By:
Submission
Dispersed camping at the base of Mount Shavano outside Salida, CO.
WARNING! Hikers descending from Tabequache should not descend into McCoy Gulch! This is a dangerous route and a number of climbers have been injured or killed.
From Poncha Springs, travel west on Highway 50 for 2 miles to the junction of County Road 250 located on the right side of the highway. Turn right onto CR 250 and travel west for 4.5 miles to the boundary of Forest and BLM lands. At this point, the road forks. Take the left fork which continues at Forest Road 252. Stay on this road for approximately 3 miles to the trailhead.
The Jenning Creek access located off of Forest Road 240 is permanently closed.
There are many dispersed camp sites located along Forest Road 252 or past the trailhead parking area on the left. Camp away from the stream and pack all trash out. No reservation required.
Stayed here for the first time recently (2023-06-03) and really enjoyed it.
There are quite a few campsites, most with fire rings.
Unfortunately we did see a bit of trash at many sites (we did stop and clean a few), but thankfully not all sites had this issue.
This is primitive camping, aside from the fire ring, if you don't bring it, you won't have it.
There is lots of scrub and the ground is rocky, but shouldn't probe difficult to set up. We used a car awning staked out and we saw multiple tents as we drove around looking for a good spot.
Excellent views (stunning sunsets), recommend stopping if you need a place for a night or two.
