Uncompahgre Valley View Dispersed Camping

Just wanted to update reviews since it’s been a bit. This was a perfectly fine place to stay. We were only there for one night but it was quiet. The road with the switchback up to the boondocking area is a two lane gravel road- wide and in good condition. Boondocking spots start when the switchback ends (before coordinates) and go on further back. Plenty of quick pull offs from the road. There are also dirt roads going further back that are rutted but passable- just scout it out first. ATT was fine for streaming. Verizon was a bit slow. Good place for solar and starlink.

Potable water/dump in Montrose at Exxon Montrose Travel Plaza free when you buy gas there.

Pros:

Close to Montrose - 15 miles.

Cons:

Very limited number of campsites off of state 90 road.
Roads are rutted and in bad condition - get very muddy after rain.
Due to scrub brush you cannot camp anywhere other than a turnout or circle.
High clearance vehicle and rv needed.
Not RV big rig friendly.
A few camping areas that look good are on private land, not BLM land.
BLM camping near Delta and Grand Junction are better options.

This area is wonderful! It was incredibly quiet. There is a gravel road that leads to the camp areas but it is very well maintained and smooth. We turned to the left after the wide turn. There was a spot right off the road and 4 or so spots farther in. We have a 1500 Silverado and a 27ft travel trailer. No 4 wheel drive needed but high clearance is a must. The views were wonderful and this time of year we got an afternoon thunderstorm. While this is now one of our favorite spots it is very sad how people have treated the area. Our campsite and all others we saw were absolutely filled with glass. Farther down there were spots with a lot of trash. Luckily there wasn’t glass that caused a flat tire but we were very cautious about our dogs and kids. We picked up quite a bit of glass and didn’t even make a dent. I hope people continue trying to leave it better than they found it. There is cell service in certain spots and some better than others but I was able to get good signal and our cell booster helped.

We camped here because it was the only BLM land in the area. Dirt switchbacks to site- nothing terrible but also not the greatest road. Super small sites, not the most clear what’s a site/what’s not. No amenities but it served its purpose (a place to sleep with a late night arrival/early morning get up). 20 minutes from Montrose, 45 min from Gunnison. Given the other campsites in the area were 2 hours away from Gunnison due to highway closures or cost money for about the same views/resources, I think this is the best you can do as a dispersed camper as of June 2021. A few other campers were in area but not too crowded.