USDA Forest Service · Colorado

Chris Park

USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States

Open on the map Drive there Reserve Official page Directions
Sites
3
Hookups
1 electric, 2 no hookups
Season
May 8 to September 19
Max RV length
40 ft
Group sites
Yes
Drinking water
Yes
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
7,864 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
T-Mobile weak · AT&T weak · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
STAGE COACH BROWNS (NFSR 791.A) · native material · high clearance vehicles
Lake
San Juan National Forest
Nearest town
Durango
Address
Chris Park Road, San Juan NF, Durango, CO
Activities
Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking

3 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.

About

Overview

Chris Park is located near Haviland Lake in southwestern Colorado, 18 miles north of Durango. Visitors enjoy the area for its hiking, canoeing and fishing opportunities.

Recreation

Several trailheads are in the vicinity, including Forebay, Goulding, Elbert Creek and Purgatory Flats. The historic Rico-to-Rockwood Wagon Road passes through Chris Park. Built in the late 1800s, the road was used for six years until the railway opened.

Facilities

The campground offers three group sites. Sites 1 and 2 can accommodate up to 75 people each. Site 3 can accommodate up to 150 people, and includes a picnic shelter with electricity and grills. A volleyball court is located near this site as well. Picnic tables and campfire rings provided, as are vault toilets and drinking water.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a mostly flat, open area, shaded by scattered ponderosa pine trees. Haviland Lake is a short drive from the site.

Nearby Attractions

Beautiful Haviland Lake is less than two miles from the campground. The 80-acre, no-wake lake offers boating, canoeing and fishing. Accessible fishing docks are located on the lakeshore.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.

Charges & Cancellations

Group Sites

Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January35°13°-8°47°11 of 11
February36°16°-4°53°11 of 11
March41°23°6°68°11 of 11
April50°28°9°63°11 of 11
May60°35°22°70°7 of 11
June75°47°35°87°0 of 11
July81°54°46°88°0 of 11
August77°52°45°85°0 of 11
September70°48°27°81°1 of 11
October59°35°7°72°7 of 10
November50°28°-3°61°10 of 10
December38°11°-10°56°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

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.