Big Meadows Campground
- Memorial Day Weekend
- season
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Big Meadows Campground open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Big Meadows Campground, so check the source for the area it covers.
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering Rio Grande National Forest · USFS · Rio Grande National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Rio Grande National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
- At 9,250 ftHigh camp: expect cold nights, even in summer
- Divide Ranger DistrictRio Grande National Forest
Big Meadows Campground sits in the Divide Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado, about 1.5 miles west of U.S. Highway 160 and 11.6 miles west of South Fork. It is a no-wake lake, and the campground meanders up a mountainside above Big Meadows Reservoir in a series of loops, set among conifers and aspens. The site is managed by a concessionaire in partnership with the Forest Service. Vault toilets are the only listed amenity, and a fee is charged for stays. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 41°F, while September cools to highs around 70°F. Winter is cold, with January highs near 34°F and lows around -2°F. The boat ramp and Archuleta Trail are across the reservoir from the campground. The Big Meadows Loop hike and the Big Meadows Reservoir Boating Site are both about 0.4 miles away. Climbers can find the Big Meadows climbing area about 1.2 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Blue Creek Lodge16 mi away
- Pagosa Riverside Campground20 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central CO)CampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain0.1 mi
Big Meadows LoopHikingPhoto: JustTooLazy, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.4 mi- Big Meadows Reservoir Boating SiteLake fishing0.4 mi
South Fork Rio GrandeCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.7 mi- Big MeadowsRock climbing1.2 mi
- Little Black CliffRock climbing1.3 mi
- Kitty CreekHiking1.5 mi
- Dispersed CampingCamping1.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Primitive Campsite, Pagosa Ranger District (San Juan National Forest)Camping · ~7 min drivePhoto: Kevin Stroup, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- West Fork CampgroundCamping · ~15 min drive
Blue Creek Lodge & RV ParkCamping · ~27 min drivePhoto: Tim Engleman from Saxonburg, PA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central CO)Camping · Next door
Dispersed Camping near East Fork San Juan River (San Juan National Forest)Camping · ~17 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Dispersed Camping near Coal Creek (San Juan National Forest)Camping · ~18 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Park Creek camp #1Camping · ~7 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Big Meadows CampgroundCamping · Next door
- Pass Creek Dispersed CampgroundCamping · ~3 min drive
- Tucker Ponds CampgroundCamping · ~6 min drive
Best time to visit Big Meadows Campground
Best months: June–July and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
34° / -2°
4 wet
Feb
38° / 1°
4 wet
Mar
45° / 11°
5 wet
Apr
53° / 20°
4 wet
May
62° / 28°
4 wet
Jun
74° / 34°
6 wet
Jul
79° / 41°
12 wet
Aug
76° / 40°
14 wet
Sep
70° / 33°
9 wet
Oct
59° / 23°
5 wet
Nov
47° / 11°
4 wet
Dec
35° / 0°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hermit 8 Se, CO, 21.9 mi away at 8,949 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Big Meadows Campground
Book on Recreation.gov
