Campground · 7 bookable sites ·
Managed by the USDA Forest Service
The Horse Thief Campground, located at Trappers Lake in the White River National Forest, offers a natural setting for stock users adjacent to the Flat Tops Wilderness. The campsites are set aside for stock users only, with corrals, long spurs for large trailers, and an RV Dump just up the road. The Flat Tops Wilderness area provides miles of riding within this historic wilderness area. Trappers Lake is in the wilderness, so motorized, mechanized, and any kind of wheeled cart is prohibited; this goes for bikes and game carts on the trails as well.
Trappers Lake is known as the Cradle of Wilderness. At approximately 302 surface acres, the lake contains a strain of native cutthroat trout and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife operates a spawn collection station at the Cabin Creek inlet during May and June. Trappers Lake lies completely within the Flat Tops Wilderness; motorized boats and wheeled carts for boat transport are prohibited.
Horse Thief Campground (Elevation 9,700ft) has 7 single first-come first-serve sites with corrals . There are long spurs to accommodate large trailers (max length 60ft). The campground is equipped with picnic tables, fire grates, vault toilets, trash disposal, bear boxes, and potable water. Limited shade is available so shade shelters are recommended. An RV dump station within the TL Campground complex. Electrical hook-ups are not available.
The Horse Thief Campground at Trappers Lake is located adjacent to the Flat Tops Wilderness, offering a natural environment with many pothole lakes, surrounding glacier carved mountains, and access to trails and wilderness areas. Wildlife frequent the area and moose, elk, deer, marmots, pine marten, and an abundance of birds may be seen.
Fishing Access: Trappers Lake, Little Trappers Lake, Wall Lake, Fraser Creek, Lake of the Woods
Trail Access: Little Trappers Trail #1814, Carhart Trail #1815, Trappers Lake Trail #1816, Wall Lake
Trail #1818, Island Lakes Trail #1842, Chinese Wall Trail #1803, Deer Lake Trail #2021, South Derby
Trail #1857, Himes Peak Trail #1877
Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, sewer hookups, fire pits, picnic tables, grills.
| Site | Loop | Type | Entry | Surface | Grade | Max rig | People | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 2 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 3 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 4 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 5 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 6 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
| 7 | Horse Thief | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | Slight | 55 ft | 10 | 🐾 |
From Meeker, take Colorado Highway 13 east for 1 mile, then turn right on Rio Blanco County Road 8 and follow this for 39 miles to Trappers Lake Road #205. Turn south on Trappers Lake Road #205, and continue for 10 miles turn right at the bridge near Trappers Lake Lodge. Horse Thief Campground is approximately 1 mile further on the right.
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-07-23.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
Comments