Dispersed camping · Colorado
What the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests (Routt NF / Colorado portion) actually allows for dispersed camping — how far off a road you may drive, which roads that applies to, and the closure orders that override it. Every figure below is sourced; the primary documents are linked at the bottom.
| Rule | This forest | |
|---|---|---|
| How far off the road you may drive | 300 ft | from the road centerline |
| Where that applies | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | |
| Distance to keep from water | — | unverified |
| Stay limit | 14 days | per the forest order |
The corridor applies ONLY where the map carries the dispersed-camping symbol (usually dots beside the road line). An unmarked open road is not a camping corridor, and this is the rule most often misread.
Route-specific, not blanket. Routt NF MVUM legend (Parks RD MVUM 2018, hosted on fs.usda.gov, verified verbatim): 'Motor vehicle use off of designated roads for the purpose of dispersed camping is permitted for up to 300 feet from the centerline of the road... This applies to the following roads:' (a listed table), with the dot symbol keyed to a Dispersed Camping/Game Retrieval Table. The forest-wide official dispersed-camping handout says to park 1-2 car lengths off the road generally and to 'consult the Motor Vehicle Use Map for areas where you can park up to 300 feet from the established road.'
Dot symbol = limited cross-country motor vehicle use within a specific distance of that route solely for dispersed camping and/or game retrieval; specifics in the Dispersed Camping/Game Retrieval Table (Routt Parks RD MVUM legend, verified).
No large designated-sites-only zones verified on the Routt/Colorado side. Dispersed camping generally prohibited within 1/4 mile of campgrounds per the official handout. Wilderness (e.g., Mount Zirkel): camping and campfires prohibited within 100 feet, or more if posted, of all lakes, streams and trails (official page).
Stay limit (Routt 14 days/30; Medicine Bow & Thunder Basin 16 days/30; must move at least 3 miles if continuing after 30 days) is from the forest's official dispersed-camping PDF — the underlying forest order was not located, so the number is verified against an official FS document but not order text. Water setback: no general water-setback order or rule verified; the handout contains one grammatically ambiguous sentence ('Dispersed camping is allowed, except where the area is posted closed, within 200 feet of any developed road, trail, picnic area, water source and trailhead, as well as 1/4 mile from campgrounds') reported verbatim rather than interpreted; the 100-ft prohibition is verified only for wilderness areas. Parks RD MVUM is dated 2018; other Routt district MVUM legends not individually read.
Open the map for Colorado — forest roads, boundaries and closures are on the map; scored campsite locations are built for Wyoming and Idaho so far.
Confidence in this summary: medium. Forest orders change mid-season and districts differ — this is a research summary, not legal advice. Check the sources above before you drive out.