USDA Forest Service · Colorado
Summit Lake Campground
USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States
- Cost
- Overnight Use: Single Site: $20 per night Day Use: $5 per day
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 10,384 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T good · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SUMMIT LAKE CG + PG (NFSR 60.1A) · crushed aggregate or gravel · moderate degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Activities
- Camping, Tent, Camping, Trailer, Camping, Vehicle, Picnicking
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. 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
US Forest Service campground. Summit Lake Campground generally does not open until Mid July and is located on Buffalo Pass in the Steamboat Springs Area. It provides 9 back-in campsites and 6 walk-in tent sites. Each site has a table and a fire grate, and vault toilets and trash service is offered. Day Use is also obtainable in two parking lots provided for the visitor to use while fishing or picnicking. Only hand powered watercraft are permitted on Summit Lake, with no boat ramp available. This campground provides great opportunities for mountain biking, dirt biking and ATVing, horseback riding, fishing and hiking. It is located near the boundary of Mount Zirkel Wilderness which offers numerous backcountry opportunities. This campground is managed by the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District. 970-870-2299. Open season: July . Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | -23° | 33° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 22° | 4° | -17° | 36° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 30° | 9° | -8° | 46° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 36° | 14° | -5° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 46° | 21° | 13° | 57° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 63° | 34° | 22° | 75° | 9 of 11 |
| July | 71° | 42° | 33° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 68° | 41° | 35° | 76° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 61° | 34° | 15° | 72° | 8 of 11 |
| October | 47° | 22° | -22° | 58° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 32° | 9° | -20° | 47° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 21° | -1° | -16° | 33° | 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
- Powerline Trailhead · 0.4 mi as the crow flies
Wyoming Trail 64 mi Hike · Drive there - Newcomb Creek Trailhead · 5.5 mi as the crow flies
Newcomb Creek 6.5 mi Hike · Drive there - Grizzly Trailhead · 5.9 mi as the crow flies
Grizzley-Helena 29 mi Hike · Drive there - Percy Lake Trailhead · 6.1 mi as the crow flies
Percy Lake 3.0 mi Hike · Drive there - Rainbow Lake Trailhead · 9.4 mi as the crow flies
Rainbow Lakes 8.3 mi Hike · Drive there
All 375 trails in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
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
- Granite Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Hidden Lakes Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 9 sites
- Teal Lake Group Campsite · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 36 sites
- Grizzly Creek Guard Station · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 1 sites
- Dry Lake Campground (CO) · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 22 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.