USDA Forest Service · Colorado
Cottonwood Lake (CO)
USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States
- Sites
- 4
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 10,151 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- COTTONWOOD LAKES (NFSR 257) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
- Nearest town
- Collbran
- Phone
- N/A
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.
If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 0° | -21° | 36° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 25° | 5° | -14° | 39° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 32° | 13° | -8° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 42° | 18° | 2° | 57° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 52° | 26° | 9° | 66° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 68° | 39° | 27° | 80° | 3 of 11 |
| July | 75° | 46° | 37° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 70° | 44° | 37° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 64° | 37° | 26° | 73° | 5 of 11 |
| October | 50° | 24° | 3° | 61° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 39° | 19° | -14° | 52° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 25° | 1° | -20° | 41° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Crag Crest · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Ward Lake · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 4 sites
- Cobbett Lake · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 20 sites
- Little Bear · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 4 sites
- Island Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 32 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.