Can you reserve a site at North Canyon Campground?

Yes, North Canyon Campground is reservable through Recreation.gov.

What is the maximum RV length at North Canyon Campground?

45 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.

Are pets allowed at North Canyon Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at North Canyon Campground.

Are campfires allowed at North Canyon Campground?

Campfires are allowed at North Canyon Campground. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

North Canyon Campground, Colorado — 21 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

North Canyon Campground is situated next to Vallecito Reservoir in southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its beautiful scenery and wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing and hiking.

Recreation

Vallecito Reservoir is a very popular fishing lake, with anglers casting for German brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon and northern pike.

The lake offers great boating, water skiing and canoeing opportunities. Boat rentals and fishing licenses are available at various locations around the lake.

A variety of hiking and horseback riding trails are found in the area. The North Canyon Trail begins across the road from the campground and leads through ponderosa pine and aspen forests. A short side trail leads to a scenic overlook of the lake.

East Creek Trail begins a quarter-mile northeast of the campground, on Forest Road 852. It provides access to a lightly used, scenic drainage where fly-fisherman cast for brook trout. Both trails are popular with horseback riders, however, horses are not allowed in the campground.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites, many of which have lake views. Sites are equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Natural Features

Vallecito, which is Spanish for "little valley," sits at an elevation of 7,900 feet. Scattered ponderosa pines tower over the open campground, offering limited shade. A thick understory provides privacy between sites, many of which have partial lake views. Thickets of willow separate the camping area from the lakeshore. High peaks of the San Juans are visible to the northwest of the campground.

Contact Info

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

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.

The facts

Season: May – September — USDA Forest Service, Aug 24, 2026
21 bookable sites
Vehicles up to 45 ft
Up to 8 people per site
Loops: Loop A

Site types

21 Standard Nonelectric

Amenities

Campfires allowed
Picnic tables
Grills
Shade
Pets allowed
Sewer hookups — not available

Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, fire pits.

Book on Recreation.gov

21 campsites at North Canyon Campground

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Grade	Max rig	People
001	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
002	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
003	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
004	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
005	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
006	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
007	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	21 ft	8	🐾
008	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	30 ft	8	🐾
009	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
010	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	40 ft	8	🐾
011	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	40 ft	8	🐾
012	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
013	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
014	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	32 ft	8	🐾
015	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	30 ft	8	🐾
016	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	30 ft	8	🐾
017	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
018	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	30 ft	8	🐾
019	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	35 ft	8	🐾
020	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	45 ft	8	🐾
021	Loop A	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Moderate	35 ft	8	🐾

Getting there

From Bayfield, Colo., at the Vallecito Lake sign on U.S. Highway 160 (County Road 501), go north about 13 miles to Vallecito. Turn right on County Road 501A at the fire station and travel 4 miles to the campground.

37.39389, -107.53889 · 37°23'38.0"N 107°32'20.0"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 81°F in Jul, down to 38°F in Jan.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	38	41	49	57	66	77	81	79	73	61	48	39
Low °F	7	11	20	27	35	42	49	48	40	30	21	12
Precip in	2.5	2.1	1.7	1.4	1.7	0.9	2.6	3.2	3.4	2.3	1.9	2.1

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 2.5 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Common questions about North Canyon Campground

Can you reserve a site at North Canyon Campground?: Yes, North Canyon Campground is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does North Canyon Campground have?: 21 sites.
What is the maximum RV length at North Canyon Campground?: 45 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
Are pets allowed at North Canyon Campground?: Yes, pets are allowed at North Canyon Campground.
Does North Canyon Campground have hookups?: No hookups are recorded here.
Are campfires allowed at North Canyon Campground?: Campfires are allowed at North Canyon Campground. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Also listed by

North Canyon Campground also appears in other federal recreation data. Facts below are matched by name and location, not confirmed by North Canyon Campground's operator.

USDA Forest Service — data as of Aug 24, 2026

$24

Restrictions:

Quiet time is typically between 10pm - 6am. Please be a good neighbor and limit use of generators to no more than one hour at a time.
Dogs must be leashed or otherwise physically restrained. Do not leave pets unattended.
Check-out time: 12:00 pm; Check-in time: 2:00 pm - if the site is empty, campers may come in anytime.
Standard single site occupancy is 8, but a single family with > 8 members is acceptable.
Equipment with wheels (RVs, campers, cars) must fit in the parking spur. There is not any overflow parking available.
Max RV size = 40 ft

USDA Forest Service's own page

Camping near North Canyon Campground

Graham Creek Campground 0.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Pine Point (Vallecito Reservoir, CO) 0.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Middle Mountain 1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Pine River 4.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Vallecito Campground 5.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Miller Creek 6.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Florida Campground (Co) 8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Transfer Park Campground 9.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Pine Point Campground 0.5 mi · Campground
Old Timers Day Use Area 1.7 mi · Facility
Florida Campground 8.9 mi · Campground
Transfer Park Campground 9.1 mi · Campground

Contact

Email rlynd@goexplorus.com
Book Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

North Canyon Campground