Lake Irwin

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Somerset, CO, CO

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (63 reviews)

Season: May through October

Lake Irwin Campground is situated on the western banks of its picturesque namesake lake, approximately 9 miles from Crested Butte, Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its abundant trail opportunities, fishing and beautiful scenery.For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.The campground offers several single-family campsites, some of which are accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Showers, Fishing

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

Lake Irwin offers picturesque scenery on the western banks of its namesake lake with abundant trail opportunities for hiking and mountain biking, plus excellent fishing where fish are reportedly visible rising to the surface.

Wildlife alert: Moose, Pacific Marten, Yellow-bellied Marmot, North American Porcupine, and Mule Deer present in area. Birds include Evening Grosbeak, Green-tailed Towhee, Dusky Grouse, and Audubon's Warbler.

Insider tips for Lake Irwin: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand. Free campsites available further from the lake if main pay area is full. Arrive early in the day to secure first-come, first-serve spots during peak season.

Skip Lake Irwin if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.. You're sensitive to bathroom odors — reviewers note the toilets smell awful despite the campground being clean and busy..

Best time to visit Lake Irwin: Weekdays (non-holiday) — First-come, first-serve camping fills quickly, especially during busy periods like post-July 4th when spots were claimed by noon.. May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only..

Nearby campgrounds: Oh Be Joyful Campground (Crested Butte, CO), Gothic (Crested Butte, CO), Erickson Springs (Somerset, CO), Cement Creek (Crested Butte, CO).

Cell Phone Coverage at Lake Irwin

Cell signal at Lake Irwin (Somerset, 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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Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Lake Irwin

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Somerset, CO, CO★ 4.1 (63 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Lake Irwin Campground is situated on the western banks of its picturesque namesake lake, approximately 9 miles from Crested Butte, Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its abundant trail opportunities, fishing and beautiful scenery.For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.The campground offers several single-family campsites, some of which are accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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 RV99 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Showers

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 most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.✕ You're sensitive to bathroom odors — reviewers note the toilets smell awful despite the campground being clean and busy.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Free campsites available further from the lake if main pay area is full.

Arrive early in the day to secure first-come, first-serve spots during peak season.

Best: Weekdays (non-holiday)

First-come, first-serve camping fills quickly, especially during busy periods like post-July 4th when spots were claimed by noon.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

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: Moose, Pacific Marten, Yellow-bellied Marmot, North American Porcupine, and Mule Deer present in area. Birds include Evening Grosbeak, Green-tailed Towhee, Dusky Grouse, and Audubon's Warbler.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
970-349-6348· Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
Getting there →

From Gunnison, take Colorado Highway 135 north 28 miles to Crested Butte. Turn left on Gunnison County Road 12. Proceed 7 miles. Turn right on Forest Road 826 and follow signs to the 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 — Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Lake Irwin cost per night?+
Lake Irwin costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Lake Irwin open?+
Lake Irwin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Lake Irwin have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Lake Irwin?+
Lake Irwin can accommodate RVs up to 99 feet.
How do I make reservations at Lake Irwin?+
Lake Irwin 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 Lake Irwin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Lake Irwin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Lake Irwin open, and what are check-in times?+
Lake Irwin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service Concessionaire
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.

$24 /night★ 4.1 (63)
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 Lake Irwin cost per night?+
What season is Lake Irwin open?+
Does Lake Irwin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Oh Be Joyful Campground

Crested Butte, CO

From $20/night

Gothic

Crested Butte, CO

From $20/night

Erickson Springs

Somerset, CO

From $20/night

Cement Creek

Crested Butte, CO

From $20/night

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Lake Irwin — Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison | CamperWatch