East Portal Campground

Curecanti National Recreation Area — riverside

Location: Montrose, CO, CO

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (4 reviews)

Season: May through October

The East Portal Campground is located within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but is adjacent to and only accessible from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The campground is located at the bottom of the canyon, along the Gunnison River. It is a small campground of 15 sites (10 are tent-only), shaded by box elder trees.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Bear Boxes

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

Small, secluded 15-site campground located at the bottom of Black Canyon of the Gunnison with riverside access and minimal crowds. Google reviewers consistently praise it as an incredible, peaceful camping experience with clean facilities.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear present in area — bear boxes provided at sites. Also watch for Long-tailed Weasel, Hopi Chipmunk, Bald Eagle, Dusky Grouse, and various lizard species.

Insider tips for East Portal Campground: Book early — federal campground fills quickly during season. 10 of 15 sites are tent-only; only a small handful are pull-in vehicle sites, rest require short carry-in. Access via East Portal Road, 5.5 miles from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park entrance.

Skip East Portal Campground if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at sites.. You prefer winter camping — campground closed November through April.. You want large, developed facilities — small campground with vault toilets only..

Best time to visit East Portal Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October; closed in winter when East Portal Road is closed by Bureau of Reclamation..

Nearby campgrounds: Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground (MONTROSE, CO), Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground (Montrose, CO), Cimarron Campground (Co) (Gunnison, CO), Lake Fork Campground (GUNNISON, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at East Portal Campground

Cell signal at East Portal Campground (Montrose, 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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Curecanti National Recreation Area — riversideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

East Portal Campground

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Montrose, CO, CO★ 4.5 (4 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

The East Portal Campground is located within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but is adjacent to and only accessible from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The campground is located at the bottom of the canyon, along the Gunnison River. It is a small campground of 15 sites (10 are tent-only), shaded by box elder trees.

Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites:Tent
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
HookupsNo hookups.
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesBear Boxes
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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 — no hookups available at sites.✕ You prefer winter camping — campground closed November through April.✕ You want large, developed facilities — small campground with vault toilets only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground fills quickly during season.

10 of 15 sites are tent-only; only a small handful are pull-in vehicle sites, rest require short carry-in.

Access via East Portal Road, 5.5 miles from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park entrance.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October; closed in winter when East Portal Road is closed by Bureau of Reclamation.

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 present in area — bear boxes provided at sites. Also watch for Long-tailed Weasel, Hopi Chipmunk, Bald Eagle, Dusky Grouse, and various lizard species.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
970-641-2337 x205· Curecanti National Recreation Area
Getting there →

After entering Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, turn right on East Portal Rd and follow it for 5.5 miles (8.7 km). NOTE: East Portal Campground is closed in winter, when the Bureau of Reclamation closes the East Portal Road.

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 — Curecanti National Recreation Area fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Curecanti National Recreation Area before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does East Portal Campground cost per night?+
East Portal Campground costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is East Portal Campground open?+
East Portal Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does East Portal Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at East Portal Campground?+
East Portal Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at East Portal Campground?+
East Portal 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 East Portal Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at East Portal Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is East Portal Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
East Portal Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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.

$20 /night★ 4.5 (4)
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 East Portal Campground cost per night?+
What season is East Portal Campground open?+
Does East Portal Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground

MONTROSE, CO

From $20/night

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground

Montrose, CO

From $20/night

Cimarron Campground (Co)

Gunnison, CO

From $24/night

Lake Fork Campground

GUNNISON, CO

From $24/night

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