Raspberry Gulch Dispersed Camping

This area is well used, but everyone on this visit was quiet. The biggest problem are the cows. They came very close to my trailer and unfortunately pooped on my welcome mat. So next time I scared them off by snapping a belt and walking towards them, they haven't been back since. Loved the Brown's Creek Falls trail very near here, and also close to Buena Vista. Overall a great camp!

We stayed in this area from August 2nd - 11th and absolutely loved it! School was already back in, so we did not find the area overly crowded, especially during the week. We were able to pull our 30 ft Travel Trailer near the top of FS Road 273 and found a wonderful clearing with tons of privacy, but plenty of shade for Solar and open skies for Starlink. If you go up this road, I would scout it first as it is a narrow road and not much room to turn around. Luckily for us, we did not pass anyone when we were coming up or down with the RV.

From this location, you are within 30 minutes of Buena Vista and Salida, and you're also very near the Colorado Trail if you're a hiker. We did the Browns Creek Waterfall Trail and thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you want to see more views of the area, including the Browns Creek Waterfall Trail, we did a YouTube episode from this location (@AncestralAdventures on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vk1o22nM0).

Browns Creek Waterfall Trail - Footage starts around 30 seconds in
Brief campsite footage - Starts at the 7:45 mark

This is beautiful dispersed camping! There were many areas in which to park. The views were amazing.

One note, if you suffer from altitude sickness this isn’t the place for you. We were camped at the 8300 foot elevation level. My generator didn’t like it.

I parked my 45’ toy hauler fifth wheel in one of the larger clearings. It was tight getting in and out but with some patience I got it done! My Starlink dishy worked great too.

The close proximity to Salida and Poncha Springs made this an ideal place to park. There is a Visitor Center just off highway 285 that has a dump station and potable water too.

Be wary….the roads going in are rough with a washboard surface most of the way.

This is a wonderful place to stay! Conveniently located close to awesome towns like Salida & Buena Vista, and close to great hiking like collegiate peaks and some more trailheads in the immediate area. We have stayed here twice in two different sites and had great experiences both times. It’s a dirt road but we’ll maintained, and the people in the area have been quiet and respectful. Will definitely stay here again.

Rasberry Gulch is one of my favorite camping areas. Most sites have breathtaking views of Mt. Princeton, and Mt. Antero. The area is also great for hiking and mountain biking.

The road in can vary in condition. It does rut out easily, but the forest service does maintain it mid-summer by regrading. As you go further back it does become more rocky but we did not require 4X4.

Multiple big rigs camp in the area and there are ample turn around locations. Most sites are fairly level. There are also private sites and more "group" type sites.

One drawback of the area is it is popular on holiday weekends and some noisy neighbors can move in. During the week it is peaceful.

We received 3 bars of Verizon 4G but with poor upload speeds.

Tried to get a spot at Browns Creek but the only spot we found was next to a really rude lady that was trying to hold several spots for a group. Ended up finding a spot at Raspberry. Great quiet spot away from other campers. The only knock on it is that there was some road traffic. Great place If you are in the area white water rafting or fishing.

The area is pretty good with decent cell signal for both Verizon and AT&T. Halfwayish between Salida and Buena Vista.

AT&t is stronger the closer you get to the trailhead off of 272 while Verizon works better off of 274A.

At the trailhead there is also a nice creek with minimal slope on the banks so someone with mobility issues like me can actually put their feet in to cool off.

If you want more shaded sites then 272 is your choice. If you're wanting more open area with amazing many peak views with no shade then 274A would be your best choice.

We started out on 274A and then a heat wave came through and we relocated , findng a shady spot on 272.

We are here the week before Father's Day and a lot of sites filled up yesterday (Wednesday) so be advised, an earlier arrival on Monday or first thing Tuesday is highly recommended.

The Visitor Center in Poncha Springs has both a dump ($) and free potable water. The Public Works on Gregg Rd. in Buena Vista has potable water at a kiosk for a minimum price of $2.50 for up to 250 gallons. Buena Vista Community Center has 24/7 showers for $2 but, you need to bring your own quarters. The laundry mat in BV has 20 minute showers for $7 .