USDA Forest Service · Colorado
Cottonwood Lake - PSICC (Co)
USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States
- Sites
- 4
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Season
- May 14 to October 10
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 9,590 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SOUTH COTTONWOOD (NFSR 344) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- PSICC
- Nearest town
- Buena Vista
- Phone
- N/A
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Overview
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.
If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Facilities
The campground is situated on a gently sloping hillside surrounded by aspen trees, within walking distance to the lake. It is a popular campground for anglers and sites fill up quickly on weekends. If the campground is full, dispersed camping is permitted along road 344 half-mile west of Cottonwood Lake.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 6° | -16° | 42° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 31° | 8° | -8° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 37° | 15° | -7° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 45° | 20° | 1° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 53° | 30° | 12° | 66° | 10 of 11 |
| June | 68° | 39° | 30° | 79° | 4 of 11 |
| July | 74° | 45° | 40° | 81° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 71° | 44° | 37° | 79° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 65° | 39° | 16° | 76° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 54° | 30° | -13° | 66° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 43° | 16° | -20° | 56° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 32° | 5° | -16° | 48° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Denny Creek Trailhead · 3.2 mi as the crow flies
Browns Pass 3.8 mi Hike · Drive there - North Cottonwood Trailhead · 6.2 mi as the crow flies
Horn Fork Basin 5.4 mi Hike · Drive there - Texas Creek Horse Trailhead · 9.6 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
All 592 trails in Pike and San Isabel National Forests · All 762 trails in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Collegiate Peaks · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 56 sites
- Cascade (Colorado) · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi · 21 sites
- Iron City · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi · 4 sites
- Chalk Lake · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi · 19 sites
- Mount Princeton · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi · 19 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-06-04. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.