Hartman Rocks Designated Dispersed Camping

As many have said below this is a great boondocking location. We camped for 10 days in Spot 8 (big enough for two rigs and two trucks (photo uploaded). As other have said if you are hauling a travel trailer or 5th wheel use the back entrance.

Here are the gps coordinates for the back entrance
38°30'01.1"N 106°59'33.4"W
https://goo.gl/maps/pPeQBpEXWr3SW3o6A

There are only 8 designated spots in this area of the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area. Most of them will fit a mid to large size rig and include a picnic table (which is VERY HEAVY if you need to move it) and a fire ring. There is no dumpstation in the Rec area or Water but there are in Gunnison just 5-10 minutes away.

Currently (June 2022) the free dumpstation at the Waste Management Center is closed for renovations but they have moved a temporary one adjacent to the Sheriff Department. Here is the location: 38°32'20.5"N 106°55'53.4"W
https://goo.gl/maps/q7hprfbpVXPQFoFy6

Free potable water can be found at Jorgerson Park (spigot easy access off the side of the road by the baseball diamond) 38°32'33.3"N 106°55'18.1"W
https://goo.gl/maps/N6CPCWS9CcZfkYtDA

When we first arrived in Gunnison in our 45ft 5th wheel toy hauler, we had planned to stay at Hartman Rocks, but we went to the main entrance (following the signs). This was a mistake! we ended up at the KOA for a night due to this...I went reading more of the reviews, and one guy suggested taking County Road 32 to get into the recreation area. This is the BEST way to go. You pass the main entrance with all the signs and go down hwy 50 just a few more miles (if you're heading west). There are about 5-7 pull through spots out this road once you get into the park (past the shooting range). There is also a BIG trailer turn around down there too just in case. We were able to get our 45ft 5th wheel into a spot no problem. We actually could have fit into almost all of the spots! And the views on this side of the rec area are amazing too! I think that people were also taking this entrance to get around to the main camping areas near the rocks...just to avoid that awful hill at the main entrance (just a note). BUT...there is absolutely no service on this side of the park. So, don't plan to be connected to anything while you're out here. We were able to take our RZR to the top of a few hills in the park and get some cell service in places, but not in the camping spot.

The Evergreen Bus review was pretty odd, IMO. Do this: Go to the free dump station in town first, then go to Jorgensen Park to get water. Turn left off Tomichi Ave onto Teller St and there's a yard hydrant right there by the Visitor Center. Go in the VC and get maps of Hartman Rocks. The staff is super nice and are happy for you to get water. Now backtrack. Ignore the Hartman Rocks sign on the highway, as this will take you to the town park, which has terrible access to the camping. Turn south on CR 32, cross the river, pass a couple ranches on the right and the quarry on the left, stay left. Stop at the kiosk and take a picture of the map. Go a little further and drop your rig and drive around and pick out your spot. We camped just past the shooting range (almost no shooting happening here) which was a huge spot but no cell service. If you take the left through the dip and go up around the little rock cliff, you get to a ravine with cottonwood trees and shade. There's a vault toilet at the top of the hill and you start getting cell service. There are many iconic cliffside spots at the top of the ridge with views of town and four bars. The bike trails were pretty good, considering motorcycles are allowed on them. You can only camp in official sites, which generally have fire rings and tables.

I truly wish this place was as accessible and everyone made it seem. The magical “west entrance” that’s easier to drive eluded us so we made our way up the steepest, rockiest hill you ever did see, and somehow managed. If you can find your way to the west entrance, this place is f*cking beautiful. If you’re like us, you’ll spend 3 1/2 hours trying to find a way out that doesn’t involve the aforementioned steepest, rockiest hill you ever did see.

AT&T service is VERY spotty, there is not a single road marker to tell you where you are, every single road in the whole area is a dirt road with lots of rocks, ruts, wash boarding, and bad vibes. Truly. Every single person that we drove past looked at us like we were the scum of the earth and when we did find a spot, on top of a hill, the guy that was already there informed us that he had saved all three spots with his chairs because he had people coming... but i digress.

If you want to brave this place, because truly it’s so beautiful, PLEASE scout it out with some sort of ATV first. Figure out your route, and then STICK to it and AVOID Co Rd 38 (if you can find it, considering there’s no markers) on the other side of the power lines because it’s simply not passable.

It was clean, but everything else was garbage.

Awesome site! Great views, private, cool rocks, great hiking trails. Used 4wd to access but was pretty easy. This is the secondary entrance suitable for most small to medium RVs...we are a 25' trailer. Suggest 4wd. Internet once you get to the top of the hill on all 3 carriers. Access Hwy 50 to Cty Rd 32 to BLM 3500 to BLM 3505 to BLM 3535 to site at GPS (38.4991986, -106.9561817).

Hartman Rocks Recreation Area is an amazing place. Less than 10 minutes south of Gunnison are over 14,000 acres of BLM land for camping,, rock climbing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, dirt biking, 4 wheeling, and even cross-country skiing.
There are two entrances - east and west. The east (main) entrance has a 160 acre base area, with parking lot and vault toilet, as well as multiple flowy single track trails for biking/hiking. To access the rest of the area involves a drive up Kill Hill Road, which is somewhat steep and bumpy (but short), and could prove difficult for those with larger rigs, or towing trailers.
The west entrance (McCabe) is much easier to come in on if you have a trailer or larger rig.
Once up in the BLM area, there are over 50 miles of trails and 45 miles of roads to explore, as well as countless bouldering/climbing possibilities.
Most of the roads are easily navigable, and all camp spots are designated with a sign and a steel fire ring . Some are easily large enough for 25' rigs and some have picnic tables and are handicap accessible.
Trails such as "Rocky Ridge", "Rattlesnake", "Lost Dog", and "Josho's" take you through gardens of massive granite boulders and endless sage brush.
There are even vault toilets and porta potties dotting the landscape.
Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen, as there is virtually no shade.
Cell coverage depends on carrier and location. In camp spots that are up high, with a line of sight to Gunnison, signal is great. Some other camp spots are lower and hidden in the rocks, with no signal at all.