Medano Camping Area
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Medano Camping Area open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Carlos Ranger District. It doesn't name Medano Camping Area, so check the source for the area it covers.
East Bear Gulch NFST 1333 seasonal closure
Agency closure covering San Carlos Ranger District · Order 02-12-03-26-14 · USFS · San Carlos Ranger District
Reduced Aspen Acres Fire closure order
Agency alert covering San Carlos Ranger District · Order 02-12-03-26-43 · USFS · San Carlos Ranger District
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Interlaken Hotel Tree Hazards
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Sharpe Fire Update
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · San Carlos Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
- At 9,183 ftHigh camp: expect cold nights, even in summer
- San Carlos Ranger DistrictPike and San Isabel National Forests
Medano Camping Area is a Forest Service campground in the San Carlos Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado. It sits within the national forest's boundaries, and the land is managed by the Forest Service. There is no fee to camp here, according to the Forest Service's recreation site records. That makes it a straightforward base for exploring the surrounding trails and peaks. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 81°F with lows near 52°F, while winter brings highs in the low 30s and regular snow days from December through February. That station sits about 1,000 feet lower than the campground, so temperatures at the camp run cooler. Several hikes start close by. Mount Herard and Medano Pass are both about 1.6 miles away, and Milwaukee Peak is roughly 5.9 miles off. For another camping option, Pinyon Flats Campground lies about 9.5 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Ramble30 mi away
- Valley View Hot Springs32 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Mount HerardHiking1.6 mi
- Medano PassHiking1.6 mi
- Milwaukee PeakHiking5.9 mi
- Music MountainHiking5.9 mi
- Tijeras PeakHiking5.9 mi
- Muddy CreekCanoeing7.2 mi
- Pinyon Flats CampgroundCamping9.5 mi
Pinon Flats CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain9.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Pinon Flats CampgroundCamping · ~17 min drive
Oasis CampgroundCamping · ~24 min drivePhoto: Thomson M, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Alvarado CampgroundCamping · ~29 min drive
Zapata Falls CampgroundCamping · ~32 min drivePhoto: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Camper VillageCamping · ~34 min drivePhoto: Ej Lowell, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ponderosa Group CampgroundCamping · ~35 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Ponderosa Group - Lake IsabelCamping · ~35 min drive
- St Charles Campground - Lake IsabelCamping · ~35 min drive
- La Vista Campground - Lake IsabelCamping · ~36 min drive
- Aspen Acres CampgroundCamping · ~37 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Medano Camping Area
Best months: May–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
33° / 11°
5 wet · 5 snow
Feb
39° / 16°
5 wet · 5 snow
Mar
48° / 24°
6 wet · 5 snow
Apr
56° / 29°
6 wet · 4 snow
May
66° / 38°
7 wet · 1 snow
Jun
77° / 48°
6 wet
Jul
81° / 52°
10 wet
Aug
78° / 50°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 44°
7 wet
Oct
60° / 33°
5 wet · 2 snow
Nov
45° / 22°
4 wet · 4 snow
Dec
34° / 12°
5 wet · 5 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Great Sand Dunes Np & Preserve, CO, 10.5 mi away at 8,183 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
