Arapaho National Forest — Grand Ditch Road North End Dispersed Camp

The Grand Ditch is a historic water diversion canal that runs along the western flank of the Never Summer Mountains inside and adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, but the access road on the Arapaho NF side — particularly its northern terminus area near the La Poudre Pass corridor — offers legitimate dispersed camping on Forest Service land outside park boundaries. You’re up at 10,000 feet, sparse timber, big views west over the Colorado River headwaters basin. Wind is a constant factor; stakes matter. Bring all your water — none available on-site.

Road surface is rough dirt and rocky 2-track; a high-clearance rig is the minimum. Verify your position carefully — the boundary between Arapaho NF (dispersed camping legal) and Rocky Mountain NP (dispersed camping prohibited) runs through this area and is not always obvious on the ground. A downloaded Gaia or CalTopo overlay showing land ownership is not optional here. Snow can arrive by September at elevation. No signage, no services.

Wind-scoured ridgeline camps at 10K feet.