Old Elk Creek
- from $13
- fee
- May–Jul, Sep
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 10 h ago
Is Old Elk Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Old Elk Creek, 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 8,847 ftHigh camp: expect cold nights, even in summer
- Conejos Peak Ranger DistrictRio Grande National Forest
Old Elk Creek is a Forest Service campground in the Conejos Peak Ranger District of Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest. It sits among a cluster of campgrounds and trails, with Elk Creek Campground and Elk Creek Overflow Campground both within a mile. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically June through September. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Chama, New Mexico, show highs around 77°F in June and 72°F in September, with July and August bringing the most wet days. That station sits about 1,000 feet lower than the campground, so temperatures here run cooler. Duck Lake is a hike just 0.3 miles away, and Hidden Lake Trail is about 1.5 miles off. For more camping, Elk Creek Campground is 0.8 miles away and Spectacle Lake Campground is about 5 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Little Creel RV Park20 mi away
- Pagosa Riverside Campground35 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Duck LakeHikingPhoto: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.3 mi- Elk Creek Overflow CampgroundCamping0.6 mi
- Elk Creek CampgroundCamping0.8 mi
Hidden Lake TrailHikingPhoto: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.5 mi- alamosa-conejos roadMountain biking1.8 mi
- Spectacle Lake CampgroundCamping4.9 mi
- Trujillo Meadows Boating SiteLake fishing6.3 mi
- Rio de los PinosCanoeing9.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- MogoteCamping · ~15 min drive
- Lake Fork(rio Grande Natl ForeCamping · ~23 min drive
- Aspen Glade (Rio Grande National Forest, CO)Camping · ~11 min drive
- Elk Creek Campground (rio Grande NF)Camping · ~1 min drive
- Spectacle Lake CampgroundCamping · ~8 min drive
- Conejos CampgroundCamping · ~9 min drive
- Aspen Glade CampgroundCamping · ~11 min drive
- Dispersed Camping near Dixie Creek Access (Carson National Forest)Camping · ~15 min drive
- Dispersed Camping in Rio Grande National ForestCamping · ~19 min drive
- Trail Creek Camping AreaCamping · ~19 min drive
Also worth it near here
Best time to visit Old Elk Creek
Best months: May–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
37° / 7°
8 wet
Feb
41° / 11°
8 wet
Mar
48° / 18°
7 wet
Apr
56° / 24°
7 wet
May
65° / 32°
7 wet
Jun
77° / 38°
6 wet
Jul
80° / 46°
11 wet
Aug
78° / 46°
13 wet
Sep
72° / 38°
9 wet
Oct
61° / 27°
7 wet
Nov
48° / 17°
6 wet
Dec
38° / 8°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Chama, NM, 17.7 mi away at 7,850 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
