir sign and follow the road 2.1 miles to a stop sign. Turn left at sign onto Midland Ave. (which becomes Frying Pan Rd. - not well signed) and go 14.8 miles to Campgrounds and Boat Ramp sign. Turn right at sign, then immediately left and go 0.8 miles to campground. GPS Coordiantes: N39 22.53, W106 48.453 White River National Forest 654
- National Forest
- River National Forest
- Ranger District
- Sopris
- Elevation
- 7800
- Rate
- $23 per day
- Maximum Stay
- 14
