Dearhamer Campground

White River National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: CARBONDALE, CO, CO

Price: From $29 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (71 reviews)

Season: May through October

Located approximately 22 miles east of Basalt, Colorado, in the White River National Forest, Dearhamer Campground sits adjacent to the Fryingpan River above Ruedi Reservoir at an elevation of 7,800 feet.Dearhamer Campground has 13 standard sites suitable for tents, trailers, and RVs. There is a maximum length of 35 feet for RVs. The sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/dearhamer-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Dearhamer is renowned for world-class fly fishing on the Fryingpan River, with large rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout plentiful in this stretch. Campers consistently report excellent fishing access, clean facilities, and a quiet setting with direct access to the river inlet and Ruedi Reservoir.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, and Red Fox documented in the area — store food properly and remain alert.

Insider tips for Dearhamer Campground: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with only 12 sites and high demand. Request center sites with shade or perimeter sites for privacy; some center sites are exposed. Bring a self-contained RV or expect vault toilets only; no hookups available at most sites.

Skip Dearhamer Campground if: You need RV hookups — electric hookups listed but noted as unavailable at most sites.. You prefer full amenities — vault toilets and no-flush facilities only.. You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations only..

Best time to visit Dearhamer Campground: May-October — Official operating season; peak fishing season typically summer months when water conditions are optimal for Fryingpan River trout..

Nearby campgrounds: Little Mattie Campground (Carbondale, CO), Ruedi Marina Campground (CARBONDALE , CO), Chapman Campground And Group (Carbondale, CO), Yeoman Campground (Eagle, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Dearhamer Campground

Cell signal at Dearhamer Campground (CARBONDALE, CO): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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White River National Forest — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Dearhamer Campground

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CARBONDALE, CO, CO★ 4.2 (71 reviews)From $29/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Located approximately 22 miles east of Basalt, Colorado, in the White River National Forest, Dearhamer Campground sits adjacent to the Fryingpan River above Ruedi Reservoir at an elevation of 7,800 feet.Dearhamer Campground has 13 standard sites suitable for tents, trailers, and RVs. There is a maximum length of 35 feet for RVs. The sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV69 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsBoat Launch

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — electric hookups listed but noted as unavailable at most sites.✕ You prefer full amenities — vault toilets and no-flush facilities only.✕ You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with only 12 sites and high demand.

Request center sites with shade or perimeter sites for privacy; some center sites are exposed.

Bring a self-contained RV or expect vault toilets only; no hookups available at most sites.

Best: May-October

Official operating season; peak fishing season typically summer months when water conditions are optimal for Fryingpan River trout.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, and Red Fox documented in the area — store food properly and remain alert.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
801-226-3564· White River National Forest
Getting there →

From Basalt, travel east on Frying Pan River Road for approximately 20 miles, just past Ruedi Reservoir to Dearhamer Campground.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — White River National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at White River National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Dearhamer Campground cost per night?+
Dearhamer Campground costs $29 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Dearhamer Campground open?+
Dearhamer Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Dearhamer Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Dearhamer Campground?+
Dearhamer Campground can accommodate RVs up to 69 feet.
How do I make reservations at Dearhamer Campground?+
Dearhamer Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Dearhamer Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Dearhamer Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Dearhamer Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Dearhamer Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility MapAmerican Land and Leisure
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$29 /night★ 4.2 (71)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Dearhamer Campground cost per night?+
What season is Dearhamer Campground open?+
Does Dearhamer Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Little Mattie Campground

Carbondale, CO

From $29/night

Ruedi Marina Campground

CARBONDALE , CO

From $29/night

Chapman Campground And Group

Carbondale, CO

From $30/night

Forest campground camping

Yeoman Campground

Eagle, CO

From $20/night

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