USDA Forest Service · Colorado

Lodgepole (Jefferson Lake, Fairplay Colorado)

USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States

Open on the map Drive there Reserve Official page Directions
Sites
34
Hookups
34 with water, 33 no hookups
Season
May 15 to October 11
Drinking water
Yes
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
9,951 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
AT&T weak · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Lake
PSICC
Nearest town
Lake George
Address
P.O. Box 74, Lake George, CO, 80827
Activities
Camping, Fishing, Hiking

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

About

Overview

Lodgepole Campground is a creekside destination with incredible Colorado mountain views. The campground is located 3 miles south of Jefferson Lake, one of the highest elevation lakes around, capping 10,685 feet elevation and bordered by steep 12,000 foot peaks.

Fishing in both the creek and lake offer promising catches of trout. Another noteworthy aspect of the campground is its access to the Colorado Trail.

Recreation

The best hiking, biking and horseback riding experience is on the epic Colorado Trail, a 471-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. Also accessible from the campground is the West Jefferson Loop Trail, a foot path that extends for 11 miles and reaches the Continental Divide.

Rainbow, brown, mackinaw and brook trout can be found swimming in the creek. For those who prefer fishing by boat, Jefferson Lake has a boat ramp. It is a no-wake lake.

Facilities

Lodgepole offers more than 30 reservable campsites. Parking aprons are gravel and dirt and the max RV length 30 feet. Amenities include picnic tables, vault toilets, drinking water and grills.

Natural Features

Lodgepole sits in a valley along Jefferson Creek facing Jefferson Hill at the high elevation of 9,900 feet. The single-loop campground is surrounded by groves of aspen and mixed conifer trees. Jefferson Lake, spanning about 182 acres, has deep, cold waters and freezes over in winter.

Contact Info

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

Nearby Attractions

Visitors enjoy Fairplay, Colorado, a ghost town that was once a frontier boom town. The South Park City Museum contains 34 authentic buildings with 60,000 artifacts.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations

Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.

A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.

Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service 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
January26°4°-22°40°11 of 11
February28°5°-17°42°11 of 11
March34°12°-13°50°11 of 11
April43°17°0°54°11 of 11
May52°28°13°66°11 of 11
June67°38°23°77°4 of 11
July72°44°35°78°0 of 11
August69°41°34°75°0 of 11
September64°38°14°74°3 of 11
October51°27°-16°62°10 of 10
November39°12°-9°53°10 of 10
December29°4°-13°44°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.