Cement Creek Road (FR 740) — Gunnison National Forest Dispersed Camping

Cement Creek Road runs up the drainage southeast of Crested Butte, and it’s the way into Pearl Pass from the Gunnison side. Pull-offs and informal sites are scattered along the road through aspen and spruce, with the creek close by for background noise. Spots run from rough and exposed to quiet and tucked in. Expect neighbors on summer weekends, when hikers, mountain bikers, and the Pearl Pass crowd all use the corridor. It’s a good place to air down, check your rig, and sleep before hitting the pass at first light.

Camp only in established, previously used sites and stay off the creek banks and wet meadows. Fire restrictions come into play most summers, so check with the Gunnison Ranger District before you light anything. The standard 14-day USFS limit applies. Cell service is spotty to none once you’re a few miles up. The lower road is a graded dirt road, but Pearl Pass itself (FR 738 off this road) is a different animal. It’s a high, rocky, exposed crossing at 12,000+ feet that’s usually snow-free only in midsummer. Verify road and snow conditions with the Forest Service before you commit.

Have a dirty day.

Creekside free camp at the foot of Pearl Pass