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Pickle Gulch is a group picnic and camping facility located just off the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway/Highway 119. Visitors enjoy the area for its scenic and off-road driving, and nearby hiking and fishing opportunities.
Many hiking and biking trails are found nearby. Scenic driving is available along Highways 119 and 72, which is also known as the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. Numerous creeks, rivers and lakes in the area provide fishing opportunities. Off-road enthusiasts will find many jeep roads in the vicinity.
Pickle Gulch is an area that offers day-use picnic sites and six campsites to accommodate large groups. The picnic site can accommodate up to 150 people and is equipped with picnic tables and campfire circles. A parking area, vault toilets and a playground are provided.
The group campsites are all walk-to sites for tent camping only. The on-site host has wheelbarrows available for campers, to haul equipment from the parking area. Each campsite is equipped with picnic tables, a campfire circle and tent pads. Vault toilets and drinking water spigots are shared between sites.
A separate day-use area contains two volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, picnic tables and a vault toilet.
Firewood may be gathered from the surrounding forest, if available, or purchased from the host.
The site offers many scenic views of the surrounding area. It is set among a fairly level forest of lodgepole pine trees, dotted with aspens.
Due to the mountain pine beetle infestation and removal of hazardous trees, there may be little to no shade at these sites.
The historic mining town of Central City is nearby. The town hosts various popular events, including Lou Bunch Day and the Central City Opera and Jazz festivals.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a short drive from the campground. This scenic park offers more than 35 miles of hiking trails. Mountain biking and horseback riding are also allowed on some trails. Every stream and pond within the park is open to fishing.
From Interstate 25 in Denver, travel west on 6th Avenue to State Highway 6 and continue through Clear Creek Canyon. Turn on State Highway 119 toward Black Hawk and Central City. Follow the highway 4 miles north of Black Hawk, to the campground.
We tried out pickle gulch during the first week of May. It was a difficult, yet fun trail. However, we were not able to continue past a certain point, due to there being some large snow drifts (still) and three FJ cruisers stuck in said snow drifts. Towards the beginning of the trail, we had a little difficulty getting up the first really steep hill via the bypass. In my opinion, the bypass is just as hard as the actual trail, if not harder. We ended up getting stuck and had to winch ourselves out. We did it in a '17 JKU sport with 31" tires and no lift. We would love to try it again when all of the snow has melted!
The campsites closer to the entrance were pretty typical. We went during Labor Day weekend so lots of empty reserved spots. However there was a trail for off road vehicles behind the campsites that led to significantly better ones. Perfect little spots w campsites and soft areas for some traditional tent camping. As a beginner I’m off road trails I’d recommended a once over your vehicle before you attempt to get up there just to prepare yourself for a proper route. But we’ll worth it once your clear.
My son's Trail Life Troop met here for a weekend camping trip and it was a fantastic spot!
Be aware: zero cell coverage for most of us! (I have Verizon)
Down along the river there were a ton of forts the boys enjoyed. There was so much room to explore and play.
A fun geocache on the property too!
Bathrooms were nice and clean, I saw them being cleaned while we were there.
We hiked up the road to the playground and to enjoy the view.
We even had a moose pass by!
A great space overall.
Beautiful destination. Pickle Gulch is well maintained, and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Loved the large camp site (#6), which camped over 15 people. The photo was from a very short hike I took from the campsite. Tent pads and common areas were top-notch.
It was a nice campground. Very clean and well maintained. It had 2 picnic tables, a fire pit with grate, bbq and bear boxes. The bathrooms are well maintained. The water faucet was nice. There is a pretty creek and a gorgeous meadow with amazing views. However the sites are pretty far from the parking area. You have to lug all your gear about 150 yards up a gravely path. At elevation it’s definitely tiring and a lot of work to unpack and then pack up again. There was also a bunch of people shooting guns nearby (not in the campground) that was very annoying and unsettling. But all in all a nice spot and not too difficult to get to from Denver.
