Directions
From South Fork, Colorado, take Highway 160 for 13 miles west, turn onto Forest Road 410 SW, and go 1.8 miles to Big Meadows Campground.
Phone
435-245-6521
Activities
BOATING, CAMPING, FISHING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, DAY USE AREA
Keywords
BIGS,RIO GRANDE NF- FS
Related Link(s)
Colorado State Road Conditions
Overview
Big Meadows is located in the San Juan Mountains in south-central Colorado, about 11 miles west of South Fork. The campground is lightly wooded with spruce trees, creating a beautiful meadow atmosphere.
The Rio Grande National Forest spans 1.86 million acres in south-central Colorado. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the forest’s western border, presenting a myriad of ecosystems from alpine desert to dense wilderness.
Recreation
An accessible fishing pier, located on the north shore of the reservoir, allows anglers to cast for rainbow, brown and brook trout. Hunting, boating and hiking are also popular pastimes.
Hikers and horseback riders will enjoy the 6-mile Archuleta Trail. The trail accesses the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado’s largest wilderness, which boasts the headwaters of dozens of major streams and rivers that feed into the Rio Grande and San Juan rivers.
Facilities
Each site has a campfire ring and picnic tables. Drinking water is available.
The nearest dump station is 13 miles away, and a boat ramp is located on the north shore of the reservoir.
Natural Features
The campground meanders up a mountainside above Big Meadows Reservoir in a series of loops. As a sub-alpine region, the campground gets more rainfall than the opposite side of the lake, resulting in plentiful wildflowers and aspens surrounding the campsites.
Nearby Attractions
The surrounding area has plenty to keep visitors busy, with attractions like Great Sand Dunes National Park, Native American ruins, remnants of the Spanish Conquistadors and gold rush ghost towns. The Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Ranges are laced with trails for avid hikers.
