Free Car Camping near Eldo

With climbing back on...for the most part in Boulder and In the never ending search for dirt bag (ie free) camping in the Boulder area for those of use on the road. I have found that there is a great parking lot for car camping just 20 yards to the north of The Eldo Market. Probably better for only weekend use because it's an office building. Just thought I'd throw out the beta for this; peace.

Good luck. You might be able to get away with sleeping there if you roll in super late and leave super early, but more than likely you'll probably get harassed by the cops. This area is like 5.12 dirtbagging.

Sounds like if you're car camping it would just be safer to drive a few miles away to a walmart or less trafficked area and roll back to the climbing destination in the morning.

But if you can onsite 5.12 dirt bagging then no biggy.

If you want bomber dirtbag camping near Eldo head down 93 a couple miles to coal creek canyon rd. Head west and basically take your first right before you hit the mountains. Follow this road a couple hundred yards and you have a couple dirt lots in which you can sleep any time of day/year. For those in search of a semi permenant spot simply walk into the trees maybe 50 yards and there are flat spots perfect for tents with access to water with plenty of cover from the road. Maybe 5.3 sandbag camping at most. Enjoy.

P.s. Technically, I think it is Jeffco land so just a heads up. However, it is a popular carpull lot so there are always abandoned cars there. I've stayed there maybe 50-60 nights up to 5 consecutive, and have never even been talked to.

That office building parking lot is definitely not legal for overnight dirtbagging. A few nights in a row there and I can virtually guarantee Boulder PD will be tapping on your window. Just because you got away with it once or twice doesn't mean it's legal or a good idea to spray over the internet about.

I wonder if any AAC members have tried dirtbagging in the Golden HQ parking lot? If it works it could be known as the AAC Golden half-a-hostel.

I would really recommend going somewhere else and not bothering with Front Range dirtbagging. This is not a "stay away from my local crags" tirade either. Simply put, there are many other places to go with easier logistics and better climbing. The reason that the Front Range crags are so famous and popular is because they are close to several large cities, which is exactly what makes them not very suited to road tripping. If you leave the immediate Boulder area, you can find crags that are less crowded, have better climbing, and have easy camping options.

Consider nearby Colorado alternatives such as:
Anything in the Platte (Turkey, Cathedral Spires, etc)
Devils Head
Shelf
Rifle (currently out of season, though)
various GJ crags
etc.

All have good legal camping options (cheap or free), and better climbing than Eldo. There is a reason that people from Boulder will drive down to Turkey, even though Eldo is 15 minutes from home; the climbing is better down there.

Or that glorious land of free camping and great climbing known of as southern Utah. Seriously, why try to have a dirtbag road trip in boulder, with mediocre climbing and dodgy camping, when you can go to Moab or Joes or Ibex or Saint George and find tons of free camping, less people, and better climbing than in Boulder?

Get a Delorme Colorado atlas (very detailed with dirt roads also). The big green boxes are national forest land. You can camp up to 2 weeks in any spot you find established. Most free camping will be in the snow at this point, if the roads are open.
Switzerland trail
Magnolia
lots of places west of the Peak to Peak highway (Rainbow lakes, brainard area, St vrain).
Rollins pass area
between Rollinsville and West Magnolia (easy 4x roads)
Not much 'legal' around Boulder at all, they outlawed camping just about anywhere in the front range to keep the hippies out in the late 90's. Nearest RV park is in [sch]longmont...

For as 'outdoorsy' as Boulder is, there is a surprising lack of camping opportunities at lower elevations.