Camping at Elevenmile

I'm trying to reserve a camping spot for Elevenmile Canyon on the online reservation system. The problem is that none of the campground names on the reservation system match up with the campgrounds I've read on the crag info (Spillway, etc).

Anyone have any suggestions on where to try to get a spot? I know there is free camping in other areas but I would be happy to pay a little and have a spot by the water. On the otherhand, I wouldn't mind a spot that has less of a crowd.

Thanks for any info you can give.

The best campgrounds to stay in are Cove, Springer Gulch, and Riverside. Cove is almost next to Pine Cone Dome. Springer Gulch has easy access to Springer Gulch Wall, Teale Tower, River Wall, Turret Dome, and Arch Rock. Riverside is near the head of the canyon and close to Elevenmile Dome. Riverside is good because it has walk-in tent sites. Cove is good because it is small and intimate, also some nearby bouldering. There is no free camping in the canyon itself.

Thanks so much. Is "Cove" the same as "Wico Witchers Cove" (as they list it on the park site) do you think?

I appreciate it.

Rrrright. So I'm an eejit and was on the wrong site. I found both campgrounds on the Pike National Forest site. Thanks!

Site 9 springer gulch is a great site and it's reservable. 8 sucks badly.

Just to report back to anyone who needs similar information in the future with all of the usual "IMO" caveats:

We camped at Riverside - we barely got one of the first come, first served spots at 6pm on Friday and we had been unable to reserve because you must reserve 5 days or more in advance. This campground has a bunch of families and is very much a fisher-car camping site. We enjoyed it and had a great view of the river, a picnic table and fire pit but we also had some dogs barking and whining children. The tent sites at Riverside in the teens are mostly in the shade but the sites in the single digits are in the sun. There is potable water and a bathroom.

A good map of the campgrounds is here and links to the various campgrounds and reservation website are here.

We checked out Cove while we were there which was definitely smaller (4 sites) but wasn't particularly 'wild' feeling if that is what you are looking for (drive in sites close together but far off the road and not RV friendly so it might attract quieter folks). All 4 sites are reservable and were reserved for the weekend well in advance. One positive aspect of the Cove is that it is closer to the awesome swimming areas of the river that are further into the canyon.

Spring Gulch looked nice but we didn't get a close look at it.

Good to see you made it to the canyon, hope you had some good climbs.

I generally camp out of canyon from Wagon Tongue and into the forest where there is not a fee for the camping. There is still a use fee for the canyon itself. Some areas in the forest may need 4x4 to access and camping is not near the Platte, but you get the more wild in the forest; just make sure you are not setup where the red-neck yacht club is taking target practice (just a joke -- I've never had a problem).

Sidenote: if anyone gets tired from climbing (or it rains its ass off) and wants to get some fishing in, there are some good trout to be caught -- gold-medal waters. Anyone know the specifics as to the New Zealand snail infestation and impacts?

And, thinking of Turret (Dome), has anyone "found" this route also: it skirts well right of the easy slab, starting up a left-facing dihedral flake for about 3 pitches (5.2 to 5.4); then 3rd class right then moving up and left to a shady belay under a gigantic right-facing flake (simul-climbed up to this point); 1 pitch of 5.6R to a comfy ledge; then finishes the upper headwall through an obvious weakness with a couple of 5.8 moves? It's an obvious natural line that has been climbed before, but it's not the Sunshine Slab & not the Upper Lip. Just wondering what it is.

Mark Nelson wrote:Good to see you made it to the canyon, hope you had some good climbs.